Biography

Hollywood's original Latin Lover, a term that was invented for Rudolph Valentino by Hollywood moguls. Alla Nazimova's friend Natacha Rambova (nee Winifred Hudnut) became romantically involved with Rudy and they lived together in her bungalow from 1921 (during the filming of Camille) until they eloped to Mexico on May 13, 1922 believing that his divorce from Jean Acker was official. After their re-marriage two years later she left him because he signed a contract that barred her from being involved in his pictures and wasn't allowed on set. She went to Nice to live with her parents and never entered their new mansion, Falcon Lair. He began to date sexy Pola Negri and was also linked to Vilma Banky. While he was touring to promote his last film, an editorial in the Chicago Tribune accused him of "effeminization of the American male". He defended his manhood by challenging the article's writer to a boxing match; it never took place, but another writer for the paper did enter the ring on behalf of the author who would not be named, and Valentino defeated him. He died shortly afterward while he was in New York attending the premiere of his last film. He collapsed in his hotel on August 15, 1926 and died on August 23, after an operation that led to an infection. 80,000 mourners nearly caused a riot at his New York funeral. Another funeral followed in California.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: [email protected]

Born in 1895 to a French mother and Italian father, Rudolph Valentino grew up in Italy. His father died while he was young, and his mother spoiled him. He did poorly in school and eventually ended up studying agriculture. After a stint in Paris, he returned to Italy broke. Many times he referenced something he did being the cause of being sent away, His journey to New York City took place just under 9 months before Jean Valentino would be born.

In New York City Valentino met with his Padrino (Godfather) Frank Mennillo, who helped him secure a job and a place to live. Eventually Valentino was hired as a taxi dancer (someone who danced with various women in a café for 10 cents a dance). Good-looking and a gifted dancer, he rose above the ranks and began performing for New York society elite. Infatuated and conducting an affair with married society woman Blanca de Saulles, he testified in her defense during her divorce trial. Her husband John, a prominent businessman, was not pleased and had Valentino arrested on vice charges that to this day are not clear; the records were wiped clean in the 1920s. After surviving this scandal, Blanca shot her now ex-husband, and Valentino left New York, hoping to avoid a new wave of scandal.

He ended up in San Francisco, where his Padrino Frank Mennillo had since relocated. He soon met Norman Kerry, who suggested that he try his hand at silent films. Valentino headed to Los Angeles on Kerry's advice and began to make the rounds of studios. A deeply-exotic and alluring man, his type usually was used for 'heavies' or villains. Eventually he eked out a living mostly co-starring in B-rated pictures.

During this time his mother died, devastating him. Hoping to recover from this shock, he fell in love with fellow small-time actress Jean Acker, a lesbian who was involved in a love triangle with powerful actresses Grace Darmond and Alla Nazimova. Valentino, unaware of Acker's orientation, proposed, and she accepted, seeing it as a safe way out of her conundrum without ruining her career. The two were married at a party, and after dancing all night they headed for their hotel room. Acker locked Valentino out, and the marriage was never consummated. Valentino, not understanding, sent her love letters for months begging her to 'forgive' him for whatever he had done, and to be his wife. Eventually, it must have been explained to him, because he moved on, and the pair separated but never divorced.

Soon after this, Metro Executive June Mathis spotted him in a small part in the Clara Kimball Young film "Eyes of Youth". Mathis was in charge of writing and producing the epic film "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse". She chose the mostly-unknown Valentino to play Latin lover Julio. Though executives were hesitant, Mathis eventually got her way. She mentored Valentino and the two became close friends--and possibly were more than that at one time.

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" was a major success, launched Valentino into superstardom, and gave him the image of a 'Latin Lover'. However, his contract with Metro was not in his favor, and they quickly cast him in a B-picture, "Uncharted Seas". This was followed by the Nazimova film "Camille", during which Valentino became close to the artistic director, Natacha Rambova. The two fell in love and moved in together, and he finally acquired a divorce from Jean Acker.

Without consulting any of his friends, let alone a lawyer, Valentino signed with Famous Players-Lasky, again making a paltry salary. Famous Players cast him in perhaps his most famous role, "The Sheik", in 1921. The Sheik was a cultural phenomenon, and much to Valentino's chagrin, it was the image most associated with him. Ironically, five years later it would also be his last film role.

Mathis eventually moved to Famous Players, where she wrote "The Conquering Power" and "Blood and Sand" for Valentino. "Blood and Sand" was a major hit and Valentino's first pairing with his most-frequent co-star, vamp Nita Naldi. During this time, Valentino married Rambova in Mexico, then returned to California to be met with a warrant for bigamy. At the time, the law stipulated that one must wait one year between divorce and a new marriage, and one year had not passed since his divorce from Jean Acker was finalized. Valentino was thrown in jail over the weekend, and Mathis, George Fitzmaurice, and Thomas Meighan bailed him out on Monday. Famous Players-Lasky did nothing and ordered him back to work on "The Young Rajah". Rambova and Valentino were forced to separate, and Rambova was sent to New York, although she still worked on "The Young Rajah", designing costumes.

"The Young Rajah" was not a hit, and Valentino was furious over the whole situation. Famous Players-Lasky ordered him to start work on a new film, but he refused and started refusing his salary (despite the fact that he was in debt and actually owed the studio money from helping with his divorce). The matter played out in the press, and Valentino embarked on a "One Man Strike" from Famous Players-Lasky. Famous Players obtained a court order forbidding him to work at all, though this was eventually reduced to just film work. Valentino insisted that his strike wasn't about money but for artistic control; indeed, he turned down an offer of $7,000 a week, a huge improvement over his last salary.

To keep afloat during this time, Valentino wrote a poetry book, gave interviews, and eventually accepted an offer to promote Minervala Beauty Clay via a dance tour. He also hired former Minervala advertising man S. George Ullman to be his business manager. The tour was a major success, and afterwards he and his wife visited Europe. When they returned, he signed with Ritz Carlton, though he still owed two films to Famous Players. His comeback picture, "Monsieur Beaucaire", was a French action-comedy. Rambova had a major hand in the production, and she was blamed when the film flopped. His next film, an artistic Latin Lover feature "A Sainted Devil", didn't fare well either. Now free from Famous Players, he and Rambova set upon creating their dream project, "The Hooded Falcon".

"The Hooded Falcon" was a disaster, with double the advanced budget spent on costumes alone. After asking Mathis to write a script for the film, Valentino, Rambova, and the director found it not up to par. Informed by Ullman, Mathis promptly refused to have anything to do with Valentino or Rambova. She eloped with an Italian cameraman. She would not make up with Valentino until a few months before his death. Eventually, "The Hooded Falcon" was scrapped, and the duo's contract with Ritz Carlton was terminated. They had made only one film, a quickie called "Cobra", which also underperformed.

At this time, Valentino and Rambova's marriage became strained. Rightly or wrongly, the press blamed Rambova for Valentino's failures. Reportedly, Valentino desperately wanted to have children, but Rambova did not. Ironically, the only person to dispute this was Ullman, who constantly feuded with Rambova. A contract from United Artists was offered to Valentino that gave him all sorts of freedom and a good salary. It has long been said that Rambova was stipulated by contract to not be on set or have any involvement in his UA films, but that is untrue. Rambova was still miffed, and Valentino and Ullman offered to finance a film for her that became "What Price Beauty?" She had an affair with her cameraman, and Rudy vowed that he would kill him. Only Ullman could dissuade them. Divorce papers were drawn up, and Rambova left for New York. The press assumed that she had left, then announced the divorce out of the blue, when, in reality, both knew during their final kiss that a divorce was in the works. Rambova eventually obtained her divorce in France.

Valentino was despondent and contemplated suicide, especially as he was unable to obtain custody of Jean, which he tried around this time. He became reckless, almost killing himself in various car accidents. Work began on "The Eagle" in 1925, which paired him with Vilma Banky. The two became good friends, but it's unlikely that they were lovers. "The Eagle" was a success, and work began on "Son of the Sheik", a sequel to the first film. It was also a success, but, sadly, Valentino did not live to see much of it.

He wasn't mourning the loss of Rambova, though. He was dating Mae Murray and Pola Negri concurrently, as well as several other beauties. This ended only when Mae wed Prince David Mdivani; Negri later would marry his brother, Prince Serge Mdivani.

Valentino had been ill for several months but refused to see a doctor. In August 1926, his pain was so bad that a doctor was called, and he was transferred to a New York City hospital. He had ulcers, which were operated on. Everyone believed he would be fine, and doctors gave optimistic reports. Valentino himself thought that he would recover soon and asked to be moved back to his hotel with a nurse to attend to him. The doctors refused. A few days after the surgery, Valentino took a turn for the worse; his lungs were filled with fluid and infection had set in. He died on August 23, 1926 at age 31, with Frank Mennillo and Ullman at his side. Everyone was shocked, and, though there had been celebrity deaths before his, the public's reaction was extremely intense.

Ullman was the executor of his estate. Hoping to help keep Valentino's name in the papers long enough to promote The Son of the Sheik (1926) (Valentino's estate was $3 million in debt, leaving no money to take care of his affairs or even bury him), he decided to allow a public viewing. However, the viewing became a madhouse, and Ullman abruptly pulled the plug. A funeral was held in New York. The body was transported across the country to Los Angeles, where another funeral was held, and Valentino was buried. Mathis had a row of crypts at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and offered to loan Valentino one of them, but she herself died in 1927, and Valentino was moved into what would have been her husband's crypt. In the 1930s, Mathis' husband sold the crypt to the Valentino family. Valentino lies in the 'borrowed' crypt to this day.

There were many plans for memorials and statues after his death, but Mathis' death and the Great Depression put an end to them. Today, about 60% of Valentino's films still survive, including his most noteworthy ones. He's still remembered as The Great Lover of the Silver Screen.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Hala Pickford