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DON JUAN (1926) costume romance; as both the elder DON JUAN and his daredevil son who gets involved in every kind of escapade in the court of the Borgias and finally rescues, and rides off to freedom with the beauty he loves. DIR; ALAN CROSLAND. SC; BESS MEREDYTH (the narrative poem by LORD BYRON). WITH MARY ASTOR, WILLARD LOUIS, ESTELL TAYLOR, WARNER OLAND, MONTAGU LOVE, HELENE COSTELLO (Delores sister), JANE MARLOWE, PHYLLIS HAVER, NIGEL DE BRULIER, HEDDA HOPPER, MYRNA LOY. PROD: WARNER BROS - 10 reels ORCHESTRAL AND SOUND% |
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TOP PIC - 30" X 40" oil painting of Don Juan from the WARNER THEATRE, BROADWAY AT 52ND STREET, NEW YORK. BOTTOM PIC - THE WARNER THEATRE, NY. |
DON JUAN proved a milestone in film history. It opened in NEW YORK at the WARNER THEATRE on AUGUST 5, 1926, and was the first feature for which a recorded musical score with sound effects was synchronised with the action. It was shown with a selection of the first VITAPHONE talking and singing short subjects, and audience reception of the programme far surpassed that of the critics in approval. Two things were indicated: the end of the silent film; the definite future of the talking picture. |
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WHAT BARRYMORE HIMSELF THOUGHT OF HIS "DON JUAN" --------------------------------- "I enjoyed creating the character of DON JUAN particularly because it is totally different from that of Ahab Ceeley in THE SEA BEAST, my last picture. The character of DON JUAN follows in a straight, honest line without palliation or subterfuge. If the picture is successful is will be because he doesn't reform or fade out in an aura of respectable domesticity with cows browsing peacefully in the distance and a row of milk bottles on the front stoop. He's true to his psychology as an engaging, ruthless amorist, a seeker after perfection with an extraordinarily recuperative physique. It might be well to remember that this is a character part. The difficulty with a character of this kind lies in keeping it from becoming repetitive. It might be pleasantly stimulating for the leading character to bounce from one lady to another, but could easily be rather dreary to watch." "Such distinguished artists as EMILY FITZROY, GUSTAV VON SEIFERTITZ AND GIBSON GOWLAND were willing to tender their services, although each of them was only in one scene, in order that the ensemble should be perfect and the atmosphere of the Renaissance as authentic as possible. As with HAMLET in London, we worked harder with the soldiers on the battlements than with the principals, because it is the subsidiary characters which do more towards retaining or dispelling an illusion than anything else." |
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