Valentino: A History
Though silent movies have long been forgotten the name 'Rudolph Valentino' has not. His short career earned him great popularity with roles such as 'The Sheik' and the 'Latin Lover'. His untimely death at age 31 prompted a type of mass hysteria that had never been seen before, making him an eternal icon such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Elvis, and Michael Jackson. Yet in his icon immortality pop culture has forgotten just what they had lost in Valentino. Nothing like his Sheik image Valentino was a quiet, sweet, giving man who took great pride in his work and hoped to be remembered for his talent, not his undeniable sex appeal.
The man to be known as Valentino was born Rodolfo Alfonzo Raffaelo Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla (usually known as Rodolfo Guglielmi) in Castellaneta, Italy on May 6th, 1895. One of 3 surviving children, Valentino's Italian born father was strict with him while his French born mother favored and spoiled him. Able to get away with anything, Valentino did poorly in school (such as failing French despite that being the language he spoke with his French born mother) and was constantly getting into trouble. Through his mother's prompting he earned a degree in agriculture though he did not wish to pursue it as a career.
After school Valentino left for Paris where he reportedly learned to tango and had his heart broken by a French chorus girl. He wasted and gambled away his money and was forced to return to Italy in 1912. His mother and uncles decided to send him to America where they figured he would either sink or swim. They provided him with a hefty amount of money which he wasted by living the good life when he arrived in New York City. Unable to disappoint his mother again he wrote all was well and spent time living on the streets and taking odd jobs.
A dancing craze was sweeping America at that time. Dancing cafes (or taxi dance halls) sprung up all over New York City. The dance halls employed male dancers (taxi dancers) who were paid a dime to dance a single song with a female patron. Valentino was naturally talented at dancing, something he perfected in Paris, and found taxi dancing preferable to his other mundane jobs. He eventually rose up the ranks and was quite well known in New York society dancing with a number of well known partners including friend for life Mae Murray.
During this time Valentino fell madly in love with a married society woman named Blanca de Saulles. de Saulles had been unhappily married long before she had met Valentino and eventually divorced her husband John. Perhaps trying to win de Saulles over (she had never returned his affections) Valentino testified at the trial. John de Saulles was extremely powerful and had Valentino arrested on trumped up vice charges. The arrest was highly publicized and shortly after Blanca shot and killed her husband over a custody dispute. Valentino had already been unable to find work because of the first scandal, and decided to avoid the second. He left New York with a traveling musical (that included Al Jolson) and changed his name from Guglielmi to the now known Valentino (and a few variations of it).
It is interesting for all that is known about Valentino that his entry into acting is still a bit of a mystery. It is extremely unlikely he ever seen a film in Italy, and just as unlikely in Paris. By the time he arrived in New York the popular flickers were starting to turn into features. How and when he seen his first film is unknown. To make matters even more complicated many of his early films are lost, so the number is in dispute. The film industry was still based in New York in the late teens though by the 20s it had mostly gone to California. Extras usually made around $5 a day and it was quick and easy work. It is possible during his odd jobs Valentino took such a part, but if so the films or his scenes do not survive.
When Valentino made his way to California he landed in San Francisco and again began taking odd jobs. A friend named Norman Kerry convinced him to go into silent pictures. Valentino joined Kerry in Los Angeles where he began taking extra and bit work. Some of his earliest work includes a Clara Kimball Young picture, and a Jack Pickford film. To make ends meet Valentino kept dancing, but he was growing tired of it. On one studio application a question asked why he wanted to enter pictures. He wrote, 'tired of dancing'.
With his finances a bit more secure Valentino found a room of his own and began taking bigger parts. He was usually cast as a 'heavy' or villain due to his dark and foreign looks. Film was extremely cut and dry at the time. Handsome Irish or English white men were the romantic types (Jack Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Thomas Meighan) while anyone deemed not white was unable to obtain such roles. Foreign looking actors usually were given nothing but evil villain roles (Sessue Hayakawa, Anna May Wong). Valentino would eventually be the first to change this (with the help of June Mathis). Despite playing heavies Valentino's early roles show his natural acting talent. At a time when some stars still overacted (remnants of early 1900 stage acting) Valentino portrayed his characters in a natural way. He also showcased his skill for comedy during these years in films like "All Night" in 1918.
Valentino grew sick of playing stereotyped roles, and briefly considered moving back to New York. His personal life hadn't been going well either. His beloved mother died shortly after his arrival in Los Angeles, something that devastated him deeply. He fell into a heavy depression and those who seen him at the time said he looked the part. Shortly after his mother's death he rushed into a marriage with small time actress Jean Acker. Acker was a lesbian who was caught in a love triangle with another small time actress Grace Darmond...and the powerful star Alla Nazimova. She seen marrying Valentino as a way out of the conundrum. The impulsive marriage was never consummated and Valentino was devastated at her rejection. He had not been told of her sexuality and thought he had done something wrong; sending her love notes and gifts for months afterwards. Eventually it must have been explained to him as he moved on and towards the end of his life befriended Acker again.
After this madness Valentino was sent to Florida to film another b movie titled, "Stolen Moments". While there he read the popular anti war novel, "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" and when he found out Metro Pictures had the film rights, decided to approach them for a small role. By chance Metro Executive and screenwriter June Mathis had seen Valentino in a small role in "The Eyes of Youth" and had her heart set on casting him as one of the leads, "Julio". Mathis had been a prominent screenwriter and became the first female film executive when she joined up with Metro. Mathis had a knack for writing preachy spiritual films that dabbled in karma and the occult (in step with her spiritualist beliefs). She and Valentino remained friends till the end and he considered her his mentor.
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