The Pagan

Ramon Novarro is quite charming in the title role of this little-known film. All of the other stars also do a superb job: Renee Adoree, Dorothy Janis, and Donald Crisp. It's amazing to me how natural and contemporary this film seems after 72 years. Novarro is funny, dramatic and quite believable in the title role.

It just about breaks one's heart to realize that Renee Adoree died at the age of 35, about 3 years after the release of this film. If you enjoy her in this film, be sure to see her performance in "The Big Parade".

Donald Crisp's role harkens back to his character in "Broken Blossoms", and his is the only performance in this film that teeters a little toward the melodramatic side.

Viewers may also be interested to know that Novarro had attempted a legitimate singing career in opera and recitals, and it is his voice you hear in the overdubbed recording.

Woody Van Dyke captained an entire MGM crew for a location shooting in Tahiti for The Pagan where Ramon Novarro made his sound debut. This film was done like Warner Brothers The Jazz Singer where it was silent except for Al Jolson's musical numbers and some introductory dialog to one of them.

Novarro looked properly exotic and did exhibit a pleasant singing voice when he sang one of the first songs ever written expressly for the screen, Nacio Herb Brown's and Arthur Freed's The Pagan Love Song which was a big hit in 1929. Novarro sang in a few of his sound films after The Pagan.

Ramon plays a half Caucasian, half Tahitian lad who owns some land and a store courtesy of his white father, but prefers the lazy life the natives enjoy. Donald Crisp is a white trader with young native ward Dorothy Janis. Novarro and she are attracted to each other, but Crisp wants her brought up as a proper Christian and doesn't want her associating with her own kind. Actually he's got quite the yen himself for her.

At the same time The Pagan was being filmed Rain was on stage in the legitimate theater. The influence that W. Somerset Maugham's classic about the South Seas and particularly that of the character of Reverend Davidson on Crisp's screen persona is unmistakable.

Woody Van Dyke did a fine job of direction with his cast which also included Renee Adoree. He would soon be going to Africa for a trouble plagued shoot in Trader Horn, probably on the success he had bringing in this film shot in faraway places.

The Pagan holds up well and it's a piece of screen history besides.

While this film is a silent with synchronized score, there are two short scenes where Novarro sings a portion of the theme, "Pagan Love Song". First, when he is thrown off the boat by Donald Crisp and toward the climatic end when he lays down, humming the tune, and finds Crisp's cane.

You can hear him tapping the cane against the bamboo hut "live", not added sound. Both of these scenes are in perfect sync (probably Vitaphone--sounds like disc surface noise). You can usually tell the "sound stage sound" as opposed to studio sound added later.

The reason for these two short sequences is probably because the film was filmed "on location" in the Pacific. At that time, location sound recording would have not been practical. The scenes were most likely shot on a sound stage at M-G-M. Many silents were still in production in 1929. Adding sound sequences, or "goat glands", as they were called, was a transitional way of making silents "part-talkies", as referred by Photoplay magazine.

On a picturesque South Seas island, "half-caste" handsome Ramon Novarro (as Henry Shoesmith Jr.) sunbathes on his coconut plantation. Rather than develop the wealth on his estate, Mr. Novarro likes to sing, laugh, and bask in the sunshine. His rendition of "Pagan Love Song" attracts pretty Polynesian Dorothy Janis (as Tito), who is likewise "half white". Ms. Janis tells Novarro, "Your song nice, your face nice, too." The pair frolic romantically, but Janis' guardian is wicked white businessman Donald Crisp (as Roger Slater), who cheats Novarro out of his land, and lusts after his nubile ward...

This late term silent film is nicely preserved, and includes its original "synchronized sound effects" soundtrack. The score, as you'll hear, beautifully matches the lush island location. "The Pagan" found Novarro reaching a new peak of popular appeal, and helped propel him into the "talkie" era. His singing voice recorded well; soon, MGM learned their stars' accents did not concern audiences, who responded to rich speaking voices of all types. Director W.S. Van Dyke and cameraman Clyde De Vinna, who worked together on "White Shadows in the South Seas" (1928), were at their best.

The story seems, in hindsight, to be daring for the time; its balance favors naturalistic Paganism over hypocritical Christianity, but Novarro and the studio easily put "The Pagan" over the top. Of course, the film does not attack religion; the villain is hypocrisy, portrayed as perverted "Christian duty" by Mr. Crisp. Renée Adorée, an leading actress on a career slide, is given a good supporting role as a tarnished white outcast who helps Novarro and Janis. Unfortunately, Ms. Adorée didn't live long enough for a talking pictures success, and the promisingly beautiful Janis soon retired.

******** The Pagan (4/27/29) W.S. Van Dyke ~ Ramon Novarro, Dorothy Janis, Donald Crisp, Renee Adoree

Henry Shoesmith is THE PAGAN, a happy, handsome half-caste, perfectly attune with his South Seas home. Henry is also the owner of the largest cocoanut plantation on the island, which arouses the greed of an unscrupulous white trader with a beautiful native 'ward'...

Ramon Novarro is charming in this, his final silent film. Once again, MGM has their Mexican star playing another in his wide range of ethnic roles. Here he is a Polynesian, but he plays his part so well, and is obviously having such a good time, that he gives one of his most entertaining of performances.

He is served well by his excellent supporting cast. Dorothy Janis is Novarro's beautiful love interest - innocent, vulnerable & passionately in love. Donald Crisp is superb as the villainous white trader, consumed with lust for the girl he calls his 'Christian duty' and embittered with hatred for Novarro. His final fate is most proper & welcome. Renée Adorée scores as the island harlot, a staunch friend to both Novarro & Janis.

Directed by peripatetic W. S. Van Dyke, the location filming in & around Papeete, Tahiti enhances the story greatly.

Coming as it did at the very cusp of the new talkie era, this is essentially a silent film with an effective soundtrack that includes musical interludes & background dialogue. Novarro croons 'Pagan Love Song' (by Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed) to good effect - giving Hollywood one of its first hit tunes - and his fine singing voice would be heard again in forthcoming films.