Rudolph Valentino

1895 - 1926

Messages

February 21, 2024

Mrs
Dear Hollywood for ever cemetery.
I hope Rodolfo Guglielmi Valentino body is kept well.Was it embalmed originally or would he just be skeleton bones in what looks like stone draw.Is it really just a store room behind rememberance wall?
I trust Rodolfo’s spirit is elsewhere and happy in his heavenly realms.
i don’t suppose I will ever get to visit USA.I love dancing but don’t get chance much to dance.Me and my friend Sarah Sparkes used to dance at a children’s disco we used to practice dance steps to perform.. Often watched by most people there so we was treated like abit like mini star celebs,chased and hasselled by boys etc.
Rodolfo was so beautiful,there is not many men around as beautiful as him.My husband Roberto looked a little bit similar.I am in a forced arranged marriage some pentecostal school teachers bullied me into that got to know me at a youth club years ago.I was in love with teen called Paul Hitchcock (brother of Donna) when I was a young adult my mother was fond of him,he looked the image of Paul Newman.I would like God to allow me be still be friendly with him.Also twin Danny Holt was a wonderful karate person.I hope to reunited with friendship as i was vety fond of him.I had good memories of him My husband has committed adultery 11 times and I need my friends I knew from school for kindness/support so I can cope, otherwise I feel unloved.
I miss Rodolfo image not enough on planet Earth,I hear him,God lets him tell me things,and it is some sort of support as I feel he cares for me.I am very religious as i am a multiple rape victim in my childhood and it’s bad memories…my faith keeps me sane.
I am anti cremation so I don’t like adverts to do with that.
I am glad Rodolfo was not cremated.
Love to you for eternity wonderful romantic Rodolfo you are a beautiful dream,a gorgeous man that gives hope and happiness from looking at his movies and characters.
🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹

Alison Masi
December 18, 2021

I miss you.
I love you, and I miss you. Rest in paradise, Italian prince.

Brandi
April 1, 2021

Still making ladies hot, what a gorgeous man you truly were.

Janette Norval
March 15, 2013

Valentino
I love you Rudolph Valentino. <3 I will be visiting you very soon that is my word! hope your spirit will be there;) lots of love

Nichole
November 19, 2012

RecordÃ¡ndole por siempre
Eterno galÃ¡n. Siempre serÃ¡ recordado. Saludos desde EspaÃ±a.

Berta
July 30, 2012

Sorry your mausoleum was closed that day
i had a rose for you, but the doors were locked. when the black cat ran by, and i found the penny, i knew you were saying thanks anyway!

Moonchildiva
December 5, 2009

Bless You Rudy
May the Almighty bless you and shine His contenence upon you. May you remain in His loving arms, and be happy in Heaven above, I admire and respect you forever.

Susanne Bass
December 24, 2007

CHRISTMAS
HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Wanda-Maria
September 17, 2007

We remember you always our dear Rudy.
Rudy, is been some time since our last visit but do know that we always think of you and that we love you so very much. As the years go by, your memory is more vivid than anything else. We love you Rudy and we miss you. We will visit soon darling, till then have sweet dreams my dear angel..

Your Family
March 23, 2007

Mr. Valentino
Sir, you were the very first Hollywood Star to send the blood pressure of both men and women to dangerous levels. You are perhaps the most beautiful human being who ever lived. Imagine the possiblities had Michaelangelo met Valentino?! Your early departure from the screen and life have made you an immortal icon. You lived at the perfect time in history: the roaring 1920’s could not continue forever nor could Rudolph Valentino though millions would have loved to have seen that. Thank you, Rudy; I love you …

RJK
February 10, 2007

A Real Star
Rudy has been gone for nearly 81 years but his star still shines brightly!

Sarah
August 25, 2006

Rudy
I love you rudy. I am your black lady in white. Love you forever.

Diane Whitmore
August 23, 2006

80 Years To the Day
My Dear Sheik, It is 80 years to the day that you left this life. You left far too soon but indeed you are loved, all over the world, even by those born decades after your passing. Never will a screen idol come close to the presence that you’ve consumed us with. We’ve watched you dance across the screen with such grace. You’ve stirred up emotions within us, and we’ve cried with you, laughed with you, loved with you. Never will you be forgotten. Not now, not today, not any day. You’ve left us with a vision burned into our psyche. No, you shall not be forgotten.

Shauna
August 23, 2006

80 years today
Too good to be forgotten

Anne
August 23, 2005

79 Years Today
Just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you on this day – 79 years since the day you tragically left this world. You are not forgotten.

Shauna
May 23, 2005

Dear Sheik
Goodness, almost 80 years gone and still so loved. I have loved you since the day I laid eyes on you. Your films – they show so much passion and you are so vibrant, full of life, real. Mistreated by those you loved (Natacha, I’m talking about you and you’re not the only one), if only you could see how many people still love you today – most of them who were not even BORN when you died tragically. You must surely be the brightest star in the sky and please know I love you always. And I am not alone.

Shauna, Silent Film Fan
February 3, 2005

Forever the Shiek
A biography of silent screen heart throb Rudolph Valentino.
The child who would become Rudolph Valentino was born on May 6, 1895 in Castellaneta, a small backward village in southern Italy. The family was middle class by local standards. Young Rudolphs ambition from an early age was to get out of Castellaneta. When his father died in 1906, Rudolph and his brother were sent to study at the nearest town Taranto. But this was not enough for Rudolph. After causing trouble in his school and much pleading with his mother, eighteen year old Rudolph was finally given the money his father had put way for his education and he set sail for the United States.
He arrived in New York on December 23, 1913. He stayed with family friends in the Italian Quarter and worked at menial jobs while he tried to improve his English. After six months he got a job as an under-gardener on the estate of Millionaire Cornelius Bliss. Here he studied the manners and tastes of the rich, cultivating ambition for such a lifestyle himself. He neglected his work, however and was soon fired.
A string of jobs followed. For a time he was homeless and at one point contemplated suicide. A job as a busboy in an Italian restaurant changed his fortunes, however. It was here that he was introduced to the world of Dance Halls and Cabarets. An older waiter took Rudolph under his wing and taught him to dance. He was soon working as a full-time dancer at the Restaurant. The tango became his specialty. Before long he was supplementing his income by working as a gigolo. This afforded him invaluable opportunity to study the desires and fantasies of women and perfect the art of seduction.
Rudolph became the star attraction at Maxims a high class dance club in New York. He became involved in a year long passionate affair with a married woman that ended in scandal when the woman shot her husband. Valentino decided to get away and headed for San Francisco. From there he set his sights on Hollywood. His first role was a bit part as a dancer in the film Alimony. Before long the dashing Italian had caught the eye of movie star Mae Murray who insisted that he play the lead in her next feature, The Big Little Person. Another leading role with Murray came in The Delicious Little Devil. The love scenes were, however, too hot for Murrays director husband Bob Leonard and the association ended.
Valentino had, however, been given the boost he needed. To capitalise on his pending stardom he decided to cultivate an image as a mysterious loner. The image worked well and his next two films, A Society Sensation and All Night, were successes. Valentino was now a rich young man, darting around Hollywood in fast cars with beautiful women.
Valentinos fortunes took a dive however and he was unsuccessful in some important auditions. It was at this time that he received a very public snub from Russian film star Alla Nazimova. One of Nazimovas lesbian companions, Jean Acker became involved with Valentino and the two were soon married. On the wedding night, however, his lesbian wife refused to consummate the marriage.
In 1921 Valentinoss star was again on the rise. He was cast in the coveted role of Julio in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. His graceful dance moves and sexual allure lit the screen and cemented the Great Italian Lover as a star. This image was enlarged upon with The Sheik.
Meanwhile Valentino and his estranged wife Jean Acker were divorced. He became involved with a strong willed, ambitious woman by the name of Natacha Rambova. She would act as an adviser and manipulator of Valentino for the rest of his life. She would cause major interruptions on the sets of his movies. Despite this Rudolph passionately loved her and the two were married on 13 May, 1922. However, Valentino had not waited the prescribed period since his divorce and he was jailed for bigamy. After testifying that the couple had not consummated the wedding the charges were dropped.
The couple were remarried in 1923 and set off for a European honeymoon. Before long, however, Natacha had stormed out on him, going to live with her mother. With the marriage collapsing, Valentino threw himself into his work. 1925s The Eagle was perhaps his best film yet, putting him firmly at the top of the Hollywood ladder. The Son of the Sheik was also a huge hit.
A single man again Rudolph set off on a lifestyle of wild partying. On 14 August, 1926 he attended an all-night party in his honour. The next morning he was found writhing on the floor in agony. He was rushed to hospital and operated on for acute appendicitis. However, complications set in, including poisoning of the wall of the heart. Rudolph Valentino, the Great Italian Lover, died on 23 August, 1926. He was just 31 years of age.
A biography of silent screen heart throb Rudolph Valentino.
The child who would become Rudolph Valentino was born on May 6, 1895 in Castellaneta, a small backward village in southern Italy. The family was middle class by local standards. Young Rudolphs ambition from an early age was to get out of Castellaneta. When his father died in 1906, Rudolph and his brother were sent to study at the nearest town Taranto. But this was not enough for Rudolph. After causing trouble in his school and much pleading with his mother, eighteen year old Rudolph was finally given the money his father had put way for his education and he set sail for the United States.
He arrived in New York on December 23, 1913. He stayed with family friends in the Italian Quarter and worked at menial jobs while he tried to improve his English. After six months he got a job as an under-gardener on the estate of Millionaire Cornelius Bliss. Here he studied the manners and tastes of the rich, cultivating ambition for such a lifestyle himself. He neglected his work, however and was soon fired.
A string of jobs followed. For a time he was homeless and at one point contemplated suicide. A job as a busboy in an Italian restaurant changed his fortunes, however. It was here that he was introduced to the world of Dance Halls and Cabarets. An older waiter took Rudolph under his wing and taught him to dance. He was soon working as a full-time dancer at the Restaurant. The tango became his specialty. Before long he was supplementing his income by working as a gigolo. This afforded him invaluable opportunity to study the desires and fantasies of women and perfect the art of seduction.
Rudolph became the star attraction at Maxims a high class dance club in New York. He became involved in a year long passionate affair with a married woman that ended in scandal when the woman shot her husband. Valentino decided to get away and headed for San Francisco. From there he set his sights on Hollywood. His first role was a bit part as a dancer in the film Alimony. Before long the dashing Italian had caught the eye of movie star Mae Murray who insisted that he play the lead in her next feature, The Big Little Person. Another leading role with Murray came in The Delicious Little Devil. The love scenes were, however, too hot for Murrays director husband Bob Leonard and the association ended.
Valentino had, however, been given the boost he needed. To capitalise on his pending stardom he decided to cultivate an image as a mysterious loner. The image worked well and his next two films, A Society Sensation and All Night, were successes. Valentino was now a rich young man, darting around Hollywood in fast cars with beautiful women.
Valentinos fortunes took a dive however and he was unsuccessful in some important auditions. It was at this time that he received a very public snub from Russian film star Alla Nazimova. One of Nazimovas lesbian companions, Jean Acker became involved with Valentino and the two were soon married. On the wedding night, however, his lesbian wife refused to consummate the marriage.
In 1921 Valentinoss star was again on the rise. He was cast in the coveted role of Julio in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. His graceful dance moves and sexual allure lit the screen and cemented the Great Italian Lover as a star. This image was enlarged upon with The Sheik.
Meanwhile Valentino and his estranged wife Jean Acker were divorced. He became involved with a strong willed, ambitious woman by the name of Natacha Rambova. She would act as an adviser and manipulator of Valentino for the rest of his life. She would cause major interruptions on the sets of his movies. Despite this Rudolph passionately loved her and the two were married on 13 May, 1922. However, Valentino had not waited the prescribed period since his divorce and he was jailed for bigamy. After testifying that the couple had not consummated the wedding the charges were dropped.
The couple were remarried in 1923 and set off for a European honeymoon. Before long, however, Natacha had stormed out on him, going to live with her mother. With the marriage collapsing, Valentino threw himself into his work. 1925s The Eagle was perhaps his best film yet, putting him firmly at the top of the Hollywood ladder. The Son of the Sheik was also a huge hit.
A single man again Rudolph set off on a lifestyle of wild partying. On 14 August, 1926 he attended an all-night party in his honour. The next morning he was found writhing on the floor in agony. He was rushed to hospital and operated on for acute appendicitis. However, complications set in, including poisoning of the wall of the heart. Rudolph Valentino, the Great Italian Lover, died on 23 August, 1926. He was just 31 years of age.
Why they left the autobiography of the most famous and perhaps the first male sex Symbol from this page is something that I will never understand.
You were a very handsome man and you were only 31 when you died.
And I hope so much that someone besides film historians who delve in obscure research will remember you. I have seen a few of your films and enjoyed them. I also saw the newsreel that showed your funeral procession and I felt that I had been there in person. I remember the women swooning in adoration and fainting from grief at your death. I also remember finding a score to one of your films in an old movie theater slated from demolition and how much I tresured it until it was stolen from me.
My grandmother adored you.
I think that you were a very astute businessman, an intelligent and handsome man who took the hand he was dealt in life and did the very best he could possibly do with it. You personified Deco, the Desert Chic and the mysteries of the silents. You all had to convey so much with no sound and that old film was so hard to preserve too.
You were the brightest of the stars and I can’t believe that nobody wrote your autobiograpy or that you were most famous for playing THE SHEIK.
You were great, Rudy!
I hope they don’t forget you. But the kid are going to look at this and wonder just who the hell you were and if you are THE Rudolph Valentino! Nobody will know!
Rest in peace,Sheik!
It seems like yesterday.

An Admirer of Silent Films and 1920s Music
February 3, 2005

Rudolph
Biography for Rudolph Valentino
Birth name
Rodolfo Alfonzo Raffaelo Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla
——————————————————————————–
Nickname
The Sheik
——————————————————————————–
Height
5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
——————————————————————————–
Mini biography
His father Giovanni had been in a travelling circus before meeting his mother and settling down as a veterinarian. Though his father was a strict authoritarian, his mother doted on her “beautiful baby” even to the exclusion of his older brother Alberto and younger sister Maria. By the time he was eleven he was an undisciplined, pampered bully. He was expelled from many schools, finally obtaining a diploma in the Science of Farming from the Academy of Agriculture. He went to Paris where he learned apache dancing, joined a gay crowd, returned brokw, took his inheritance of $4000 and, December 1913, sailed for New York. He worked as a busboy, then gigolo, while pursuing dance, especially the tango. In 1917 went to Hollywood and obtained a small dancing part in Alimony (1917). When he did get acting roles they were villains not lovers. Script writer June Mathis and director Rex Ingram convinced Metro to do The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) and to cast Valentino in the lead. The first million dollar production saved Metro and made Rudy a star. It also brought him to the attention of Alla Nazimova who wanted him to play opposite her in Camille (1921). Alla’s friend, Natacha Rambova (nee Winifred Hudnut) became attached to Rudy and they eloped to Mexico 13 May, 1922 in the belief his divorce from Jean was official. He was jailed as a bigamist and fined $10,000. After their re-marriage the following year she fled to Paris having never entered his new mansion, Falcon Lair. He took up her interest in seances and the occult. He began dating sexy Pola Negri partly to improve his image as a man. While 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 writer of the article to a boxking match (which never took place). He died shortly afterwards. 80,000 mourners caused a near riot at his New York funeral. Another funeral followed in California.

Someone Who Still Loves You!
August 24, 2004

thank you Rudy
Thank You my sweet Rudy,for the many many years of happiness you have brought me.My life would not have been the same if I had not found you.Because of you, I have found life long friends along these roads I have been on.Bless You always.Rest in pease.With Love,Stella Grace

Stella Grace
May 25, 2003

To RV on Memorial Day
How I wished we could have been friends.You were a man of talent, looks, class and above all spirit. There will never be anyone else like you.

Christine Hood
September 9, 2002

Sweet Valentino
It has be 76 years now and you still got it. 🙂

Talia
April 30, 2002

hey
i dont think these two colors work out together…..but i mean, you have an awesom website

a concerned weber
March 29, 2002

Valentino Rudolph
Do you plan to update your website w/new Valentino photos?

Omar Mendoza
March 5, 2002

VALENTINO RUDOLPH
Will you be updating this site w/new Valentino photos?

OMAR
October 22, 2001

yay!
i have to do Valentino for a school project, he’s hot! but this site didn’t help at all. no offense. i need afcts about hi films, just a thought for you

me
August 20, 2001

75 Years in Heaven
You’ve been in Heaven for three quarters of a century now … and, amazingly, your impact on people’s lives is as strong now as in your day. I learned a lot about you, while building the video tribute for your 75th Anniversary Memorial Service. I realized, both while I was writing the script and after I narrated it, that you are one of a singular handful of people whose legend will always remain strong, vibrant, and indelible. Like Elvis and Diana after you, we will always remember you as you were, so full of life, and full of promise. I noticed, at the screening of your classic Blood and Sand (1922) at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Saturday, August 18, 2001, that you still have such devoted fans. So many of your contemporaries can’t say that … which is a shame … but your impact on people’s lives is still so powerful, and I can surely predict that, when the time comes for our ancestors to host your 150th Anniversary Memorial Service, there will still be fans, admirers, and devotees, who will still want to learn more, enjoy more, and know more, of you. That will be your legacy … forever.

Annette Lloyd
August 19, 2001

Silent Film Screening
I attended the screening of Blood and Sand at Hollywood Forever with some friends on Saturday evening. What a beautiful evening. We will be back next year.

Lisa
August 24, 2000

Tyler Cassidy/Valentino
Dear Tyler: Nice meeting you today at the Valentino service, it was a great tribute. I have a special on the HISTORY CHANNEL airing this Fri. 8/25 @ 7PM the Haunted Hollywood episode. It repeats Sat @ 11PM & Sun 1 AM. It will cover my place the ALL*STAR CAFE @ the Knickerbocker Hotel where Valentino use to hang out. I always include Valentino in the shows I did for DISCOVERY CHANNEL & E! I think it is important people are remebered. I’ll stop by on a Sunday sometime. I have a lot to tell you about Falcon Lair & Doris Duke etc. The lamp I have from Valentino’s house is amazing. I was very impressed with your staff & how the place has been restored. Take Care David Fisher

David Fisher

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February 21, 2024

Mrs
Dear Hollywood for ever cemetery.
I hope Rodolfo Guglielmi Valentino body is kept well.Was it embalmed originally or would he just be skeleton bones in what looks like stone draw.Is it really just a store room behind rememberance wall?
I trust Rodolfo’s spirit is elsewhere and happy in his heavenly realms.
i don’t suppose I will ever get to visit USA.I love dancing but don’t get chance much to dance.Me and my friend Sarah Sparkes used to dance at a children’s disco we used to practice dance steps to perform.. Often watched by most people there so we was treated like abit like mini star celebs,chased and hasselled by boys etc.
Rodolfo was so beautiful,there is not many men around as beautiful as him.My husband Roberto looked a little bit similar.I am in a forced arranged marriage some pentecostal school teachers bullied me into that got to know me at a youth club years ago.I was in love with teen called Paul Hitchcock (brother of Donna) when I was a young adult my mother was fond of him,he looked the image of Paul Newman.I would like God to allow me be still be friendly with him.Also twin Danny Holt was a wonderful karate person.I hope to reunited with friendship as i was vety fond of him.I had good memories of him My husband has committed adultery 11 times and I need my friends I knew from school for kindness/support so I can cope, otherwise I feel unloved.
I miss Rodolfo image not enough on planet Earth,I hear him,God lets him tell me things,and it is some sort of support as I feel he cares for me.I am very religious as i am a multiple rape victim in my childhood and it’s bad memories…my faith keeps me sane.
I am anti cremation so I don’t like adverts to do with that.
I am glad Rodolfo was not cremated.
Love to you for eternity wonderful romantic Rodolfo you are a beautiful dream,a gorgeous man that gives hope and happiness from looking at his movies and characters.
🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹

Alison Masi
December 18, 2021

I miss you.
I love you, and I miss you. Rest in paradise, Italian prince.

Brandi
April 1, 2021

Still making ladies hot, what a gorgeous man you truly were.

Janette Norval
March 15, 2013

Valentino
I love you Rudolph Valentino. <3 I will be visiting you very soon that is my word! hope your spirit will be there;) lots of love

Nichole
November 19, 2012

RecordÃ¡ndole por siempre
Eterno galÃ¡n. Siempre serÃ¡ recordado. Saludos desde EspaÃ±a.

Berta
July 30, 2012

Sorry your mausoleum was closed that day
i had a rose for you, but the doors were locked. when the black cat ran by, and i found the penny, i knew you were saying thanks anyway!

Moonchildiva
December 5, 2009

Bless You Rudy
May the Almighty bless you and shine His contenence upon you. May you remain in His loving arms, and be happy in Heaven above, I admire and respect you forever.

Susanne Bass
December 24, 2007

CHRISTMAS
HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Wanda-Maria
September 17, 2007

We remember you always our dear Rudy.
Rudy, is been some time since our last visit but do know that we always think of you and that we love you so very much. As the years go by, your memory is more vivid than anything else. We love you Rudy and we miss you. We will visit soon darling, till then have sweet dreams my dear angel..

Your Family
March 23, 2007

Mr. Valentino
Sir, you were the very first Hollywood Star to send the blood pressure of both men and women to dangerous levels. You are perhaps the most beautiful human being who ever lived. Imagine the possiblities had Michaelangelo met Valentino?! Your early departure from the screen and life have made you an immortal icon. You lived at the perfect time in history: the roaring 1920’s could not continue forever nor could Rudolph Valentino though millions would have loved to have seen that. Thank you, Rudy; I love you …

RJK
February 10, 2007

A Real Star
Rudy has been gone for nearly 81 years but his star still shines brightly!

Sarah
August 25, 2006

Rudy
I love you rudy. I am your black lady in white. Love you forever.

Diane Whitmore
August 23, 2006

80 Years To the Day
My Dear Sheik, It is 80 years to the day that you left this life. You left far too soon but indeed you are loved, all over the world, even by those born decades after your passing. Never will a screen idol come close to the presence that you’ve consumed us with. We’ve watched you dance across the screen with such grace. You’ve stirred up emotions within us, and we’ve cried with you, laughed with you, loved with you. Never will you be forgotten. Not now, not today, not any day. You’ve left us with a vision burned into our psyche. No, you shall not be forgotten.

Shauna
August 23, 2006

80 years today
Too good to be forgotten

Anne
August 23, 2005

79 Years Today
Just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you on this day – 79 years since the day you tragically left this world. You are not forgotten.

Shauna
May 23, 2005

Dear Sheik
Goodness, almost 80 years gone and still so loved. I have loved you since the day I laid eyes on you. Your films – they show so much passion and you are so vibrant, full of life, real. Mistreated by those you loved (Natacha, I’m talking about you and you’re not the only one), if only you could see how many people still love you today – most of them who were not even BORN when you died tragically. You must surely be the brightest star in the sky and please know I love you always. And I am not alone.

Shauna, Silent Film Fan
February 3, 2005

Forever the Shiek
A biography of silent screen heart throb Rudolph Valentino.
The child who would become Rudolph Valentino was born on May 6, 1895 in Castellaneta, a small backward village in southern Italy. The family was middle class by local standards. Young Rudolphs ambition from an early age was to get out of Castellaneta. When his father died in 1906, Rudolph and his brother were sent to study at the nearest town Taranto. But this was not enough for Rudolph. After causing trouble in his school and much pleading with his mother, eighteen year old Rudolph was finally given the money his father had put way for his education and he set sail for the United States.
He arrived in New York on December 23, 1913. He stayed with family friends in the Italian Quarter and worked at menial jobs while he tried to improve his English. After six months he got a job as an under-gardener on the estate of Millionaire Cornelius Bliss. Here he studied the manners and tastes of the rich, cultivating ambition for such a lifestyle himself. He neglected his work, however and was soon fired.
A string of jobs followed. For a time he was homeless and at one point contemplated suicide. A job as a busboy in an Italian restaurant changed his fortunes, however. It was here that he was introduced to the world of Dance Halls and Cabarets. An older waiter took Rudolph under his wing and taught him to dance. He was soon working as a full-time dancer at the Restaurant. The tango became his specialty. Before long he was supplementing his income by working as a gigolo. This afforded him invaluable opportunity to study the desires and fantasies of women and perfect the art of seduction.
Rudolph became the star attraction at Maxims a high class dance club in New York. He became involved in a year long passionate affair with a married woman that ended in scandal when the woman shot her husband. Valentino decided to get away and headed for San Francisco. From there he set his sights on Hollywood. His first role was a bit part as a dancer in the film Alimony. Before long the dashing Italian had caught the eye of movie star Mae Murray who insisted that he play the lead in her next feature, The Big Little Person. Another leading role with Murray came in The Delicious Little Devil. The love scenes were, however, too hot for Murrays director husband Bob Leonard and the association ended.
Valentino had, however, been given the boost he needed. To capitalise on his pending stardom he decided to cultivate an image as a mysterious loner. The image worked well and his next two films, A Society Sensation and All Night, were successes. Valentino was now a rich young man, darting around Hollywood in fast cars with beautiful women.
Valentinos fortunes took a dive however and he was unsuccessful in some important auditions. It was at this time that he received a very public snub from Russian film star Alla Nazimova. One of Nazimovas lesbian companions, Jean Acker became involved with Valentino and the two were soon married. On the wedding night, however, his lesbian wife refused to consummate the marriage.
In 1921 Valentinoss star was again on the rise. He was cast in the coveted role of Julio in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. His graceful dance moves and sexual allure lit the screen and cemented the Great Italian Lover as a star. This image was enlarged upon with The Sheik.
Meanwhile Valentino and his estranged wife Jean Acker were divorced. He became involved with a strong willed, ambitious woman by the name of Natacha Rambova. She would act as an adviser and manipulator of Valentino for the rest of his life. She would cause major interruptions on the sets of his movies. Despite this Rudolph passionately loved her and the two were married on 13 May, 1922. However, Valentino had not waited the prescribed period since his divorce and he was jailed for bigamy. After testifying that the couple had not consummated the wedding the charges were dropped.
The couple were remarried in 1923 and set off for a European honeymoon. Before long, however, Natacha had stormed out on him, going to live with her mother. With the marriage collapsing, Valentino threw himself into his work. 1925s The Eagle was perhaps his best film yet, putting him firmly at the top of the Hollywood ladder. The Son of the Sheik was also a huge hit.
A single man again Rudolph set off on a lifestyle of wild partying. On 14 August, 1926 he attended an all-night party in his honour. The next morning he was found writhing on the floor in agony. He was rushed to hospital and operated on for acute appendicitis. However, complications set in, including poisoning of the wall of the heart. Rudolph Valentino, the Great Italian Lover, died on 23 August, 1926. He was just 31 years of age.
A biography of silent screen heart throb Rudolph Valentino.
The child who would become Rudolph Valentino was born on May 6, 1895 in Castellaneta, a small backward village in southern Italy. The family was middle class by local standards. Young Rudolphs ambition from an early age was to get out of Castellaneta. When his father died in 1906, Rudolph and his brother were sent to study at the nearest town Taranto. But this was not enough for Rudolph. After causing trouble in his school and much pleading with his mother, eighteen year old Rudolph was finally given the money his father had put way for his education and he set sail for the United States.
He arrived in New York on December 23, 1913. He stayed with family friends in the Italian Quarter and worked at menial jobs while he tried to improve his English. After six months he got a job as an under-gardener on the estate of Millionaire Cornelius Bliss. Here he studied the manners and tastes of the rich, cultivating ambition for such a lifestyle himself. He neglected his work, however and was soon fired.
A string of jobs followed. For a time he was homeless and at one point contemplated suicide. A job as a busboy in an Italian restaurant changed his fortunes, however. It was here that he was introduced to the world of Dance Halls and Cabarets. An older waiter took Rudolph under his wing and taught him to dance. He was soon working as a full-time dancer at the Restaurant. The tango became his specialty. Before long he was supplementing his income by working as a gigolo. This afforded him invaluable opportunity to study the desires and fantasies of women and perfect the art of seduction.
Rudolph became the star attraction at Maxims a high class dance club in New York. He became involved in a year long passionate affair with a married woman that ended in scandal when the woman shot her husband. Valentino decided to get away and headed for San Francisco. From there he set his sights on Hollywood. His first role was a bit part as a dancer in the film Alimony. Before long the dashing Italian had caught the eye of movie star Mae Murray who insisted that he play the lead in her next feature, The Big Little Person. Another leading role with Murray came in The Delicious Little Devil. The love scenes were, however, too hot for Murrays director husband Bob Leonard and the association ended.
Valentino had, however, been given the boost he needed. To capitalise on his pending stardom he decided to cultivate an image as a mysterious loner. The image worked well and his next two films, A Society Sensation and All Night, were successes. Valentino was now a rich young man, darting around Hollywood in fast cars with beautiful women.
Valentinos fortunes took a dive however and he was unsuccessful in some important auditions. It was at this time that he received a very public snub from Russian film star Alla Nazimova. One of Nazimovas lesbian companions, Jean Acker became involved with Valentino and the two were soon married. On the wedding night, however, his lesbian wife refused to consummate the marriage.
In 1921 Valentinoss star was again on the rise. He was cast in the coveted role of Julio in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. His graceful dance moves and sexual allure lit the screen and cemented the Great Italian Lover as a star. This image was enlarged upon with The Sheik.
Meanwhile Valentino and his estranged wife Jean Acker were divorced. He became involved with a strong willed, ambitious woman by the name of Natacha Rambova. She would act as an adviser and manipulator of Valentino for the rest of his life. She would cause major interruptions on the sets of his movies. Despite this Rudolph passionately loved her and the two were married on 13 May, 1922. However, Valentino had not waited the prescribed period since his divorce and he was jailed for bigamy. After testifying that the couple had not consummated the wedding the charges were dropped.
The couple were remarried in 1923 and set off for a European honeymoon. Before long, however, Natacha had stormed out on him, going to live with her mother. With the marriage collapsing, Valentino threw himself into his work. 1925s The Eagle was perhaps his best film yet, putting him firmly at the top of the Hollywood ladder. The Son of the Sheik was also a huge hit.
A single man again Rudolph set off on a lifestyle of wild partying. On 14 August, 1926 he attended an all-night party in his honour. The next morning he was found writhing on the floor in agony. He was rushed to hospital and operated on for acute appendicitis. However, complications set in, including poisoning of the wall of the heart. Rudolph Valentino, the Great Italian Lover, died on 23 August, 1926. He was just 31 years of age.
Why they left the autobiography of the most famous and perhaps the first male sex Symbol from this page is something that I will never understand.
You were a very handsome man and you were only 31 when you died.
And I hope so much that someone besides film historians who delve in obscure research will remember you. I have seen a few of your films and enjoyed them. I also saw the newsreel that showed your funeral procession and I felt that I had been there in person. I remember the women swooning in adoration and fainting from grief at your death. I also remember finding a score to one of your films in an old movie theater slated from demolition and how much I tresured it until it was stolen from me.
My grandmother adored you.
I think that you were a very astute businessman, an intelligent and handsome man who took the hand he was dealt in life and did the very best he could possibly do with it. You personified Deco, the Desert Chic and the mysteries of the silents. You all had to convey so much with no sound and that old film was so hard to preserve too.
You were the brightest of the stars and I can’t believe that nobody wrote your autobiograpy or that you were most famous for playing THE SHEIK.
You were great, Rudy!
I hope they don’t forget you. But the kid are going to look at this and wonder just who the hell you were and if you are THE Rudolph Valentino! Nobody will know!
Rest in peace,Sheik!
It seems like yesterday.

An Admirer of Silent Films and 1920s Music
February 3, 2005

Rudolph
Biography for Rudolph Valentino
Birth name
Rodolfo Alfonzo Raffaelo Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla
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Nickname
The Sheik
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Height
5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
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Mini biography
His father Giovanni had been in a travelling circus before meeting his mother and settling down as a veterinarian. Though his father was a strict authoritarian, his mother doted on her “beautiful baby” even to the exclusion of his older brother Alberto and younger sister Maria. By the time he was eleven he was an undisciplined, pampered bully. He was expelled from many schools, finally obtaining a diploma in the Science of Farming from the Academy of Agriculture. He went to Paris where he learned apache dancing, joined a gay crowd, returned brokw, took his inheritance of $4000 and, December 1913, sailed for New York. He worked as a busboy, then gigolo, while pursuing dance, especially the tango. In 1917 went to Hollywood and obtained a small dancing part in Alimony (1917). When he did get acting roles they were villains not lovers. Script writer June Mathis and director Rex Ingram convinced Metro to do The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) and to cast Valentino in the lead. The first million dollar production saved Metro and made Rudy a star. It also brought him to the attention of Alla Nazimova who wanted him to play opposite her in Camille (1921). Alla’s friend, Natacha Rambova (nee Winifred Hudnut) became attached to Rudy and they eloped to Mexico 13 May, 1922 in the belief his divorce from Jean was official. He was jailed as a bigamist and fined $10,000. After their re-marriage the following year she fled to Paris having never entered his new mansion, Falcon Lair. He took up her interest in seances and the occult. He began dating sexy Pola Negri partly to improve his image as a man. While 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 writer of the article to a boxking match (which never took place). He died shortly afterwards. 80,000 mourners caused a near riot at his New York funeral. Another funeral followed in California.

Someone Who Still Loves You!
August 24, 2004

thank you Rudy
Thank You my sweet Rudy,for the many many years of happiness you have brought me.My life would not have been the same if I had not found you.Because of you, I have found life long friends along these roads I have been on.Bless You always.Rest in pease.With Love,Stella Grace

Stella Grace
May 25, 2003

To RV on Memorial Day
How I wished we could have been friends.You were a man of talent, looks, class and above all spirit. There will never be anyone else like you.

Christine Hood
September 9, 2002

Sweet Valentino
It has be 76 years now and you still got it. 🙂

Talia
April 30, 2002

hey
i dont think these two colors work out together…..but i mean, you have an awesom website

a concerned weber
March 29, 2002

Valentino Rudolph
Do you plan to update your website w/new Valentino photos?

Omar Mendoza
March 5, 2002

VALENTINO RUDOLPH
Will you be updating this site w/new Valentino photos?

OMAR
October 22, 2001

yay!
i have to do Valentino for a school project, he’s hot! but this site didn’t help at all. no offense. i need afcts about hi films, just a thought for you

me
August 20, 2001

75 Years in Heaven
You’ve been in Heaven for three quarters of a century now … and, amazingly, your impact on people’s lives is as strong now as in your day. I learned a lot about you, while building the video tribute for your 75th Anniversary Memorial Service. I realized, both while I was writing the script and after I narrated it, that you are one of a singular handful of people whose legend will always remain strong, vibrant, and indelible. Like Elvis and Diana after you, we will always remember you as you were, so full of life, and full of promise. I noticed, at the screening of your classic Blood and Sand (1922) at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Saturday, August 18, 2001, that you still have such devoted fans. So many of your contemporaries can’t say that … which is a shame … but your impact on people’s lives is still so powerful, and I can surely predict that, when the time comes for our ancestors to host your 150th Anniversary Memorial Service, there will still be fans, admirers, and devotees, who will still want to learn more, enjoy more, and know more, of you. That will be your legacy … forever.

Annette Lloyd
August 19, 2001

Silent Film Screening
I attended the screening of Blood and Sand at Hollywood Forever with some friends on Saturday evening. What a beautiful evening. We will be back next year.

Lisa
August 24, 2000

Tyler Cassidy/Valentino
Dear Tyler: Nice meeting you today at the Valentino service, it was a great tribute. I have a special on the HISTORY CHANNEL airing this Fri. 8/25 @ 7PM the Haunted Hollywood episode. It repeats Sat @ 11PM & Sun 1 AM. It will cover my place the ALL*STAR CAFE @ the Knickerbocker Hotel where Valentino use to hang out. I always include Valentino in the shows I did for DISCOVERY CHANNEL & E! I think it is important people are remebered. I’ll stop by on a Sunday sometime. I have a lot to tell you about Falcon Lair & Doris Duke etc. The lamp I have from Valentino’s house is amazing. I was very impressed with your staff & how the place has been restored. Take Care David Fisher

David Fisher

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