Silent films in
Across to Singapore (1928) Novarro began his film career in 1917, playing bit parts, supplementing his income by working as a singing waiter, a
taxi dancer and as a dancer in revues choreographed by Ernest Belcher (father of
Marge Champion). His friends, actor and director
Rex Ingram and his wife, actress
Alice Terry, began to promote him as a rival to
Rudolph Valentino, and Ingram suggested he change his name to "Novarro". From 1923, he began to play more prominent roles. His role in
Scaramouche (1923) brought him his first major success. Novarro achieved his greatest success in 1925, in
Ben-Hur. His revealing costumes caused a sensation. He was elevated into the Hollywood elite. As did many stars, Novarro engaged
Sylvia of Hollywood as a physical therapist (although in her tell-all book, Sylvia erroneously claimed that Novarro slept in a coffin). With Valentino's death in 1926, Novarro became the screen's leading Latin actor, though ranked lower than his
MGM contemporary
John Gilbert as a leading man. Novarro was popular as a
swashbuckler in action roles, and considered one of the great romantic lead actors of his day. He appeared with
Norma Shearer in
The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927) and with
Joan Crawford in
Across to Singapore (1928).
Talking films He made his first
talking film, starring as a singing French soldier, in
Devil-May-Care (1929). He starred with
Dorothy Janis in
The Pagan (1929), with
Greta Garbo in
Mata Hari (1931), with
Myrna Loy in
The Barbarian (1933) and opposite
Lupe Vélez in
Laughing Boy (1934). When his contract with MGM Studios expired in 1935 and the studio did not renew it, Novarro continued to act sporadically, appearing in films for
Republic Pictures, a Mexican religious drama, and a French comedy. In January 1936 he even appeared for a week in a variety show at the
Birmingham Hippodrome theatre in England, doing a song and dance act with his sister Carmen. In the 1940s, he had several small roles in American films, including
We Were Strangers (1949), directed by John Huston and starring
Jennifer Jones and
John Garfield. In 1958, he was considered for a role in the television series
The Green Peacock, with
Howard Duff and
Ida Lupino, after their
CBS Television sitcom
Mr. Adams and Eve (1957–58). The project, however, never materialized. A
Broadway tryout was aborted in the 1960s. Novarro acted occasionally on television, appearing in
NBC's
The High Chaparral as late as 1968. At the peak of his success in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Novarro was earning more than US$100,000 per film. He invested some of his income in real estate, and his Hollywood Hills residence, the
Samuel-Novarro House, is one of the more renowned designs (1927) by
Lloyd Wright, the son of
Frank Lloyd Wright. When his career ended, he was still able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. == Personal life ==