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Rex Ingram
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Rex Ingram had been a jack-of-all-trades at various film studios for three years when, at the tender age of 23, he made his directorial debut with Universal's The Great Problem. The story, written by Ingram, concentrates on a mother named Mary Carson and her daughter Peggy, both played by Violet Mersereau. As Mary lays dying, her ex-crook husband Bill (Dan Hanlon, unable to pay for her medicine, resorts to stealing and is promptly arrested. Bill's pal Skinny (William J. Dyer promises to look after Mary and her daughter Peggy while Bill is in stir. During the next ten years, both Mary and Skinny die, leaving the teenaged Peggy to fend for herself. Arrested as a pickpocket, Peggy is hauled before District Attorney George Devereaux (Lionel Adams), who decides to adopt the girl and orchestrate her reformation.
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Rex Ingram was one of the few silent era directors who exerted complete artistic control over his films, and in the twenties was considered an equal of Griffith and von Stroheim. He worked with a loyal company of cast and crew, including John F. Seitz, his gifted cinematographer. Ingram pays meticulous attention to detail and artfully casts even the smallest parts. Seitz's painterly lighting and photographic effects were innovative and admired. His distinguished career continued until 1960, and he photographed many of Preston Sturges and Billy Wilder's important films.
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The son of a steamer fireman on the riverboat Robert E. Lee, Rex Ingram was literally born on the Mississippi River, somewhere between Natchez, MS, and Cairo, IL, where his mother resided. He spent a big part of his youth working with his father on riverboats until he entered Northwestern University and, later, medical school. After earning his degree, he took a trip to California for some rest; while standing on a street corner in L.A., he was spotted by a casting director and offered ten dollars per day to appear in a movie. He ended up playing an African tribesman in the first of the Tarzan movies (starring Elmo Lincoln), Tarzan of the Apes (1918). Ingram subsequently got a succession of the typical roles available to black actors in the silent era: butlers, porters, and native Africans. He was busier than most of his colleagues because of his startlingly good looks, his 6' 2" height, and substantial 220-pound build.
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Starring Sabu, Conrad Veidt, June Duprez, John Justin, and Rex Ingram, this 1940 remake of Douglas Fairbank's original silent movie offers nearly two hours of delightful entertainment. In the plot, the evil grand vizier of Bagdad named Jaffar deposes the handsome rightful king Ahmad, then negotiates with the neighboring king of Basra for the hand of his beautiful daughter. Along the way, Ahmad becomes friends with a street-smart young thief who saves his life and falls in love with the beautiful princess of Basra. Of course, the evil Jaffar thwarts the lovers because he wants the princess for himself, and the plot continues from there. The story is a magical tale in the true spirit of the Arabian Nights, the character development is appealing, and the production quality is a visual feast.
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Rex Ingram's films were considered by many contemporary directors to be artistic and skillful, with an imaginative and bold visual style. In 1949, the Directors Guild of America bestowed an Honorary Life Membership on him. For his contribution to the motion picture industry he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1651 Vine Street.
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Rex Ingram came upon Novarro and cast him as "Rupert of Hentzau" in The Prisoner of Zenda. The boy before he met Mr. Ingram had been struggling under the handicap of a name like Samanegas [sic]. Mr. Ingram rechristened him, helped him and gave him the chance that was later going to get him many offers from film companies.
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Rex Ingram