159. Vintage Case: The Life and Death of Ramon Novarro
For this month's vintage case, we look at another untimely death of one of Hollywood's earliest stars, Ramon Novarro. A Mexican immigrant, Novarro rose to stardom in the silent film era and then transitioned to talking films at a time when the audience was hungry for "Latin lovers" like Rudolph Valentino. His journey to megastardom was deceptively meteoric and required him to hide his sexuality due to the era and the strict studio system. His tragic death came at age 69, at the hands of Paul Ferguson; a murderer who went on to create a post-prison alternative history of the event.
Resources
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Belonsky, Andrew. “Today in Gay History: Ramon Novarro’s Murder (and Birth).” Out Magazine, Out Magazine, 6 Feb. 2014, www.out.com/entertainment/today-gay-history/2014/02/06/today-gay-history-ramon-novarros-murder-and-birth. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.
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Soares, Andre. “Ramon Novarro Brutal Death Pt.2: Convicted Killer Blamed Catholicism.” Alt Film Guide, Alt Film Guide, 30 Oct. 2011, www.altfg.com/film/ramon-novarro-killer-paul-ferguson-ben-hur/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2023.
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