Ramon Novarro (André-Louis), Alice Terry (Aline), Lewis Stone (the marquis), Lloyd Ingraham (André's godfather), Julia Swayne Gordon (the countess), William Humphrey (the chevalier), Otto Mattiesen (de Vilmorin), George Siegmann (Danton), Bowditch Turner (Le Chapelier), James A. Marcus (Binet), Edith Allen (Climene Binet), Lydia Yeamans Titus (Madame Binet), John George (little man in the Binet company), Nelson McDowell (Rhodomont), De Garcia Fuerberg (Robespierre), Roy Coulson (Murat), Edwin Argus (King Louis), Clothilde Delano (Marie Antoinette), Willard Lee Hall (king's lieutenant), Skavko Vorkapich (Napoleon Bonaparte), Lorimer Johnstone (Count Dupuye), Edwin Connelly (king's minister), Howard Gaye (Viscount d'Albert), William Dyer (brutal gamekeeper), J. Edward Brown (Benoit), Carrie Clarke Ward (Madame Benoit), Edward Coxen (Jacques), Rose Dione (flag- bearer of the Revolution), Arthur Jasmine (student), Tom Kennedy (dragoon), Carrie Daumery (gossip), Kalla Pasha (gate guard), B. Hyman, Louise Carver, Snitz Edwards, David Sharpe, Marjorie Reynolds, Jacques Tourneur.Director: REX INGRAM. Screenplay: Willis Goldbeck. Based on the 1921 novel by Rafael Sabatini. Photography: John F. Seitz. Film editor: Grant Whytock. Art directors: John J. Hughes, Amos Meyers, Harold Grieve. Costumes designed by O'Kane Cornwell, Eve Roth, Van Horn. Titles designed by J. W. Robson. Production manager: Curt Rehfeld. Assistant director: Arthur Smith. Producer: Rex Ingram. A Rex Ingram Production for Metro Pictures.Copyright 10 October 1923. New York opening at the 44th Street Theatre: 30 September 1923. 10 reels. 9,850 feet. 124 minutes. COMMENT: A superb, wonderfully faithful, brilliantly directed, awesomely expensive condensation of the Sabatini novel which makes the 1952 re-make look like a shoestring effort. All the players acquit themselves with honor, although Lewis Stone succeeds in dominating the movie with his chilling impersonation of the callous marquis whose beautiful manners mask an intransigent heart. The sets are out of this world, the photography breathtaking. And Alice Terry looks stunningly radiant in her gorgeous costumes.

A year after The Prisoner of Zenda, Rex Ingram shoots another film with more or less the same team. This time, it takes place during the French Revolution. So we can se Alice Terry (Mrs Ingram), Lewis Stone and Ramon Novarro. But when you look closely, you can recognize Edward Snitz, John George, Edward Conelly... Scaramouche is the film where the story and the History collide. The story is the one of André Louis Moreau (Ramon Novarro), an orphan whose friend, a fighter for freedom, is killed in duel by the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr (Lewis Stone). Moreau is also in love with Aline de Kercadiou (Alice Terry), the niece of the man who raised him. The History is the one of France. But it is rewritten by Hollywood. So, when you are French, you do not recognize your History. Before, there was Griffith's French Revolution (Orphans of the Storm, 1921), now there is Ingram's. This time, Robespierre is not a communist, but we can see a very ugly Danton (George Siegman), with his "pock-marked" face. There is also a very peculiar Parisian crowd: savage, shouting, bloodthirsty and greedy for aristocratic heads to fall. There are also the historic characters: Louis XVI, his wife Marie-Antoinette (and their children), Danton and Marat (Roy Coulson), and a young officer who watches silently, Napoleon (Slavko Vorkapich). Fortunately, we are interested in the story. Ramon Novarro is young, bold and handsome; Alice Terry is beautiful and cries easily; Lewis Stone is, as usual, very straight-up, and also a sort of villain, for he kills Moreau's friend. Once more, we have a fencing dual, but this time, it is better than in Zenda. But what strikes the spectator are the glittering eyes. In the first sequence, a dead man is brought back home. He was killed by the tyranny. We see his wife crying, the tears glittering in her eyes. Later, Moreau's eyes will glitter, when his friend is killed by de la Tour. IN every great moment of the film, we have these glittering eyes.Time and space have a very strange aspect in this film. Indeed, when you know France, you do not understand everything. It seems that the likelihood has been put aside. The events happen in three locations: Gavrillac (a village in Brittany), Rennes and Paris. Gavrillac is the place where Moreau and Alice grow up . Rennes is where Moreau speaks about Freedom. This is also where he meets Marat, another famous actor of the Revolution (who does not look like him at all, except the cloth he wears on his head). Paris is where everything really happens, where everyone meets. This is where the Assembly is meeting; where the play Figaro-Scaramouche (written by Moreau) is performed; where Aline, de la Tour and Moreau finally meet. Unfortunately, if we recognize very well each location, there is a big problem of space: in 1789, you cannot ride from Rennes to Paris in one day! Nevertheless, the characters of the film can be on Sunday in Gavrillac or Rennes and on Monday in Paris! As for the Time of the film, I would prefer not to talk about it. One date is right: August the 12th, 1792. When the people of Paris invades the Tuileries Palace, creating in the same time a real bloodbath.Despite all this, this Scaramouche movie has much charm. The fencing duel may be shorter than in George Sidney's movie (Scaramouche, 1952), it is nevertheless a great moment. The final revelation is quite amazing, and the actors were really well chosen. And, despite the fact that Moreau (and the script) is naive, we feel quite happy for him at the end.

Those who are familiar with the well-known 1952 remake of "Scaramouche" might find it difficult to recognize it in this 1923 silent version. The story in this earlier and seldom-seen version is quite different in many respects. Many of the plot points are different, the names of some of the principal characters are not the same and some of the principal characters in this earlier version do not even appear in the remake. The earlier version is also quite different in tone, being rather more in the nature of Historical-Melodrama or Historical-Fiction than the later version, which is much more of a mere swashbuckler. However, the fact is that this earlier version is actually much more faithful to the original book than the remake.Don't be put off by the fact that this is a silent film produced 90 years ago, because it's production values are excellent. Clearly no available expense was spared to make this production as lavish and authentic to the period (France during the French Revolution), as possible. The director, Rex Ingram, was about as good as one could find at the time. The cast also features some first rate performers, including perennial MGM favorite Lewis Stone, who was probably with the studio longer than any other actor, so long that he appeared in the 1952 remake. The title role is played by Ramon Navarro, who was a major star in the 1920s. Like Rudolph Valentino, Navarro was a major leading man in the films of the 1920s, and had the title role in the silent version of "Ben Hur". However, unlike Valentino, who died young, Navarro continued to work for many years, though his career as a leading man waned after talkies came in. Navarro's problem in talkies was that he happened to be Mexican, and spoke with an accent.All in all, "Scaramouche" comes off as a lavish and well produced melodrama set against the background of the French Revolution. The plot points and tone are so different that it should be rated alongside, rather than above or below, the better-known swashbuckling remake. This film is very well worth a look, especially to the many fans of the 1952 version.

In the late 1700s France, Andre-Louis Moreau (Ramon Novarro) becomes a rebel against aristocracy after his friend is killed by the evil de la Tour d'Azy (Lewis Stone). Unfortunately the woman he loves Aline (Alice Terry) is part of the aristocracy.Elaborate, well-directed with a cast of (seemingly) thousands this is a superb drama--it's just now getting its due on a stunning brand-new print showing on TCM. Alice Terry is just gorgeous as Aline--she's breath-takingly beautiful (that comes as no surprise--director Rex Ingram was her husband) and also one heck of an actress; Lewis Stone is convincingly slimy and cruel as the villain; best of all is Novarro. Easily one of the best-looking men ever it's easy to see why he was the top box office draw of his day. Looks aside, his acting was superb--he doesn't over emote (like some silent screen actors did) and was believable every step of the way. Sadly his career was destroyed because he was gay and homophobia was riding high at MGM. This man's acting and movies deserve some overdue recognition.The movie moves at a brisk pace, there's never a dull moment and has a very moving finale (although I had guessed the two twists at the end). A definite must-see!