23 Sahara Knights

Myths, Facts, and Rumors about Rudolph Valentino

There are many myths, rumors, and legends about Rudolph Valentino.  Consider this a bit of a 'FAQ' area.  Below we try to debunk and clarify many of these rumors in question and answer format.  This section will be updated frequently.  If you have a question you'd like to ask please see our contact page.

 

 

Q: Was Rudolph Valentino Gay or Bisexual?

 

No.  There were many gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual stars in vaudeville and Hollywood just as there is today (Ramon Novarro, Alla Nazimova, Jean Acker, and Julian Eltinge would be a few to name).  Not every silent film star was gay or in hiding as has come to believed in the last few decades.  To say he wasn't gay is not denial, or homophobic.  He would have been just as an amazing actor no matter what his orientation.  But the questions always arise, and the facts are still the facts.

 

The 1920s were a very liberal time, akin to the 1960s in many ways.  Women, Homosexuals, Cross dressers, and Minorities had many freedoms that would soon be lost until more recent times.  To be gay in Hollywood wouldn't have been a major shame, though admittedly it would be hard to be out and out as it is today.

 

Everyone likes to speculate, and say they 'know' because 'someone told someone' the 'truth' about a long dead star.  This happens often in Valentino's case.  Obviously it is impossible to know what someone did in their bedroom 90 years ago (with the advent of digital cameras maybe biographers of the future wont have this problem) but it is possible to get a general idea based on their actions over a lifetime.

 

By all accounts Valentino was straight.  He had his childhood girlfriends, a troubled romance with a chorus girl in Paris during his teenage years, and apparently did not slow down once he arrived in New York.  True he wasn't a woman hungry Sheik as he portrayed on the screen, but by most accounts he loved women.  Mae Murray recalled he had aspirations on her, though she was seeing someone at the time.  He got into major trouble pining over the married Blanca de Saulles (eventually driving him from New York).

 

In California he married Jean Acker, who was indeed a lesbian (caught in a very powerful love triangle she seen Valentino as her way safely out of it).  Rudolph could not understand what he had done to offend her and wrote her many love letters pleading for her to forgive him and love him as his wife.  It seems by this letters he did not know she was a lesbian, or the concept was lost on him until their separation.

 

Ironically he did come to have many gay friends, which is probably where some of the rumors spread from.  Julian Eltinge while not officially gay (he married a woman) was a female impersonator, a close friend of June Mathis (Rudy's mentor), and gave Rudy one of his early supporting roles in "Isle of Love" (1918).  Alla Nazimova had small flings with men (including Paul Ivano) but for the most part was considered a lesbian (in fact she was dating Jean Acker, one part of the triangle).  Rudy was not one to discriminate, he always insisted someone should be judged on their character and proved it with his circle of friends, including the black sheep of Hollywood Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle.
 

Rudy was obsessed with Natacha Rambova, his second wife.  He wound up in jail for her (over bigamy charges), he couldn't wait to marry her, he let her run his business affairs, he admired her taste in art and design, and he nearly committed suicide on a few occasions after they separated.  A gay man would not pine so longingly for a beard of a wife.

 

On his death bed he sent telegrams to Natacha (who was in Paris) right up until his final hours.  Both George Ullman who was with him, and Natacha, believed a reconciliation had taken place.  Why he would make it such an urgent matter when death was so near seems odd if he were indeed gay.

 

In addition to his liberal friend circle some of the rumors may have spread from his media battle during the 1920s.  White American Men did not take kindly to his Latin Lover ways, and called him effeminate in press for the COSTUMES he wore in films (gaucho pants and Sheik robes were baggy and thus considered girly).  This was a coded way of lobbing 'gay' at someone.  They then called him effeminate for wearing a wristwatch which was considered girly at the time even though other sexy male celebrities had begun wearing them (it was a new invention).  In his 1927 book George Ullman went to great lengths to explain how Rudy did not care what people though of his clothing, though that caused the most stir.  The Pink Powder Puff article was another similar attack, and it bugged him so he pursued it viciously in the press, even though everyone thought it was a publicity stunt (on his death bed he reportedly asked the doctor "Am I still a pink powder puff?").

 

However no one seemed to sincerely doubt his sexuality at the time.  In the 2 years following his death Ullman noted 32 some women claimed to be carrying his child, even when the timeline did not quite fit.  Pola Negri threw a fit at the funeral, convinced they were set to be married.  Marion Benda and a slew of other women were confirmed to be dating him near his final months.  Rumor had it he dated Vilma Banky and Nita Naldi as well (though both of these claims are doubtful).

 

The gay rumors officially started in the 1960s, when several trashy books claimed that he was gay amongst other things.  Hollywood Babylon perpetuated the myth he dated Ramon Novarro (see below please) and both his wives were lesbians.  These rumors just grew over the years, despite no basis in fact.  Today it has been quite hard to overturn them as Rudy speaks so deeply to both the gay and straight fans who have found him in the decades following his death.  Surely he would have been pleased to have such a following but as it stands the facts only prove one thing: he was straight.

 

Q: Did he date Ramon Novarro and what about that art deco dildo?

 

That whole sentence sounds silly!  Novarro was actually brought in by Alice Terry and Rex Ingram to 'replace' Valentino as Ingram had a deep hatred (and jealousy) of Rudy for outshining him on the few films they made together.  He was sure it was HIS work that had made Rudy a star, so he took Ramon and decided to prove it.  Actually he was very wrong: his copycat films with Ramon flopped hard (including one titled The Arab).  Ramon was a very talented, gay, Mexican actor but his success came later, when he wasn't copying Rudy.

 

Ramon probably never met Rudy more than a few seconds.  By Ramon's own account he only met Valentino once and didn't have much to say about it.

 

This entire stupid rumor started in Hollywood Babylon.  In it Kenneth Anger claims that when Novarro was murdered a black art deco dildo was found shoved down his throat, a gift from his 'friend' Rudolph Valentino (other versions say it had Valentino's signature, or was modeled on Valentino's own appendage).  No such gift ever existed or was found at the crime scene.  Novarro died a very sad death when 2 men hired as escorts decided to rob and beat him in search of a fortune they thought he kept in his house.  Surely such an object would have been noted somewhere in the reports, but it wasn't.  It never existed.  Nor did a romantic (or even friendship) relationship between the two Latin lovers.

 

Q: Did Rudolph Valentino marry two lesbians?

 

Another Hollywood Babylon myth.  Valentino was married twice.  His first wife Jean Acker was a small time actress and a lesbian.  At the time she was dating b actress Grace Darmond and very powerful lesbian actress Alla Nazimova.  Seeing this young newcomer who was infatuated with her as a way out she agreed to marry Valentino...who was unaware of her status.

 

They married impulsively at a party on November 6, 1919 and returned to the Hollywood Hotel where they danced all night.  Heading to their honeymoon suite Acker panicked and locked herself inside and refused to let Valentino in...or explain what in the hell she was up to.  Valentino was extremely frustrated and disappointed.  He sent her long loving letters for many months, certain he had done something wrong and just wanted her back.  Eventually it must have been explained to him because they separated and later divorced.  Acker lived with Grace for awhile.  After the divorce she moved in with Chloe Carter whom she remained with for the rest of her life.  She and Valentino became friends again shortly before his death, in fact she was one of the last people to see him alive.  She attended the viewing and was one of the few of his acquaintances to do so.  She also wrote a song to cash in on his death, but it was quickly outshone by "There's A New Star in Heaven Tonight".

 

Now Natacha Rambova was NOT a lesbian.  Valentino's second wife had a tumultuous relationship with ballet dancer Theodore Kosloff before she met Rudy.  She began working for Alla Nazimova, though by most accounts she did not reciprocate Nazimova's romantic feelings.  She then met Valentino whom she moved in with.  They married May 13th, 1922 in Mexico.  However the 1 year waiting period had not passed and Valentino was charged with bigamy.  They legally remarried on a stop of the Minervala Tour in Indiana on March 14, 1923.

 

Natacha and Rudy had a deep and loving relationship, though the fighting eventually got the best of them with a separation occurring in 1925 and a divorce by 1926.  They reconciled on Rudy's deathbed.  Natacha refused to speak about him after the 1920s had passed and pursued various careers including Egyptology, fashion design, and remodeling villas.  She remarried in 1934 to a man that resembled Rudy: Alvaro de Urzaiz.  The marriage only lasted a few years and she never married again.

 

Rumors have it that Natacha had relationships with everyone from Nazimova to Mercedes de Costa (whom indeed she was a friend of).  Whether she was just friendly with liberal circles or an active participant is hard to say.  However by most accounts she considered herself straight and even told friends on several occasions that she 'hated lesbians'.  At most she might have been bisexual, but best we can tell she was indeed straight.

 

Q: Did Rudolph Valentino die of a gunshot wound/various other crazy causes?  Did he die in a boxing match?

 

A: There are many interesting celebrity deaths from the 1920s and 1930s...Olive Thomas accidentally poisoned herself, Lya De Putti contracted an infection after swallowing a chicken bone, and Larry Semon seemed to not really die at all (or so the story went)...

 

For some reason, despite his straight forward death, many rumors have sprung up around the cause of Valentino's death.  A very old rumor had it that he died after eating from a new fangled aluminum pot (which supposedly poisoned him).  Another persistent rumor had him shot by a jealous rival, despite no such wound found on his body.

 

Valentino's death was quite straightforward, and very tragic.  For a full accounting of the events directly before, during, and after his death we recommend "The Valentino Mystique" by Allan Ellenberger.  However we'll set the record straight here as well.

 

Valentino was possibly ill as early as his troubles with Natacha.  In 1926 (after suffering a terrible divorce) he took on filming "Son of the Sheik" despite the fact by this time he was having severe stomach pains.  These pains had increased as early as that summer, but he had probably been suffering for awhile.  June Mathis, Joseph Schenck, Norma Talmadge, and a whole slew of his friends all advised him to see a doctor, but Rudy was opposed as he did not like doctors.  While in New York for the premiere of Son of the Sheik he took severely ill on August 15th.  He was unable to eat, had severe stomach pain, and his color was bad.  He was examined and moved to the Polyclinic Hospital where it was determined he had suffered from gastric ulcers.

 

He was operated on and daily bulletins were given out to the media, as the whole world seemed to be watching.  On August 18th the doctors assured everyone that Rudy would be fine, both Rudy and George Ullman (his manager and friend who was with him the entire time) thought he would be well in no time.  In fact not too long after Rudy asked to be moved back to his hotel, with nurses.  The doctors refused.  On August 21st he insisted he felt great, he couldn't even feel the incision anymore...which unfortunately was a sign of infection.  The infection spread and pleurisy (swelling of the lung lining) set in making it hard for him to breathe.  Joseph and Norma came to visit, and had trouble watching him as he could barely talk between gasps.

 

He was in and out of consciousness well into August 23rd.  He became delirious, believing he and George had been lost in the woods.  He also still believed he would get better, telling the doctor they would go fishing soon like he promised.  Sadly he lapsed into a coma and died on the 23rd from the infection.  This was before antibiotics, before penicillin.  This was shortly after an era where Doctors wore their own street clothes and didn't wash their hands when performing operations (and some still didn't!).  Sadly several silent stars died from things now treatable, but at the time it was quite common.

 

Most of the other myths about his death, including alcoholism or a boxing match mostly stem from the inaccurate movies about his life.  The boxing match took place shortly before his death, and may have aggravated his condition.  However it was a friendly match, and Rudy had suffered pain long before the match.  As for alcoholism he mostly drank wine as was the European way, unlike other silent film stars his drinking habits weren't legendary.  Nothing about his story says 'alcoholic'.  Same for drugs.  Perhaps his worst habit was smoking, according to George Ullman he smoked 2 packs a day.

 

Q: Was a wax dummy used at his visitation?  Why did Rudolph Valentino have such a public funeral?

 

A: No. The wax dummy rumor was spread by a Photoplay reporter, who upon seeing Rudy's body at the visitation was convinced it was a dummy.  However the hundreds of thousands of others who viewed the body did not feel that was the case, noting his mouth was still twisted in pain from his final illness.  If indeed there had been a dummy surely someone else would have mentioned it, or it would have turned up by now as Ellenberger pointed out.

 

The public funeral was Ullman's decision as he was executor of Valentino's estate (Rudy's next of kin were both in Italy when he died).  Valentino's estate was heavily in debt when he died, and Ullman knowing they needed to keep his name in the papers to promote Son of the Sheik decided to let the public view his body.  However after a few days Ullman found the crowds actions distasteful (many were acting as if at a carnival or happy event...much like The Valentino Memorial Service today) and immediately ended the public viewings.  Ullman seems to have meant well, but only he will know why he made the decision he did.

 

Much like the Michael Jackson funeral the public could not get enough of Rudy...they wanted to know every detail and witness everything for themselves.  2 reporters were kicked out of his New York funeral, and on the way to Los Angeles the train stopped at every podunk town in the country where Pola Negri continued her mourning act.  If Ullman had not made such a public decision perhaps the public pressure would have been worse.  People tend to fault him for bringing so much public attention but one must remember the public had been watching with bated breath from the moment Rudy entered the hospital.

 

Q: Was Rudolph Valentino the first celebrity death?

 

A: These days when most people can't remember film before Marilyn Monroe, Valentino's death is cited as the first such celebrity occurrence.  In fact two major film celebrities had died before him, and both were at a similar level of fame.

 

First fat man comedian John Bunny died in 1915.  However he was 51, and looked old for age.  His death was front page news all over the world, with poets and reporters certain his name would live on forever.  Unfortunately film developed so quickly in the next 10 years not even dedicated silent film fans know his name.  Like Valentino, Bunny had been extremely famous only to take a break, lose some popularity, and return to film triumphantly.

 

First flapper Olive Thomas died in 1920.  Married to Jack Pickford (brother to Queen of Hollywood Mary Pickford) she played sweet feisty teenagers on screen.  In real life she was a feisty Irish drunk who may or may not have enjoyed cocaine as well.  While in France with Jack she accidentally swallowed mercury bichloride, which was used as a cleaning solution when in liquid form.  She lived for a few days afterwards, but eventually succumb.  She was only 25.  Her funeral was a smaller version of what was to come with Valentino.  Women fainted and were trampled, and there was a lot of press interest in her funeral and estate.  Like Bunny and Valentino her last film, "Everybody's Sweetheart" was released just after her death. Theatre promoters were advised to play up the death angle and even put fake coffins in the theatres (eerily reminiscent of some recent Michael Jackson promotions).

 

Olive too was at the height of her fame when she died.  Sadly like Bunny she was forgotten by the time talkies arrived.  It was thought only two films of hers survived until 2005...12 total were found.

 

One final comparison might be Wallace Reid, though his death had been expected as he was severely addicted when he died.  In Natacha Rambova's other side talks with the now dead Rudy she said he enjoyed going to the opera with Wally Reid and Olive Thomas...so comparisons had even been made at that time.

 

Perhaps though Rudy's was the first modern celebrity funeral.  His death and the reaction to it eclipsed everyone before him.  Though not every death circus now can be compared to his, it is usually an apt metaphor.  I have a feeling in 30 years there will be moonwalking Jackson impersonators making a yearly pilgrimage to his final resting place.  Maybe he'll get his own Lady in Black as well.

 

Q: Did Rudolph Valentino ever act with/know Theda Bara?

 

A: This is a question a lot of new silent film fans ask as the names are both quite iconic.  No they never acted together.  Maybe they did meet once or twice, but I've never heard of it.

 

Theda Bara, the world's first vamp and icon, acted in films from 1915 to 1919.  After that she retired from the screen, making a brief appearance in a Hal Roach short (and a half) and one last feature, "The Unchastened Woman" in 1926.  Though the press seemed to want Theda to come back, her final pictures were b rate and barely garnered much notice.

 

In fact Rudy and Theda's careers almost went opposite of each other.  When Theda was famous Rudy was a b picture star.  When Rudy was famous, Theda was a b picture star.  The two never acted together, and perhaps this association comes from his films with Nita Naldi, easily Theda's vamp successor.

 

It's unknown if they ever met, and in fact it might be unlikely.  Theda did vaudeville tours during Rudy's peak years.  She didn't really start attending Hollywood parties and events until after he died.  It's quite possible they crossed paths, but if so what happened is lost to history.

 

Q: Where did the Lady in Black come from?

 

A: There are many MANY supposed truths behind this story...all quite hard to prove.  Ditra Flame is constantly cited as the first real Lady in Black.  The most likely origins of the phenomena go back to press agents, who when re-releasing Rudy's movies in the 30s created the idea of a 'Lady in Black' to drum up publicity.

 

Q: Where does The Valentino Memorial Service come from?  Why is it still going on?

 

A: Lord knows why it's still going on.  As this Society is about life and not death we do not support the memorial service.  However we can give you the history of it.

 

The memorial service started in 1927, with Rudy's brother Alberto attending a few years.  Like many Valentino things it started sincere before turning kooky.  By the 1930s a carnival atmosphere had taken over, with costumes and such taking place over a solemn ceremony.  Valentino's family refused to take part or endorse the ceremony after this, and it would take until 2009 for a family member to attend the event once more (a great great niece of Valentino's).

 

In the late 20s a Valentino Memorial Guild was founded.  Its original purpose was to raise money for children's charities (a cause Rudy surely would have been fond of).  However again by the 1930s things turned sour...eventually turning into a guild full of charlatans and self proclaimed psychics who put the Memorial Spectacle to shame.

 

Eventually the two basically became intertwined, continuing a carnival atmosphere well into the 1980s.  Head Kook Leslie Flynt (Guild President) died in the early 1990s.  At that time the Guild officially ceased to be and those left tried to continue the memorial in a new 'dignified' way.  This involved doing away with the more kooky and costume aspects, yet still hocking books and focusing on Rudy's long ago death.