Call of the Flesh

Plot synopsis:
In Seville, Spain, a cantina is located across the street from San Agustín convent. At the convent, postulant Maria Consuelo Vargas (Dorothy Jordan) receives a visit from her brother, Captain Enrique Vargas (Russell Hopton). They have not seen each other in seven years, as he has been stationed in Africa. During the intervening time, their mother has died, which left Maria alone in the world, until she entered the convent. Enrique is thrilled that she will soon be married to God. Maria is enthralled by the music that comes from across the street – implying that she wants to explore life outside the convent - but Enrique prefers that she remain behind the safety of the convent walls, as he considers the outside world evil.
After Enrique leaves, Maria peers over the convent walls to watch Juan de Dios (Ramon Novarro) perform at the cantina. Later in the set, Juan sings and dances with his partner, Lola (Renée Adorée). After the set, Juan flirts with some female customers, which irks Lola. Juan walks Lola home, during which time he treats her badly, knowing that she is in love with him, and thus will tolerate the abuse.
At home, Juan meets with his music teacher, Esteban (Ernest Torrence). Esteban believes Juan has the makings of a great singer like he himself once was. Esteban squandered away his fame and fortune by reckless behavior – the same reckless behavior Juan now exhibits – which he is trying to steer Juan away from. If his old contacts will listen, Esteban plans to take Juan to Madrid so that he can truly become a great serious singer under the management of one of the great impresarios.
After a day outing at the market where he steals some oranges and some cloth and thus is trying to escape from the police, Juan runs into Maria in a private courtyard, she who he has never met. She has escaped from the convent and is stealing a dress from a clothes line to replace her convent garb. She leaves a token for the dress. She recognizes him. As she tells him she has no home, he, who is immediately attracted to her, takes her home with him. Maria eventually tells Juan that she has escaped from the convent to find “him”, as she has always been drawn to the magic that is his singing. Then, Lola shows up. Juan is able to make her go away without knowing that Maria is there.
Esteban believes Maria to be nothing more than a street harlot, but Juan is able to convince him that she is a child of God. Juan then tells Esteban that they will indeed go to Madrid, and bring Maria along as their housekeeper.
At the convent, Enrique is trying to find Maria. The Mother Superior (Nance O'Neil) tells him that as Maria had not yet taken her vows, she was free to leave. Maria being drawn to music may provide a clue as to her whereabouts. Then, Lola arrives – she has found a convent garment in Juan’s room, the garment which Enrique and the Mother Superior recognize as Maria’s. Enrique vows to travel to Madrid to kill Juan.
In Madrid, Juan, Esteban and Maria rent a three-bedroom flat that is managed by a music aficionado, La Rumbarita (Mathilde Comont). A once great singer used to reside there, which they all believe is karma. Later at the audition with impresario Mischa, Juan displays his arrogant attitude about what he sees as the greatness of his singing. Although the audition is technically sound, Mischa tells Juan that he has no soul in his singing, and that he needs to have his heart broken to achieve true greatness. As such, Mischa, will not accept him as a client. After Juan storms out in disgust, Esteban negotiates payment – all the money that he has - to Mischa to take Juan on as a client in lower level musical events, Juan not to know the financial arrangement. Mischa happily agrees, seeing this arrangement as a windfall.
Back at the flat, Juan, angry about Mischa’s assessment, takes it out on Maria by berating her. But seeing how loyal she is to him, Juan changes his tune and declares his undying love for her. They embrace. Later, he visits a priest to make arrangements for their marriage. As Juan tells Esteban and La Rumbarita of the wedding, they go off to buy items for an engagement celebration party, but not before Esteban is able to tell Juan that Mischa has arranged for him to sing Pagliacci that evening. Juan is excited, but believes that Mischa has just come to his senses, not knowing about Esteban and Mischa’s financial arrangement.
While Juan is alone at the flat, Enrique tracks Juan down, ready to kill him. Although they initially argue about the situation with Maria, Enrique, with a little help from Lola, is able to convince Juan to send Maria back to the convent, as his act of love is stealing her away from her vow to God, and that she would always be seen as harlot if they were to get married, thus sending her to eternal damnation. Knowing that Maria will not go willingly, Juan convinces Maria that he no longer loves her as he has reconciled with Lola. A tearful Maria, now believing the outside world is evil as Enrique once said, leaves with her brother back to Seville and San Agustín.
Despite Juan’s broken heart, Esteban is able to convince Juan to proceed with the performance of Pagliacci by telling him the truth about his and Mischa’s financial arrangement. Juan’s performance ends up being a triumph, with Juan emotionally spent after it. Mischa remarks that this Juan and the Juan at the audition are two totally different people. Mischa now wants to sign a legitimate contract with Juan. Regardless, Juan does not recover emotionally. As Esteban takes him back to Seville, Juan is bedridden, dying from a broken heart. Seeing what is happening to Juan, Lola decides to go to the convent to tell Maria the truth about their deception, which Lola now knows will lead to certain death for both Juan and Maria of broken hearts. Maria rushes to Juan’s side, the two who enter into a loving embrace.

Tags: romantic

Review:
Novarro confirms his talent in a great performance..
Ramon Novarro is really great in this fairly ordinary film about a young singer and his love for an innocent girl.
Also he demonstrates his usual charm, wit and joy of life - and proves yet again that he deserved better material than MGM offered him.It's easy to see why this sweet film was so popular in its day, and why it was re-made twice (in Spanish and French) in 1931, with Ramon starring in and directing both versions.
It's all impossibly romantic and quite charming.Ramon's regular leading lady, Dorothy Jordan, is pretty good here, Ernest Torrence hams a bit as Ramon's dad, and Renee Adoree is wonderful in her last screen performance (she died very young of TB) - just as in "The Pagan" her love for Ramon is unrequited and she is ultimately self-sacrificing.
Russell Hopton is, unfortunately, wooden as Jordan's brother and, as a consequence, his crucial climactic scene with Ramon does not work as well as it should have.Charles Brabin's direction and the screenplay are uninspired, but the film is worth seeing for Ramon Novarro's extraordinary performance..
Lively Ramon Novarro Film.
Ramon Novarro plays a saucy singer who teams with Renee Adoree to appear at local cantinas and is pushed by his friend (Ernest Torrence) to get serious about opera.
But then he meets a "runaway" from a convent (Dorothy Jordan) who knows nothing of the world.
He falls in love and dumps Adoree.
But Adoree gets even by finding Jordan's military brother who tracks them down and sends her back to the convent.
Meanwhile Novarro is turned down by a local opera house because he's never had his heart broken and his singing has no soul.
Torrence buys a night for Novarro to sing at the opera and he grudgingly does to, bringing down the house.
But his heart is so broken he's actually dying until Adoree takes action.Novarro is quite good here, especially when singing.
A few of the dramatic scenes are badly done, but the rest of the film is lively.
I have no idea what Novarro sings in the finale but he's good despite having rather thin high notes.
It's quite a shock to see Torrence break out in song, but the burly Scottish actor, a dependable heavy in silent films, was a trained opera singer.
Jordan and Adoree handle the music well.There's a great scene where Torrence at the piano joins Novarro in a burst of song only to be joined by the landlady (Mathilde Comont).
It all seems so spontaneous.Sadly this was Adoree's final film.
One of my favorite films..
This is one of my favorite films of all time.
I loved every character, and every actor and actress.
The film is charming.
This story must have been written with Ramon Novarro, Dorothy Jordan, and Renee Adoree in mind; but the whole cast is "perfect".
Some may find this film naive or too simplistic, but it's innocence and sincerity overwhelm me..
One of Novarro's best Early talkies.
I watched "Call of the Flesh" (1930) a romantic, musical melodrama with touches of comedy, that was a huge surprise for me.
Surprise, because after watching "In Gay Madrid" (1930) filmed and released earlier the same year and after re-reading the pertinent passages from André Soares' very good Bio on Novarro "Beyond Paradise" my expectations were low, since Mr. Soares believes "In Gay Madrid" (1930) to be the best film that Novarro made with co-star Dorothy Jordan.
Well, I am sorry to totally disagree, but for me "Call of the Flesh" is simply one of Novarro's best talkies along with "The Barbarian" (1933), "The Cat and the Fiddle" (1934) and "Daybreak" (1931) - I'm not counting "Mata-Hari" (1931) because it's a Garbo vehicle and not really Ramon's film.Mr. Soares and some other reviewers felt that Novarro plays an obnoxious, difficult to tolerate character, especially at the beginning of the film, but I found him most amusing and likable in a way.
A sort of immature, mischievous, full-of-life young lad -much more appealing than Haines' truly obnoxious characters.
Novarro is very charming and natural, in spite that some times he could be perceived by some to be a little bit "too much".
For me he's fine.On the other hand, the chemistry between him and Dorothy Jordan is far more effective here than in the previous film I saw.
Ms. Jordan really redeemed herself in my eyes in terms of acting.
She's no Duse, but she did fine and she conveys the innocence and charm of a naive convent girl who falls for life outside the convent and for Novarro.
The musical interludes, singing and dancing are much better in this film and it has better production values.
In terms of cinematography, camera movement, pacing and editing it's "eons" beyond "In Gay Madrid" (1930); definitely Charles Brabin and his crew did a much better job that Bob Z.
"Call of the Flesh" (1930) doesn't look at all stilted, stiff and creaky like "In Gay Madrid" (1930) did.
Probably by the time they filmed the former the crew at MGM had already learnt how to overcome those shortcomings."Call of the Flesh" also benefits from an overall superior supporting cast, with Ernest Torrence fantastic as Novarro's mentor; ailing, lovely Rénée Adorée very moving as Novarro's fiery lover "Lolita" and Mathilde Comont hilarious as Novarro's landlady in Madrid.Adorée was gravely ill with TBC and was in very bad condition during the making of the film (and one can see it; she looks very frail and thin).
In fact she and Ernest Torrence died a couple of years after this film was finished.
I think that it was her final film.There are two alternate versions of this film: in Spanish and French, which I don't know if they are still extant, but I'd love to see.I was so surprised by this film (maybe, because I didn't really expect much), I enjoyed the romance, the musical interludes, the comedic touches, even the Operatic Arias (although like Jeanette MacDonald people who know about Opera, say that Novarro hasn't got a voice of a caliber enough to tackle such a challenge) and I was sincerely moved by the scenes towards the ending.All in all, a rewarding experience..
Ramon Novarro Behaves Like A Cad. A brash cantina singer in Sevilla heeds the CALL OF THE FLESH when he romances a young postulant from a nearby convent.Sometimes movie studios make most unwise decisions, resulting in ramifications that can be quite detrimental to the careers of even their biggest stars.
Good production values & fine performances can not save this film from its one fatal flaw: it is difficult to like, or even tolerate, the hero.Ramon Novarro, usually quite the pleasant fellow, here is forced to play a repellent rogue who quickly irritates the audience with his cruel treatment of those who love him most.
Novarro's undoubted acting abilities enable him to deliver a fine performance, but mischievousness mixed with too much meanness can result in viewer apathy.This did not help his career.
The fad for the Latin Lover was wearing mighty thin already and would soon be completely eclipsed by the All American Hero, and Novarro's sexual ambiguity was always a bit of a problem for the MGM front office.
The advent of Sound, while finally revealing his strong singing voice, also exhibited his Mexican accent, making it difficult to cast him in traditional roles.
Dorothy Jordan is radiant as the innocent young woman who loves him with every fiber of her being; she delivers a heart touching, memorable performance.
Flamboyant & hammy, Scottish actor Ernest Torrence is terrific as Novarro's friend & mentor - although one has to wonder just why he was willing to put up with so much nonsense from the little squirt.
Equally adept at drama or comedy, Torrence's theatrical mannerisms and the contortions of his great homely face make him both entertaining to the audience and an enjoyable contrast to handsome Novarro.
French actress Renée Adorée, in her final film, stirs up the flames in her role as Novarro's musical partner & lover.
(Ill health would bring about the early deaths of both Torrence & Adorée in 1933 - he at 54 and she at 35.
Today, these two fine performers are virtually forgotten.)Mention should be made of Mathilde Comont, hilarious as a rotund little diva turned landlady.Novarro is in good voice throughout, which is fortunate as the plot keeps him singing interminably..
Novarro Sings Again.
In a Spanish convent, girlish-acting Dorothy Jordan (as Maria Consuelo Vargas) is thinking about taking her final vows when she hears handsome Ramon Novarro (as Juan de Dios) singing in a nearby cantina.
She sneaks away from the nunnery to watch Mr. Novarro sing.
The seemingly aroused Ms. Jordan looks like she may never become a nun.
Novarro playfully turns down some after-hours bedtime with attractive dancing partner Renee Adoree (as Lola) – proving "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets" is not correct, this time.
Next, Novarro sups with operatic mentor Ernest Torrence (as Esteban), steals a few things at the market, and then meets Jordan.
Hoping to advance his career, Novarro moves to Madrid with Mr. Torrence going along as singing coach.
They take love-struck Jordan along to serve as cook.
Back at the convent, Ms. Adoree jealously informs Jordan's brother Russell Hopton (as Enrique Vargas) about her association with Novarro.
The nuns say Jordan never took her final vows, but Mr. Hopton expects his sister to remain holy – he is understandably upset about her running away with a young man.
Adoree does better with her role.
Sadly, this was the last film for Adoree, who often appeared supporting bigger stars – like Novarro, John Gilbert and Lon Chaney.
His female co-stars have a fine rapport with Novarro.
Greater as a villain, Torrence is out of sorts as Novarro's loving mentor.
The cameras adore Novarro.
There are clearly times when director Charles Brabin is unable to reign him in, but Novarro is charming in spite of it all.
***** Call of the Flesh (8/16/30) Charles Brabin ~ Ramon Novarro, Dorothy Jordan, Ernest Torrence, Renee Adoree.
What Happened to Ramon Novarro's Career.
By no means a "B" film in budget, but definitely one in story and technique.
After seeing this effort, it's remarkably easy to understand why Novarro's stellar career declined so rapidly and dramatically in the sound era.
It's not that there's anything wrong with his voice, it's just that his acting seems so ludicrously inept and his personality so colorless and lacking in charisma.
Mind you, if you turn off the sound, then Novarro's gestures and even his persona appear quite acceptable.
But with sound in this film, he's just ridiculous!
Unfortunately, Charles Brabin is not this sort of chef  at least not here.
Ramon Novarro's pedestrian sound period hastened an end to his film career and Call of the Flesh may well be the vehicle that pushed him over the cliff.
In the silent era Novarro's handsome chiseled features, dark eyes and killer smile showed him adept at both drama (The Red LIly, The Pagan) and romantic comedy ( The Student Prince of Heidleberg) but in Call of the Flesh he is a triple fret as speaks, sings and dances dreadfully.
Juan Di Deos is a carefree entertainer that loves to play tricks and chase the ladies.
His fiery dance partner Lola (Renee Adoree) is often the victim of his childish pranks but is crazy about the guy.
Nun in training Maria Vasquez however is the one that captures his heart.
Career wise he has the same laissez faire attitude which frustrates his mentor Esteban who pulls strings to get him an audition with an opera impresario.
Meanwhile Lola gets wind Juan's romancing the good sister and tries to break it up.
Call of the Flesh is early sound at its worst.
Without his title cards doing the talking Novarro comes across like a mischievous twelve year old.
The timber in his voice fails to live up to his look and his singing and dancing would get the hook at a local amateur show.
Aquitting themselves as shabbily as Novarro fellow silent film alumni Ernest Torrence and the ailing Renee Adoree overact monstrously while fresh faces Dorothy Jordan and Russell Hopton make it clear they will have short careers.Charles Brabin's direction is haphazard and flat as he allows his troupe to step on each others lines and display bad timing; some of it so poor you get the feeling he might have had his face buried in a newspaper oblivious to the action being recorded.
One could hardly fault him for averting his eyes since Call of the Flesh is dead meat from the opening reel..
Navarro's voice is wonderful but the pace is a bit slow.
I realize that this is an operetta from the first generation of early sound musicals, but the film could have benefited from tighter pacing and therefore a shorter running time.
Plus there is virtually no back-scoring in this film, also typical for early sound, that just makes the lulls seem more pronounced.
The story opens at a convent in Spain as a group of postulates prepare to take their vows and become actual nuns.
Maria Vargas (Dorothy Jordon) gets a visit from her soldier brother Enrique (Russell Hopton).
As a result of a weird and possibly unfortunate choice of zoning, Maria hears Juan de Dios (Ramon Navarro) singing at the cabaret next door.
(What is a cabaret doing next to a convent???) Maria climbs up to the top of the convent wall, sees Juan and it is love at first sight.
This is most unfortunate for her, since Juan de Dios seems to love nothing but trouble.
Maria, who has not yet taken her vows, runs away from the convent in search of him.Juan callously casts girls aside, steals from local vendors for the thrill of it all, and then runs across Maria staring at him adoringly as he evades the police for the latest chaos he has caused at the market.
He takes the girl in and takes advantage of the fact that she obviously adores him to have her cook for him, clean for him, and take extraordinary criticism from him anytime he wants to feel better about himself - however relations between them are squeaky clean thus belying the film's title.
In what seems like a bit of miscasting, Ernest Torrence, a big craggy mountain of a man who looks like he should be playing a pirate sailing the seven seas, instead plays Juan's mentor and voice instructor.
At his audition for the opera in Madrid, Juan's mentor is told that Juan will never be a great singer because his heart has not been broken - there s no there there in short.
Since Juan seems to have no heart that could possibly ever be broken it seems like his soul and his singing have hit a dead end.
Watch and find out.Dorothy Jordan starred opposite Navarro in the first three of his sound films - this was their third appearance together.
Navarro had been an effective romantic lead in the silent era, but the coming of sound both blessed him and cursed him.
Sound cursed him because the pitch of his speaking voice projected sweetness rather than masculinity.
This would explain Jordan as a frequent costar.
Yes, she was a talented singer whose voice meshed well with his, but she was also capable of being femininely unintimidating which made Navarro's lack of machismo in sound films less stark.
For example, in this film she is almost mimicking Minnie Mouse in her diminutive portrayal of Maria.
Once more powerful female sound stars begin to take the field such as Barbara Stanwyck and Jean Harlow, there was just no way Navarro could hope to hold on to the leading roles he had once had, especially after musicals went out of fashion for a couple of years starting at the end of 1930.
I'd recommend this one because it is put together pretty well although it does have that characteristic of MGM films of the time - an abrupt right turn in the plot that causes an outlandish happy ending for all concerned..
Not because I think this is a great film -- it's not.
But because they seem a bit unaware of the situation.First, in terms of why the popularity of his films fell off.
But, particularly in the early days of Hollywood, the film industry tended to go through cycles of "taste".
And one cycle was "Latin lovers"...a cycle which lasted about a decade, beginning with Valentino and practically ending with Novarro.
The coming of the American hero -- Gable and Cagney in 1931, just one year after this film.
American tastes were changing.Second, rather than blame Novarro for the problems with this film, I choose to blame the director.
Poor sound -- after all, the film was made just 3 years into the talkies and the big improvements that arrived right around this time.
This looks like a fairly big budget film for MGM...consider the sets, for example.I found the criticisms of Novarro's acting interesting.
It certainly doesn't fit today's tastes (nor does his singing voice...a style that was totally outdated by a decade later when the crooners took over.
What did I see in Novarro's acting?
He appears pleasant on screen here; a good person.
This review is just written by a Novarro fan.
And the context is a threshold of change in Hollywood -- change in what is desired in a leading man, change is the type of stories to be told, change in the technical abilities of the Hollywood studios, change in the tastes of the American public.This is worth watching for a glimpse of really old Hollywood on the verge of morphing into the Gables and Loys and Cagneys and Davises.