A book about his death, "Bloody Wednesday", was rushed into print. For some reason, very few copies are available today, making the book a collector's item.
According to Bob Gilmore's biography of composer Harry Partch (p. 47), Novarro and Partch had a homosexual love affair while in their 20s. They worked as ushers for the Los Angeles Philharmonic together, and Novarro left Partch once his acting career in silent films picked up.
Allegedly he used to rub vaseline on his upper gum to succeed in smiling also when his mouth was got dry by emotion.
Cousin of Dolores del Rio
Cousin of Andrea Palma.
Father was M.N. Samaniegos, a dentist. Mother was Elenor Gavilan. Three sisters: Carmen Samaniegos, dancer; Luz Samaniegos; Lenore Samaniegos, nun. Four brothers: Mariano Samaniegos, dentist; Eduardo Samaniegos, architect; Jose Samaniegos, chemist; and Antonio Samaniegos, film technician.
Found beaten to death at home in Hollywood Hills.
His weekly salary of $10,000 for Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) was 80 times more than the $125 per week he got for The Prisoner of Zenda (1922) just three years previously.
Was a close friend of Gabriel Navarro, the grandfather of rocker Dave Navarro. He chose to borrow Gabriel's surname for his stagename, but a secretary made a typing error, rendering him forever Ramon Novarro.