Rudolph Valentino (6.5.1895-23.8.1926) - real name Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi (translates as Williams) - he later added di Valentina d'Antonguella - born in Castellaneta, Italy - died far too young at 31 in New York. He had an amazing rags (almost) to riches life played out during the glamorous flapper girl/jazz era of the 1920s. He was quite a sensation, hailed as the first sex symbol, his love scenes on screen had women fainting in cinemas and mobbing him in the street, a whole new phenomenon.
In real life he had a boyish charm, was quite naive (especially to the sexual orientation of others; his first wife) with a wonderful sense of humour. He had the strength of character to shrug off comments insinuating the wearing of jewellery by a man, which was the done thing in Italy, was effeminate, even the wearing of a wristwatch was considered effeminate at that time, but when his manhood was doubted publicly in a newspaper he was deeply offended and challenged the journalist to a boxing match. He printed a reply: “I welcome criticism of my work as an actor but I will resent with every muscle in my body attacks upon my manhood”. His physical beauty appeals to both men and women but his comments on his sexual orientation should be respected: “It is a printed utterance and automatically becomes part of my biography which some day I will not be here to defend … it cast doubt upon my manhood”.
He loved sports like boxing, horse riding and fencing and worked out daily. On their first meeting his manager George Ullman was starstruck by his magnetic personality, though women friends remarked that he did not exude the powerful sexuality he projected on screen, but his chat up lines were charming; to Mae Murray: “you are doing things to my heart”; to Florence Mack a script girl around the time of “Delicious Little Devil”: “You are the ideal girl. I could kiss you from your head to your toes!” Other women friends confessed that he had beautiful psychic eyes and his deep voice made them shiver! It was the jazz era but he preferred the tango, in which he was an expert.
He dressed impeccably with spats, gaiters, bow ties, silk handkerchiefs, emerald rings, emerald cufflinks, amethyst tie pins, full length fur coats, an array of hats, walking sticks, the occasional cigarette holder & the famous slave bracelet (though he sometimes wore outlandish colours; Nita Naldi said he had "terrible dress sense", he was seen in a green suit with grey stripes, loved yellow leather gloves with matching shoes but he was also once described as a "symphony in grey"). He influenced men's fashions, when he sported a beard for an upcoming role the barbers in America were up in arms demanding that he shave it off as they feared for their livelihood if all American men followed suit!
He spoke eloquently, not afraid to express his feelings, wrote poetry, had a deep baritone voice with a slight British accent, possibly learned from his second wife, Natacha Rambova, who was schooled in England, and he was friends with the most popular actors of the day - Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin, who said "The death of Rudolph Valentino is one of the greatest tragedies that has occurred in the history of the motion picture industry. As an actor he attained fame and distinction; as a friend he commanded love and admiration. We of the film industry, through his death, lose a very dear friend, a man of great charm and kindliness".
He was eventually very well paid by the movie industry but quickly spent it all on two Hollywood homes, a boat, fabulous cars (which he drove badly at top speed), beautiful horses, many dogs, antiques and tailored suits from London, but in the end after he lost the love of his life, Natacha Rambova, he felt that although he had everything he really had nothing; “Possessing the jewels of the earth, Holding within my grasp the scepter of the universe, All these would but make me more the pauper – Were I beggared of your love.” from his book of poetry “Daydreams”.
His body lay in state in New York where at least 100,000 came to pay their respects. He had two funerals, one in New York and one in California before he was laid to rest at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles where a memorial service has been held every year since his death in 1926, which is all quite exceptional and unprecedented.
He was a true artist who could express so much with just a look or a slight hand movement, as he put it: “There are accents in my movements, much as there are accents in music”. His baritone voice would have carried him into the talkies, which began in 1927 a year after his death. He could have gone into directing and producing his own movies.
He seemed adorable on the screen and off, still considered to possibly be the most beautiful man to ever have existed.
Video created with the YouTube Video Editor ( / editor )
Music: Losing Love - Dexter Britain
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