Rudolph Valentino; What's in a name.

It occurred to me recently that Rudy's dancing really carved out a special part of his personality that he successfully launched on screen. I thought about what it must have been like for him to dance with all these women, various types of them, for many long evenings and I'm sure, knowing the populace as I do, (and as a waitress for 10 years before I went back to school), how disagreeable and agreeable people in general can be. To endure such an evening with an unknown female public I am sure Rudy had to have conjured up some broad range congeniality maybe even inspiring romantic feelings in these women, to appease them and make the time spent with them more desirable.
Not to mention, being an astute heady man, Rudy must have known that to be successful in this dancing endeavor he had to build up a clientele. He probably also attempted to build up a clientele where many of his partners were as much fun for him to dance with as he was for them, but I'm also sure on other nights, he had to ease the temperaments of some very undesirable and irritable women. As well as handle some of the more pushy women with charm and grace to make them feel even though they were rebuffed they were still appealing and not really rebuffed at all.
In his movies, I have noticed that Rudy moves appear to me to be almost like a dance in itself, or at least giving the impression of someone luring someone into a dance.
In The Sheik, when Diane upset at the news Ahmed's worldly friend is coming she implores him, "You are not going to bring him here and let him see me like this?" And Rudy's leg, in a calculating maneuver, crosses over the other as he steps towards her. I have noticed this in the past and I wondered why it piqued my interest and I realize now, it's that deliberate move, stepping into her space with an almost lyrical gracefulness. Like he is about to embrace her and dip her. Also, earlier in the movie when Ahmed points her (after demanding her) to her room, he shadows behind her like a dance partner.
Scott Fitzgerald wrote something to the effect that genius is the gift of being able to put what is in your mind into your real life or into action. Rudy did this. Rudy was a genius. A romantic genius.

When I think of his name I am amazed by it's implication. Can you think of any other name that could describe someone like Rudy? I can't. It's the perfect name. It is musical to the ear, it is romantic and yet it is so simple. For me, it just declares "destiny" and "fate" about who he was and who he meant to so many. His name, simply put, to me, is poetic and the poem that is recited for this poetic title is legendary and sublime.

Topics: Why I Love Silents and Rudy later in life

I love silents because for me they are a lot like poetry. I can't stand many movies today where dialouge between people have taken on some kind of sport like function between individuals, especially in romantic comedies. In the older days, like the 30s the cleverness of dialouge was fun and a farce enjoyed by many but now, it's just trite and I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE it. And to tell you how much, I hate the word hate and rarely use it.
Silents rely on emotion and honesty. There can be decpetion of course but it's played down because the realness of the personalities of the individual characters comes to the front, to the top of the scene therefore the lines are never blurred if it's ok to be lying or not, or if it's cute to be lying or not. It's clearly defined unless it's a comedy the liar is the bad guy.
I will write more on this maybe later today, but now I'm rushing through because I want to work out.

The second thing I wanted to write about today is Rudy's suffering and only because I was thinking about this last night. I was wondering why he suffered and didn't see a doctor when he was dealing with "seizures" and why he hid it from those who would pester him about getting some help.
I think sometimes suffering, physical suffering is in some respects easier the emotional suffering. And I feel that Rudy felt even if subconsiously so he should suffer for signing a contract barring his wife from his work and thereby driving her a way. So, I think he was suffering because he felt in some way he deserved too.
When I look at some of the pictures of Rudy when he is with Pola and at Mae Murry's wedding I detect anger in his face. And the reason I detect it is because Rudy was such a happy lad and went through life with a childlike joy ... making him shine his bubbly presence with those around him.

Another point, is that I feel sorry for flappers during Rudy's time. I do! Because I am affected so long later after his passing and can't even imagine the difficult and I'm sure overwhelming feelings flappers of his generation felt towards him.

Also, I'm working on the 3rd part of the fiction I'm writing about Rudy this weekend. I love to write it but I have to have the time and mental playground for it.

Rudy, the most soulful of all.

I'm about to return, Rudolph Valentino The Man Behind the Myth. I picked it up tonight. I haven't read it for 2 weeks. I read it the first night I got it and then I felt that it wasn't geniune enough. But I picked it up again out of curiousity and nothing was on TV and I didn't have the focus I need to watch a RV movie. This time around I read the last 2 chapters. It spoke of Pola and it listed several poems Rudy wrote that he was planning to put in a second book of poems. They are lovely poems. I have to reread them though or copy them before I return the book because I need to really be in the mood to read poetry to get what the author intends his/her audience to get out of the poem. For me, I don't just read poems as they affect me but I read them and wonder how they affected the author of the poem. I just have always been this way. I do the same thing with writing. Like Fitzgerald. I always think about what he was thinking or feeling when he was writing scenes.
I do this with Rudy a lot to in his movies. Where was he at in his life, what was he thinking then, what was going on that day. This book has attempted to tie some of this in to some of the parts of Rudy's life he writes about, and I appreciate that and yet still scratch my head wondering how he knew exactly Rudy would do something like scratch his head before answering a producer or something....which annoyed me only in the sense it detracted me away from the scene itself thinking about it.
Sometimes I think I get hung up on people, actors, when they are going through something in their life and that something takes on it's own distinction in their work. I got hung up on Rudy when his character Julio basically dishonored his word, when he took Marguite in his arms and insist that she was his, that she "belonged" to him.
During this time, from what I understand, Rudy was going through a painful situation with Jean Acker. During this time he married her and she was rejecting him, confusing him and yet not fully demanding an annullment or divorce. I think Rudy may have thrown part of his soul into this scene and I spotted it, it touched me ... it touched my soul... I think there is something very provocative there.
This isn't the first time this has happened ... I felt the same thing (but not on the same scale, Rudy is just different and I think it's because when he departed this world he scorched those who cared and who would care about him) about Johnny Depp. I think Johnny Depp's soul showed itself in some of the scenes of Todd Sweeney. I was caught up in him, when his character turns to Mrs. Lovett after she "proposes" to him, and he is standing there staring at her with such a look of longing and helplessness at the same time. During this time, Johnny Depp was going through hell, because his daughter was very sick and in the hospital.
Another time, this happened to me, was with James Scott on Days of Our Lives. I was watching the show, while working out at the fitness center in the building I at the time worked out in, and James had a look on his face towards the object of his character's affections that just drew me in so strongly I was very much caught up in this show for a couple of years. I found out soon after this, that he had just proposed to his girlfriend. And I can't help but think again, that his soul escaped his presence and I recognized it in his expression.
I'm drawn to soulful people, especially if the souls of these people reach out and touch my own soulness. <-made up word

On another point, I have a really hard time reading Rudy biographies. I dislike him having to die all over again in those last pages.
Again, sorry for another exhausted post.

One other thing, I was excited to catch more words from reading the lips of Ahmed in Son of the Shiek during the scene Ahmed takes Yasmin backs to his tent, and after yelling at her for her trickingg him, forces her into a kiss, she breaks away, with his hands still clutching her and she says, "You, you let me go!'

And Ahmed then says: "Make this easy for yourself."
(it then goes to a place card, ".....Tonight your kiss are free". I can't tell what he says, yet, when the scenes comes back from the place card.

side note:
[I have also determined that Ahmed after Yasmin says, "I hate you. I hate you. You-" something that starts with, "I'll remember that (something) ... making it up". I think he is saying, I'll remember that but it's time you start making it up.... basically saying it's time for him to get his revenge. Which I know doesn't ring right, but then taking into the tenderness of the scene before with them when Ahmed arrives to the ruins, Yasmin is behind a column and calls to him, ""Ahmed". But later says, "I don't even know your name". ... so reading all their lips is good for the curious but technical it might not make sense or that much sense to the story.]

Anyway, I just realized that is what he said, "make this easy for yourself" when I watched it last night and this tantalized me, and played through my thoughts a lot today. A lot! On the drive home I was enthusiastic about how fiction is just so magical. Rudy was not like Ahmed at all. He would never do anything like that to a girl, and I love that Rudy is not like Ahmed, but the sultry Ahmed in this fiction angle played by someone like Rudy so sexy and captivating, well, it's like magic, it just dazzles you. That is such an amazing thought to me today.

Stage Door (1937)

I watched a lot of Stage Door yesterday and the guy who played in the Sheik as the author was starring it. I couldn't get over thinking that Rudy should have been there... that he should have at least still be alive and working and what a wonderous thought that is...to think of Rudy making talkies and running around with stars like Ginger Rogers and Lucille Ball. He would have only been 42 then, the age I am now.
Some say that part of his iconic status is because he died so young and still within the silent era never crossing over to sound like some of his collegues of that day were able too (not all, the guy who played his bodyguard in the son of the sheik, fell to bad times when talkies came around because he had a think accent (I think it was dutch) and when he couldn't find anything ended up opening a hot dog stand out on in front of the studios. It didn't fair well and he ended up killing himself with a gun, in 1933 I believe)... I think some times if Rudy hadn't died he would have made sure to get work for this guy, Rudy was so wonderful in this way --- so generous, kind and wonderful...

Anyway, I disagree. I think he still would have been more iconic if he had lived then anyone... but I also think being able to watch him continue to grow and progress would have satisfied us in some way, where we are not because he was taken from us so early in his life. So, although I think there is an edginess to his memory because of the tragic and sudden nature of his death and that gives his memory a really hot red flame (I guess of some anger from his fans for being robbed of additional works from him) I still think he would have been more popular than any other movie star today.

sorry for the grammarical errors of this post tonight, I'm flat out exhausted.

Take it for what you will.

I love the book, the Great Gatsby. I read it to inspire my own creative language. I am a huge fan of Fitzgerald. Another jazz age link, I know. I was opening it up randomly reading parts of the book, there are so many passages I love in it, and I came upon this (at the end of the 5th chapter):

When Jordan Baker had finished telling all this we had left the Plaza for half an hour and were driving in a victoria through Central Park. The sun had gone down behind the tall apartments of the movie stars in the West Fifties, and the clear voices of girls, already gathered like crickets on the grass, rose through the hot twilight:

“I’m the Sheik of Araby.
Your love belongs to me.
At night when you’re are asleep
Into your tent I’ll creep——”

“It was a strange coincidence,” I said.

“But it wasn’t a coincidence at all.”

Scottie's masterpeice
***

I finished editing part 2,for the most part, of my Valentino fiction and I am about to embark on the 3rd part which is going to be about the movie the Sheik, and maybe the Son of the Sheik (or that may be part 4) depending how much I come up with this part of the story.

My Rudy Wish List

Want to buy:
1.) Rudy sings and those who sing about him (CD)
2.) Monsieur Beaucaire (DVD)
3.) Conquering Power (DVD)
4.) Valentino Collection (DVD)
5.) Peter Folk (Music)
6.) Daydreams (long shot I know) Rudy's poems. (Book)

Want to read (but not necessarily buy)
1.) George Ullman's, Valentino as I knew him
2.) The Magic of Valentino
3.) My Private Diary
4.) The Intimate Life of Valentino
5.) Gloria Swanson's bio

Where I want to go:
1.) Hollywood forever the weekend of August 23rd 2009 for the memorial, "We will never forget"
2.) Even though Falcon Lair is gone, I want to drive up to where it once was.

What I want to do:
1.) I want to continue blogging about him and I want to write his movies in story form, based solely on my observations on him in these films. He shows so much emotion and I would love to write about that emotion. This will be something I will do later, because it will take a lot of time. Probably after I finish my first fiction/story on him. I love to write and I love Rudy so what better way to express myself? ;)

Sheiking the time away...

I was so bored at work today I decided to read the Sheik online, just to burn up some time. I tried to edit my story, which needs editing very much, but it's so hard to do that at work it becomes a burden in itself and when that happens the "buzz" I get from that sort of thing buckles and stalls in the attempt to do so. So, I read the Sheik (again, I have not read it in years. When I first read it I was a bit strung out over by my intense feelings for Rudy so I couldn't look beyond that part of it, I couldn't see it stand on it's own when all I could do is relive the movie while I read it) anyway, I now can honestly say I have to agree with Natasha that the book is just utter trash. And it's not that there isn't any hope for it to rise above the emotional porn going on there but the author shows no intention or interest in making the book aim higher. From what I've read about E.M. Hull she wasn't trying to become a great artist and from my impressions of her was satisfied with her stories as they were because they were money makers.

Here is a brief bio I found of her.

I also have to say I find it interesting how The Sheik was the movie that made Rudy a superstar. And he was in love with an "artist" who curbed his popularity by channeling him to focus more on quality of his work when he owed his success to the incredible talent he naturally possessed. In other words, I think Rudy's natural luck, charm and etc. etc. would always rise above and even frame stories/movies he worked on. I think trying to make the movie rise to his level was a mistake because there wasn't a movie that could -- it would serve as the backdrop, the frame in which held this amazing presence .. and to try to make the frame just as valuable as what it holds is ludicrous. !

In the end, I have satisfaction that Rudy finally throwing off the chains of his oppression of Natasha's expectations, no matter how well intended they were, worked on The Son of The Sheik, validating his fanbase with the message that he always was what they saw him to be, the Sheik, a delicious romantic hero that could captivate and capture their willful hearts; as if his portrayal of Amhed in Son of the Sheik said, "Yes, I am the Sheik you always knew me to be and I hid away, all this time, denying you ... denying me."

I spent a lot of time on the RV fiction that I'm doing. It's fun. I really love doing it. It still needs editing and work, and I still have a lot more to write. The update is here

Nita Naldi - The Webs We Weave?

In Madame Valentino I read that Nita had an affair with Rudy after Natasha left him. This was the first time I have ever read such a thing. It also stated that Natasha knew this wasn't the first time Nita bedded her husband, alluding to a possible affair between Rudy and Nita prior to Natasha's departure?
I remember reading a quote from Nita that she said, while making Cobra with him, that he was always cooking up Italian dishes at lunch, and that she was going to chew garlic for a week to pay him back. I think meaning that Rudy smelled like garlic much of the time they were filming their scenes for Cobra.
When I first watched Cobra I noticed Nita's face while she was dancing with Rudy as Rodrigo and thought that was probably when she had thought that up. I know I may be wrong but it just looked to me like her eyes were going to tear up during that scene.
I also remembered thinking that Rudy may have done this on purpose to make Nita "back off". Maybe he felt that she was smitten with him and he was trying to detract her in some way.
I love Nita and Rudy together though. I also really like Nita. I heard a snippet of an interview she had given and she sounded wonderfully entertaining and fun to be around. I also read that she said she had a lot of fun doing Cobra with Rudy and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Rudy enjoyed her company during this tense time in his life (while Natasha was the Madame in charge).
But Rudy in my eyes was a great guy and good friend to his friends, especially his male friends and he was a respecter of people and their feelings ... and I think that knowing Nita was supposed to be good friends with Natasha, with her going after him , Natasha's husband, gave a blemish to Nita's character that did not sit well with him. I think it's possible he did end up with Nita because Natasha cheated on him, and perhaps Nita had been throwing (if just subtly throwing) herself (behind Natasha's back) at Rudy for years, making the affair although likely because of their amazing chemistry and their close friendship. But again it weathered quickly in the brassy light that she was a close friend to Natasha, who she not only betrayed by sleeping with Rudy but openly accused her of aborting Rudy's babies.
It does not paint a pretty picture of Nita and that's sad but it explains why Rudy, at least according to the Madam Valentino's biography he quickly grew tired of her (maybe even washed his hands of her) and turned to Pola Negri.

Rudy is so much like a drug for me.

Rudy is like a tequila shot for me. He empties my head. I was feeling a bit concerned and upset about some things going on in my personal life and felt out of sorts and decided I needed to watch Rudy. So, I watched Son of the Sheik (which is the top shelf as far as I'm concerned, very quick to the head and very potent) and now my insides are all a flutter and my head is full of dreams....and I really do feel so much better.
I would try to rationalize these emotions and his presence in these movies affect on me and pin it down to something specific that would explain it all, and I do wonder a great deal but my head is too empty and it'd be way too much work. xxo

Observations

After reading the book, Madame Valentino, the many lives of Natasha Rambova, I was able to I think spot her in, the Sheik. She said that her and Paul Ivano played Europeans so I knew this meant she would have had to be in the beginning when the Sheik was first coming into Briska. When I first read she was an extra, I read "into it" that she was one of the arab girls. But armed with this new information I looked for her as a "European" with a man (Paul Ivano).
This is where I think you can find her:
Where Diana is getting asked to marry she says, "Marriage to me is captivity. I like the way my life is --" then she sees some comotion and she turns (ending this close up) and the screen fills with people going to see who is showing up. As soon as the screen goes to this shot, look to the far right of the screen. There is a dark haired women with a guy on her left, she is standing up and they head over to the balcony to take a look. I'm sure this is Natasha and Paul Ivano. It's a strange feeling, at least for me, seeing her there. History, and all I've learned about Rudy and this time in his life, unfolding there before my eyes. You can continue to see her standing at the balcony while the Sheik comes up for his first introduction with Diana. You can tell how thin and dainty she is and it's a facinating contrast to the power she had over this movie because of the power she had over it's star.
I tried to copy a screen shot/s of this but I'm not having much luck. I could do it at the office but this new laptop is not cooperating so it'll have to be viewed to see what I'm talking about.

Another observation I had was after reading the book, about the slave bracelet that Rudy still wore till the end of his life and even is with "him" today, wore in the movie The Son of the Sheik. I watched the movie tonight and saw it clear as day, after this was pointed out in the book. I didn't know this --- and he wears the bracelet only during his tender love scenes with Vilma playing Yasmin (and may be wearing it but I'm not positive when he is sending her away --- but he is not wearing it during the 'rape' scene).
But the fact that he wears it during the tender scenes with his costar sort of makes me think he is communicating to Natasha that he was thinking of her and that just warms and breaks my heart at the same time. It is such a brave, intimate and romantic way to reach out to the love of his life, even after all the hurt and sadness their union and separation caused him.

Natasha is so perplexing I still am having a tough time writing about my thoughts about her after reading her bio. I have such a mixture of feelings about the woman and I wish she had more to say about Rudy towards the end of her life (and who's to say she didn't but we just have not been given a report). I also have the strongest feeling that she would just rather be stripped out of Rudy's bio for good. For a woman who craved to be recognized as an artist, she sure hated notoriety.

Madam Valentino --- my first impressions of the book.

I read, Madam Valentino tonight.
It was an eye opener. I am still trying to define my thoughts and feelings from this book and at 3:30 am I'm not quite up to it. But I will say this.
I have to think a lot of her influence came from the affluent life style that she rejected so early in life, and yet depended on for decades. And I also believe that Rudy falling in love with her saw something special in her ability to convey sophisticated emotion, interpreting this with being something natural and independent and that spoke of her "genius" but then he found out that she actually came from a very wealthy family and was exposed to this type of sophisticate element and perhaps it explained so much of her allure for him.
It's not that Natasha wasn't independent with her own creative thoughts and ideas, but to not know that she was exposed to such decadence in life and to discover this only much later (on their trip to Europe) must have allowed Rudy to see into the character of the real Natasha.
I want to also mention that I don't think Natasha was a bad person and I think she really had a lot of good in her. I also think she loved Rudy very much, but I still feel that she was very purposeful and young and these two elements *together* were unfortunate in her relationship with Rudy.

My own personal rule of thumb when posting pics:

I once used to post pictures here and felt guilty about it later because I felt since they were not mine I shouldn't post them. However, I made the exception (for the pictures below) because I found them on IMDB and I felt that is such a public arena I'm not stealing them really from anyone. They are pretty much, in my opinion there for the taking.
If there are pictures I want to point to on other sites, I'll link them.

Lucky bitch!! teehee ;)

This picture catches Rudy's deep affection, protection and love for June Mathis. It's so sweet!

I got the book, "Rudolph Valentino,The Man Behind the Myth".
The librarian who gave it to me said, "Looks like an oldie but goodie."
I blushed. I wanted to tell her of my secret, but left quickly once it was in my hands to end the temptation.
I have read "parts" of it. I find some of Rudy's story so sad and it's hard for me to read that he was lonely and lost and etc... This book is also pretty light. It's like the author, just grabbed pieces of Rudy's story from other well-and not so well-informative sources and pasted bits and pieces together. But he does it in a narrative form, like he is present when things are happening and I kind of like that although it's somewhat deceptive. For instance, how does he know Natasha winked at her mom when she said to Rudy, "You were Julio in Italy and now your Galardo in Spain?"
The most interesting part of Rudy's life, for me, is his relationship with Natasha. So, I read mostly these chapters.
I was struck with the two thoughts. One that Natasha left Rudy and Hollywood because she felt like a failure and she was humiliated. The book points to the dismal box office returns of Cobra, the project Natasha generated a most negative reputation that was reported in the papers and on top of that, the all-Natasha, w/o Rudy project, What Price Beauty (that cost 100K to make) that failed miserably.
Second, Rudy had gave her so much power over his career, fully believing that she was a great source for all his inter workings as an actor and artist. He was really sold on this and he spoiled Natasha, with this naive sense of accomplishment in her. In a sense, Rudy probably should have had more restraint with Natasha. She bought that she knew best since Rudy was so passionate in this opinion. In other words, he made her a monster of her own ambition and gave her all the opportunity in the world, (to hang herself---err, I mean) "satisfy it". Rudy did himself, and their relationship, a disservice by not being more tepid in the steps he could have had them take together toward their planned success in movies. But maybe he hoped it would either allow her to be successful enough she felt at peace and would begin a family with him or realize it was not to be and begin a family with him.
But that's why I think I love him so much is that he was so willing to throw caution to the wind and embrace his passions and his whims if he felt strongly enough about them with exuberant affection and an utmost enthusiasm. His unguarded sense of trivial things, also attracts me, because in this day and age, someone is always willing to tell you the bad side of everything before ever looking at the good side. Rudy, to me, was the type to always dream big, live big and love big.
I can't really find fault in Natasha tonight, for her need to feel she was special and believe she matched in some way Rudy's gifts and talents. I think we all have this need, some more so than others, but for some of us it's an absolute necessity to get over painful things that happen to us, or just for the simple reason some have a hard time realizing their time on earth is not forever, and if there is something that is so special about us it has a life of it's own, it's a way to beat death. For those who have a hard time accepting the fact we're mortal, maybe learning at an young age not ready to learn it, the idea of living on beyond our more human capability helps in continuing to find the will to live in spite of it all.
I'm not saying that was Natasha, but my point is I can't fault her for wanting to be what she probably always secretly believed she was, and that was a talent far beyond anyone's imagination. When we accept such grandiose thoughts of ourselves and we live with these thoughts and we act and behave under these thoughts-if something comes our way (a reality check) to peel back that veil of self-importance (no matter how innocent or rightfully in place it is) it is uncomfortable and so uncomfortable I think many will take whatever means necessary to avoid such a confrontation.
Rudy was blessed. An angel or his mother in consorting with angels some how gave Rudy an enchanting presence. It is not of this earth, it is heavenly, it is not of this world, it is timeless.
Natasha could not compete and Rudy could not help it. It is the difference between what is given by our almighty maker and what we strive to make in ourselves.
***
The book also was off in some of its timeline. So, the book really although sweet, I like the fact that it side steps any sexuality-driven themes (about Acker, Natasha, Rudy etc...) it is still faulty in its inability to be genuine.
The next book I really want to read is George Ullman's "As I knew him" and the bio of Natasha.

My favorite picture of Rudy!

I love it when he is smiling.

Possessed.

In the movie Beyond the Rocks, which I watched tonight, there is a scene when Hector, after Theodora tells him they can't see each other anymore, and to go away, is away and has a newspaper in hand as he sits on the chair to read it. And the dog under the desk, wakes up, stretches and approaches him and even puts out his paw and then starts away, when "Hector" grabs the dog's collar and pulls him firmly to him and with his other hand, reaches under his chin to hold his face in place and starts petting it --- and I melt ... and I replayed it over and over again thinking there would be no way to resist him. The way he reached for and firmly took the dog into his possession made me think how he could do this with people. How he could take people into his possession and unlike other men who if tried, it would be all wrong and so gross and so awful many would claw like a cat to get away, with Rudy many would easily become submissive (like moi). And so far I have not been able to find out why with Rudy it's ok and with other men it's the worse thought in the world!
Peace and love to all xxo

Rudy's 88 American Beauties, First reality show? Do I spot a bit of drama?

I have the 1st part of my story up about Valentino. It's here I'm still editing it in bits and pieces but for the most part it's complete.
The 2nd part of the story will be about Lily's reaction to seeing Valentino movies for the first time. At least that's what I have plan, some times the story though goes a different way. Weird.

Anyway, there is one thing I have been wanting to post about and that is Rudy in all natural mode from "Rudy and his 88 beauties".
When I first started blogging on here again after a long absence, I wrote that some of my views have changed, and that means my opinions and even my reactions to certain things that come my way. When I first chased after Rudy, everything was hitting me pretty square on the jaw. It felt funny, and it made me a little nervous to feel the way I felt for someone from so long ago. Truth be told, I wonder if there is a little emo or goth in me that has brought me here. I wonder if there is something romantically dark about all of us who love Rudy.
Anyway, one of my views that have changed is this little reel of Rudy and his 88 beauties.
When I first watched it long ago I think I fast forwarded through most of it and just looked at some of the Rudy bits. I didn't like it because I couldn't stand the thought of these girls walking around like that for display. I know it sounds priggish and maybe I am a little, but I hate attention and the idea that anyone would welcome it in such a way, left me uncomfortable.
But this time around, I felt much different about the whole thing and I saw an inner story in there, in this little reality drama from so long ago.
There is a girl in the pageant, who wins 3rd place. She is a nice looking girl, but didn't seem to like to smile. She was from New York and her name was Reba Owen. Reba is an interesting personality in this little slice in time. You will see that she doesn't really fit in to this scene. It's not that she isn't pretty, she is, but in a bookish sort of way, not in a beauty pageant sort of way but still she won 3rd place.
But the most interesting catch about her, is the way Rudy and her seem to share a moment when the camera is gliding over all the girls, Rudy in the middle and Reba on the end, Norma (the winner) between them, (the other girls on his other side), and as the camera swings back towards Reba, Rudy looks at her, raises his head and asks her a question, and she promptly answers him. It looks like what Rudy asks her, is "where is [someone]" and she immediately answers while still posing for the camera, "He had to get out."
Then, after all the posing for the camera, the camera catches up with her again, and she has her white fur on and holding her 3rd place trophy and it looks like she says, "Nothing's the matter with me, [I'm ok]."
I wondered if Rudy when they were posing for the camera, could tell she was upset and reached out to her when he spoke with her because he does not speak to any of the other girls during this clip. They all just sit with him, beaming with smiles and looking very much in shock.
I can't help but wonder why Reba was upset. Her expression when she speaks to the camera, "Nothing's the matter with me" is close to tears. And I wonder is it because she lost? I don't think it is. Is it because all that attention is so much for her, that seems to be more true. Or is it because she is crazy about Rudy and can't stand the thought that day would come to a close?
After that scene, Rudy, now with only 1st place winner Norma, says to the camera, and he is quite dashing, "How many pictures did you get? Of everybody?" When he says, "everybody" his jaw draws low and it gives me such a warm feeling about him. He was such a friendly person who always seemed so ready to laugh and smile.

One thought I also want to bring up, is Rudy's walk. I was thinking about this on my walk today, and how I love Rudy's walk. And if you walk like he does, you may also get the same feel, that I got when I did it. You walk with your arms swinging forward, across you, not back in forth from the sides. It's sort of a childlike feeling and a very sweet one too. You can see this walk in the clip Rudolph Valentino and his 88 American beauties when he walks from the stage and you can see it in the Sheik, when he walks Diane to the door. Precious.

Intentions....

I think I'm going to start trying to type out Rudy's movies like stories. Like adapting them from screen into stories. I just hope it won't get me in trouble. I don't want to run into any copyright infringement issues but I think it for one it'd be fun, almost like watching them for the first time all over again and two a good tool for me to learn how to format stories (it's hard).
If anyone sees a problem with this please let me know. It's going to take a long time but again I think really fun to do.
I was writing the valentino fiction I have for posting, editing it and polishing the first part of the story. There is still so much to cover but I'd like to get one post up since I have that in mind. Today when I was doing it though I was rudely interupted at work. That's all I'm going to say on the matter. No one discovered what I was really doing or anything like that but still the circumstances really pissed me off, I was beside myself with anger. I have finally gotten over it but it took all night!
So, I'm about to go to bed and of course I had to watch Rudy, to soothe over my rough feelings of the day. It works. He is so theraputic!
One thing that struck me when I was watching Son of the Sheik (again, the DVD lives in my laptop) is that I feel like I am so honored to watch him. That Rudy was so hospitable to let us have this part of himself. In Cobra he was a stranger to me. I recognized him well enough, the good looks, small subtle smiles, but the fire that burns so bright in him well it was like it was covered up and patted down. I would even dare to say, Rudy wasn't to keen on this movie of himself either, and I know I may be talking out of turn, but these are freestyle thoughts coming this way. And when he said, he was looking more and more like his poor imatations I imagine he was talking about Cobra. I think that's why the Eagle was so different as well as Son of the Sheik. I think Rudy knew what we wanted and that was his delicious, firey energy -- I think he knew that was the one way we connected to each other (him to us and us to him) and that's why the Son of the Sheik is mind blowing. It arrives on my laptop like a gift ... like a gift from Rudy... :)

Rudy's hands

I don't know what it is but I adore his hands and some times just watch them in the scenes. That's all I'm saying for today. I'm going to work on my first Valentino fiction post that can be found here: A Canvas Upon Which to Paint Dreams

Lip Reading Son of the Sheik

I have tried really hard to read lips in Rudy's movies, especially with Son of the Sheik. I've done so with The Sheik, but with The Sheik we have the book so you can gather some of the language being said from the book. For instance, when Amhed is about to kiss Diane. She says, and there is a card after he says he can make her love him (in the book) "I rather you kill me" (also in the book). Then, he says something else before he forces her into a kiss, and I read it and I will look it up for this entry. So, the Sheik although I still try to figure out what is being said not as much as in "the Son of The Sheik" where I truly strain to get just what is being said, especially during the tender love scene between Yasmin and Amhed and mostly during their argument.

I have strained to the point, I wonder what damage I have done to my eyes at times to figure out their words. I know there is also a book that this movie was adapted from but from what I remember it was totally different, for one, it was called "Sons of the Sheik" he had two...

Anyway, I have figure out some of the language.

In the section called: The Cafe Maure when Ahmed goes in to confront (and take) Yasmin, he watches in anger as she received a gold necklace from a customer who insists on putting it around her neck. After he does so she backs away telling the customer, "Alrighty then have a good time" And she backs right into Ahmed, who grabs her arm and turns her around. She is happy to see him but Ahmed's eyes go immediately for the gold trinket and he grabs it in his open hand and says (I think) "Where did you get this Yasmin?"
Then, he tears it away. The customer protests and Yasmin looks startled and confused and Amhed jerks her closer to him, with his hand still tightly around her wrist and says: "I'm not through with you yet."

In the tent, this is what I see:
He takes Yasmin in the tent and puts her down on the couch and she pleads with him. I think she is trying to explain the circumstances of the customer and the necklace. Amhed gives her a threatening stare which makes her quiet and he walks away. Then, he takes of his robe and lights a cigarette, and turns his focus back on Yasmin, who clapse her hands over her heart and says: "Ahmed".
He softens, brings his own hand to his heart and remembering the pain inflicted on him, again becomes angry and stalks towards her. When he gets close she jumps up, and reaches for his hands, "explaining" still the situation at the cafe. (I think I can't see her face).
Ahmed chuckles, and shakes his head and says: "Don't worry about [it]" and then the card comes "So, my young charmer your mission in life is to lure men into lonely ruins to be robbed and tortured!"
When the scene comes back, he says something I can't determine completely but ends with him giving a firm nod and he says, "...and leave me!" (telling Yasmin she set him up at the ruins and then left him). I'm still working on the first part.
Ahmed (in one of my favorite moments of watching Rudy) turns a way for a moment to discard his cigarette and Yasmin grabs his vest and says, "Oh I didn't, I didn't, I wouldn't let that [happen]"
Ahmed grabs her wrist and pulls her hand off his vest and says something like, "you [better] let go of me, you ...something." I can't tell what it was but it's as if he called her a name?
Then, he leans over and says, "Forget about it. You're going to pay me back for this."
The card comes up and says, "I may not be the first victim, but by Allah, I shall be the one you remember!"
When the scene comes back, I think Ahmed says, "I'm going to get even."
Then he says, I'm thinking, "You yourself knew this would happen. You lied to me, Yasmin."
"That isn't true, I didn't lie, I didn't. I didn't know it was going to happen."
"Stop lying!"
"I'm not lying, I didn't lie. Really I didn't. I didn't know it was going to happen Amhed."
"I don't believe you!"
Yasmin raises up again to reach out to him and plead with him, he grabs her wrist
and swings her around, and she lands to the floor.This is where it gets really tricky, but it looks like he says "You think I'm going to stick behind you and believe the words ..." he laughs, mocking her, and says something else I can't quite distinguish and then he says, "and you think that?"
Then, he opens his shirt and says, "Look at these. Do you remember them or have you forgotten?"
Then, he swears to Allah, and the card comes up, "An eye for an eye a hate for a hate that is the law of my father". He is saying something a different but I think it's pretty close to the same sentiment.
Then, Yasmin, clasps her hands together and leans towards him, and declares while crying, "But I love you! I love you!"
This is my best guess. I think he says, "You? Don't make me laugh. You won't fool me again." Then, he pushes her a way and before he walks by her I think he says, "Out of my way."
Then, she grabs a hold of him, and she says, "I didn't do it. Oh. Please stop."
And he raises his hand and says, "Yasmin! If I could! If you ever hurt me again." and lifts her up and throws her from him and walks away from her.
Then, he turns back to her and she says, "Oh I hate you! I hate you! You--" (the card also pretty much says this.
Ahmed says, "I'll remember that. And then something like about "making it up". And i think he is saying that since he thinks she lies so much, she is making up hating him. (but it's really hard to tell what he says here and this is where I've really tried to make it out)
Then, it looks like Yasmin says: "You wish! Just stop it (or me)!"
Then, the rest is pretty much history for that scene. I'll do my other very favorite scene, and that is the tender one with them in the ruins before Ahmed is attacked.
I will most likely edit this post and I may add to it. but it was so much work. You just have no idea but now I need to get to bed.

Rudy's appeal

I think some men and women in the industry, who just didn't "get it", reduced Rudy's appeal to being one that he himself created by playing up a sexual nature with a come hither stare and smoldering eyes. For me, although it is certainly part of the attraction of Valentino, it is not what is so attractive and appealing about him.
For me, and I believe many of his fans, I see something more in him than that. And what it is, is a genuine warmth and inviting cheerfulness from the core of who he was and the core of where he lived in himself.
For instance, if you watch the Sheik at the point where Diane, now dressing like an Arab, comes into the tent where Amhed is singing, she stops remembering the song being sung under her window. When he sees her, he stops singing and walks toward the opening of his room, and grabs the curtain (which make a door way) and smiles at her. It is here where he is just beaming with such warmth and radiance, it is irresistible --- like the smile of an angel seen when making it to heaven. It is so genuine and loving, no wonder we flock to it.
Another place I found this genuine love-filled spirit is in The Eagle. It is when Valdimir goes to retrieve the donkey from Kyrilla's goons. He lifts up the bandit from the horse, and grabs the money from his pocket than drops the guy on the donkey which bucks him away and Valdimir takes the horse instead.
When he comes back in the next frame, Rudy is smiling (maybe at someone) and he looks gleeful and so happy. If you watch this scene carefully you will notice that even during this very dark time in his life (Natasha was leaving him) he is still a loving, warm, darling ... it can't be missed.
So, although many may have had a hard time understanding the true appeal of Rudy and the rabid fanbase that loves him so, and recklessly chalking it up to sex (because what else is there, I say sarcastically) it is something more innocent and captivating and more rare, than anyone could possibly ever know.