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.

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

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

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.