Rudolph Valentino Books

A well written biography of one of Hollywood's most legendary actors. I couldn't put it down. Totally engrossing and engaging. I highly recommend it if you want a good read.

In this book we get treated to a fascinating portrait of an really amazing woman who really deserved a full biographical treatment. Natacha Rambova was a woman who was born in the wrong time and place, and had to struggle against that as she made her own way in the world. As I've found out more about her, I've come more and more to feel that there are striking parallels between Natacha Rambova and Yoko Ono. Both women have been unfairly demonised for being driven strong independent women with artistic visions ahead of their time, and both are women you either love or hate for it. Both have also been accused, by their detractors, of wielding too much control over their husbands and nearly destroying their careers because of it, and both also too often are only known about in relation to the men they married. As we find out in this book, Natacha was a lot more than just Madame Valentino, particularly since that role only lasted not even six years. Mr. Morris says he became a fan of hers after seeing the costumes she designed for Alla Nazimova's ambitious art film 'Salome,' not because he was a fan of her most famous husband first, the way most people seem to become interested in Natacha. He also provides generous family background so we can see where she came from and why she became what she did. More than just Madame Valentino or an unfairly demonised woman, Natacha was also a ballet dancer, a designer of costumes and sets for films, an art collector, an Egyptologist, and a spiritualist. She also was in Spain during the time of the Spanish Civil War in the Thirites, when she was married to her second husband, and ended up taking part in that event as well. Never a woman to let her identity rest on the men she was married to, Natacha made her own name in the world, creating her own path, even at a time when not a lot of women did that. There are also a lot of great photographs.

My only complaint about the book is that it wasn't long enough! This was such a fascinating woman that the reader is left wanting more information and details, although given that this is really the first serious scholarly biography on her, it's not that big of a deal. It's a fine start. I also agree that the title is kind of disingenious. Mr. Morris goes to so many pains to prove that Natacha was an interesting capable person in her own right, even though she's most famous for her role as Madame Valentino, so why use that as the title of the book? It might mean the book sells better, but if people are to become interested in her in her own right, a better title might have been 'Madame Rambova.'

Michael Morris has written a biography on a beautiful and fascinating person known to the world as Natacha Rambova. Modern women of her time, extremely talented, cultivated, sophisticated, intelligent and quite simple stunning. Natacha was an Individual loaded with ambition and determination to succeed at whatever she put her mind to in life, never to buy or sell herself out of a male dominated era.

Natacha Rambova of course started life as Winifred Shaughnessy. What I loved from the first, it even takes you further back, 1844 to the birth and up bringing of her fallen war hero father Michael Shaughnessy and also the strength and love of her mother Winifred Kimball, known for her Sharp Business mind, intelligence, four marriages and always there for her daughter. The family history is all very well covered.

Theodore Kosloff a famous Russian Dancer, Natacha's first lover, unsuccessfully tried to kill her, Kosloff pulled out a fire arm as she tried to leave him, he only wounded her, she escaped.

First, husband Rudolph Valentino the Legend we all know lives on. Troubled waters, her soul mate, with a test of equals saw them torn apart, followed by a brief affair.

Second, husband Alvaro de Urzaiz they married in 1934, she stood by her man after he ended up part of the Spanish civil war . The marriage came to an abrupt end after his affair with another women but did not divorce him for another 20 years.

It covers her most extraordinary career of ambition and determination as a dancer. Also a talented costume, set, clothes and interior designer, business manger and publicity for Valentino, a script writer, an actress, a spiritualist and a distinguished Egyptologist, this name's but a few, a women who was well travelled and educated.

Having travelled Egypt myself and seen the sites my own interpretation was a time and place of Civilization lost. Such Incredible history, I understood Natacha's strong bond when she arrived in Egypt so the last few chapters was a personal favourite for me.

Michael Morris did really well; there are photos from Natacha family's private collection never seen. This book was in Cooperation of her remaining family members and friends who knew her personally.

Sometimes Natacha was shown too saintly which I would disagree with now and again, factors maybe steered to quickly away from, in not such better moments of her life.

I did like the way we were shown that she was not cold hearted as how the press projected her, she was treated with much injustice.

One other Point The many Lives of Natacha Rambova would have been a fitting title. Michael Morris should have known better than to use Madam Valentino in the title as a selling point. After writing a wonderful piece on this lady who was strong-minded, and individual, who moved on after Valentino's death, She lead an exciting life of her own was an enchanting woman yet the title still puts her in the shadow of one man.

The book Overall was a fascinating read, I loved it.

This book could have been so deliciously tacky. It could also have swung the other way and made its subject saintly. Michael Morris found just the right balance.
I first encountered Rambova in Kenneth Anger's book, "Hollywood Babylon." She intrigued me the way Yoko Ono and Courtney Love intrigue some John Lennon and Curt Kurbain fans. You wonder, 'What's Sooooo special about her?' So I approached the book with that attitude. Afterall, Rambova was married to Rudolph Valentino, a man known to this day as 'the world's greatest lover.'
But I read the last sentence of the book with great regret that the book had ended and that the experience of reading it was over. It was that good.
Michael Morris did a top-notch job on this biography and I regret that he didn't do Mae Murray, Barbara LaMarr, Corrine Griffith, etc. the same favor.
Morris went into great detail in all the right places. After I finished the book, I didn't feel like I'd read a biography about a movie star's wife who was striving to be a 'personality' in her own right. Rather, I felt that I'd read a book about a person who, like so many of us, was searching her way through life and trying to figure out why in the hell she was here. She just went about her 'search' a bit differently because she had all the right connections, the money, and the energy to do so.
But it's money in the end.

The author of this bio did not discover She-Who-Became Valentino's wife in the usual fashion, and his perspective on her is wonderful as a result. Where most people who know of her at all only experience the harpie images given by Hollywood mudrakers, Morris learned of Winifred/Natcha through her art. His interest in Natcha is the whole of her life, not just the bit with Valentino. The result is a thoughtfull, well-researched and facinating account of a remarkable life -- and one of my favorite biographies.

A book about the fascinating Natacha Rambova is long overdue. Well known as the much-maligned wife of early Hollywood heart-throb Rudolph Valentino, she was also a dancer, set designer, mystic, and art collector to name just a few of her talents. However, the author's excessively rosy view of his very complex subject makes this a good book, not a great one.

Morris works hard to reverse the numerous unflattering stereotypes and rumours built around Natacha during her life. By refusing to at least explore them, he weakens the book considerably. All negative claims are swiftly - perhaps a little too swiftly - shot down. The bare details are subtly poked and prodded into a much more pleasant picture than was strictly the case. In particular, very little is made of `Monsieur Beaucaire', the notorious flop which nearly ended Valentino's career and his rough, mysterious image. This movie represented a major crisis in the marriage of the couple, as Rambova has convinced Valentino and his studio to make the film in the first place.

The end (and for that matter, much) of the Valentinos' marriage was far more acrimonious than Morris leads us to believe, and thus the portrait of Natacha he paints remains disappointingly bloodless. One topic of which more exploration is needed by further biographers of Natacha (and I hope that more is written of her) is made evident by the numerous references to her ability to work all day having had nothing to eat, and by the stomach ailment that eventually killed her. Natacha was quite obviously anorexic, and exploration into her affliction might have told us much more about her.

Natacha was not the wilful but essentially benign artiste that Morris portrays here, but nor was she the cold-hearted, ruthlessly ambitious lesbian of other historical accounts. The truth, presumably, was somewhere in between - a person far more interesting than either cliched extreme. What cannot be denied is that Rambova was an interesting, talented, and ambitious woman whose story is very worthy of telling, and the book is worth reading for that alone.

What a shame that, even after Morris' attempt to bring her out from under the shadow of her famous husband, the book must still be titled `Madame Valentino'.

What a great book! It gave quite an insight into the yearly services for "The Great Lover", as well as entertaining reading about those who attended them. I highly recommend this book, it's fascinating.

This is a wonderful addition to Rudy Lore. Not very well edited, but full of new facts/info and many never seen photos. Detailed accounts of EACH yearly Memorial Service since 1926! Well worth the price. Thanks to the author for such a well-researched Labor Of Love. thank you, Tracy!

This book delivers exactly what it promises. An asset to any Valentino collection. I'm planning a visit to the mauseleum after reading this!!!

"Valentino Forever: The History of the Valentino Memorial Services" is a terrifically entertaining and informative book for anyone intrigued with the fact that Rudolph Valentino's death has been formally recognized by generations of fans since his untimely demise in 1926. Tracy Ryan Terhune has amassed a wonderful array of documented details and a plethora of rare photographs pertaining to the evolution of this quirky Hollywood tradition and put them into highly readable, present day perspective. I particularly enjoyed reading about the original "Lady in Black," a legend in her own right, and her successors. Just when you think there's nothing new to learn about the legend of Valentino, Mr. Terhune surprises and delights with a story decades in the making.

For nearly 80 years, a memorial service to honor the memory of Rudolph Valentino is held every August 23rd at Hollywood Forever (formerly Hollywood Memorial Park). What may seem as a bizzare ritual to some (over the years, it has been just that), it is also a heartfelt tribute to a silent star who, it really seems, will*never* be forgotten.

Tracy Terhune has taken great pains to take us back through the years to experience the grief and remorse felt by family and fans in 1926 and onward through the decades as the memorial services continued amid acrimony between competing factions of Valentino fans and the drama of the mystery of the original and one and only "Lady in Black." Having amassed an amazing collection of original materials that belonged to Ditra Flame, the Lady in Black (it appears she never threw anything away and thank goodness she didn't), Mr. Terhune sets out the story, the highlights, the bitch fights all in an entertaining and very readable fashion. One cannot help but be impressed with the photographs in the book. It is profusely illustrated, many of the photos are one-of-a-kind and have not been seen since they were used in the newspapers in August 1926 (if they were previously published at all). It's fun to see all the players through the years and all the new faces who were born decades after Valentino died, who take part in paying tribute to this day.

While books on Valentino's life abound, the story of the ritual of the only annual memorial held in Hollywood for a departed star was a story that needed to be told. With a literal cast of thousands, Mr. Terhune does just that, he tells it like it is, warts and all when warranted! Ultimately, the book is quite touching and heartwarming to think that there are still so many people who are touched by this silent and shadowy figure. It is a unique phenomenon, a story that needed to be chronicled and Mr. Terhune wove a tale that is quite an entertaiing read. Anyone who loves old Hollywood would love this book.

I can't think of adequate words to express how much I enjoyed this book.

I think the thing about this author's portrait of Valentino is that she lets the reader judge what's reality and what's not, making it very clear that there are just some facts that are not known, only suggested or partially revealed.

This is a wonderful account of the Great Lover's life and death. I felt more intimate toward him after reading this portrayal than I ever had before---his traditional Latin male philosphy on love, marriage, children is so beautifully projected, and I came away from this account feeling very familiar with that side of him.

I appreciated the fact that the author did not gloss over his colorful history and was not timid about revealing the not-so-good aspects as well as the good, and did so in such a non-biased manner that the negative facts about him only enhanced his story and added more depth to his multi-dimensional character. So many offerings I've read regarding Valentino seem hesitant to recount with much detail any not-so-flattering sides to his personality, perhaps out of loyalty or a feeling of betrayal to his memory. But these images are vital in the makeup of his persona, and I enjoyed learning more about them---for instance, I felt he may have been a bit self-centered, especially during his younger days--for example, when he purchased gifts for ladies and had them charged to his mother. Typical spoiled kid, I thought. I felt he may have been quite manipulative and brought the old, tried-and-true practice of using women and men to get where you want to get to a high art form. Not that the author alluded to this fact---but I was free to make judgements for myself based on fact. I liked that.

I became so familir with the Dark Lover in the course of this reading so much that I found myself, as I came closer and closer to the inevitable ending, wishing that it would indeed have a different result. But the author's recalling of that dreadful, poignant ending was portrayed so beautifully that it lingered with me for days after finishing the book.

If you are looking for a random, loose rendition of the Great Lover's life, with no insight into his beauty, his passion, his "mama's boy" days which played such a huge part in his perosnality, his tormented love life and marriages, his physical prowess and strength, his short but brilliant film career, the tender boy at heart, then find another book.

If you are looking for an insightful, beautiful portrait of the Dark Lover, I highly recommend this book.

I was disappointed in this book because I really felt that she looked down on Valentino, and many times insulted him by calling him "naive", and putting down his acting abilities in his films, etc. I also felt that she spent too much time and too many pages on printing the bad reviews of his films, and not enough of the positive ones!!!

In this case, I feel that this woman did not understand how difficult the film industry is, and obviously she has never worked in or on a film.

She was more like a critic that looked down on Valentino, and even defended Natasha, who never really loved him! She did not understand Valentino, and how difficult show business can be for a star that is set apart from the rest.

There were many times when I was really angry with this author. She neglected the human side of Valentino, and concentrated more on everyone around him, mostly the negative.

I do not like this woman... Rudy would have been upset at this book.

Of all the biographies I have read, Emily Leider's is the best--and I read many. Leider looks at Valentino's life in an objective way. She reveals a lot about his childhood and struggling years in America. She takes down scandalous myths (about Valentino being a "gigolo"), while revealing his flaws. I find some of the reviewers complaints without merit. Leider in no way is homophobic; she just strikes down the homosexual myths spread about Valentino. (I suppose some people wish for certain accusations for be true.) Leider reveals a lot about the silent star before stardom, career highs, and after his death. Leider deserves a lot of credit for this book. It is underappreciated. A true gem.

Ms Emily W.Leider has brought Rudolph Valentino to life in this book. The reason because Leider has researched and spent the time to go into fine detail about the people who knew him to show us all different characters, details about his Mother, father, lovers and close friends, adds only strength and character to himself.

Great detail about his wives, Jean Acker first wife (on paper only) A smart women, who I feel knew what she was doing, who knew how to tap into Valentino's emotions and wallet. Part time friend and always on hand to throw the Valentino name out there when money seem required she continued to use his name for financial gain. Natasha Rambova A more colourful character cultured, Sophisticated also a dancer, creative, a modern day's women of her time and his soul mate....... and for him, her parents had money, and social standing. Love and passion they both deeply shared. Women caused him a whole lot of trouble, Ms Leider writes more detail but gets the point across spot on.

His elegant mother she was long gone, but I feel she would have set things straight for him, she was a fine strong willed women and the only stable women he had in his life, a women that he needed just to sort out all his worries like she had done for him so many times before.

He was no businessman which he never denied, a man so cultured knowing many languages and sophisticated in every way always trying to better himself and had suffered for his art so much, did not teach himself the business side of things. As for dealing with the film studio bosses he was up against businessman with education trained in strategy. In European circle's and definitely British ones (To coin a phrase "My word is my bond") also from hearing through my own grandparents nothing was in writing back then a handshake was an understanding, that the handshake was a man's word. Studio bosses although gave out their word, when it came down to it, the old...... you needed to get that in writing ploy worked wonders for them, which out smarted most of the stars at the studio's of the 20's all to be taken advantage of, simply because the studio's knew most star's did not have the educational upbringing to understand the boardroom business strategies.

As for his sexuality well from what I've been reading of the 20's, Who really knew who was doing what and with who, affairs, scandal and swinging (and have things changed in our time..... I think not) well the 20's are filled to the brim with it. So it would have surprised me if I found out he hadn't participated in any one of these three. Ms Leider will only write what she has discovered in her research and nothing more, remember proof is needed to write anything concrete on a person sexuality.

In all, the book tells you what you need to know, I know big fans are more passionate about Valentino and pull on any inaccuracy made from this book, But for me I thought Ms Leider did real good, I just wanted to know his Life story and it's all there. Congratulations to Ms Leider for taking a good crack at this, it's been well covered and well worth a read.

I have seen other books on Rudolph Valentino but was always skeptical since 'Rudy' has been dragged through so many tabloid type write-ups but this one appeared to be a valid and thoroughly researched work. I am delighted that I bought it. At long last, Rudy is shown as both the man and the actor. There are times when Ms. Leider has to state that "he may have..." but it is necessary when Rudy's early days in New York are open to guessing what he may have done. When there is no record available, Ms. Leider takes the high road rather than interjecting a definite action the young immigrant made. I found it difficult to put this book down. It is a page turner. I found myself feeling as if I knew Rudy and I liked him. I didn't want him to die! Like Jean Harlow, he didn't seek medical help until it was too late.
Both Harlow and Valentino have been subjects of author Irving Shulman. Those books are to be avoided at all costs. Instead, go with David Stenn's definitive biography on Jean entitled "Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow". Like Emily Leider, he did his research leaving no stone unturned. As for those reviews who call Leider's work "homophobic", I disagree. There is simply no evidence that Valentino was gay or bisexual. He was not homophobic and there may have been one fling with a man but if no evidence is present then one cannot assume otherwise that Valentino was heterosexual. Like James Dean, people often want him to have been bisexual or gay. Ms. Leider states that both women and men were attracted to Rudy and that is true. The same holds true for Valentino. There is a certain vulnerability and boyishness about him that is attractive. But take note how she refutes Pola Negri's statements that she and Rudy were engaged. Rudy was down to earth and not histrionic like Pola.
The films themselves are crucial and it is sad to learn how many are lost such as "The Young Rajah". Hopefully, it may be discovered like "Beyond The Rocks", his only film with Gloria Swanson.
This book is a keeper. It is alive and the author brings Rudy from his pedestal and shows the young man and his many turmoils with the press and insecure American men! If anyone were to ask me what book to read on Valentino, this is the one. I am grateful to Emily Leider for showing us Rudy, warts and all. He was often foolish in spending, in love and he was no businessman
What we have here is, after so many years, the real Rudy.

I first read this book when I was 14, at the time I found it very romantic. It has been years frome that moment, and reading it again took me back in time, and I still think is a very romantic book, even thought is in fact chauvinist, makes you want to be abducted and find a hidden love away from anything else...

The Sheik
I CHOSE THIS BOOK FOR MY MOTHER. SHE READ HER MOTHERS COPY PASSED FROM HER MOTHER WHEN SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL. MOTHER NOW 80 AND BLIND WAS SO EXCITED EVERYDAY TO HEAR ANOTHER CHAPTER. IT WAS THE BEST PRESENT I COULD HAVE GIVEN MY TIME TO HER TO READ ABOUT A CAPTURE OF AN ENGLISH WOMAN BY A SHEIK THE MAN OF THE DESERT. DIANA MAYO EXPERIENCES AND THEN TO FALL INTO FORBIDDEN LOVE WITH THIS SOMETIMES CRUEL CAPTURE. THEN TO EVENTUALLY SHARE THEIR LOVE OF EACH OTHER AND THE DESERT WAS THRILLING. I RECOMMEND EVERY MOTHER AND DAUGHTER OR FRIENDS READ THIS WONDERFUL BOOK. I THINK THIS WRITER WAS SO AHEAD OF HER TIME WHAT PASSION FOR ALL THINGS WITH A TOUCH OF MISTERY.

This is the ultimate male fantasy romance novel. I literally threw it across the room when I finished it and annotated it with phrases such as "AAAHHH" and "I think I'm going to puke" and "you've got to be kidding me". If you are looking for a chuckle and beach read and you have little expectations beyond a ridiculous romance with odd undertones and a twisted ending that only a true romantic pre-1950 could enjoy, this is the book for you.

I don't know what's more horrifying: this book, or the reviews talking about how "romantic" it is to read about a woman who's kidnapped and raped until she falls in love with her rapist.

The book behind the famed 1922 movie starring Rudolph Valentino was in itself a major event, for it was the very first of the genre now known as the romance novel. An instant best-seller, its steamy and suggestive plot caused much controversy. In brief, Diana Mayo is a beautiful willful, tomboyish, aristocratic Briton with a taste for adventure who goes off on a lark for a month in the Algerian desert. She is abducted by the handsome, ferocious, barbaric, sophisticated tribal leader Ahmed ben Hassan, who ensconces her in his luxurious tents in mid-desert and ravishes her. Diana abominates her captor for two months, then falls madly in love with him. Along the way, she experiences a host of adventures, including getting captured and almost killed by Ahmed ben Hassan's hereditary enemy. Oh, and at the end we learn that Ahmed ben Hassan is really half-Spanish and half-British, and of noble birth on both sides.

Well written and fun to read eight decades on for its exoticism and over-the-top romance, The Sheik is both reflects and perpetuates the absurd clichés of its age about Arabs. "She was utterly in his power and at his mercy - the mercy of an Arab who was merciless." "He was an Arab, to whom the feelings of a woman were non existent." Asked if he loves anything, the sheikh replies, "Yes, I do. I love my horses." "That he was an Arab with Oriental instincts filled her with continual dread." "When an Arab sees a woman that he wants he takes her." And this, said by the sheikh to Diana: "We teach our women obedience with a whip." In addition to these many comments on male-female relations, the novel also contains a smattering of other prejudices typical of its time ("the pungent smell of the native" and the like).

(...)

In this, one of his earliest works, Tom Tierney has captured the magic and dark sensuality of the silent era. Rudolph Valentino and his leading ladies are beautifully rendered. This publication will appeal to both fans of the star, movie buffs, paper doll enthusiasts and anyone who appreciates graphic art.

This paper doll book from 1979 is quite clever. There is a "basic doll", who unfortunately looks a bit more like Barbie's Ken than Valentino, with Ken's "perfect physique", and large "manly jaw".

It has 21 costumes, mostly from his films, and also features some of his co-stars: Beatice Domingues dancing with him in "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", Nazimova ("Camille"), Agnes Ayres ("The Sheik"), Gloria Swanson ("Beyond the Rocks"), Nita Naldi ("Blood and Sand"), Wanda Hawley ("The Young Rajah"), Bebe Daniels ("Monsieur Beaucaire"), Louise Dresser ("The Eagle"), Vilma Banky ("Son of the Sheik"), and his wife Natasha Rambova, dressed for the dance tour they did together.

Rambova had much to do with some of his costumes, as she was "artistic supervisor" for many of his films. She hired Broadway designer Adrian for "Monsieur Beaucaire", and he continued with a long and successful Hollywood career, doing designs for Valentino, and many others.
This is a curious piece of Valentino trivia for fans of the great silent film star...I'm giving it a fairly low rating because of it not looking more like Valentino...but if you don't mind him being "Ken the Sheik of Araby", you'll find it amusing.

At first i was disappointed because it was a paperback book and it WAS a little expensive. But it is a great book for the Valentino fan. Great lists!! I'd recommend it for Rudy fans. It concentrates on the last few days of his life.

I have no clue as to how to clasify this book. I do not know what it is. I am not sure what I read. Is it a reference book? Is it a tour book? Is it a travel guide? Is it a book of lists? I cannot say. The author discusses the last dying days of Rudolph Valentino and has some rather interesting pictures. That comprises Part One. OK, but nothing new; nothing other books do not have. Then the author or researcher goes into a travelogue and takes the poor reader on a tour of Valentino's old haunts in various cities as Part Two. It was intolerable. Boring. Dull. Lists and more lists. Then he gives pages and pages and more pages of references to newspaper articles about Valentino. Then he throws in quotes after quotes about what people said about Valentino upon his passing. It is as if you are present at Valentino's funeral. I have read many a Valentino book, have reviewed several here, see my reviews, but I am so sorry I ever bought this book--a waste. A total waste. Nothing new and for us Valentino fans, a big disappointment. I will not keep this book--either I will throw it out, or donate it. I felt I was reading a college term paper with lists and facts and quotes. Please don't buy this book!!!

I read "The Valentino Mystique: The Death and Afterlife of the Silent Film Idol" after purchasing it from author Allan R. Ellenberger at one of his insightful and visually entertaining speaking engagements on the topic. Having visited Valentino's crypt at nearby Hollywood Forever Cemetery several times, I was definitely drawn to the "mystique" of his afterlife and Mr. Ellenberger left no stone unturned satisfying my curiosity. The book is constructed in three parts: the first focusing on the last days of the screen legend's life, the controversial events surrounding his death, right on through to the subsequent funeral, which can only be described as Hollywood's premiere bi-coastal fan frenzied media circus. Even if you have read other Valentino biographies, I still highly recommend this book not only for the compelling writing style but also because it also offers details in the last two sections that you wouldn't necessarily find in print elsewhere. I especially enjoyed reading the Valentino-related site tours (part two) and the numerous information-packed appendices (part three) which cover the gamut from Valentino's medical diagnosis, operation and treatment to his Last Will and Testament and highlights from the estate sale including item descriptions and prices they sold for, to detailed newspaper references.

This outstanding biography of Valentino, which I've read twice, is extremely well-written, entertaining, and insightful. Shulman's thorough and well-organized reporting, keen observations, and critical commentary on the film industry and American culture make this compelling reading. The biography begins with Valentino's dramatic funeral in New York in August 1926, then moves back to Rudolph's birth and life in Castellaneta, Italy. Shulman then narrates the fascinating odyssey of Valentino's struggle to succeed in America, his rise to stardom, his two failed marriages, his (and second wife Natacha Rambova's) occult beliefs and practices, his death, and his posthumous deification as a love god. Shulman appreciates and sympathizes with Valentino, but does so in a manner that is neither lachrymose nor condescending. A terrific read!!!

Extremely well-written biography, so much so I've read it twice. Shulman's lively reportorial style is marked by wry humor, keen observations about Hollywood and American society, and a genuine appreciation for Valentino. Highly recommended!!!

Shulman's "biography" of Valentino is certainly more fiction than truth. It's an interesting read if you're looking for the flavor of the 1920s, but other than that, forget it. It is equally as florid as his "biography" of Jean Harlow. Does he make this stuff up as he goes along?

Dismal and overwrought bio of silent cinema's first Latin lover. Casts Valentino as the victim of scheming women at every turn. Offers no new information, and rehashes lots of unproven allegations, like Rudy worked as a gigolo in NY before his film career. If anyone can recommend a good biography of Valentino, I would love to hear from them.

Valentino: First Superstar is the story of the Latin lover who became the silver screen's first and greatest sex symbol represents more than twenty years of research and travel on the part of author Botham, who reveals missing answers about the star's brief but memorable life. Interviews with some of the costars and personalities of Valentino's time makes for a well-rounded biography.

If you're a romantic, in love with the mysterious man that has kept women (and some men) spellbound for decades, read on. If you're looking for a scholarly examination of Valentino's life and work, this isn't the book for you.

`Valentino: The First Superstar' is a lightweight journey through the life of Rudolph Valentino, of whom too few decent books have been written. The author frames the bare details in theatrical vignettes, complete with all dialogue, giving a sense of drama but not necessarily of veracity. Such an approach is a suspect one; by putting words in the mouths of his `characters', the author sculpts history to his own liking. The overall impression is that of an afternoon television movie.

The lack of an index and the limited bibliography confirms the book as one of amateur, not professional interest. However, if you know nothing of Valentino beyond his name and reputation, this might be a good place to begin.

Noel Botham co-authored an earlier bio in 1975-76, this book is very much a rehash of the same material, much of it suspect. No index and notes make verification of the facts and sources difficult. Not worth hanging on to. My advice is to wait for the upcoming biography authored by Emily Leider.

I think this book was alright,but it didn`t say enough.I like any book with Rudolph Valentino,because I like to look at the pictures of him.I was always a big fan of him and his movies.What women isn`t a fan of his.He has been a sex-symbol for the past 8 decades.
This book didn`t tell enough about his marriages to Jean Acker and Natacha Rambova.I know they were both lesbians and didn`t love him or any other man.This book them Natacha Rambova look like a descent person.When she was very evil that i read in other books.
Thid book is okay in some way,but I would reccomend a lot of other ones.