The image showcases the beautiful sets that were created for this film and depicts an interior long shot of Lt. Vladimir Dubrovsky (Rudolph Valentino) in a heated exchange with Kuschka (Albert Conti) as Kyrilla Troekouroff (James A. Marcus) watches the two men. The lighting is especially attractive and creates bright highlights around the left edges of the actors and on the floor. Printed on single-weight stock with a glossy finish, this vintage original photograph is in very fine- condition with a light trim along the right border and surface paper loss on the remainder of the right border. There are no pinholes, tears, stains or other flaws and the image quality is razor-sharp with fine detail and beautiful rich contrast.
The film was originally titled The Black Eagle but was changed when it was discovered that Douglas Fairbanks was producing the similarly-titled The Black Pirate (1926). In the scene where the camera moves along the banquet table, the table used had to be specially designed to move apart so that the camera could travel backward. Valentino wanted to project a more "butch" image in this film, so in order to establish his masculine bona fides with the cast and crew, he sent home stunt double Nicky Caruso and did the spectacular opening stunt - leaping onto a horse and chasing down a runaway carriage - himself. |