Tag Archives: Rudolph Valentino

More Ebertfest 2015

The next film shown at Ebertfest was Celine Sciamma’s Girlhood (an extraordinary film about 4 black girls, teenagers, living in a housing project in a Parisian suburb – my review here). As with many of these films, I had seen … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | 19 Comments

Year in Review: Shooting My Mouth Off in 2013

Some of the things I’ve written in 2013, for my own site, and also other outlets. Thoughts on Memphis. “Memphis is wounded, and Memphis is obviously depressed. There are a lot of sad ghosts here. But Memphis does not forget. … Continue reading

Posted in Actors, Books, Movies, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Books: A Mencken Chrestomathy: His Own Selection of His Choicest Writing, “Valentino,” by H.L. Mencken

Next up on the essays shelf: A Mencken Chrestomathy: His Own Selection of His Choicest Writing, by H.L. Mencken H.L. Mencken, as can be expected, didn’t have much good to say about this new-fangled business of movie-making. He thought it … Continue reading

Posted in Actors, Books | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

“€œFor this stunt, hire a woman dressed entirely in black mourning, complete with veil, and have her visit the local newspapers. . .

… and ask permission to go through their files for stories and pictures of [Rudolph] Valentino. Instruct her to be as mysterious as possible.” — Quote from Paramount Picture’s press booklet to theatre owners, encouraging them to hire their own … Continue reading

Posted in Actors | Tagged | 6 Comments

The Sheik.

No wonder Rudolph Valentino was, according to IMDB: “Considered to be the first male sex symbol of the cinema during the silent era.” Wow.

Posted in Actors | Tagged | Leave a comment