''The Temptress'' is a 1926 American silent

romantic drama film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

directed by

Fred Niblo Fred Niblo (born Frederick Liedtke; January 6, 1874 – November 11, 1948) was an American pioneer film actor, director and producer. Biography He was born Frederick Liedtke (several sources give "Frederico Nobile", apparently erroneously) in Yo ...

and starring

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...

, Antonio Moreno,

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931 ...

, and

Roy D'Arcy Roy D'Arcy (born Roy Francis Giusti; February 10, 1894 – November 15, 1969) was an American film actor of the silent film and early sound period of the 1930s noted for his portrayal of flamboyant villains. He appeared in 50 different films ...

. It premiered on October 10, 1926. The film

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

was based on a novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez adapted for the screen by Dorothy Farnum.

Plot summary

Cast

as Elena, who uses her physical beauty to "tempt" and manipulate the opposite sex. * Antonio Moreno as Manuel Robledo, is an

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...

on leave in Paris from a dam building project back home in Argentina. * Marc McDermott as Fontenoy, middle-aged banker who had an affair with Elena during a difficult period and eventually commits

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

in a highly

melodramatic A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

fashion by drinking poisoned wine in public. *

as Canterac * Armand Kaliz as Marquis de Torre Bianca, a Frenchman and the husband of Elena, but also the close friend of Robledo. *

as Manos Duras, a local Argentine bandit who, like Robledo, falls for Elena when she arrives in Argentina. * Robert Anderson as Pirovani * Francis McDonald as Timateo *

Hector Sarno Hector V. Sarno (April 24,1880 – December 16, 1953) was an American film actor who began in the silent era. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1912 and 1948. He was born in Naples, Italy and died in Pasadena, California. Partial f ...

as Rojas *

Virginia Brown Faire Virginia Brown Faire (born Virginia Cecelia Labuna; June 26, 1904 – June 30, 1980) was an American silent film actress, appearing in dramatic films and, later, in sound westerns. Early years Virginia Cecelia Labuna was born in Brooklyn, New Yo ...

as Celinda *

Steve Clemente Steve Clemente (born Esteban Clemento Morro November 22, 1885 – May 7, 1950) was a Mexican-American actor known for his many villainous roles. He began acting in his teens, signing up for his first movie, ''The Secret Man'', in 1917. His later ...

as Salvadore (uncredited) * Roy Coulson as Trinidad (uncredited) *

Louise Emmons Louise Emmons (January 7, 1858 – March 6, 1935) was an American character actress. She appeared in several films between 1914 and 1935. Early years Information about her early life is contradictory. Older sources give 1852 or 1861 as her bi ...

as Newspaper Vendor (uncredited) * Inez Gomez as Sebastiana (uncredited) *

Bob Kortman Robert F. Kortman (December 24, 1887 – March 13, 1967) was an American film actor mostly associated with westerns, though he also appeared in a number of Laurel and Hardy comedies. He appeared in more than 260 films between 1914 and 1952. ...

as Duras Henchman (uncredited) *

Ethan Laidlaw Ethan Allen Laidlaw (November 25, 1899 – May 25, 1963) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 350 films and made more than 500 appearances on television, mainly uncredited in Westerns, between 1923 and 1962. Laidlaw was bor ...

as Caballero (uncredited) * Annabelle Magnus as Little Girl (uncredited) *

Chrispin Martin Chris-Pin Martin (born Ysabel Ponciana Chris-Pin Martin Paiz, November 19, 1893 – June 27, 1953) was an American character actor whose specialty lay in portraying comical Mexicans, particularly sidekicks in '' The Cisco Kid'' film series. ...

as Argentine Ranch Hand (uncredited) * Louis Mercier as Newspaper Vendor (uncredited) * Alys Murrell as Josephine (uncredited) * Constantine Romanoff as Duras Henchman (uncredited) * Charles Stevens as Argentine Reveler (uncredited) * Mauritz Stiller as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Production

Mauritz Stiller was originally set to direct Greta Garbo's second film for MGM. However, after struggling working as a director within the Hollywood studio system, he was removed from directing and replaced by

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the vis ...

James Basevi. Despite its filming difficulties, ''The Temptress'' proved to be a success, showing early signs of Garbo’s career potential. It grossed $587,000 domestically and $378,000 internationally, its worldwide gross was $965,000, though loss $43,000. After Louis B. Mayer viewed the finished picture, he was so depressed at the ending, that he ordered an alternate, happier ending to be made. Theaters at the time had the option of which ending to show, depending on what they felt were the tastes of their audience.Commentary by Robert Osborne on

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...

, March 5, 2012.

Reception

Mordaunt Hall Mordaunt Hall (1 November 1878 – 2 July 1973) was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for ''The New York Times'', working from October 1924 to September 1934.

Home media

The film was released on DVD on September 6, 2005 by

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Vide ...

as part of the Greta Garbo collection also featuring the film ''

Flesh and the Devil ''Flesh and the Devil'' is an American silent romantic drama film released in 1927 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and stars Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lars Hanson, and Barbara Kent, directed by Clarence Brown, and based on the novel ''The Undying ...

'' on the same disc. The alternate ending was included as well.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Temptress, The 1926 films American romantic drama films 1926 romantic drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films based on Spanish novels Films based on works by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez Films directed by Fred Niblo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films produced by Irving Thalberg Films set in Paris Films set in Argentina 1920s English-language films 1920s American films Silent romantic drama films Silent American drama films