Monday, August 8, 2016
TANGO NOTTURNO
I made this video tribute to film star Pola Negri (1897-1987) several years ago. It is accompanied by her singing the Tango Notturno from the 1937 German film of the same title. (full-screen viewing is best)
Polish-born Negri exemplifies the sultry, exotic, mysticism of the silent film era. She was not only a Hollywood film star, but also made motion pictures in Poland, Germany, and England. Although the height of her popularity was during the silent era, she made numerous successful European talkies. Negri's career fizzled by the late 1930's but she emerged from obscurity in 1964 to appear in one final film, The Moon-Spinners (with Hayley Mills).
When I lived in California and wrote articles for movie magazines, I admittedly knew very little about Pola Negri except for the old rumors that had persisted through the years. She was supposedly nothing more than a vapid vamp, whose greatest talent was that of generating publicity.
When Rudolph Valentino died in 1926, Negri threw a well-publicized hysterical fit at his funeral. Her enthusiastic display of tears and swooning seemed to be the highlight of her acting career. Pola claimed that she and Valentino had been secretly engaged shortly before his death. Much later, In her declining years, she admitted that the "engagement" had been a publicity stunt and she was never in love with him.
It wasn't until I finally saw some of Pola Negri's films that my negative opinion of her completely changed. She was an impressive actress, with an alluring persona and obvious intelligence. I never knew that she could sing until I saw her in Mazurka (1935) and her vocal skills surprised me.
Negri's expressive, sultry singing style is the epitome of the Berlin cabaret era and reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich. Ironically, Dietrich was supposed to star in the film Tango Notturno but was replaced by Pola Negri.
Marlene Dietrich was a superb cabaret performer - - much more potent on stage than she was in films. Although it's difficult to compare the two, I feel that Pola Negri was the better singer - - more polished and vocally sophisticated. Her performance of Tango Notturno is intoxicating.
Incidentally, Tango Notturno was written by the German film composer Hans-Otto Borgmann.
When I just tried the video it wouldn't play for some reason. If it doesn't work you can find it on my YouTube channel, which is JayveeSonata.
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Goodness, very prewar and sort of Berlin-ish. I prefer her to Dietrich too. But Edith Piaf is better, I'd say, if one is comparing chanteuses!
ReplyDeleteI'm not very familiar with Edith Piaf. I have heard her sing, but I want to hear more and familiarize myself with her recordings.
DeleteI enjoyed that
ReplyDeleteAs always, thanks for the visit, John. I'll bet you're glad the flower show is over.
DeleteWish I could remember what I read about her in one of the San Antonio papers years ago. Maybe I'm familiar with the area of her residence.
ReplyDeletePola Negri moved to San Antonio in 1957 and, from what I remember, she lived there the rest of her life.
DeleteI too am a Edith Piaf fan. However, I found Pola Negri's sultry voice delightful.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised at her sultry cabaret voice. I'll definitely have to check out Edith Piaf. I have heard her sing but I don't know much about her or her recordings.
DeleteI love looking at old photos of celebrities, but stealing the final moments of Valentino's funeral goes way over the wall of propriety. Her voice is sultry and smokey, and those pencil thin eyebrows of the day, with the strands of pearls: magnificently put together.
ReplyDeleteAh, those were the days when women were women and men were men....well, at least SOME of them were men....
DeleteThe glamor and class of old Hollywood is (unfortunately) now a thing of the past.
One of the singers, Edith Pilaf, is a fascination of mime. Life at the extremes, through not her doing and later of her choice, made her a awesome person. That, and of course, her voice. Interesting that her music was the choice for both German troops, and Allied, once they'd been in Europe a short time.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Mike
From what I've heard she had a tragic life, and she died far too young.
DeleteThanks for sharing this. I had never heard of her, but since I'm a Marlene fan, doesn't surprise me. I agree on both accounts about the two. I actually have a cd with several Marlene songs, not the most polished, but I think that,was the charm, and she definitely translated better on stage. I too have to wonder if American Horror Story was portraying Pola, when one of the,actors,last year was playing Valentino. O enjoyed the clip!
ReplyDeleteThe thing that surprised me most is the fact that Pola Negri sang. During her time in Hollywood, during the silent era, there was no opportunity to do so.
ReplyDeleteMarlene was a fantastic cabaret singer and she was definitely much better on stage than on film. Valentino, of course was gay, and the bogus "engagement" with Pola was a publicity stunt to salvage his reputation. After his miserable marriage to the lesbian Natasha Rambova, I doubt if Rudy would have ever risked marriage again.
I actually like a lot of the silent film stars (Chaplin, Garbo, and Pickford remain my favorites), but I must fess up that I'd never heard of Pola Negri until I read this post.
DeleteI agree that she had a much better singing voice than Dietrich. The sad thing is that many of the stars from the silent era were shunned by the public when sound suddenly became popular: Mary Pickford lost most of her fans because her voice was considered unappealing, while many so-called macho male stars sounded more like women than men - so the public stopped buying tickets.
When Garbo first "talked" in a film - the public fell in love with her all over again. She was one of the lucky ones :-)
Chaplin, Garbo, Pickford!! You know how to pick 'em Dylan! I love watching the old B&W movies and I hate it when they are colorized. Plus, I love to look at the staged furniture of the time. In 60 years, WE'LL be the oldies, but never the glamorous.
DeleteDana, old B&W films are the best! I can't get enough of Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, Davis and Crawford, Jimmy Stewart, Frances Farmer, Mae West, Cary Grant, Leslie Howard, Clark Gable, etc.
DeleteThe stars of today just don't interest me all that much :-)
Dylan, maybe that's because the stars of today are plastic people. Breast implants, eye lifts, face lifts, fake teeth, tons of hair extensions and then they speak of being down to earth and "real". It has always amazed me that they will choose an actor who has to be totally redone at the surgeons when I see prettier people every day WITHOUT makeup.
DeleteAND (Jon, if I may take more space) ALL the actors today are druggies, philanderers, adulterers, and proud of it. Back then, people were no different, but they knew to keep it out of the newspapers. Just the pretense of being honorable gave everyone back then someone to imitate and look up to. Now? There's NO ONE worth imitating.
Another thing to add to this...not only did they age gracefully, back then you had to have real talent. It is amazing how many could not only act, but could also sing and dance too.
DeleteReminds me of Marlene Dietrich, for sure. Transports you to another era. When I was growing up they had old black and white movies on every afternoon and evening. I devoured them. :)
ReplyDeleteThe movies today are absolutely nothing compared to those old black and white classics of Hollywood's golden era.
ReplyDeleteJon, Since I've signed up for a long-term relationship with you (check page 44, chapter 20 of the contract) I decided to start reading your blog from the day you moved in. Only then did I wonder how to get back to MY blog. I was deep in the story of how you came face to face (make that "male appendage") to face of a mountain lion. Then I realized my blog is not listed on your sidebar. Now how the hell do you expect me to find my way back home?
DeleteI almost never look at my sidebar, since I access all blogs from my Blogger dashboard. I just added you to the sidebar list with the hope that it will aide you in returning home.
DeleteI hate reading the things I wrote in the past - reading too many of them at a time could be lethal.
Actually, my VERY BEST blog was my old Texas blog "Lone Star Concerto", but it's no longer available publicly.
Very cool Jon! I love all this movie star trivia. You know that!
ReplyDeleteRon
Every time I write something about Hollywood I think of you. We share the Tinseltown passion! I was going to make the Pola Negri post longer but didn't want to bore my unHollywood-type readers.
DeleteI love how you've the ability to wipe the sheer awfulness of one's workday ... to appreciate the "good stuff."
ReplyDeleteCertainly, I recall my parents (or grands?) mention of Pola Negri, but never knew anything about the lady. Like blogger Rick says, "Every day is a school day."
I'll take all the compliments I can get, Myra - -
DeleteNow, if only I had the ability to wipe away the awfulness of my OWN days.....