Death of the Sheik - August 22, 2008

 

Eight decades after his death on August 23, 1926, the name Rudolph Valentino still rings of romance and exoticism -- even to the millions who have never even seen one of his films. In the 1920s, the former Rodolfo Alfonzo Raffaelo Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla was the ultimate expression of male sexuality in the movies. After an undistinguished childhood in Castellaneta, Italy, he emigrated to America, working as a busboy and taxi dancer -- until the latter job led to his hasty retreat from New York to Hollywood. In only four years, he worked his way from bit player to starring as an Argentinian playboy in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the movie that launched him to superstardom, a position he solidified later that year, playing the title role in The Sheik.  The next five years of Valentino's life were a blur of broken contracts, torrid affairs, marriages, divorces, and accusations of homosexuality. When one reporter referred to him as a "pink powder puff," Valentino challenged him to a boxing match -- which never took place. In 1926, Valentino underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer, which was initially successful, but when peritonitis set in, he was dead within a week.  His death set off a national frenzy. Women attempted suicide in front of the New York hospital where he'd died, and 100,000 mourners attempted to get a look at the body (which had been replaced by a wax statue, as the family feared the corpse would be torn apart).  A funeral in Hollywood followed, and in 1930, a monument was erected in his honor, the ceremony for which was attended by a mysterious Lady in Black. Speculation as to her identity was rampant. Was she a fan? A lover? A fiancée? Dozens of claimants came forward, and while the mystery may have been solved in 1947, to this day, Valentino's tomb is visited by a woman in a black dress every August 23rd. Suggested Sites... Falcon Lair - named after Valentino's Hollywood home and dedicated to the star. Hollywood Forever Cemetery - Valentino's final resting place. Find a Grave: Rudolph Valentino - information about Rudy's crypt. YouTube: Rudolph Valentino Sings - listen to one of only two recordings of Valentino's voice. He's not much of a singer, but, hey, he's been dead 80 years. Wikipedia: Rudolph Valentino - overview and biography of the silent superstar.