Rudolph Valentino

Childhood and education Rudolph Valentino was born Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaele Guglielmi on May 6, 1895, in Castellaneta, Apulia, Italy. The additional names "di Valentina d'Antonguolla" do not appear in his birth or baptismal records; they derive from Valentino's own later accounts, in which they preceded his surname Guglielmi. He recalled that his mother told him: "The di Valentina is a papal title, and the d'Antonguolla indicates an obscure right to certain royal property which is entirely forgotten now because one of your ancestors fought a duel." That ancestor Guglielmi killed a member of the Colonna family in the duel and was forced to flee Rome for Martina Franca. He died of malaria when Valentino was 10. Valentino's mother, Marie Berthe Gabrielle Barbin (1856–1918), was French with Torinese ancestry (the original family name was Barbini, later gallicized to Barbin), born in Lure in the Franche-Comté region. Before marrying Gugliemi in 1889, she was the lady-in-waiting to Marchesa Giovinazzi, Principessa Ruffo di Calabria. before he departed for America, 1913Valentino was the third of four children. The eldest, Beatrice "Bice" (1890–1891), died in infancy. He had an older brother, Alberto (1892–1981) and a younger sister, Maria (1897–1969). Growing up he was close to his sister and they would smoke corn silk behind the barn. He attended Dante Alighieri college, the equivalent to grammar school, in Taranto where he did so poorly that he had to repeat a grade and he joined the football team. He soon returned to Italy and unable to secure employment, he moved to the United States for a fresh start in 1913. Emigration to New York On December 9, 1913, 18-year-old Valentino departed Genoa aboard the S.S. Cleveland for New York City, carrying a bank draft from Credito Italiano for the equivalent of $4,000 and calling cards embossed with a fictitious family crest. Unlike most immigrants of the period, Valentino traveled across the Atlantic as a first-class passenger. Although his mother initially purchased him a second-class ticket, he found the arrangement unsuitable and upgraded to first-class accommodations. There, he enjoyed superior services and amenities and believed the social environment would better position him to make useful connections in America. During the 14-day voyage he worked on his English, and proved a popular dance partner among the female passengers. Valentino arrived in New York City on December 23, 1913. Contrary to popular belief, he did not undergo inspection at Ellis Island, as first-class passengers were typically processed aboard ship. He informed immigration authorities that he was an "agriculturalist" by profession and gave his middle name as "dei Marchesi," hoping to be taken for a descendant of a marquis. After exchanging money at Brown Brothers on Wall Street, he explored Manhattan for the first time. An Italian acquaintance he had met during the voyage recommended Giolito's, a boardinghouse on West 49th Street where Italian was spoken and meals were available. Valentino rented a front-facing suite consisting of a bedroom, parlor, and bath. Seeking entertainment, he dined instead at Rector's on Broadway, a fashionable restaurant frequented by actors and society figures. Later that day, he returned to the S.S. Cleveland to retrieve his trunk, getting lost several times on the subway before finding his way back to Giolito's. During the Christmas season, Valentino grew homesick and lonesome. Early in 1914, he reconnected with acquaintances he had known in Paris—Otto von Salm-Hoogstraeten and Alex von Salm-Hoogstraeten, and Georges (George T.) Aranyi—and spent evenings socializing and dancing. By spring, his finances were strained, and he recognized that he could no longer sustain his earlier lifestyle. He left Giolito's and moved to less expensive lodgings in uptown Manhattan. In the spring of 1914, Valentino secured work on Long Island as an apprentice landscape gardener at Oak Hill, the Georgian Revival estate of Cornelius N. Bliss Jr. in Brookville, New York, he but disliked the work. He soon advanced from what was colloquially known as a "lounge lizard" to an exhibition dancer, though he continued to frequent New York's nightclub circuit. They became a popular duo and appeared at prestigious venues, including the Winter Garden Theatre, B. F. Keith's Colonial Theatre, and B. F. Keith's Palace Theatre in New York City, followed by engagements at the Garden Pier in Atlantic City and the New Brighton Theatre in Coney Island. , 1916 The duo performed matinees at B. F. Keith's Orpheum in Brooklyn, and toured to B. F. Keith's theatres in Boston and Washington, D.C., as well as Shea's Theatre in Buffalo. They also participated in a Cake Walk contest at Jardin de Paris, a glass-enclosed rooftop theatre atop the New York Theatre, in New York City. Capitalizing on his European image, Valentino was billed as "Signor Rodolfo" for appearances with Glass at the Cabaret Mondain on West 45th Street and at her club Chez Fysher. By late 1915, advertisements listed "Bonnie Glass & Rudolph," under the management of Myron S. Bentham, a prominent theatrical agent of the period. He continued dancing with Glass into 1916, until her retirement following her marriage to artist Ben Ali Haggin. After Glass retired, restaurateur Joe Pani hired Valentino to dance the tango with Joan Sawyer. Valentino and Sawyer toured major eastern cities on the B. F. Keith theatres circuit, and also performed at the Woodmansten Inn. They appeared before President Woodrow Wilson in Washington, D.C., an event Valentino later recalled with pride. By this period, he was earning $240 a week, a notable sum early in his career. The de Saulles scandal While dancing, Valentino met Chilean heiress Blanca de Saulles, who was unhappily married to businessman John "Jack" de Saulles. In July 1916, she filed for divorce and sought custody of their son, citing her husband's well-known infidelities. He was accused of being a pimp and jailed at the House of Detention and charged with violations of the Mann Act in connection with a so-called "white slave" investigation involving the disappearance of three women. In August 1917, Blanca de Saulles fatally shot her former husband, John de Saulles, during a custody dispute over their son. ==Film career==

Early career and supporting roles While still working as a dancer in New York, Valentino appeared in a few uncredited film roles as an extra in 1916, including The Quest of Life, The Foolish Virgin and Seventeen.'' (1918) |298x298px In 1917, Valentino joined an operetta company that traveled to Utah, where it disbanded. He considered becoming a farmer in California, and then joined an Al Jolson production of Robinson Crusoe, Jr., which was traveling to Los Angeles. Valentino and Kerry moved back to Los Angeles and became roommates at the Alexandria Hotel. Although he was widely advertised as a dancer in New York, in Los Angeles his was virtually unknown. He taught dance and built up a following that included older female clientele who would let him borrow their luxury cars. At one point after the United States entered World War I, both Kerry and Valentino tried to get into the Canadian Air Force to fly and fight in France. With his dancing success, Valentino found a room of his own on Sunset Boulevard and began actively seeking screen roles. Soon, director Emmett J. Flynn cast him as an extra in the film Alimony. he eventually supplanted Sessue Hayakawa as Hollywood's most popular "exotic" male lead. His first substantial acting role followed in The Married Virgin, where he was cast in a stereotypical role as a calculating Italian count. During production, he reportedly remained in character by speaking Italian on set. For the first time, he was billed as Rodolfo di Valentina, a name intended to evoke both a papal title within his family lineage and Saint Valentine, the patron saint of lovers. The change reflected practical considerations as well: his birth surname, Guglielmi, was considered difficult for American audiences to pronounce, spell, or remember. "I was determined never to return to dancing. But I had to-at times-in order to earn a temporary livelihood. Not that I felt I was above the work. I sincerely admire such artists as Nijinsky and Mordkin. But I did not feel I had their talents, nor did I have any real ambition to follow their paths," he later recalled. Young would later say it was she and Lewis J. Selznick who discovered him, and that they were disappointed when Valentino accepted a lucrative offer at Metro. He appeared as second lead in the film The Delicious Little Devil with actress Mae Murray. In November 1919, Valentino married actress Jean Acker. Breakthrough and rise to stardom Displeased with playing "heavies," Valentino briefly entertained the idea of returning to New York permanently. He returned for a visit in 1920, staying with friends in Greenwich Village, eventually settling in Bayside, Queens. Seeking out a trade paper, he discovered that Metro had bought the film rights to the story. In New York, he sought out Metro's office, only to discover that June Mathis had been trying to find him. She cast him in the role of Julio Desnoyers. For the director, Mathis had chosen Rex Ingram, with whom Valentino did not get along, leading Mathis to play the role of peacekeeper between the two.'' (1921) Metro Pictures seemed unwilling to acknowledge that it had made a star. Most likely due to Ingram's lack of faith in Valentino, the studio refused to give him a raise beyond the $350 a week he had made for Four Horsemen. Largely shaped by the artistic control of Nazimova and Rambova, the film was regarded by critics and audiences as overly avant-garde. A series of images she took of Valentino dressed as a faun attracted considerable attention and were later cited during his divorce proceedings with his first wife, Jean Acker. for Beyond the Rocks (1922) in the July 1922 issue of Picture Play|leftIn February, 1922 Life magazine reported that, according to the Famous Players press office, Valentino would henceforth be known as "Rodolph" rather than "Rudolph." He began work on another Mathis-penned film, Blood and Sand. He played the lead—bullfighter Juan Gallardo—and co-starred with Lila Lee and Nita Naldi. Initially believing the film would be shot in Spain, Valentino was upset to learn that the studio planned on shooting on a Hollywood back lot. He was further irritated by changes in production, including a director of whom he did not approve. After finishing the film, Valentino married Rambova in May 1922, which led to a bigamy trial, as he had been divorced from his first wife, Jean Acker, for less than a full year, as required by California law at the time. The trial was a sensation and the pair was forced to have their marriage annulled and to be separated. Despite the trial, the film was still a success, with critics calling it a masterpiece on par with Broken Blossoms and Four Horsemen. Blood and Sand became one of the four top-grossing movies of 1922, breaking attendance records, and grossing $37,400 at the Rivoli Theatre alone. Valentino considered this one of his best films. '' (1922) During his forced break from Rambova, the pair began working separately on the Mathis-penned The Young Rajah. Only fragments of this film, recovered in 2005, still remain. 's "The Voice of the South" in Atlanta, 1923 Famous Players–Lasky issued public statements portraying Valentino as more trouble than he was worth, citing his divorce proceedings, bigamy trial, and mounting debts, and characterizing him as prima donna and difficult. The studio maintained that it had done everything possible to support him and claimed credit for making him a major star. Valentino denied being temperamental or ungrateful, framing his stance as a matter of artistic responsibility rather than ego. However, Famous Players–Lasky exercised its contractual option to extend Valentino's agreement, barring him from accepting employment with other studios. By this point, Valentino was reportedly about $80,000 in debt. He filed an appeal challenging the contract extension, which was partially granted. Although he was prohibited from working as an actor, the ruling allowed him to pursue other forms of employment. With his popularity rising and feeling misrepresented, Valentino embraced the emerging medium of radio as a publicity tool to voice his views and reach a wider audience, making appearances on U.S. radio broadcasts in major cities beginning in late 1922. In December 1922, he was mobbed by enthusiastic female admirers during a visit to Philadelphia and was escorted by police before addressing fans via the WIP radio station at Gimbel Brothers. In a speech over the radio Valentino said: "Seventy-five per cent of the pictures shown to-day are a brazen insult to the public's intelligence. Only a few, such as D. W. Griffith, the great master and pioneer, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Dick Barthelmess, and some other independent stars, directors, and producers deserve credit and encouragement from you." Barred from filming, studio executives scrambled to find a replacement handsome leading man to capitalize on Valentino's absence. Dubbed "the Battle of the Sheiks," the search elevated a group of actors promoted as potential successors, including Ramón Novarro, Charles de Rochefort, Gabriel de Posse, Ivor Novello, Antonio Moreno, and Nigel Barrie. during the Mineralava tour in 1923 Mineralava dance tour In late 1922, Valentino met S. George Ullman, who soon became his manager. Ullman, formerly associated with the Mineralava Beauty Clay Company, persuaded the firm that Valentino would be an ideal spokesman given his popularity with female fans. In March 1923, Valentino and Natacha Rambova were legally married, and that spring they embarked on a highly successful promotional tour, appearing in 88 cities across the United States and Canada. During the tour, Valentino made several radio appearances, allowing eager fans to hear his voice. As part of the campaign, Valentino endorsed Mineralava products and served as a judge for Mineralava-sponsored beauty and dance contests, with local winners advancing to the national finals. The semi-finalists gathered in New York City, where a panel of judges selected the winner, and Valentino personally presented the prize at Madison Square Garden on November 28, 1923. The title was awarded to Norma Niblock of Toronto. The event was later documented in the short film Rudolph Valentino and his 88 American Beauties, produced by David O. Selznick. Return to films and career challenges '' (1924) In July 1923, Valentino signed a contract with Ritz-Carlton Pictures, a newly formed subsidiary of the Ritz-Carlton hotel company established by J. D. Williams, which granted him greater artistic control over his film work. Williams negotiated an agreement with Famous Players–Lasky allowing Valentino to fulfill his existing contractual obligations while freeing him to enter a new arrangement with Ritz-Carlton Pictures. Under the terms of the deal, Famous Players–Lasky exercised its option to retain Valentino for an additional year, during which he would star in two more films. His salary was set at $7,500 per week, effective immediately, with both films scheduled to be produced in New York in 1924. Valentino was granted input into the selection of directors and cast, and Rambova was to serve as designer and creative consultant. The agreement was formally celebrated at a dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. in Cobra (1925) The first film under the new contract was Monsieur Beaucaire, wherein Valentino played the lead, the Duke of Chartres. The film did poorly and American audiences found it "effeminate". The failure of the film, under Rambova's control, is often seen as proof of her controlling nature and later caused her to be barred from Valentino sets. Valentino made one final movie for Famous Players. In 1924, he starred in A Sainted Devil, now one of his lost films. It had lavish costumes, but apparently a weak story. It opened to strong sales, but soon dropped off in attendance and ended up as another disappointment. Mathis took it as a great insult and did not speak to Valentino for almost two years. While Rambova worked designing costumes and rewriting the script for Falcon, Valentino was persuaded to film Cobra with Nita Naldi in 1924. He agreed only on condition that it not be released until after The Hooded Falcon debuted. After filming Cobra, the cast of The Hooded Falcon sailed for France to be fitted for costumes. After three months, they returned to the United States, where Valentino's new beard, which he had grown for the film, caused a sensation in November 1924. "I opened once a paper and I tell you what was in. It was Rudolph Valentino with a beard upon his chin. My heart stopped off from beating and I fainted dead away, and I never want to come to life until the judgement day," was soon printed in Photoplay. The cast and crew left for Hollywood to begin preparations for the film, but much of the budget was taken up during preproduction. Due to the Valentinos' lavish spending on costumes and sets, Ritz-Carlton terminated the deal with the couple, effectively ending Valentino's contract with them. United Artists and final films '' (1925) During the filming of Monsieur Beaucaire, both Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks approached Valentino privately, due to his contract with Ritz-Carlton, about joining with United Artists. Valentino chose his first UA project, The Eagle. With the marriage under strain, Valentino began shooting and Rambova announced that she needed a "marital vacation". During the filming of The Eagle, rumors of an affair with co-star Vilma Bánky were reported and ultimately denied by both Bánky and Valentino. For the film's release, Valentino travelled to London, staying there and in France, spending money with abandon while his divorce took place. After his divorce was finalized, Valentino sailed back to the United States aboard the Leviathan, where he announced plans to make a new sheik film. The film used the authentic costumes he bought abroad and allowed him to play a dual role. Valentino was ill during production, but he needed the money to pay his many debts. The film opened on July 9, 1926, to great fanfare. During the premiere, Valentino was reconciled with Mathis; the two had not spoken in almost two years. ==Public image==

Dating back to the de Saulles trial in New York, during which his "masculinity" had been questioned in print, Valentino had been very sensitive about his public perception. With the Fairbanks-type being the supposed epitome of manhood, Valentino was sometimes portrayed as a threat to the "All American" man. One man, asked in a street interview in 1922 what he thought of Valentino, replied, "Many other men desire to be another Douglas Fairbanks. But Valentino? I wonder ..." In July 1926, the Chicago Tribune reported that a vending machine dispensing pink talcum powder had been installed in the men's washroom of a ballroom in Chicago. An anonymous journalist used the anecdote to protest what was described as the feminization of American men and blamed the phenomenon on Valentino and his screen image. The editorial asked rhetorically, "Why didn't someone quietly drown Rudolph Guglielmo, alias Valentino, years ago?" and concluded, after an extended polemic, that "Rudy, the beautiful gardener's boy, is the prototype of the American male." "This is not publicity. The man overstepped all bounds of decency and right thinking. I will go back to Chicago and give him what he deserves. Only one thing would prevent it-if he were feeble or old, or too young. If he is too old, he should have known better. If he is too young, I'll spank him. All journalists should be ashamed of him, whoever he is," he told a reporter. Shortly afterward, Valentino met with journalist H. L. Mencken for advice on how best to deal with the incident. Mencken advised Valentino to "let the dreadful farce roll along to exhaustion", but Valentino insisted the editorial was "infamous". '', March 1923 When the writer failed to respond, Valentino sought to assert his masculinity by staging a boxing match in New York City against New York Evening Journal boxing writer Frank "Buck" O'Neil, with heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey serving as referee before an assembled group of reporters. Dempsey, who trained Valentino and other Hollywood notables of the era in boxing, said of him: "He was the most virile and masculine of men. The women were like flies to a honeypot. He could never shake them off, anywhere he went. What a lovely, lucky guy." Valentino's sex symbol status and his untimely death were a biographical part in John Dos Passos' The Big Money in the U.S.A. trilogy. His title was the Adagio Dancer. ==Other creative pursuits and productions==

gear, Picture Play Magazine, September 1928|308x308px In 1923, Valentino published a book of poetry titled Day Dreams. He later serialized events in various magazines. With Liberty magazine, he wrote a series entitled "How You Can Keep Fit" in 1923. Valentino was fascinated with every part of movie-making. During production on a Mae Murray film, he spent time studying the director's plans. The recordings were not released until after Valentino's death by the Celebrity Recording Company; Brunswick did not release them because Valentino's English/Spanish pronunciation was subpar. Valentino was one of the first in Hollywood to offer an award for artistic accomplishments in films; the Academy Awards later followed suit. In 1925, he gave out his only medal to actor John Barrymore for his performance in the 1924 film Beau Brummel. The award, named the Rudolph Valentino Medal, required the agreement of Valentino, two judges, and the votes of 75 critics. Everyone other than Valentino himself was eligible. ==Personal life==

Valentino was part of a close-knit Hollywood social circle that included Charlie Chaplin, John Barrymore, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Alma Rubens, Harry d'Arrast, Harry Crocker, and gossip columnist Louella Parsons. The group met several times a week at the home of actress Marion Davies. Parsons later recalled that Valentino was "perhaps the quietest and most reserved member of our little group," describing him as "a strange, introspective boy—he was little more than that—Rudy had the world of women at his feet. And yet was never happy in his personal love life." According to Parsons, Valentino once explained his romantic unhappiness with characteristic resignation: "The women I love don't love me. The others don't matter." After some time, they met again while he was completing the film Once To Every Woman. "I fell in love with her. I think you might call it love at first sight," he said. By the time they appeared in divorce court in 1921, each accusing the other of desertion, circumstances had shifted. Acker testified, "He deserted me. He was nothing when I married and when he arrived he lost interest in me." Since Acker was destitute, Valentino agreed to cover her medical bills and temporarily pay $175 per month in alimony. Reflecting on his relationship with Acker, Valentino later remarked, "Mine was not a marriage. It was a ridiculous tragedy." He subsequently criticized himself for failing to seek an immediate annulment. In November 1922, Acker sought legal recognition of her right to use the name Mrs. Valentino, which Valentino opposed. She later toured in vaudeville, billing herself as "Mrs. Rodolph Valentino" in 1923. Despite her actions, the two eventually rekindled a cordial relationship following Valentino's second divorce. After his death, Acker wrote a song in his memory titled "We Will Meet at the End of the Trail." Marriage to Natacha Rambova Valentino first met designer Natacha Rambova (born Winifred Shaughnessy) while filming Uncharted Seas in 1921. The two were introduced by actress and producer Alla Nazimova and subsequently collaborated on Nazimova's production of Camille. Eventually, a romantic relationship developed after they formed a friendship based on shared interests. They married on May 13, 1922, in Mexicali, Mexico, which resulted in Valentino's arrest for bigamy, since he had obtained only an interlocutory decree of divorce and not a final divorce judgment (which could be obtained only after an year had passed from the interlocutory decree of divorce). Days passed, and his studio Famous Players–Lasky refused to post bail, so eventually a few friends posted the cash bail. He was also investigated for a possible violation of the Mann Act. Having to wait a year or face the possibility of being arrested again, Rambova and Valentino lived separately until they were legally remarried at the Lake County Court House in Crown Point, Indiana on March 14, 1923. Many of Valentino's friends disliked Rambova and found her controlling. In August 1925, Rambova initially dismissed speculation that the pair were divorcing, telling reporters from their shared New York apartment at 270 Park Avenue that the separation was temporary—"a sort of marital vacation"—adding, "I'm sure this marital holiday will be a good thing for us both." The following month, through her manager, Daniel Carson Goodman, Rambova issued a statement saying, "I will neither deny nor confirm the report that I will divorce Rudolph Valentino. I will say, however, that I want to devote myself exclusively to my career in the films. ... The public can draw its own conclusions." That same month, divorce proceedings began in Paris, with Rambova filing on the grounds of incompatibility. On January 19, 1926, she was granted a divorce on the grounds of abandonment. The end of the marriage was bitter, with Valentino bequeathing Rambova one dollar in his will. Sexuality won first prize in a costume party held at the Biltmore Hotel in 1926 From the time he died in 1926 until the 1960s, Valentino's sexuality was not generally questioned in print. At least four books, including the notoriously libelous Hollywood Babylon, suggested that he may have been gay despite his marriages. For some, his unions to Jean Acker and Natacha Rambova add to the suspicion that Valentino was gay and that these were "lavender marriages." Some writers have speculated that Valentino had a romantic relationship with Mexican actor Ramón Novarro, despite Novarro stating they barely knew each other. Ivano, however, denied these assertions, stating that both he and Valentino were heterosexual. Assertions of further evidence regarding Valentino's sexuality arose from documents in the estate of author Samuel Steward, which claimed that he and Valentino had been sexually involved. The account was later disputed after records showed that Valentino was in New York on the date Steward said the encounter occurred in Ohio, undermining the claim's credibility. Shortly before his death, Valentino was dating Ziegfeld Follies showgirl Marion Wilson Benda while he was also involved in a relationship with Polish actress Pola Negri. Upon his death, Negri made a scene at his funeral, claiming they had been engaged, in spite of the fact that Valentino himself had never mentioned this engagement to anyone. The condition, however, did not affect his work as an actor. He later attempted to join the British aid service and, subsequently, sought to enlist under U.S. draft regulations, but was turned away in both cases, apparently for the same medical reason. Afterwards, Valentino made a final unsuccessful effort to enter Italian service through the assistance of the Italian Consul General. In November 1925, Valentino formally filed paperwork in New York to begin the process of becoming a United States citizen, submitting a Declaration of Intention at the federal building as the first step toward naturalization, but the process was never completed before his death. His application was deferred after he received an honorary discharge from the Italian government, absolving him of all military obligations, past and present. The action was taken to counter a rumor circulating in his hometown during World War I that he had failed to enlist, and Valentino postponed pursuing U.S. citizenship until his record was formally cleared of any perceived stain. ==Death==

On August 15, 1926, Valentino collapsed shortly before noon in his apartment at the Hotel Ambassador on Park Avenue in Manhattan. He had suffered an attack of stomach trouble six weeks earlier but did not consider it serious. His valet summoned help and notified Barclay Warburton Jr., a friend of the actor, who arrived along with Valentino's manager, S. George Ullman, and Ullman's wife. Physician Dr. Paul E. Durham was called, followed by Dr. Harold D. Meeker, and arrangements were made to transfer Valentino to the New York Polyclinic Hospital. After receiving this assessment, Valentino issued a statement through his manager. Although his doctors recognized that his condition was now fatal, they chose not to inform him. In the early hours of August 23, Valentino briefly regained consciousness at 3:30am and optimistically told Dr. Meeker that he was looking forward to going on vacation. Valentino's body was placed in a plain wicker basket, draped with cloth of gold, and taken to the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel. Thousands of letters and telegrams were received at the hospital, and his condition became a matter of national interest. To manage the crowds of women and girls seeking information, the hospital established an information bureau in the ground-floor lobby. Concern came from across civic and film circles: New York City mayor Jimmy Walker inquired by telephone, while colleagues and friends, including Gloria Swanson, Marion Davies, Mae Marsh, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and Charlie Chaplin sent messages of sympathy and encouragement. A headline proclaimed, "Pan Rudy's Fight as Publicity," asserting that Valentino's illness was trivial and had been exaggerated to promote his recent film, The Son of the Sheik. Hospital officials denied these claims. Charlie Chaplin called it "one of the greatest tragedies that has occurred in the history of the motion-picture industry." John Considine, supervisor of Valentino's United Artists productions, stated that the actor often expressed a premonition of dying young. The Los Angeles Breakfast Club conducted 10-minutes services for Valentino, who was a member of the organization. Funeral An estimated 100,000 people lined the streets of Manhattan to pay their respects at his funeral, handled by the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel. Suicides of despondent fans were reported. Windows were smashed as fans tried to get in and an all-day riot erupted on August 24. Over 100 mounted officers and NYPD's Police Reserve were used to restore order. where she had installed an 11-foot-long bank of lilies that spelled out her name at the bier. Campbell hired actors to impersonate a Fascist Blackshirt honor guard, purportedly sent by Benito Mussolini. After Valentino's remains were taken by train from New York to California, and a second funeral was held on the West Coast, at the Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Coincidentally, she died the following year and was interred in the adjoining crypt that she had purchased for herself; Valentino was never moved to a new location and he remained in the crypt next to Mathis. The two are still interred side by side at Hollywood Forever Cemetery (originally Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery) in Hollywood, California. Estate An extensive public auction of Valentino's personal effects took place over several days beginning on December 10, 1926 at the Hall of Art Studios in Hollywood, under the direction of his estate executor S. George Ullman and auctioneer A. H. Weil. A detailed 95-page catalog was produced listing thousands of items from the actor's wardrobe, furniture, artwork, books and curios, as well as larger assets including his automobiles and real estate. In addition to his possessions, Valentino's pet dogs and horses were also sold as part of the estate. His Beverly Hills home, Falcon Lair, at 2 Bella Drive and his Whitley Heights residence at 6776 Wedgewood Place failed to attract serious bidders. Although hundreds toured the Wedgewood Place property, picking flowers as souvenirs, the auction was abandoned after no offer exceeded the $10,000 mortgage, despite the estate being valued at more than $60,000 by Ullman. Falcon Lair was later owned by heiress Doris Duke, who died there in 1993. The home was later sold and underwent major renovations. The main building of the estate was razed in 2006, and the property was then put back on the market. In 1927, he underwent facial reconstruction surgery in hopes of following in Valentino's footsteps and pursuing a career as a Hollywood actor. He resigned as executor, and his conduct was challenged in court, including claims by Valentino's nephew Jean Guglielmi that he had made improper loans from the estate. In 1934, the California District Court of Appeal decision on Valentino estate reversed a Los Angeles probate court ruling against Ullman, finding that he had managed the estate effectively. The court noted that the estate’s value had increased from approximately $300,000 at Valentino’s death to about $1 million under his administration. ==Legacy==

After Valentino's death, many of his films were reissued to help pay his estate expenses. Many were reissued well into the 1930s, long after the demise of silent film. Several books were written, including one by Rambova. A photo montage print showed Valentino arriving in Heaven and being greeted by Enrico Caruso. Over the years, a "woman in black" carrying a red rose has come to mourn at Valentino's crypt, usually on the anniversary of his death. Several myths surround the woman, though it seems the first woman in black was actually a publicity stunt cooked up by press agent Russel Birdwell in 1928. A woman named Ditra Flame claimed to be the original "woman in black". Several copycats have followed over the years. Although originally a PR stunt, it has become a tradition. The current "woman in black" is motion picture historian Karie Bible. This myth of the "woman in black" was also a source of inspiration for the song "Long Black Veil." For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Valentino received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Valentino's hometown of Castellaneta, Italy, has created several services in his honor. A memorial designed by architect Nicola Cantore with a ceramic statue of Valentino by Luigi Gheno was unveiled in 1961. The dedication of the memorial is the subject of a vignette in the documentary Mondo Cane. During the 1995 centennial of his birth, several events were held in his honor and the Museo Rodolfo Valentino was opened. In 2009, Fondazione Rodolfo Valentino was created to promote his life and his work. That year, a film school was also opened Centro Studi Cine Club Rodolfo Valentino Castellaneta. From 1972 to 2006, an Italian acting award—the Rudolph Valentino Award—was presented annually. Several actors from all over the world received this award, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Elizabeth Taylor.In 1978, a portion of Irving Boulevard, where it meets Paramount Studios, in Hollywood, was renamed Valentino Place. In 1994, Valentino was honored with his image on a United States postage stamp designed by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. In Italy in 2006, a one-off film festival was planned to celebrate the opening of the Museo Rodolfo Valentino. In May 2010, the American Society held the Rudolph Valentino Film Festival in Los Angeles, California. Valentino's syndrome, the type of medically emergent abdominal pain that caused his death, is named after him. Hollywood High School's mascot, the Sheiks, is a tribute to a Valentino character. Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani was named after him. Cultural depictions The life of Rudolph Valentino has been filmed several times for television and cinema. A 1951 feature film about Valentino's life, called Valentino, starred Anthony Dexter in the title role. In 1975, American Broadcasting Company produced the television movie The Legend of Valentino, with Franco Nero as Valentino. In 1977, Ken Russell's film Valentino, Rudolf Nureyev portrays Valentino. In 1986, the French TV channel FR3 produced the television movie Série portrait, Rudolph Valentino, with Frédéric Norbert as Valentino. In 2013, Valentino is played by actor/director Alex Monty Canawati in the motion picture Return to Babylon. In 2015, Valentino is a supporting character in the fifth season of the horror anthology series American Horror Story. In the series, Valentino, who is played by Finn Wittrock, fakes his own death in 1926 after being transformed into a vampire. Valentino then turns his fictional lover, Elizabeth Johnson (Lady Gaga), into a vampire, as well. Elizabeth goes on to become the Countess, the central antagonist of the show's fifth season, while Valentino is eventually killed by Donovan (Matt Bomer), one of Elizabeth's many lovers, in a jealous rage. In 2018, Vladislav Alex Kozlov had been set to play Valentino and direct an upcoming indie biopic Silent Life, with Franco Nero playing Valentino's spirit. Written by Vladislav Alex Kozlov, Ksenia Jarova, and Natalia Dar, the film stars Terry Moore, Isabella Rossellini, Franco Nero, Sherilyn Fenn, Jeff DuJardin, Paul Rodriguez, and Monte Markham. Tributes in music and theater Shortly after Valentino's death, several tribute songs became popular, including "There's a New Star in Heaven Tonight (Rudolph Valentino)" by Vernon Dalhart and "We Will Meet at the End of the Trail," written by his first wife, Jean Acker; both achieved bestseller status. Valentino continued to be referenced in popular music in later decades. Songs include "Valentino" (1964) by American country singer Freddie Hart; "Valentino" (1978) by Israeli singer Gali Atari; "Valentino," (1979 ) by British singer Melanie Harrold on her debut album Fancy That, released under the pseudonym Joanna Carlin; "Right Before Your Eyes" (1982) by America; "Tribute to Tino" (1982), written and performed by Dutch-Indonesian singer Taco; "Rudi" (1983) by Yugoslav singer Bebi Dol; and "Valentino," performed by Spanish band Cadillac at the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest. In 1994, an opera by Dominick Argento (libretto by Charles Nolte) entitled The Dream of Valentino was premiered by the Washington National Opera in the District of Columbia. Reviews were not enthusiastic. The opera was revived by the Minnesota Opera in 2014, with similar reviews. ==Filmography==

• Valentino, Rudolph (1923). Day Dreams. New York: MacFadden Publications. • Valentino, Rudolph (1923). How You Can Keep Fit. New York: MacFadden Publications. • Valentino, Rudolph (1929). My Private Diary. Occult Publishing Company. ==References==