Milestone Releases Silent Classic ‘The Spanish Dancer’ on Aug. 29

The Spanish Dancer

(1923) Pola Negri (“The Wildcat”) was already an international star. Antonio Moreno (“The Searchers”) was her equal in terms of talent and sex appeal. The director Herbert Brenon (“Beau Geste”) was one of the greatest directors of his day and he was assisted by the legendary cinematographer, James Wong Howe. Cast members Wallace Beery and Adoph Menjou’s brilliant performances add to the pure joy of the film. Together, cast and crew created one of the great romance epics of the silent era. Restored by Eye Filmmuseum and archivist Rob Byrne using material from archives around the world, “The Spanish Dancer” is a joy to behold. The film is action-packed, witty, and romantic with huge sets and a cast of thousands. Brenon keeps the adventure going full steam ahead while Negri and Moreno show why they were huge stars of their day. Negri, a trained dancer from her days at Warsaw’s Imperial Ballet, was happily matched with famed choreographer Ernest Belcher (father of Marge Champion and mentor to Gwen Verdon, Cyd Charisse, and Maria Tallchief) to create dance pieces unlike any others of the silent era.

Formats: Blu-ray.

Extras: Audio commentaries by film historian Scott Eyman and dance historian Naima Prevots; restoration demonstration.

(Milestone Film & Video).