Instructor
Us Lit & Comp
Rudolph Valentino
“The Great Lover” was the nickname given to Rudolph Valentino when he became a motion picture star. He helped define what a star should be and represented the screen’s first “Latin Lover. His early death at age 31 only increased his legendary status especially among women; He often played as an evil villain because of his foreign looks. Rudolph Valentino became one of the great romantic idols of Hollywood’s “Silent movie era.”
First of all, Rudolph valentine first passion was to become a Dancer. In New York, Valentino worked several menial jobs before becoming a nightclub dancer. He partnered with Bonnie Glass for a time, replacing Clifton Webb (who later became an actor). Valentino joined a national touring production, but it folded in Utah. Rudolph then made his way to San Francisco where he resumed his dancing career. In 1920, Valentino set his sights on Hollywood. At first, Valentino only landed bit parts, often playing the bad guy. In 1921, Valentino married actress Jean Acker, but their union was never consummated. According to several accounts, Acker locked Valentino out of their hotel room on their wedding night. According to experts, prior to the marriage, Acker had been in a romantic relationship with a woman.
Second, Valentino captured the attention of screenwriter June Mathis, who believed that he was the perfect choice for the lead in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She had to work hard to convince the executives at Metro to sign Valentino, but they finally agreed. He stole the hearts of female movie-goers by dancing a tango in his first scene in the film. The movie was a box office hit, and the darkly handsome actor quickly became a star. The mania around Valentino grew so rapidly that some women reportedly fainted when they saw him in his next picture The Sheik .This desert romance told the story of a Bedouin chief who wins over a cultured, Anglo woman. The following year,