The Eagle (1925)

This is the last of our three films specials about the work of Rudolph Valentino. The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1924) is an American adventure film set in Imperial Russia under the reign of Catherine II. The screenplay is based on the novel 'Dubrovsky' by Russian author Alexander Pushkin. It was Valentino's penultimate film before his early death at 31 the next year and it was one of his best films.


German postcard by Verlag Ross, Berlin, no. 1500/4, 1927-1928. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3372/1, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).

German postcard by Ross Verlag, 3372/2, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3376/2. Photo: United Artists. Vilma Bánky in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3677/1, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino and Louise Dresser in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).

Dubrovsky is horrified, rejects her advances and flees

The screenplay for The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925) was written by George Marion jr. and Hanns Kräly based on the unfinished and posthumously published novel 'Dubrovsky' (Russian: «Дубровский») by Russian author Aleksandr Pushkin (Alexander Pushkin), written in 1832 and published in 1841. The 'Black Eagle' does not exist in the novel and was inspired by the recent success of Douglas Fairbanks as Zorro in The Mark of Zorro (Fred Niblo, 1920) and Robin Hood (Allan Dwan, 1922).

The Russian lieutenant Vladimir Dubrovsky (Rudolph Valentino), in the service of Her Majesty Czarina Catherine II (Louise Dresser), is a proud and brave Cossack. In his splendid uniform, he attracts the attention of many young ladies in love. But he has also attracted the attention of the Czarina - at the latest since Vladimir saved Mascha Troekouroff, a beautiful young lady, and her maiden Aunt Aurelia (Carrie Clark Ward) trapped in a runaway stagecoach.

Catherine the Great then wants to appoint Dubrovsky as a general, to which he is delighted. But when his ruler demands that he also becomes her lover, Dubrovsky is horrified, rejects her advances and flees. The Russian empress is furious, she is not used to such humiliation. Catherine then puts a death sentence on the unwilling Cossack's head and 5,000 rubles reward for the capture of Vladimir Dubrovsky for desertion.

Soon after, Vladimir receives terrible news from his father (Spottiswoode Aiken). The villainous nobleman Kyrilla Troekouroff (James A. Marcus) has unceremoniously seized the Dubrovskys' land and has been oppressing the local peasantry and terrorising the entire region ever since. Vladimir rushes home to find that his father has died. Vowing to avenge his father and help the victimised peasantry, he adopts a black mask and becomes the Black Eagle, a Robin Hood figure.

Posing as Monsieur LeBlanc, a French tutor, who has been sent for from France, but has not previously seen by anyone in the household, he enters the villain's home to gain his trust. To make matters worse, however, the 'black eagle' discovers that the Masha he once rescued is the daughter of the land robber and oppressor Troekouroff, Maja Troekouroff (Vilma Bánky), and he falls in love with her.

Between Vladimir, the rebel, and Masha, the daughter of the hated enemy, love grows, and Vladimir becomes more and more reluctant to continue seeking revenge against her father. Finally, the young lovers decide to flee. In the process, the Black Eagle falls into the clutches of Catherine's henchmen. The Czarina is still full of wrath towards her unruly Cossack lieutenant and initially plans to have him executed. But in the face of young fortune, she lets him go, on the condition that he leaves Russia with a new (French) name. Both young people then go to Paris and find happiness there.


Dutch-German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1168/2, 1927-1928. Photo: Ifa / United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925). This vintage postcard contains Dutch text on the backside.


Italian postcard by Casa Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Firenze, no. 676. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


Italian postcard by Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Firenze, no. 677. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino and Louise Dresser in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


Italian postcard by Casa Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Firenze, no. 678. Photo: United Artists. Vilma Bánky in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3676/1, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3946/1, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).

Valentino at his most natural and appealing

Rudolph Valentino's last few films had not been particularly well received, but The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925), produced by John W. Considine, Jr., proved a strong comeback for him. The Eagle(1925) also marked Vilma Bánky's breakthrough in Hollywood. And in a tiny, unnamed role as a masked cossack, the then-unknown Gary Cooper can be seen.

The film sets for The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925) were made by William Cameron Menzies, and the costumes were designed by Adrian. The film was a success at the box office and The Eagle gained good reviews from the critics.

In The New York Times, Mordaunt Hall wrote at the time: "Mr. Valentino is indeed fortunate to have obtained the services of Vilma Bánky, thanks to Samuel Goldwyn, as Miss Banky is so lovely to look at that her beauty makes the hero's gallantry all the more convincing. In this production, which would have fitted well with some film celebrities such as the agile Douglas Fairbanks, Mr Valentino holds his own with flying colours. His appearance draws benefits from Clarence Brown's direction and a grateful addition from Miss Banky, a valuable asset in this film. It was also a brilliant idea to enlist Hanns Kräly, Mr. Lubitsch's clever writer, who penned the screenplay for The Eagle".

Some 90 years later, Janiss Garza at AllMovie is also positive about the film and its star: "Rudolph Valentino is at his most natural and appealing in this swashbuckler. He wears the period costumes, from the Cossack uniforms to the formal French jacket and trousers, as if they were his second skin, moving in them with a dancer's grace and casual sexuality. His Vladimir Dubrovsky is played with wit, humour, and humanity -- a revelation when compared to the stiff posturing of much of his earlier work. In addition, the star is helped at every angle: The story is action-packed and entertaining, the direction intelligent, and the cinematography (courtesy of George Barnes) is some of the most poetic of the silent era (in addition, the banquet scene contains one of the most impressive tracking shots of the 1920s)."

The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925) was Valentino's penultimate film, made a year before his death in 1926. Because Valentino and the Hungarian-born Vilma Bánky worked so well together in The Eagle, they were reunited again in Valentino's final film, Son of the Sheik (1926). It would become an even bigger smash. Sadly, after the release of their second pairing, Valentino stunned the world when he died at the age of 31.


British postcard by J. Beagles & Co, LTD., London, no. 235 G. 'Famous Cinema Star' series. Photo: Allied Artists Pictures.


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 372/2. Photo: Sascha Film. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


French postcard by Editions Cinémagazine, no. 260. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1500/3, 1927-1928. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 172. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).

Sources: Hal Erickson (AllMovie), Wikipedia (German, Dutch and English), and IMDb.

A Sainted Devil (1924)

Rudolph Valentino's silent drama A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924), produced by Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, is now considered a lost film. This post is the second of three specials on films starring Hollywood's ultimate 'Latin Lover'.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1766/2, 1927-1928. Rudolph Valentino in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1767/1, 1927-1928. Photo Stern Film Verleih. Rudolph Valentino and Helena D'Algy in the American silent film A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


German postcard for Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 1767/2, 1927-1928. Photo: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. Rudolph Valentino and Louise Lagrange in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1767/3, 1927-1928. Photo Stern Film Verleih. Rudolph Valentino and Helena D'Algy in the American silent film A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


German postcard by Verlag Ross, Berlin, no. 1766/1. Photo: Stern Film Verleih. Rudolph Valentino in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924). The back of the card has writings in French. In France, the film was released as L'hacienda rouge.

Kidnapped on her wedding night

In accordance with custom, Castro arranges the marriage of his son, Don Alonzo de Castro, an attractive Latino grandee from old Spanish nobility (Rudolph Valentino), with Julietta (Helena or Helen D'Algy), a beautiful and lovely Argentinean woman he has never met before. She comes to the South American state for the wedding.

The lavish party is to be celebrated at de Castro's sprawling hacienda. But Alonzo has not reckoned with his ex, the fiery and hot-blooded Carlotta (Nita Naldi). The daughter of the majordomo is jealous. With her father, she teams up with El Tigre (George Siegmann), the notorious Bandido leader who has been making the area unsafe for some time. When he and his gang raid the wedding feast, the villain's sole target is the bride. A fierce fight ensues, but the nobleman is defeated and cannot prevent Julietta from being kidnapped.

Don Alonzo immediately chases after the criminals and is able to confront them in their camp, which they have set up in a ruined church. From his hiding place, the robbed groom witnesses a woman in wedding clothes embracing and kissing El Tigre. Alonzo automatically believes that this can only be his Julietta.

From now on, Alonzo and El Tigre are mortal enemies, and after another encounter, in which Don Alonzo manages to escape in an adventurous manner, the Spanish nobleman swears eternal revenge. However, Alonzo has also lost his faith in his newly wedded wife, Julietta. He cannot make sense of why this chaste girl, who was educated in a convent, throws herself so shamelessly at the neck of a proven villain. The landowner has no idea that what he really saw was Carlotta, the mastermind of this plot, throwing herself into Julietta's wedding dress and embracing the chief villain.

While Alonzo increasingly focuses all his senses on stopping El Tigre, Julietta manages to free herself a little later with the help of the dancer Carmelita (Louise Lagrange). The bride finds shelter in a women's convent, where she is protected from El Tigre's persecution for the time being. But Don Alonzo knows nothing of these events. More and more he threatens to mutate into an avenging angel and drunkard, unable to get over the loss of his own wife and her supposed love affair with El Tigre: a holy devil, as the film title suggests.

When Don Alonzo learns that El Tigre is supposed to be in a sinister, ill-reputed pub, the Spanish grandee seeks direct confrontation with the chief scoundrel. Here it comes to a showdown. When Alonzo enters the tavern and sees El Tigre coming down the stairs, he jumps on him without warning and is about to strangle the bandit chief. Carlotta, who is also present, lets out a sharp cry, and the groom also has to realise that a dead villain cannot tell him the whereabouts of his wife.

El Tigre uses the upper hand he thinks he has gained and is about to kill Don Alonzo when the 'haciendero' receives unexpected help from Don Luis (Antonio a.k.a. Tony D'Algy). The latter is a mortal enemy of El Tigre and cuts down the chief villain. Now Don Alonzo also learns that it was actually Carlotta who embraced and kissed El Tigre in the bandit camp. Although Carmelita, the escape helper, is in love with Don Alonzo herself, she finally reveals to him the whereabouts of his newlyweds, so that the young couple can finally embrace again and can start a new life together.


Swedish postcard by Förlag Nordisk Konst, Stockholm, no. 1324. Rudolph Valentino in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


Italian postcard by Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Florence, no. 428. Photo: Films Paramount. Rudolph Valentino in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


Italian postcard by Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Florence, no. 429. Photo: Films Paramount. Rudolph Valentino and Nita Naldi in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924). The Italian title Notte nuziale translates as Wedding Night.


Italian postcard by Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Florence, no. 430. Photo: Films Paramount. Rudolph Valentino and Dagmar Godowsky in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).

A splendid portrayal of a man seeing red

A Sainted Devil (1924) was directed by Joseph Henabery and produced by Adolph Zukor and Jesse Lasky. The film was made in the spring and summer of 1924 in Farmingdale on Long Island and at Paramount Studios in Astoria, New York City. The story was based on the novel 'Rope's End' by Rex Beach and adapted by Forrest Halsey. During the production, Dagmar Godowsky replaced Jetta Goudal, who repeatedly clashed with Valentino's wife, Natacha Rambova. Bebe Daniels was even replaced by Nita Naldi before filming began. As he did in Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Valentino plays an Argentine with a talent for the tango. The production and costuming are elaborate

The premiere took place on 17 November 1924. A week after the premiere, Mordaunt Hall wrote in The New York Times: "The narrative is told with a certain deliberation, the same tempo being sustained for its full length. There are times, however, when subtitles cover action which it would have been better to include as scenes. Then in several instances, one does not receive a clear idea of the passage of time, and here and there one perceives scenes which are introduced with tranquil poses.

Joseph Henabery, who directed this picture, has lost no little time by the inclusion of many close-ups, some of which are mere poses with little expression. Mr. Valentino is, however, a far better actor in this film than in Monsieur Beaucaire. The atmosphere evidently suits him. Toward the end of the film, he flings aside all thoughts of good looks and soft smiles and gives a splendid portrayal of a man seeing red. His rage in this sequence is most impressive, as it comes as a marked contrast to his calm bearing throughout most of the other stretches. (…) There are several fine settings in this production, and that of the hacienda is remarkably well reproduced. There is a lavish set of a cabaret, which is introduced to show the fast life Don Alanzo is leading."

However, Photoplay wrote in its review that the film "lacks force, as well as the charm of Monsieur Beaucaire. There are several reasons. Rex Beach's romance has been clumsily told and Rudy himself isn't real in his stressed emotional moments," concluding with "the story gets involved in inessentials and misses anything like a big sensation." And finally, Paimann’s Filmlisten notes: "The title, however, is interesting, but not properly chosen for the feuilletonistic but crowd-pleasing subject. In the consistently good acting, Valentino and the Naldi stand out, just as the photography achieves good effects. The presentation is picturesque and thoroughly creditable"

The same team behind A Sainted Devil (1924) - Adolph Zukor, Jesse Lasky, Joseph Henabery, cinematographer Harry Fischbeck, Rudolph Valentino, Nita Naldi) made the film Cobra immediately afterwards, but it was to prove far less successful than this production. With no prints of A Sainted Devil located in any film archives, it is considered now a lost film.


Italian postcard by Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Florence, no. 431. Photo: Films Paramount. Rudolph Valentino and Helena d'Algy in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


Italian postcard by Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Florence, no. 433. Photo: Films Paramount. Rudolph Valentino and Helena d'Algy in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


Italian postcard by Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Florence, no. 435. Photo: Films Paramount. Rudolph Valentino and Helena d'Algy in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


Italian postcard, no. 48. Photo: Rudolph Valentino in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 651/1. Photo: Paramount-Film. Rudolph Valentino in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).

Sources: Janiss Garza (AllMovie), Wikipedia (German and English), and IMDb.

Monsieur Beaucaire (1924)

This post is the first of three film specials on the work of Rudolph Valentino. Monsieur Beaucaire (1924) is an American silent romantic historical drama in which Valentino co-starred with Bebe Daniels and Lois Wilson. For Valentino, this film heralded his return to the big screen after a two-year absence. The film sets and costumes were designed by his wife Natacha Rambova. Produced and directed by Sidney Olcott, the film is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Booth Tarkington's 1900 novel of the same name and the 1904 play of the same name by Tarkington and Evelyn Greenleaf Sutherland.


French postcard by Cinémagazine-Édition, no. 23. Paramount. Photo: Rudolph Valentino and Doris Kenyon in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924).


French postcard by Cinémagazine-Édition, no. 164. Photo: Rudolph Valentino in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924).


French postcard by Cinémagazine-Édition, no. 182. Rudolph Valentino and Doris Kenyon in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924).



Dutch postcard by J.[Jos] M.H. Nuss, Laren, no. 1. Rudolph Valentino in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott 1924). Picture: Frank Godefroy. Paramount.

Humiliated and insulted he flees to England

'Monsieur Beaucaire' is a short novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Booth Tarkington that was first published in 1900. The story has been adapted several times. In collaboration with Evelyn Greenleaf Sutherland, Tarkington adapted it as a play in 1904 starring Evelyn Millard and Lewis Waller.

The play received a Royal Command Performance at Windsor Castle before Edward VII. André Messager used it as the basis for an opera of the same name in 1919. Tarkington was credited as co-author of the screenplay of the 1924 film adaptation which starred Rudolph Valentino.

The Duke of Chartres (Rudolph Valentino), a favourite at the court of France's King Louis XV (Lowell Sherman), has fallen in love with Princess Henriette (Bebe Daniels), who, to his greatest regret, does not seem interested in him. Rather, she continually humiliates and insults him out of jealousy, whereupon he flees to England, banished by the king. But Louis XV insists that the two marry each other. As a result, His Highness leaves his high noble existence and becomes a bourgeois.

As Monsieur Beaucaire, he advances to become the barber of the French ambassador in London and begins to enjoy life beyond aristocratic obligations. After catching the British Duke of Winterset (Ian McLaren) cheating at cards, he forces Winterset in sneaking Beaucaire into a great ball, disguised as the Duke de Chartres, and to introduce him to the beautiful Lady Mary (Doris Kenyon), whom he adores.

Winterset complies with this blackmail but secretly seeks revenge in order to expose the suspected barber to ridicule. He makes Lady Mary believe that the supposed nobleman introduced to her has to eke out a living as a barber. As a result, the smug British woman abruptly loses interest in the French beau.

Eventually, however, she learns that the barber she has spurned is in fact the Duke of Chartres and now tries to win him back with the weapons of a woman. But the Duke of Chartres returns to France, where Princess Henriette, who had secretly pursued his return to the French court, finally begins to reciprocate his affection.


British postcard. Photo: Lewis Waller in the tile role of the stage play 'Monsieur Beaucaire'.


British postcard by Raphael Tuck & Sons in the Play Pictorial Series, nr. 5A. Photo: Lewis Waller as Monsieur Beaucaire in the stage play 'Monsieur Beaucaire'.


British postcard. Rudolph Valentino in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott 1924).


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 193. Rudolph Valentino in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924).

Part of a series of box office and critical disappointments

Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924) was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City.

The action is set at the court of King Louis XV of France. Therefore Olcott chose the atmosphere to be resolutely French and French-speaking. It is French dancer Paulette Duval's second American picture. The Belgian André Daven, who plays the brother of Valentino's character, was hired for his resemblance to the Latin lover. The Nantes-based Georges Barbier designed the 350 costumes. The film's dialogues were written in French for more realism. Valentino speaks French, as do Bebe Daniels, Lowell Sherman and Sidney Olcott.

Monsieur Beaucaire was part of a series of box office and critical disappointments that plagued Valentino's mid-career. Although the film did fairly well in big cities, it flopped in smaller locales, and could not exceed the expensive budget Olcott put into the film's production. Historians Kevin Brownlow and John Kobal suggested that the film's shortcomings stemmed more from Olcott's "pedestrian" direction.

Many viewers and critics, perhaps expecting the more virile Valentino of his earlier films, felt that his onscreen persona with its heavy makeup, frilled attire, and arch mannerisms (particularly in the first half) was overly feminised in Monsieur Beaucaire: a somewhat unfair accusation, considering that much of the film satirises the excesses of the court of Louis XV.

Much of the blame for the film's alleged shortcomings was assigned to Valentino's wife Natacha Rambova who was felt by many of Valentino's colleagues to have had an undue influence on the costumes, set and direction of the film. Alicia Annas wrote that audiences were most likely alienated by the general design of the film which, while historically accurate, was not tailored to 1920s American filmgoers' tastes. The Stan Laurel parody Monsieur Don't Care (Scott Pembroke, Joe Rock, 1924) reflected the general public attitude toward Monsieur Beaucaire.

The novel 'Monsieur Beaucaire' was later adapted into a musical film, Monte Carlo (1930), directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The story was filmed again as a comedy, Monsieur Beaucaire (George Marshall, 1946) starring Bob Hope and Joan Caulfield. The biopic Valentino (Lewis Allen, 1951) with Anthony Dexter, includes a sequence dedicated to Monsieur Beaucaire. A long sequence dedicated to Monsieur Beaucaire also appears in the film Valentino (Ken Russell, 1977), with Rudolf Nureyev in the title role and John Justin in the role of Sidney Olcott.


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 372/1. Photo: Paramount-Film. Photo: Rudolph Valentino in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924).


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 372/4. Photo: Paramount-Film. Rudolph Valentino and Doris Kenyon in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924).


Italian postcard by Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Florence, no. 64. Photo: SAI Films Paramount, Roma. Rudolph Valentino in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924).


Italian postcard by Ed. Ballerini & Fratini, Firenze. Photo: Rudolph Valentino, Lois Wilson and Bebe Daniels in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924).

Sources: Wikipedia (English and German), and IMDb.

Rudolph Valentino

Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926) was Hollywood's ultimate 'Latin Lover'. The Italian-born American actor starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), The Sheik (1922), Blood and Sand (1922), and The Son of the Sheik (1926). His early death at age 31 caused mass hysteria among his fans and propelled him into iconic status. In the coming weeks, we will highlight three of his lesser-known films, Monsieur Beaucaire (1924), A Sainted Devil (1924) and The Eagle (1925).


French postcard by Cinémagazine-Edition, Paris. Photo: James Abbe.


With Natacha Rambova. French postcard by Cinémagazine-Edition, no. 129. Photo: James Abbe.


British postcard in the Famous Cinema Star Series by Beagles, no. 196.S. Photo: Paramount. Publicity still for The Sheik (George Fitzmaurice, 1921). Valentino wore the same costume in The Son of the Sheik, so we doubted for which of the two films this still was taken. However, Paramount was the producer of The Sheik.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4987/2, 1929-1930. Photo: Paramount. Publicity still for Blood and Sand (Fred Niblo, 1922).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3373/1, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Publicity still for The Son of the Sheik (George Fitzmaurice, 1926).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3491/4, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky in The Son of the Sheik (George Fitzmaurice, 1926).

Delicious little devil

Rudolph Valentino was born Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella in 1895 in Castellaneta, Apulia, Kingdom of Italy. He had a French mother, Marie Berta Gabrielle née Barbin, and an Italian father, Giovanni Antonio Giuseppe Fedele Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella, a veterinarian who died of malaria when Rodolfo was 11.

Unable to secure employment, the 18-years-old Rodolfo departed for the United States in 1913. In New York, the handsome young man supported himself as a taxi dancer (someone who danced with women for 10 cents a dance), among other occupations. In 1917, Valentino joined an operetta company that travelled to Utah, where it disbanded.

He then joined an Al Jolson production of 'Robinson Crusoe, Jr.' which was travelling to Los Angeles. By fall, he was in San Francisco with a bit part in a theatrical production of 'Nobody Home'.

While in town, actor Norman Kerry, helped Valentino land a few minor roles in films and by 1919 the young Italian was typecast as a shifty-eyed Latino villain.

He appeared as the second lead in The Delicious Little Devil (Robert Z. Leonard, 1919) with Mae Murray. He was credited Rudolpho De Valintine.

During this period he married small-time actress Jean Acker. Acker was a lesbian, involved in a love triangle with actresses Grace Darmond and Alla Nazimova, and the union with Valentino didn't last long.


Vintage postcard. Rudolph Valentino in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Rex Ingram, 1921). Madariaga "The Centaur" (Pomeroy Cannon), the richest man in Argentine, and his grandson, the handsome tango dancer Julio (Rudolph Valentino).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 748/1. Photo: Bafag. Rudolph Valentino and Alice Terry in The Conquering Power (Rex Ingram, 1921).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 831/1, 1925-1926. Photo: British American Films / Balag. Collection: Didier Hanson. Publicity still for Camille (Ray C. Smallwood, 1921) with Alla Nazimova.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 831/2, 1925-1926. Photo: British-American-Films A.G. (Bafag). Publicity still for Camille (Ray C. Smallwood, 1921) with Alla Nazimova.


French postcard. Photo: Les Films Paramount. Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik (George Melford, 1921).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1090/5, 1927-1928. Photo: Paramount-Film. Publicity still for Blood and Sand (Fred Niblo, 1922).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4685/1, 1929-1930. Photo: Paramount. Publicity still for Blood and Sand (Fred Niblo, 1922).

A unique brand of sexual charisma

Finally, in 1921, Rudolph Valentino's star potential was realised by screenwriter June Mathis, who convinced director Rex Ingram to cast Valentino as Julio Desnoyers in The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse (1921). A sensation was the scene in which he dances a sensual tango.

The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse became a critical success and was one of the first films to make $1,000,000 at the box office. It remains to this day the sixth-highest grossing silent film ever.

Valentino's unique brand of sexual charisma scored an immediate hit with the public, but Metro failed to capitalise on its new personality. For his follow-up film, the studio forced him into a B-film called Uncharted Seas (Wesley Ruggles, 1921). In this film, Valentino has one of the two leading male roles and, according to the synopsis, his part as a brave arctic explorer in love with the heroine was important. At the set, he met his second wife, Natacha Rambova.

Rambova, Mathis, Ivano, and Valentino began work on the Alla Nazimova film Camille (Ray C. Smallwood, 1921), based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas fils. Valentino was cast in the role of the idealistic young Armand, who falls in love with the older courtesan Camille (Nazimova). The film, mostly under the control of Rambova and Nazimova, was considered too avant-garde by critics and the public.

Valentino then accepted an offer at Famous Players-Lasky, the forerunner of the present-day Paramount Pictures. Here he co-starred with Agnes Ayres in The Sheik (George Melford, 1922), a role that would solidify his reputation as the ‘Latin lover’. Hal Erickson at AllMovie: “Despite the film's shortcomings, Valentino's magnetic personality permeated every frame, firmly establishing him as a star of the first rank.”


German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 1091/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Paramount-Film. Publicity still for Beyond the Rocks (Sam Wood, 1922) with Gloria Swanson.


Dutch postcard, 1924. Publicity card to promote The Young Rajah (Phil Rosen, 1922), which was presented in the Asta Theatre in The Hague, The Netherlands. Rudolph Valentino was in this film credited as Rodolph Valentino. The Young Rajah was reportedly a lost film, but a few years ago the last forty minutes of a nitrate print were discovered. Paramount used stills and trailers to reconstruct the film and did according to reviewer Ischlake on IMDb a very commendable job.


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 372/4. Photo: Paramount-Film. Rudolph Valentino and Doris Kenyon in Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1766/2, 1927-1928. Rudolph Valentino in A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1767/3, 1927-1928. Photo Stern Film Verleih. Rudolph Valentino and Helena D'Algy in the American silent film A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924).


German postcard for Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 1787/2, 1927-1928. Photo: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. Publicity still for A Sainted Devil (Joseph Henabery, 1924) with Louise Lagrange.

Pink powderpuff

Rudolph Valentino was rushed by Paramount from one film to another. He starred alongside Gloria Swanson in Beyond the Rocks (Sam Wood, 1922), but it was a critical disappointment.

Valentino began work on another Mathis-penned film, Blood and Sand (Fred Niblo, 1922), co-starring with vamp Nita Naldi. Valentino played the bullfighter Juan Gallardo. He initially believed the film would be shot in Spain and was upset to learn that the studio planned on shooting on a Hollywood backlot.

After finishing the film, Valentino married Rambova, which led to a sensational bigamy trial. The pair were forced to have their marriage annulled and separated for a year. Despite the trial, the film was still a success. Blood and Sand went on to become one of the top four grossing movies of 1922, and Valentino considered this one of his best films.

Valentino took a two-year sabbatical, devoting his time to writing and publishing poetry. He returned to the screen in such disappointing productions as Monsieur Beaucaire (Sidney Olcott, 1924) and Cobra (Joseph Henabery, 1925). A columnist for the Chicago Tribune characterised the actor as a 'pink powder puff'. Valentino angrily challenged the writer to a fistfight, but the waspish scrivener refused.

Valentino divorced his second wife Natacha Rambova and formed his own production company, playing virile leading roles in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925) and Son of the Sheik (George Fitzmaurice, 1926), two of his best films.

A few months after completing Son of the Sheik, he was hospitalised in New York with a perforated ulcer. Complications quickly set in, and on 23 August 1926, the 31-year-old actor died. Nearly 80,000 hysterical women, including actress Pola Negri, crowded into Campbell's Funeral Parlour in New York.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1500/3, 1927-1928. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 3372/1, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3677/1, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino and Louise Dresser in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3676/1, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Banky in The Eagle (Clarence Brown, 1925).


German postcard by Verlag Ross, Berlin, no. 1831/5, 1927-1928. Photo: Fanamet. Rudolph Valentino and Nita Naldi in Cobra (Joseph Henabery, 1925).


French postcard by Europa, no. 235. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Son of the Sheik (George Fitzmaurice, 1926) with Vilma Banky.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1534/3, 1927-1928. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Son of the Sheik (George Fitzmaurice, 1926).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3678/2, 1928-1929. Photo: United Artists. Rudolph Valentino in The Son of the Sheik (George Fitzmaurice, 1926).


American postcard by California Postcard Co., Los Angeles, California, no. 26829N. Caption: Rudolph Valentino's Home, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

Sources: Hal Erickson (AllMovie), Wikipedia, and IMDb.