Rudolph Valentino nee Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filiberto Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (1895 - 1926)
Top 5:
The Eagle
The Sheik/Son of the Sheik
Cobra
Blood and Sand
Moran of the Lady Letty
Movies watched:
Patria (1917) - Fragments only exist; He shows up briefly in the background of a nightclub in episode 2. Movie stars Irene Castle.
A Society Sensation (1918 short) - romantic male lead opposite the star Carmel Myers. Star power is evident already. But the movie is fragmented and not funny, except for Zazu Pitts. Skip it unless you are a Rudi completist.
All Night (1918) - This silly bedroom farce is actually funny once it gets going. Rudi is just as funny as he is romantic.
The Married Virgin (1918) - Rudi’s sneer is the best thing about this drama where he plays a manipulative, conniving nobleman. The revelation in this film is Kathleen Kirkham. She must have supplied her own costumes because she presents a parade of beautiful clothes that even pop in scratchy black and white. Kirkham is quite marvelous. She started her own production company but like so many women in early Hollywood was trampled under the boot heels of misogyny.
The Delicious Little Devil (1919) - a new blu-ray was released in 2021. A real delight if you like silliness. Mae Murray is the star and she is full-on, full-blown slapstick. This is the first film where Rudi is featured with some close-ups and a solid amount of screen time. He plays his romantic role with a sprightly lightness and admirable attention to character detail. And he engages in some punch-ups and door smashing.
Eyes of Youth (1920) - Clunky and excruciatingly boring with a paucity of Rudi. But he so impressed June Mathis that she got him his break out part in 4 Horsemen
Stolen Moments (1920) - Skip the first ⅔ and get to the hand-kissing lollapalooza. Rudi’s 15 minutes or so are the only portion worth watching.
The Wonderful Chance (1920) - barely 3 minutes existing on YouTube. But worth watching. Rudi plays a believable Hollywood style gangster sporting a fake moustache. Was filming this movie in NYC when he got the part of Julio in Four Horsemen.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) - Often credited as the film where Rudolph was discovered by the public. It was his first collaboration with June Mathis, who claims to have discovered him. Valentino had been making his way up the chain to bigger parts since the beginning of his film career but Mathis certainly spring-loaded his ascent with this co-starring role. But it’s function was really more of a beta test for the movie that really shot Rudi to fame - The Sheik.
Rex Ingram was not much of an editor/director and this film suffers for it. Yes, it was intended as an epic about a European family torn apart by WWI. But it is too long, lacks style, and has too little Rudi. Its great value is the showcase it offers for Rudi’s dancing and his sensuality - something the American was gasping for. The gaucho/whip dance sequence is in during the 1st third of the film. Don’t fail to see what captured the hearts and libidos of filmgoers the world over.
Uncharted Seas (1921) - Lost film produced by Alla Nazimova that looks awesome in the stills that remain. You can see a nice compilation set to music here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASNeXq7pHbU. He met future wife Natasha Rambova on this film set.
The Conquering Power (1921) - A turgid adaptation filmed by Rex Ingram of Honore de Balzac’s short story Eugenie Graudet. Turgid except for Rudi. This is where you can see his skillful depiction of a character through small gestures and thoughtful acting choices. Most of his acting is pretty modern and authentic. Plus he wears spats and a monocle.
Camille (1921) - The film is dominated by Alla Nazimova displaying her grandeur rather than the emotional life of Camille. Rudi does his best but he is hardly in it. The whole thing is stiff and only for the Rudi completists. During this film Rudi
Show more...
