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."

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.

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.

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.