A Lover's Oath
A Lover's Oath is a lost 1925 American silent fantasy film directed by Ferdinand P. Earle and featuring Ramon Novarro. The film is based upon the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, as translated by Edward Fitzgerald, and included quotes of its text on intertitles. Actor Milton Sills was scenarist and editor for the film.[1][2]
A Lover's Oath | |
---|---|
From a 1922 magazine | |
Directed by | Ferdinand P. Earle |
Produced by | Sol Lesser |
Written by | Milton Sills |
Based on | Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Omar Khayyam (Edward Fitzgerald translation) |
Starring | Ramon Novarro Kathleen Key |
Cinematography | Georges Benoit |
Edited by | Milton Sills |
Distributed by | Astor Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 60 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
The film was shot in 1920-21 and not released until 1925.[3] Actor Edwin Stevens had died in 1923 before the film was released.
Cast
- Ramon Novarro as Ben Ali
- Kathleen Key as Sherin
- Edwin Stevens as Hassan Ben Sabbath
- Frederick Warde as Omar Khayyam
- Hedwiga Reicher as Hassan's Wife
- Snitz Edwards as Omar's Servant
- Charles A. Post as Commander of the Faithful
- Arthur Edmund Carewe as Prince Yussuf
- Paul Weigel as Sheik Rustum
- Philippe De Lacy as His Son
- Warren Rogers as Haja
Production
For its 1925 release by Astor Pictures, a small distributor, Milton Sills edited the 1922 film to emphasize the role of Novarro, who by then was a rising star. Novarro refused to cooperate with a request for some new closeups, and reportedly some older clips of Novarro were edited into the film.[4] Despite this, the film was not well received by critics or the public.[4]
Preservation status
A Lover's Oath is a lost save for a short segment (around thirty seconds) held by the Academy Film Archive; the archive preserved the film in 2009.[5] An additional 135-foot section was apparently discovered and uploaded to YouTube in late 2019.[6]
References
- Progressive Silent Film List: A Lover's Oath at silentera.com
- The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: A Lover's Oath
- The Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: A Lover's Oath
- Soares, Andre (2002). Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro. New York City: St. Martin's Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 0-312-28231-1.
- "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
- Youtube segment documentation