Don Juan | 1926 | Romance, Adventure

Title: Don Juan | 1926 | Romance, Adventure Director: Alan Crosland Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures; The Vitaphone Corporation Starring: John Barrymore, Mary Astor, Estelle Taylor, Warner Oland, Montagu Love, Jane Winton, Willard Louis Based on: Don Juan by Lord Byron Release Date: August 6, 1926 Runtime: 112 Format: Black-and-white; 35mm; 1.33:1; Western Electric Vitaphone sound-on-disc synchronized musical score and sound effects; Silent with English intertitles Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Romance; Adventure; Historical --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Prologue: Don José’s warning 00:14:00 Don Juan’s exploits in Pisa 00:36:30 The Borgia ball 01:00:00 Adriana in peril 01:24:30 Duel and the death-tower 01:49:00 Final escape and reunion --- Summary: In Renaissance Italy, Don Juan de Marana, schooled from childhood to trust no woman, becomes a famed seducer. His libertine path collides with the ruthless ambitions of the Borgias when he falls for Adriana della Varnese and spurns Lucrezia Borgia’s designs. Schemes of poison, forced marriage, and political intrigue draw Juan into duels, imprisonment, and a daring escape. The story balances swashbuckling action with romance as Juan rejects cynicism to defend Adriana and reclaim honor. --- Background: Don Juan is the first feature-length film released with a synchronized musical score and sound effects via Warner Bros.’ Vitaphone sound-on-disc system. It premiered at the Warner Theatre in New York on August 6, 1926, preceded by a Vitaphone program featuring Will H. Hays and concert performances. The film’s score was performed by the New York Philharmonic and recorded using an innovative multi-microphone live mix, an early milestone in screen sound craft. Though made without spoken dialogue, its technical debut signaled the transition from silent cinema toward sound filmmaking. --- Trivia: The film’s synchronized soundtrack contains music and effects but no spoken dialogue, distinguishing it from later part-talking and all-talking features. Opening-night ticket prices reached unprecedented Broadway levels for a film program, reflecting intense public interest in Vitaphone. Future star Myrna Loy appears in an early small role as a lady-in-waiting. A preservation print with the original Vitaphone soundtrack survives at the UCLA Film & Television Archive. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: August 6, 1926 Original Studio / Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures; The Vitaphone Corporation Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: DonJuan 1926 SilentFilm JohnBarrymore MaryAstor Vitaphone WarnerBros AlanCrosland ClassicCinema PublicDomain Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Don_Juan_(1926).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Don_Juan_%281926%29.webm