Out Spotlight XV

Today's spotlight focuses on another Hollywood actor, who you might say is the flip side of William Haines, our Valentine's Out Spotlight. Ramon Novarro was also a silent screen star who successfully transitioned to talkies. He worked at MGM, along with Billy Haines during the '20s and '30s. Novarro was from Mexico and moved to L. A. with his family to escape the Mexican revolution. Novarro was the first Latin Hollywood star. His biggest successes were the films Ben-Hur and Mata Hari.

Novarro was gay, and struggled with it mightily. He was not comfortable with it like Haines was. Novarro was Catholic and worked to reconcile his faith and his sexuality. He never seemed at ease. Novarro did move in the same circles as Haines, and Novarro's sexuality was fairly well-known, for much of the 1920s. Novarro had a significant relationship with his publicist, Herbert Howe, that was alluded to in the fan magazines. The gossips wrote about Novarro not being married, never having a girlfriend, and spending all his time with his family and his publicist. In the early '30s, when Hollywood and the country became much more conservative, Novarro became reclusive. Louis B. Mayer also tried to force Novarro into a lavender marriage. Novarro refused. In 1935, MGM let him go, the same year Mayer pushed Billy Haines out.

Novarro, unfortunately, did not have the ability to reinvent himself like Billy Haines. He also did not have a strong long-term relationship to support him. He became more reclusive and drank heavily. The only sexual contact he would allow himself was from hustlers he picked up in the street. Novarro did some character acting after 1935 and always hoped for a comeback. This was not to be. On October 30, 1968 Novarro was brutally beaten to death in his home by two hustlers he had hired for sex. They believed Novarro had a large sum of money in the house, but this was not the case. The men would not believe Novarro when he denied having money and killed him. They left his house with $20 they took from his bathrobe. The two men were caught and convicted but were released fairly quickly. Both picked up new charges (none as serious as Novarro's murder) and were re-incarcerated. The two men have done more time on their less serious charges than they did for Novarro's murder.

What is interesting to me about Ramon Novarro is that during the '20s he was out and was even in a relationship. Then, in reaction to the new conservatism of the times, he attempted to go back into the closet, but he was not willing to go all the way. He had to know that when he refused a lavender marriage, it would be all over for him, just like it was for Billy Haines. But refuse he did. A brave act. And a sad life. RIP, Ramon Novarro.















Picture from ramonnovarro.com