"Ramona" - Gene Austin, 1928 (Dolores del Rio)

RAMONA (Theme song of the Motion Picture production, "Ramona")
(L. Wolfe Gilbert - Mabel Wayne)
Gene Austin, Tenor with orchestra and pipe organ.
Victor 21334-A (42584). 1928.

In 1848, the discovery of gold brought California to the attention of the world. But it was Helen Hunt Jackson's best-selling novel, "Ramona," that helped to create the romantic mystic that is associated with California to this day. Several movies were made from the book, including the 1928 United Artists picture, starring Dolores del Rio, for which this love song was written.

The promotional souvenir pictures which illustrate this video were found in a box of movie star memorabilia that my mother and her sisters had collected as children in the 1920s.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Ramona
• Gene
• Austin
• 78rpm
• Dolores
• del
• Rio

[gernikita]

My grandmother used to to sing to me this song back in 1969, everytime she saw me wearing a headband.

[abendstunde49]

@gernikita

Thank you for the family story!

[calvertsch]

Hello, I purchased a new old stock still sealed 70s Gene Austin's Greatest Hits on DOT (!) LP. I bought it strictly for RAMONA. I was sick when RAMONA started because Gene Austin had changed his earlier Victor rendition in places. While the newer rendition is okay, I am now on my 3rd Victor 78, trying to find a copy that has less surface noise---although I know to expect some "78" surface noise. I keep hoping I'll locate a seller whose description mirrors mine. This song remains in my heart!

[abendstunde49]

@calvertsch

Thanks for commenting! There seem to be TWO Gene Austin versions of "Ramona" recorded around the same time. I hope you find a good copy; it was such a popular song that I think most people played it enough to wear out the record!

[hassony3]

More than wonderful! Gene Austin is taking too many liberties with the melody -and he doesn't sing the second verse; does anybody? The musical interlude is too much La Paloma, but anyway it's WONDERFUL!! Please, where and how can one find a high resolution picture of Ramona in the mountains with the pink skirt, being embraced by her Alessandro? I want to paint it in oils for my home! I'll get back to you a lot, this is just the beginning!

Hassony3

Tried to post my photo, no success.

[abendstunde49]

I am very pleased with such an enthusiastic response to Ramona !

[camille885]

What a really sweet voice for a man! A smooth version, thanks for sharing

[Elaguine81]

Délicieuse interprétation....

Merci.

[hassony3]

Thank you, Abendstunde! But noblesse oblige, you know! Here you are with my number 1 favourite song, Ramona, and my number 2 Gigolo, as if we were cloned from the same soul! I count on you to tell me how I can download this pink-skirt picture of Dolores del Río, and how anyone can get the film from Chechoslovakia!! Ramona out of the Czech Film Archives! Couinting on you, Abendstunde, noblesse oblige! (Such demanding suckers your site provides you with! ) Ramona back to California!

[hassony3]

My dear Lord Evening Mood! You have provided us with material of immense cultural value! Such lovely paintings with the most sophisticated publicity - and all this in 1927! Fantastic! I once read on the web that the sole exisiting copy of "Ramona" are in the Czech Film Archives. Do you have the power to obtain a DVD copy and market it in black-and-white as well as a coloured version with spoken lines and imbued with music?? It's my major dream since I was a little boy to see Ramona!