Rudolph Valentino

  • Name: Rudolph Valentino
  • Date of Birth: May 06, 1895
  • Place of Birth: Castellaneta, Italy
Mini-bio: Rudolph Valentino (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926) was an Italian actor. Nicknamed "The Great Latin Lover", he was one of the first true male movie sex symbols. In 1913 he left for the United States, f...( read more)ollowing the advice of his friend Domenico Savino. He arrived in New York City on Christmas Day, 1913. After exhausting a small family legacy, he endured a spell of poverty during which he supported himself with odd jobs such as bussing tables in restaurants, and gardening.

Eventually he found work as a taxi dancer and instructor, and later as an exhibition dancer. He gained attention for his rendition of the Argentine tango.




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, still in the silent movie era.

In 1919, after small parts in a dozen films (in which he typically played "heavies" and gangsters), he married Jean Acker, a part-Cherokee film starlet (who was later revealed to be a lesbian). Their marriage was rumored to have never been consummated - Acker reportedly locked him out of their hotel room on their wedding night - and despite Valentino's efforts at a reconciliation, the two separated shortly afterward, and were divorced in 1922. In 1925, Valentino was able to negotiate a new contract with United Artists which included the stipulation that his wife not be allowed on any of his movie sets (it was perceived that her presence had delayed earlier productions such as Monsieur Beaucaire). He separated from Rambova shortly afterwards and had an affair with the Polish actress, Pola Negri.

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 (with whom he had a brief relationship prior to his involvement with Negri).




On August 15, 1926, Valentino collapsed at the Hotel Ambassador in New York City. He was hospitalised at the Polyclinic in New York and underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer. 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.
Post it anywhere Link it anywhere

Rudolph Valentino Wiki Profile

Welcome to the Rudolph Valentino wiki profile. This page is created by Flixster users like you with the help of friendly community Flixster Experts.
No Expert yet! Want your picture here? Click here.

Adding your knowledge to this page is easy. Just click the "EasyEdit" button below. To become a Flixster Expert or find out more about the program, click here. And for general help on the wiki, click here.

Fan Pages
  • No pages yet
  • Add a page
Rudolph Valentino Biography Rudolph Valentino Quotes Rudolph Valentino Best Movies and Characters
EasyEdit
(What's this?) What is the EasyEdit button? This website gets better when people like you add to it. Just click the EasyEdit button to start. (help)
What's going on here?
Flixster members are collaborating to create the definitive resource for Rudolph Valentino information on the Internet. We're adding all the images, info, and ideas that best tell this actor's unique story. To add your knowledge of Rudolph Valentino, just log in and click the EasyEdit button at the top of the wiki pages. (Click here for help.)
Replace this image with an actor photoRudolph Valentino mini-bio: Rudolph Valentino (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926) was an Italian actor. Nicknamed "The Great Latin Lover", he was one of the first true male movie sex symbols. In 1913 he left for the United States, following the advice of his friend Domenico Savino. He arrived in New York City on Christmas Day, 1913. After exhausting a small family legacy, he endured a spell of poverty during which he supported himself with odd jobs such as bussing tables in restaurants, and gardening. Eventually he found work as a taxi dancer and instructor, and later as an exhibition dancer. He gained attention for his rendition of the Argentine tango.

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, still in the silent movie era. In 1919, after small parts in a dozen films (in which he typically played "heavies" and gangsters), he married Jean Acker, a part-Cherokee film starlet (who was later revealed to be a lesbian). Their marriage was rumored to have never been consummated - Acker reportedly locked him out of their hotel room on their wedding night - and despite Valentino's efforts at a reconciliation, the two separated shortly afterward, and were divorced in 1922. In 1925, Valentino was able to negotiate a new contract with United Artists which included the stipulation that his wife not be allowed on any of his movie sets (it was perceived that her presence had delayed earlier productions such as Monsieur Beaucaire). He separated from Rambova shortly afterwards and had an affair with the Polish actress, Pola Negri. 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 (with whom he had a brief relationship prior to his involvement with Negri).

On August 15, 1926, Valentino collapsed at the Hotel Ambassador in New York City. He was hospitalised at the Polyclinic in New York and underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer. 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.

VITAL STATS

Rudolph Valentino Information:
Eye color:
Height:
Nickname(s):
Notable feature(s):
Education:
Family:
Resides in:
Religious affiliations:
Political affiliation:
Personal interests/hobbies:
Charities/Causes:
Other:



Last update: Aug 13 2008, 1:47 AM EDT by ed (content history | content tools) (help)
Keyword tags: Rudolph Valentino Rudolph Valentino biography Rudolph Valentino quotes Rudolph Valentino trivia Rudolph Valentino vital stats Rudolph Valentino wiki
Rudolph Valentino Biography Rudolph Valentino Quotes Rudolph Valentino Best Movies and Characters

Photos

Rudolph Valentino Pics & Wallpapers
View All (104) | Upload Photo

Meet Other Fans

Comments

Rudolph Valentino User Comments
Post A Comment | View All
Post A Comment | View All

More Top Actors

Rudolph Valentino Movies

Rudolph Valentino Movies
View All Rudolph Valentino Movies
Rudolph Valentino at LocateTV.com

Recent News

Rudolph Valentino News, Stories & Headlines
Submit a Story | View All (0)

No headlines. Got one?

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Actor Skins

Rudolph Valentino Skins & Layouts
Submit a Skin | Skins Gallery

Rudolph Valentino Trivia

  • Which of these silent stars died at the age of thirty one?  Answer »
  • Which silent film star is known for his movies, 'The Sheik' and 'Blood' And 'Sand'?   Answer »
More Rudolph Valentino Trivia

Actor Quizzes

Rudolph Valentino Quizzes
Create a Quiz | Quiz Charts

Video Clips

Rudolph Valentino Trailers & Video Clips
View All (5) | View Charts | Upload a Video