Clarence Brown
Director
Vladimir Dubrouvsky, a lieutenant in the Russian army, catches the eye of Czarina Catherine II. He spurns her advances and flees, and she puts out a warrant for his arrest, dead or alive. Vladimir learns that his father's lands have been taken by the evil Kyrilla Troekouroff, and his father dies. He dons a black mask, and becomes the outlaw The Black Eagle. He enters the Troekouroff household disguised as a French instructor for Kyrilla's daughter Mascha. He is after vengeance, but instead falls in love with Mascha.
Clarence Brown
Director
Adrian
Costume Design
Hal C. Kern
Editor
William Cameron Menzies
Set Decoration
George Barnes
Director of Photography
Hanns Kräly
Screenplay
Alexander Pushkin
Novel
Rudolph Valentino
Lt. Vladimir Dubrovsky / The Black Eagle / Marcel Le Blanc
Vilma Banky
Mascha Troekouroff
Louise Dresser
The Czarina, Catherine II
Albert Conti
Kuschka
James A. Marcus
Kyrilla Troekouroff
George Nichols
Judge
Carrie Clark Ward
Aunt Aurelia
Spottiswoode Aitken
Dubrovsky's Father (uncredited)
Agostino Borgato
Priest (uncredited)
Gustav von Seyffertitz
Court Servant at Dinner (uncredited)
Russell Simpson
The Eagle's Lieutenant / Coach Driver (uncredited)
Otto Hoffman
Man Whose Purse is Stolen (uncredited)
Jean De Briac
Minor Role (uncredited)
Mario Carillo
Marcel Le Blanc - French Tutor (uncredited)
Eric Mayne
Official Asking for Signature (uncredited)
Mack Swain
Innkeeper (uncredited)
Gary Cooper
Masked Cossack (uncredited)
CinemaSerf
6/6/2022
Louise Dresser is super as Catherine the Great who takes a bit of a shine to the handsome "Lieut. Dubrovsky" (Rudolph Valentino); but he doesn't fancy that idea very much and as thy say -"hell hath no fury...''' so before long she has issued a warrant for his arrest and he is on the run. He heads back to his family property only to find that that has been appropriated by the wicked "Kyrilla" (James Marcus) so our hero dons a black mask and in his best "Zorro Hood" style, becomes "The Black Eagle" and sets about righting these wrongs. Of course, there's some love interest - he falls for the beautiful "Mascha" (Vilma Bánky) who just happens to be the daughter of his nemesis - so he soon finds that he has some tough choices to make. Certainly, the plot is an hybrid of a few other stories, but every culture has their own variation on these upstanding, freedom fighters and Valentino cuts a dashing figure as this Russian one. The imagery is cracking, with plenty of action scenes and the romance smoulders along nicely before the, admittedly, pretty predictable ending. It's probably my favourite outing for this star - less posing and flouncing around, more acting and engagement with the plot and the audience - with even a little fun thrown in, too. Great stuff!