The Magic of Rudolph Valentino
I have had a chance to read most of it. It's not a big book but it is packed with detail. He uses years as chapters. He seems to have also approached Rudy's life like a reporter and just states the facts in neat, little, packed paragraphs. I will tell you now, I'm not crazy about the book. It strives to hard to be as objective as possible. Hardly fitting for a moving, tender, passionate, whip-lash of emotions kind of man, like Rudolph Valentino. So, just where is the magic, Norman?
I was surprised to see George Ullman, add a foreward to it, and smirked at the very short acknowledgement he gave. I want to read his book most of all because I really think the man had the most experience with Rudy to refer too and it will come through every word he writes about him, weather he aimed to do this or not. People always write between the lines you just need to know where to look.
The one thing I did appreicate from this book, is the recorded incident with Rudy running after Natasha's train. But it was George who wrote it first but it was presented here in this book as well. And I liked that George noted that Rudy was the greatest lover in the movies because he was really the greatest lover there ever was. (or something to that effect).
I also enjoyed the recorded incident when Rudy took a break from Son of the Sheik he took a walk around the lot and saw an actress in a sled, with two horses hooked to itand on a whim, Rudy got in next to her and sent them all off into town. I never read about anything like this before and I thought it was so endearing and so much like Rudy --- he was such a kid at heart and so adventerous.
The book describes in long, boring detail the Christmas tree Rudy and Natasha decorated (or as he always refers to them "the Valentinos"; and with that in mind, this book would have been the chosen bio of Natasha, for her and Rudy because it was so flat emotionally and impersonal) and how it was a tree given from someone's yard, after a much exhausted search for one while in France when they shared the holidays with Natasha's family. And how it caught fire and well, there were at least 2 pages of this incident. Also filling at least 2 pages, he goes into the trouble the Hudnuts had trying to view Rudy's movies that he sent them with a projector that came in pieces was very heavy and hard to get together let alone run the movie properly. Yet, he offers only a sentence here or there, to refer to the crumbling marriage between "the Valentinos". Bah!
So, I think when it comes to books so far My Private Diary is the best because it's from Rudy himself. Then, the Madam Valentino book which is wonderful and so well written and the last for me being Rudolph Valentino the Man Behind the Myth because it's one I think Rudy would have liked above all others.
It's been awhile since I've read Dark Lover, I should probably look into that one again.
I was surprised to see George Ullman, add a foreward to it, and smirked at the very short acknowledgement he gave. I want to read his book most of all because I really think the man had the most experience with Rudy to refer too and it will come through every word he writes about him, weather he aimed to do this or not. People always write between the lines you just need to know where to look.
The one thing I did appreicate from this book, is the recorded incident with Rudy running after Natasha's train. But it was George who wrote it first but it was presented here in this book as well. And I liked that George noted that Rudy was the greatest lover in the movies because he was really the greatest lover there ever was. (or something to that effect).
I also enjoyed the recorded incident when Rudy took a break from Son of the Sheik he took a walk around the lot and saw an actress in a sled, with two horses hooked to itand on a whim, Rudy got in next to her and sent them all off into town. I never read about anything like this before and I thought it was so endearing and so much like Rudy --- he was such a kid at heart and so adventerous.
The book describes in long, boring detail the Christmas tree Rudy and Natasha decorated (or as he always refers to them "the Valentinos"; and with that in mind, this book would have been the chosen bio of Natasha, for her and Rudy because it was so flat emotionally and impersonal) and how it was a tree given from someone's yard, after a much exhausted search for one while in France when they shared the holidays with Natasha's family. And how it caught fire and well, there were at least 2 pages of this incident. Also filling at least 2 pages, he goes into the trouble the Hudnuts had trying to view Rudy's movies that he sent them with a projector that came in pieces was very heavy and hard to get together let alone run the movie properly. Yet, he offers only a sentence here or there, to refer to the crumbling marriage between "the Valentinos". Bah!
So, I think when it comes to books so far My Private Diary is the best because it's from Rudy himself. Then, the Madam Valentino book which is wonderful and so well written and the last for me being Rudolph Valentino the Man Behind the Myth because it's one I think Rudy would have liked above all others.
It's been awhile since I've read Dark Lover, I should probably look into that one again.
posted by Tea at
9:18 AM
