The circumstances surrounding the death of legendary star Rudolph Valentino have been a constant source of fascination for admirers worldwide. This work examines every aspect of his passing, analyzing the circumstances and gathering information into one convenient source for the Valentino scholar and enthusiast. The first part examines every moment of the last days of Rudolph Valentino, his illness and operation, the reactions of such intimates as Pola Negri, and all controversy such as riots, suicides, and fights over his funeral and estate. Part two gives tours of Valentino-related sites in New York, Hollywood and West Hollywood, downtown and suburban Los Angeles, and Beverly Hills, explaining each site's part in Valentino's history, giving quotes from the star and his associates about the place, and describing its present state. Part three consists of eleven appendices giving such information as the infamous "Pink Powder Puff" editorial and Valentino's responses, the medical diagnosis, operation on and treatment of the idol, tributes and eulogies, the list of mourners attending his funerals, his last will and testament, the summation of his estate, quotes about his death, references from newspapers, and a complete filmography.

Rudolph Valentino was the silver-screen legend who for ever changed America's idea of the leading man; a frightened young fellow who became the cinematic sex-god of his day. In this definitive retelling of Valentino's short and tragic life - the first fully documented biography of the star - Emily W. Leider looks at the Great Lover's life and legacy, and explores the events and issues that made him emblematic of his time. Valentino was reviled in the press for being too 'feminine' a man; yet he also brought to the screen the alluring, savage lover who embodied women's darker, forbidden sexual fantasies. In tandem, Leider explores notions of the outsider in American culture as represented by Valentino's experience as an immigrant who became a celebrity - the silver screen's first dark-skinned romantic hero.

Though his strange and premature death became one of Hollywood Babylon's weirdest chapters, this King of the Crooners' and 'Valentino of Radio' had a voice that spoke to a world still drifting in the malaise following the First World War. Taking a devoted and personal look into this crooner's art and life, this biography derives much of its information from Columbo's otherwise long-lost personal effects, including original movie transcripts, love letters to and from Carole Lombard and other movie actresses, and the singer's daily diaries.'

One of the most alluring, enigmatic, and simply irresistible movie icons of all time, Rudolph Valentino continues to inspire generation after generation of moviegoers. In Rudolph Valentino, The Silent Idol: His Life and Films in Photographs, author Donna Hill retells the story of Valentino?s life using a treasure trove of rare photographs. Drawn from the author?s extensive collection and those of generous fellow collectors and archives, most of the images in this volume have not been seen since the 1920s; many have never been released publicly until now. Rudolph Valentino was more than the ?sheik? of one of his most famous films. He was more than the legendary star who died at a tragically young age. For long-time fans as well as curious newcomers, these remarkable images?candid snapshots at home, traveling, on film sets?reveal the glamour and charm of the man who continues to beguile and inspire movie lovers to this day.

The biography of a fascinating woman--a designer, playwright, actress, and spiritualist--thestory of Winifred Shaughnessy, known to the world as Natacha Ra mbova, unfolds as a riveting tale of art, sex, and money. The daughter of a Utah federal marshall, she acquired a job as set and costume designer working on the films of her lover, and soon husband, Rudolph Valentino. Splendid vintage photos enhance this remarkable biography. 165 duotones. 15 full-color illustrations.

In the months before silent film icon Rudolph Valentino's death, he began a collaboration with Spanish journalist, Baltasar Fernández Cué. That collaboration was this book. Valentino lamented the glut of fictionalization about his life story and asked Cué to assist him in writing his true autobiography. During the spring of 1926, Baltasar Fernández Cué became a familiar member of Valentino's entourage as he was granted extraordinary access to the star's private life and professional activities. He lunched in Valentino's United Artists' bungalow and visited the location filming of The Son of the Sheik. Cué was a frequent guest in Valentino's home in Los Angeles, Falcon Lair and befriended Valentino's last love interest, Pola Negri and his only brother, Alberto Guglielmi Valentino. Before Valentino left on his fateful trip to New York City, he gave Cué various personal letters and documents for reference and assured him he would return within three weeks to write his autobiography. Valentino would die soon after in New York City, leaving Cué determined to fulfill his great friend's wish. With the assistance of Pola Negri and Valentino's friend Douglas Gerrard and with the endorsement of Alberto Guglielmi Valentino, Cué wrote The True Rudolph Valentino. With his main source no longer available, Cué would construct the book from his eye-witness accounts and his experience with Valentino and his inner circle. Lamentably, he would rely on a few of the studio-generated myths Valentino hoped to dispel. Cué published his work in the Spanish language fan magazine Cine-Mundial as a ten installment series, from May 1927 to February of 1928. Cué recounts detailed scenarios of Valentino's daily, professional and private life and includes correspondence between Valentino and Natacha Rambova and Douglas Gerrard. He grants fresh insight into these fascinating screen personalities and the tumultuous time prior to Valentino's death. Renato Floris' translation presents this historically valuable book for the first time to an English-speaking audience. Floris conducted a meticulous research of Cué's quizzical phraseology and worked with the assistance and analysis of many generous individuals in England, Argentina, Spain, Chile, Italy and the US. The True Rudolph Valentino is a full-color publication which includes reproductions of the original Cine-Mundial installment illustrations.

Early in the 1900s, one-time oil baron Henry Morrison Flagler took interest in the Southern coast of Florida and began developing an exclusive resort community. Establishing a railroad that would allow easier access to the area, he went on to build two hotels—his hope was that America’s first families would come to populate the area. This modest community would later evolve into an iconic American destination, hosting British royalty, American movie stars, and becoming the home-away-from-home to some of the country’s leading families. As the century continued, Palm Beach established itself as a luxury hideaway synonymous with old-world glamour and new-world sophistication. In this splendid volume, longtime resident and Palm Beach social fixture Aerin Lauder takes us through her Palm Beach. From favorite restaurants like Nandos and Renatos, to favorite houses like La Follia and Villa Artemis, she takes us to the elite shopping of Worth Avenue and the scenic walkways of the Lake Worth trail, all the while relating to us the histories, faces, and places that have become so identified with Palm Beach.