He began his career in American silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box-office attractions of the 1920s and early 1930s.

Known as a charitable and outgoing man, he was once an interim governor for the State of Chihuahua and was the first city councilman of El Paso, Texas.... Ramon's father, Dr. Mariano N. Samaniego, was born in Juarez and attended high school in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

After receiving his degree in dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania, he moved to Durango, Mexico, and began a flourishing dental practice.

Thirteen children were born there: Emilio; Guadalupe; Rosa; Ramón; Leonor; Mariano; Luz; Antonio; José; a stillborn child; Carmen; Ángel and Eduardo.

Novarro was popular as a swashbuckler in action roles, and considered one of the great romantic lead actors of his day.

He starred with Dorothy Janis in The Pagan (1929), with Greta Garbo in Mata Hari (1931), with Myrna Loy in The Barbarian (1933) and opposite Lupe Vélez in Laughing Boy (1934).

In 1925, Novarro purchased a home in "the exclusive West Adams district" of Los Angeles for $12,000 and spent an additional $100,000 on renovations.

[16][17] He was romantically involved with Hollywood journalist Herbert Howe, who was also his publicist in the late 1920s,[18] and with a wealthy philanthropist and arts patron from San Francisco, Noël Sullivan.

[19] Along with Dolores del Río, Lupe Vélez and James Cagney, Novarro was accused of promoting communism in California after they attended a special screening of the film ¡Que viva México!

[citation needed] Novarro was murdered on October 30, 1968, by brothers Paul and Tom Ferguson, aged 22 and 17, who called him and offered their sexual services.

In the past, he had hired prostitutes from an agency to come to his Laurel Canyon home for sex, and the Fergusons obtained Novarro's telephone number from a previous guest.

[20][21][22] According to the prosecution in the murder case, the two young men believed that a large sum of money was hidden in Novarro's house.