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.
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.
Labels: Oh Rudy
posted by Tea at
9:11 PM
