|
(6 May 1895, Castellaneta, Italy - 23
August 1926, New York, New York)
 He
was born Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Piero Filiberto Guglielmi.
Valentino was born to Marie Berthe Gabrielle Barbin (1856 - 1919),
who was French, and Giovanni Antonio Giuseppe Fidele Guglielmi
(1853-1906), a veterinarian from Castellaneta, Taranto, Italy. He
had an older brother, Alberto (1892-1981), a younger sister, Maria,
and an older sister Beatrice who died in infancy.
In 1912, he left for Paris where he spent less than a year before
losing his money and asking his mother to send him funds to return
to Italy. When he returned to Italy he was unable to secure
employment and everyone was sure he would never succeed in life. His
uncles decided he should be sent to the United States where they
felt he could learn to be a man.
Valentino joined an operetta company that traveled to Utah where it
disbanded. From there he traveled to San Francisco where he met the
actor Norman Kerry, who convinced him to try a career in cinema. At
the time, Valentino had only acted in background scenes of a few
movies in New York.
He began to play small parts in quite a few films. He was typically
cast as a "heavy" or "gangster". At the time, the epitome of male
masculinity was Douglas Fairbanks: fair complexion, light eyes, and
an All American look. A leading man should never be too romantic.
Thus Valentino was the opposite and seemed "exotic".
By 1919, he had carved out a career in bit parts. It was a bit part
as a "cabaret parasite" in drama The Eyes of Youth that caught the
attention of the powerful screenwriter June Mathis who thought him
perfect for her next movie.
Mathis cast Valentino as a male lead in her next film The Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which was directed by Rex Ingram. Ingram
and Valentino did not get along and it was up to Mathis to
constantly keep the peace. Released in 1921, the film was a
commercial and critical success and made Valentino a star, earning
him the nickname "Tango Legs". It also led to his iconic role in The
Sheik and The Son of the Sheik.
Blood and Sand, released in 1922 and co-starring Lila Lee along with
the popular silent screen vamp Nita Naldi, further established
Valentino as the leading male star of his time. However, in 1923,
Valentino became disenchanted with his small salary ($1,200 a week
when several major stars made $10,000 a week) and his lack of
creative control (he wanted to film in Europe and have better sets
and costumes). He went on a "one man strike" against Famous Players-Lasky
and refused to show up on set. In turn, Famous Players-Lasky sued
him which resulted in an injunction which prohibited Valentino from
making films or doing any other service not for the company. The
latter half was later overturned stating Valentino should be able to
make a living some way.
To ensure that his name remained in the public eye, Valentino,
following the suggestion of his new manager George Ullman, embarked
on a national dance tour, sponsored by a cosmetics company,
Mineralava, with Rambova, a former ballerina, as his partner. During
the show, the couple would dance, a beauty contest would be held,
and Valentino would have a chance to talk against the studio
followed by a promotion of the products. The tour was a success
making him about $7,000 a week. During the same period, he published
a book of poetry called From Day Dreams, and had his biography
serialized in a movie fan magazine.
On May 14, 1923, while in New York City, he made his first and last
record, consisting of "Valentino's renditions" of Amy
Woodforde-Finden's "Kashmiri Song" featured in The Sheik and Jose
Padilla's "El Relicario," used in Blood and Sand. The recording was
shelved for unknown reasons until after his death.
During this time period he also traveled to Europe and had a
memorable visit to his native town. Back in the United States, he
was criticized by his fans for his newly cultivated beard and was
forced to shave it off.
In 1925, Valentino was able to negotiate a new contract with United
Artists which included the stipulation that his wife Natacha not be
allowed on any of his movie sets (it was perceived that her presence
had delayed earlier productions such as Monsieur Beaucaire). Shortly
thereafter, he separated from Rambova and started dating actress
Pola Negri. Around this time, he mended many personal and
professional relationships which had been damaged because of Rambova;
including his relationship with his "Little Mother" June Mathis.
During this time, he made two of his most critically acclaimed and
successful films, The Eagle, based on a story by Alexander Pushkin,
and The Son of the Sheik, a sequel to The Sheik, both co-starring
the popular Hungarian-born actress, Vilma Bánky.
On August 15, 1926, Valentino collapsed at the Hotel Ambassador in
New York City. He was hospitalized at the Polyclinic in New York and
underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer. He told his manager George
Ullman to contact Rambova, who was in Europe. Upon hearing of his
condition, she responded back, and they exchanged loving telegrams,
and she believed a reconciliation had taken place. The surgery went
well and he seemed to be recovering when peritonitis set in and
spread throughout his body. He died eight days later, at the age of
31. |
