Happy Birthday Rudolph Valentino and Orson Wells
I decided to write the blog early for Valentino is being featured on TCM on Friday for the anniversary of his birth. I have seen all the films being shown (thanks to TCM and the Kansas Silent Film Festival). All times are eastern.
8 AM Beyond the Rocks also starring Gloria Swanson, written by Elinor Glyn (based on her book). Released 5/7/22, 80 minutes. Gloria is forced to marry an older man. She meets Valentino before her marriage and several times throughout the marriage and they fall in love. There is a great scene where Gloria has written letters to each man but they end up going to the wrong man. Valentino tries to spare the husbands feelings but he has already read the letter. The husband goes on an expedition to Africa so the lovers can be together. It was considered a lost film except for one minute of footage. A print was found in Netherlands in 2003 and has been released on DVD.
9:30 AM Moran of the Lady Letty also staring Dorothy Dalton. Released 2/12/22, 71 minutes. Valentino as a Spaniard who is impressed onto a ship. He meets and falls in love with Dorothy a fellow crew member. In the Flicker Alley booklet the description “paramount pitched Moran as a rip-roaring seafaring adventure that would appeal to men as well as women and one Valentino picture that steered clear of anything exotic. It would showcase his he-man athletic prowess and beefcake appeal.”
10:45 AM Young Rajah also staring Wanda Hawley. Released 11/12/22, 53 minutes (restored). Valentino plays a young man who is told by his adopted father that his real father was an Indian Maharajah who was overthrown and he was taken to America for safety. He is convinced to go to India to overthrow the Maharaja. He is welcomed by the people and the army revolts. The film was considered lost. There is missing footage but TCM financed the restoration. There are stills and title cards that help to explain the missing sequences.
11:45 AM Camille also staring Alla Nazimova. Released 9/26/21, 70 minutes. It is a modern telling of the French story La Dame aux Camelias by Alexandre Dumas, fils. Nazimova plays a courtesan to whom Valentino falls in love with. Valentino’s father breaks up the relationship and both characters fall to ruin.
1 PM The Conquering Power also staring Alice Terry. Released 7/8/21, 89 minutes. After the death of his Father Valentino is taken into is uncle’s family. The uncle is a miser and plans to cheat Valentino out of his father’s money. Valentino falls in love with his cousin, but the uncle doesn’t like this and sends Valentino away and hides his letters. The uncle kills his wife and becomes unhinged, becoming more miserly and paranoid. He accidently locks himself in his safe room and he hallucinates (a really good scene) and then dies. There is pressure on the daughter to marry, now that she is a wealthy woman. After she announces her engagement Valentino comes back. It has been awhile since I have seen the film, but it seemed like many years had passed from when he was sent away to when he came back.
2:45 PM The Fourhorsemen of the Apocalypse also staring Alice Terry. Released 3/6/21, 133 minutes (edited addition). This one is hard to describe. An Argentine land owner has a son-in-law who is German (who he does not care for) and a son-in-law who is French (who he favors). Valentino plays his French grandchild. When the land owner dies the families go to their respective countries. In Paris he falls in love with Alice Terry a married woman. WWI breaks out. The cousins are reunited on the battlefield. There is a great Tango scene at the beginning that introduces the Valentino character. It is considered an anti-war film. During the French scenes Valentino and Terry spoke French to impress the lip readers. Part of the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
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