User reviews

THE SON OF THE SHEIK (United Artists, 1926), directed by George Fitzmaurice, reunites the leading players of Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Banky, most recent stars of THE EAGLE (UA, 1925), in what has become one of the most popular films from the silent era, mainly because of it not only being Valentino's final screen performance, but is where the legend of Valentino began. A sequel to his earlier success, THE SHIEK (Paramount, 1921), Valentino's career up to this point consisted of hit and miss stories over the next few years until THE EAGLE not only brought renewed interest in Valentino, but reassured it with THE SON OF THE SHEIK. Since sequels were a rarity during that time, Valentino, as did Douglas Fairbanks with the sequel to his immensely popular, THE MARK OF ZORRO (1920), DON Q, SON OF ZORRO (1925), Valentino reprises his original role as well as portraying his own son, Ahmed. Agnes Ayres, Valentino's leading lady in THE SHEIK, is offered special billing in the opening credits, who also re-enacts her original role as Diana, this time as wife and mother.

The story begins with the opening titles that read as to the location, "Not East of Suez, but South of Algiers." Yasmin (Vilma Banky) is the daughter of Andre(George Fawcett), a renegade Frenchman and leader of a group of thieves. She supports them through her dancing publicly. In the marketplace (as recalled by Yasmin via flashback), she meets Ahmed (Valentino), a handsome young sheik, and the two fall in love. After meeting with Yasmin secretly one night, Ahmed is captured by her father's renegades and held captive in a building where he hangs by his tied-up wrists placed on the window bars, and subject to whip torture for not revealing the name of his father and other information. After being freed by his men, Ahmed, believing Yasmin as his betrayer, abducts the girl and subjects her to his methods of torture, with one scene looking at Yasmin with vengeance in his eyes, and (off camera) putting her through the process of rape. It would be his father, Ahmed Ben Hassan (Valentino) who orders him to release the girl. After learning the truth from Ramadan (Karl Dane), Ahmed tries to win back Yasmin, who has returned to the dance hall, and now wants nothing to ever do with him.

In many ways, a much more interesting story than its predecessor, and brief to the point at 68 minutes. Aside from the fine chemistry between Valentino and Banky, the supporting villain as played by Montagu Love, along with sandy sets with production designs by William Cameron Menzies, THE SON OF THE SHEIK is Valentino's film from start to finish. And with this film as well does the Vilma Banky name remain legendary. But who knows how far Valentino's screen career would have gone had it not been for his untimely death at the age of 31 shortly following the film's release.

THE SON OF THE SHEIK did enjoy frequent theatrical revivals for a number of years, usually on a double bill with THE EAGLE, as well as television showings during the early to mid 1960s. It became one of the selected films shown during the summer months on weekly public television series, "The Silent Years" (1971), hosted by Orson Welles (New York City area, WNET, Channel 13, on July 13, 1971). In spite of its popularity and the legend behind it, what's interesting to note is that while the twelve movies featured on "The Silent Years" did enjoy rebroadcasts up till the mid 1970s, THE SON OF THE SHEIK wasn't included in the reruns. Some years would pass before its availability onto video cassette and/or DVD (Blackhawk and/or Kino), the best being from the Killiam Collection accompanied by a theater organ score by Jack Ward. THE SON OF THE SHEIK, which played as part of its silent film collection on American Movie Classics around 1996, can be currently seen and studied whenever played on Turner Classic Movies. For those interested in the legend of Valentino, THE SON OF THE SHEIK, which provides two Valentinos for the price of one, as well as being an important part in cinema history, is worthy screen entertainment. (***)

If anyone has heard about Valentino and wants to see what all the fuss was about, The Son of the Sheik is an excellent way to do so. Here he is five years past the overacting he exhibited in parts of the earlier installment. To top it off, he plays dual roles: the son and the father. And he does both admirably. The shots of the two characters in the same frame - touching each other, no less - are flawlessly executed. Generally, this is standard melodrama culminating in physical battles between the good guys and the bad guys and a final chase. Along the way we get a lot of exotic set pieces, lavishly furnished desert tents, horses racing across the dunes, smoky cafes in which dancing girls wriggle for tossed coins and a grand palace with spacious rooms and shiny floors. The intimate scenes between Valentino and the beauteous Vilma Banky are more sensuous than those of the previous film. Clips from these scenes will be familiar to anyone who has ever seen Valentino references in documentaries. Agnes Ayres reprises her role from The Sheik as Diana Mayo, now the wife of the older sheik and mother of his son, and she appears to have aged 20 years but is no less attractive. For Valentino, Banky and Ayres alone this is a treat.

I only just watched 'Son of the Sheik' on dvd last night and was amazed at the textures of cinematography and the natural un-histrionic flow of the performances. While it may not be very profound or innovative, it never set out to be, and it is a far better flick than I expected, very rounded and organic and effortless. Vilma Banky is lovely and appropriately lowkey, and Valentino is every bit as exciting to watch as his celebrity maintained. Ahmed is NOT a character performance, Oscar material or anything, but Valentino instills this cardboard figure with the warmth of life, a quickening of the pulse, all very controlled and tasteful and humanly affecting rather than superhumanly virile. Of course he looks gorgeous, but so does the film itself. Some of the slapstick may seem dated by now, but then what about 'American Pie'.

I recently saw the Son of the Sheik at an old movie house in Los Angeles. It was complete with the Wurlitzer theater pipe organ -- live accompaniment for this rare gem! I was in awe at how sophisticated and enchanting this movie was. I remarked to my husband that it reminded me of one of my trashy love novels. It was so perfect. I remember reading somewhere that Rudolph Valentino's fame came from the fact that he was so dark and handsome and muscular as opposed to the little pasty boys that had existed before him in the cinema. The scene where he exacts his revenge on Yasmin and ravishes her....was wonderful. His dark eyes as he looked at her in the close-ups.......ahhhhh. This movie truly was a treat. The desert scenes, the lush scenery and sumptuous costumes create a wonderful lavish movie. Valentino was taken from the cinema world far too early....but at least we have these lavish movies to remember him by.

The son of the sheik (Rudolph Valentino) and a dancing girl fall in love, but when he is made to believe she has betrayed him he seeks revenge.

At the time of the film's release, Rudolph Valentino was attempting to make a comeback in films. He rose to international stardom after the release of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and The Sheik in 1921, both of which were box office hits and solidified his image as "the Great Lover". By 1924, however, Valentino's popularity had begun to wane after he appeared in two box office failures, Monsieur Beaucaire and A Sainted Devil, both of which featured him in roles that were a departure from his "Great Lover" image.

And this was the end of Valentino, who died all too early. Interestingly, despite his brief run, he is still more or less remembered today. Maybe people haven't seen his films, but they know his name. No other silent star, except Lon Chaney, can really claim that distinction. (Buster Keaton probably should have retired after the silent era.)

Valentino's final film is unremarkable for its characters or plot - the latter is but a melodramatic trifle. It is, however, of some historical interest with regard to visual narrative.

Of course, back then there were no 'vocal technician' actors. Every actor had to tell a story with his or her body, face, and especially with the eyes. On that count, there's plenty of trademark Rudy glares, modulated with knowing smirks and slight raises of his right brow. He was keenly aware of his power over women, and wasn't afraid to use it - it shows here.

Likewise, Banky has to keep the male audience interested, so she has to project this without words - and so her dances are engineered to send men into smoldering paroxysms -- somewhat risible, today. Compare this to Samantha Morton's performance in "Sweet and Lowdown" to see how far we've come, not only in movie craft, but in the degree of competence we expect from the actors.

The key technical feature is the split screen compositions with Rudy playing 'the Sheik' and 'the Son' in the same frame -- not original, but quite effective and nearly seamless. Simultaneously, it ties in the first "Sheik" AND this story; Rudy has to reinvent the first character - very clever.

The big weak spot, though, is in the intertitles. These were not well handled - they aren't edited to any effect, they're simply cut right in between the actors' mouth movements. This could have been essential viewing if someone had the vision to manipulate us more effectively through the editing.

It took five years before this sequel was made, and you know what - I think it is better than the first one. Rudolph Valentino returns, this time as the son of "Sheik Ahmed" - handily also called "Ahmed" - who falls in love with the delightful dancing girl "Yasmin" (Vilma Bánky). All is not quite as it seems, however, as "Yasmin" is up to her neck with her father's gang of charlatans - not least with Montague Love ("Ghabah"), who has his eyes on this particular prize. When the two rendezvous for a clandestine meeting, the gang abduct the young man, beating him before hoping to ransom him. Fortunately, he escapes (phew!), taking his now well and try loathed girl with him. Can he ever be convinced that she didn't betray him and restore his confidence and their love? Just as with it's forbear, this is a great looking piece of cinema. The sparing appearances of Agnes Ayres (his mother) help to ensure the narrative continues smoothly and this has altogether more pace and adventure to keep the hour or so from getting too bogged down in the rather formulaic plot. There is clearly some chemistry between the two, Valentino seems more invested in this than with his 1921 character - and that engages the audience more. You feel that he really has some skin in the game and though we wouldn't know it at the time, this serves as a fitting cinematic epitaph - following the excellent "Eagle" (1926) - as his last film before his untimely death.

In the south of Algiers, in a camp of outcasts, the Frenchman André (George Fawcett) leads a troupe of mountebanks and thieves. His daughter Yasmin (Vilma Banky) is the dancer of the group and is promised to the cutthroat Moor Ghobah (Montague Love). However, Yasmin meets Ahmed (Rudolph Valentino), who is the Sheik's son but she does not know, and they fall in love for each other. When the young couple secretly dates in the ruins of Touggourt, where Yasmin dances, the criminals attack Ahmed, beat up and capture him, expecting to ask for a ransom. Ghobah poisons Ahmed, telling that Yasmin is a bait to lure victims for them. Ahmed escapes, and he abducts Yasmin and despises her. When he knows the truth, he fights against the gang of criminals trying to rescue her from Ghobah.

"The Son of the Sheik" is the last movie of Rudolph Valentino and a delightful adventure with romance, action and drama. The cinematography is impressive, and I particularly liked very much the sequences when Vilma Banky dances in Touggourt beginning with a close and opening to the whole place, and when Ahmed chases Ghobah and Yasmin in the desert. Considering the equipment available in 1926, big, heavy and with serious limitations, it is amazing how these scenes were shot. Rudolph Valentino is fantastic in the role of the son of the Sheik, and his agility recalled me Errol Flynn, when he fights in the bar of Touggourt, jumping on the chandelier. The beautiful Vilma Banky dances magnificently well, shows a great chemistry with Rudolph Valentino and has also a great interpretation. The intense music of Arthur Gutmann gives a perfect dynamic to this wonderful underrated film. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Filho do Sheik" ("The Son of the Sheik")

The dashing son of an Arabic sheik (both roles played by Rudolph Valentino) protects a dancing girl (Vilma Banky) from marauding bandit rivals.

This sequel to Valentino's ealier, THE SHEIK (1921) and again based on the romantic stories of Edith Maude Hull was a massive success on its release, largely due to the fact that an already megastar in Valentino died at the age of 31 just before the film was released. It gets away with much of its silliness, largely because it does seem more tongue-in-cheek rather than any effort to take itself seriously. The film of course is romantic fantasy playing on western perceptions of Orientalism, but it's a classic giant of 1920s silent cinema.

This was Valentino's last film, and he is excellent in it, but it is far from being his best film (as many critics claim). Certainly "Camille", "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", "The Eagle" and "The Conquering Power" are much better films. This was designed as a rollicking and sexy adventure film, with large doses of cheap slapstick humour, and on that level succeeds admirably. That famous scene where Valentino ravishes Vilma Banky is extraordinary, and Valentino shows real talent in portraying both the son and the father (he is almost unrecognisable in the latter role). Great split screen work allows the two Valentinos to inter-relate well too.

The film makes you wonder what this talented and beautiful man may have achieved had he lived. Would he have made it in talkies? It's hard to believe such charisma would ever fail.

It is sadly appropriate that in his final movie Valentino plays a stronger and more nuanced version of his signature character: Sheik Ahmed, the impassioned lover who is initially impetuous, self centred and brutal, but who gradually matures into an admirable man. In this case, the male lead is actually the son of the original sheik, but Valentino also plays, just as engagingly, the father who is now middle aged, wiser (this is essentially the adviser role Adolphe Menjou had in the original movie) but still commanding and able to wield a sword.

As wasn't the case with "The Sheik," the script acknowledges the luridness of its material in a tongue-in-cheek manner (one memorable title card reads "The night was young at the Café Maure. Not a knife had been thrown—so far") while not mocking it to the point at the movie would lapse into parody and lose its pulpy charms. For example, in one of the most famous scenes the sheik tries to put his rebellious son in his place by bending an iron bar; the son replies by straightening it out. This is deliberate camp that nonetheless clearly establishes the strength of character and body of both men. The film also departs from the original in the frank comic relief it provides in the form of a nasty but amusing little mountebank who seems to get on the good and bad characters' nerves in equal measure.

For those expecting titillation, the film does not disappoint. Valentino and the leading lady Vilma Banky, were involved in real life and it shows in the spooning scenes. The film also has plenty of the rougher, even perverse sexuality that in one form or another is present in nearly all of Valentino's films (even "The Eagle," the closest to a family picture Valentino ever made, has that brief scene with the hero flourishing a whip before the frightened female lead). Here we have Ahmed's rape of Yasmine which is far racier than the merely hinted at ravishment of Lady Diana in "The Sheik," and a striking (and homoerotic) sequence in which Valentino, tied up, his tailored white shirt torn to shreds, is subject to a prolonged whipping by a gang of thieves, the most sadistic of whom addresses him as "My young lion."

To me, this is the quintessential Valentino film and the one to show people who are curious about this actor's enduring mystique.

This was a truly amazing film. TCM just played this along with four others for Valentine's Day. While "Camille" (What was with Nazimova's hair?), "The Eagle", "Four Horsemen", and "Conquering Power" were all good, "Son of the Sheik" was the best for Valentine's Day. The pure raw sensuality that Valentino portrayed was exciting. I've only been into the silent films for the past fours years, and as I'm only 22, one would think I have no appreciation for "old" people. However, this film had me online for a few hours finding pictures of Valentino in this film. HUBBA HUBBA!!! It really is a shame he didn't live longer. He very well could have made talkies, as the song I heard him record sounded lovely.

Just to answer ClaudeCat's question, "It really made me wonder about the time period: did women of the 20's enjoy seeing rape fantasies onscreen, because of different attitudes about women and sex? Or was this something filmmakers of

the period imagined women wanted to see, and the fans put up with it in order to enjoy the sight of Rudolph's face?" the film was quite remarkably based on a

book written by a WOMAN and the script also was written by a WOMAN. This is

something I found very shocking when I first studied this film in film class. The rape in this film in many ways functions the same way the rape scene did in

"Gone With the Wind." In fact, in both cases, many people don't even call them rape scenes, even though in both a woman is taken against her will. Many

theories about this revolve around the fact that Valentino was this exotic, sexy, foreigner that women secretly wanted to kidnap them from their dull,

homebound lives and their conservative husbands. This is in a way what

psychologists call a "rape fantasy." Whereas a real rape, the woman has no

control, in a fantasy, even though she imagines being taken by force, she is

really the one making the rules, because she is imagining it, much as the female writer of "The Son of the Sheik" may have her character be ravished, but is really the one in control of what Valentino does. One important thing to note is a rape fantasy doesn't mean the woman actually wants to be raped in real life.

In sands "Not East of Suez -- but South of Algiers," handsome Rudolph Valentino (as Ahmed) and beautiful dancing girl Vilma Bánky (as Yasmin) fall in love. Mr. Valentino learns that Ms. Bánky must dance for coins, which her wicked father George Fawcett (as André) gambles away. Mr. Fawcett and Montagu Love (as Ghabah) are part of a band of renegade thieves. Valentino wants Bánky for his own, but Fawcett isn't about to part with the goose that brings in the golden coins. Valentino is kidnapped, strung up, whipped, and held for ransom. Turns out, he's "The Son of the Sheik"...

Valentino is freed, with a lot of help from his friend Karl Dane (as Ramadan). Valentino thinks Bánky betrayed their love; and, he vengefully abducts her. Meanwhile, Ahmed's father Rudolph Valentino (in a dual role, as the original Sheik) and mother Agnes Ayres (as Diana) are preparing an arranged wedding for the younger Valentino. Father and son clash, over love and lust…

An indelible, essential film, "Son of the Sheik" finds Valentino at the top of his profession. George Fitzmaurice (direction), George Barnes (photography), William Cameron Menzies (sets), and George Marion Jr. (title cards) are all outstanding. Bánky and the supporting cast are excellent. The filmmakers create a rich, dreamy, and imaginary world; note how the opening "title card" refuses to be precise. This goes even further than the original "The Sheik" (1921) in establishing the films as something incompatible with reality; of course, both films suffer when taken without a grain of sand.

Valentino's characterizations are startlingly well-crafted; no doubt, many original film goers missed the nuances present in the younger Ahmed, and would not have even guessed, unless alerted, Valentino was also portraying the older Sheik. The "split screen" appearance of the two Valentinos is technically brilliant; and, even with make-up, Valentino's portrayal of the older Sheik shows an extraordinary range. In fact, Valentino could have essayed a double career as a dashing older man. Had he lived, Valentino might have been awarded his own best acting "Medal of Honor" for his performance, which was at least equal to John Barrymore's 1925 win, for "Beau Brummell".

********** Son of the Sheik (7/9/26) George Fitzmaurice ~ Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Banky, George Fawcett, Agnes Ayres

It amazes me, that Valentino-as-the-sheik was able to start such a fashion in the 1920s. Watching this sequel of THE SHEIK I keep seeing everything that had already been recycled in the Broadway operetta DESERT SONG - also filmed as an early talkie, shortly after SONG OF THE SHEIK. Valentino far outclasses everyone I've ever seen play "The Red Shadow" - and visually the SON OF THE SHEIK is much better than any DESERT SONG film version (even the later, color one). Considering the intense interest in 'Arab Matters' today, it's sad that no one revives DESERT SONG done Valentino-style. Because even after all those years - his 'hypnotic gaze' in the film remains hypnotic.

Son of the Sheik, The (1926)

*** (out of 4)

This sequel to THE SHEIK was released to theaters just eleven days after the death of star Rudolph Valentino so it goes without saying that this earn a lot of money by female fans wanting to see the star one final time. In the film he plays the son to the Sheik of the first film. The son gets into a bit of trouble when he falls in love with a poor dancer (Vilma Banky) only to have her father kidnap and torture him. The father tells the Sheik's son that the daughter was in on the kidnapping but it turns out this wasn't true so the son must make mends with his own father (also played by Valentino) and go get the woman he loves. For a 68-minute film there's quite a bit of plot going on but in the end it's certainly a better film than the original thanks in large part to a lighter tone that allows some humor as well as a lot more action. It's said that Valentino was embarrassed by his image in the first film so perhaps that's why this sequel is so different in terms of tone. In the original film you could accuse the Sheik of being a truly horrid monster but those traits weren't passed down to the son who we see as an all around good guy. The camera certainly soaks up the sexuality with various shots just fixated on the star and I'm sure his female fans appreciated this. The film also benefits from some nice humor from a couple idiots working for the dancer's father. The action scenes this time out are a lot more impressive as we get more fist fights, more sword battles and of course we have Valentino riding to the rescue of his woman and having to save her from the evil father. Valentino turns in a much better performance here than in the previous movie. He's very charming as the son and manages to be funny in his own right but the more impressive performance comes from the older father. There's quite a bit of make up on Valentino when playing the Sheik from the first film but I thought he did a very good job with the anger the character has as well as a small bit of humor when his wife (Agnes Ayres; returning from the first film) reminds him that he was the same way when he was younger. George Fawcett is good as the bad guy and Banky is also very good in her role. Banky and Valentino have a lot of chemistry together and this is extremely apparent early on when the two sneak away to meet under the moonlight. Who knows where Valentino's career would have gone had he not died and we can't even say he would have survived into the sound era. This final film of his has the actor in good form, which is more than a lot of legends can say for their swan songs.

His was a death that shocked the world. The 31-year-old Rudolph Valentino was on a nation-wide promotion tour for his latest film, "The Son of the Sheik." The just completed movie opened a solo movie house limited engagement at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles and was in preparation for a general public release in early September 1926. The actor, swooned over by an adoring female mob wherever he went, was suffering from stomach pain during the later portion of the campaign. While in New York City to promote his movie, Valentino was rushed to the hospital from his Hotel Ambassador room at Park Avenue in Manhattan on August 15, 1926.

The star was operated on immediately for what was discovered as a perforated ulcer, today known as 'Valentino's syndrome.' During post-surgery, doctors attending him felt he had a good chance for recovery. Then, on August 21, inflammation from the infection around his chest cavity, known as pleuritis, hit the actor hard. Valentino's chances for recouping his health went downhill fast. A couple of days later, on August 23, a bulletin was released announcing the death of one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars and sexiest symbol silent movies had ever known.

The timing of young Valentino's death was ironic in that his movie career experienced an up-and-down graph of popularity. His fame was reaching a crescendo upon the release of "The Son of the Sheik," coming on the heels of a long overdue successful film in quite some months, 1925's "The Eagle." As much as he hated to be identified with his greatest hit, 1920's "The Sheik," Valentino readily accepted his studio's, United Artist, insistence that a sequel to his desert character should be made. Taking a cue from Douglas Fairbanks, whose father/son role in "Don Q., Son of Zorro" was a rousing success, Valentino saw a golden opportunity to lick his chops by playing both the father portrayed by him in "The Sheik" and his youthful son. The make-up on Valentino to create the aging sheik was so convincing that the star would take pleasure in walking around the town without anyone recognizing him.

Valentino appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself during "The Son of the Sheik" filming. When the crew was out in the Yuma, Arizona, desert in 110-degree, the star was happily riding his horse around the arid grounds. He also enjoyed having the luxury of picking his leading female. Selecting Hungarian-born Vilma Banky was a no-brainer for him since the on-set chemistry in "The Eagle" was something special for Valentino.

He was humbled by his less-than-successful love life, especially after his divorce from his second wife, costume designer Natacha Rambova. He was famously quoted as realizing "women are not in love with me, but with the picture of me on the screen. I am merely the canvas on which women paint their dreams." The direction of George Fitzmaurice took advantage of Valentino's stunning on-screen looks in "The Son of the Sheik" by calling for a number of close-ups of the actor, especially when he's locking lips with Banky.

United Artists came under some harsh criticism when it decided to release "The Son of the Sheik" two weeks after Valentino's death. But as the studio went ahead with its release, adoring fans, especially the women, lined around the blocks in a last chance to see Hollywood's biggest male sex symbol on the big screen.

By the time "The Son of the Sheik" was playing nationwide, Valentino was laid to rest through the good graces of June Mathis, the scriptwriter and studio executive who had recently reconciled her friendship with Valentino. Mathis had divorced her husband and had a spare crypt available at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It was intended to be a temporary place for the star, but when Mathis suddenly died the following year, Valentino's remains were left there in repose.

The cemetery ceremony concluded a hectic two weeks of funerals and memorials attended by thousands of adoring fans. Outside Saint Malachy's Roman Catholic Church, police were called in to quell a mob estimated to be almost one hundred thousand people anxious to get a glimpse of Valentino's coffin. Transported by train to Los Angeles, another crowd greeted his body during a second funeral in Beverly Hills.

For years afterwards, a woman in black would place a red rose in Valentino's crypt on the anniversary of his death. Valentino had visited a friend's daughter in the hospital a year before he died. He told her she was going to live a lot longer than he was. As a request, the actor asked if and when he was ever in the hospital that could she take the time and come by and talk to him because he didn't want to be alone. The girl, Ditra Flame, didn't get a chance to visit him in his last hospital stay in New York. But she did bring a rose annually to his crypt for a number of years before she saw others were doing the same. She eventually gave up the practice. Strangely, those who pay their respects at Valentino's crypt swear they hear footsteps approaching when no one is around. For casual movie fans today who heard of the absolute mania surrounding the death and funeral of Valentino, they can get a glimpse of what all the commotion was all about by watching the pinnacle of the star's alluring performance in "The Son of the Sheik."