23 Sahara Knights

Complete Filmography of Rudolph Valentino

*Originally appeared on Forget the Talkies here*

 

 

 

61% of Valentino's films survive to this day in fragments or in full.  That's a surprisingly high survival rate as something akin to 70% of all silent films are thought to be lost.  See below for details on where the films exist and where you can purchase a copy.

 

The Complete Rudolph Valentino Filmography List
Purple means fully exists
Blue means partially exists or a clip exists
Pink means lost

* means released on DVD or VHS

1914:
The Battle of the Sexes

My Official Wife

 

1916:

The Quest of Life

Seventeen

The Foolish Virgin

 

1917:

Patria

Alimony
 

1918:

*A Society Sensation

*All Night

*A Married Virgin/Frivolous Wives

 

1919:

*A Delicious Little Devil

Virtuous Sinners

The Big Little Person

A Rogue's Romance

The Homebreaker

Out of Luck/Nobody Home

*The Eyes of Youth

 

1920:

*An Adventuress/Isles of Love

Passion's Playground

The Cheater

Once to Every Woman

The Wonderful Chance

*Stolen Moments

*The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Uncharted Seas

*Camille

*The Conquering Power

 

1921:

*The Sheik

 

1922:

*Moran of Lady Letty

*Beyond the Rocks

*Blood and Sand

 

1923:

*The Young Rajah

*Rudolph Valentino and his 88 American Beauties

1924:

*Monsieur Beaucaire

A Sainted Devil

The Hooded Falcon

 

1925:

*Cobra

*The Eagle

 

1926:

*Son of the Sheik

 

 

 

Notes about films and where to buy:

 

Surviving Films:

*A Married Virgin/Frivolous Wives
1918. One of Valentino's last 'heavy' villain roles. Survives and was released by Image Entertainment on DVD. Click here to purchase.

*All Night
1918. Another 'whitey' role. This time with Carmel Meyers. This film is one of Valentino's few comedies. Survives in decent condition. Was released by Grapevine on DVD. Click here to purchase.

*A Delicious Little Devil
1919. His Mae Murray picture. After Valentino became famous it was rereleased with his name in star billing...pissing Mae off. She demanded this be 'fixed' and it was. In fairness she does star, he's in a smaller supporting role. The film survives and was released by New York Video on the Beyond the Rocks DVD as a bonus feature. Click here to purchase.

*Virtuous Sinners
1919. Valentino has a bit part in this Norman Kerry film. A print survives at the Library of Congress but it has yet to be released on DVD.

*The Eyes of Youth
1919. The film that June Mathis seen and 'discovered' Valentino in. Oddly Gloria Swanson later remade this film. Survives and was released via Grapevine on DVD. Click here to purchase.

*An Adventuress/The Isle of Love
1920. A very infamous film. It features Julian Eltinge (a cross dresser who June Mathis worked with as a teen), Valentino, and the infamous Virginia Rappe (Fatty's accuser/Maude Delmont's meal ticket). The film was rechopped at least twice to feature Valentino more prominently. One of the versions (the most butchered one of all) does survive...but very unfortunately the ONLY release of it was on the equally infamous Kenneth Brownlow directed Hollywood series (Episode: Single Beds and Double Standards). It was on DVD for all of 2 seconds before copyright issues arose and the DVD was pulled and placed on hold...about 8 years ago. Your best bet is to seek a VHS copy. ULCA houses a print. Check out my review of this infamously bad film.

*The Wonderful Chance
1920. He's white, but gangsta. This film survives entirely but reportedly in bad condition. I believe Museum of Modern Art owns the print as they screened it as recently as 2003.

*The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
1921. Valentino's breakthrough role. Oddly enough though it survives the DVD is long out of print. I'd like to know why I can buy Stolen Moments but not Four Horsemen! However it is luckily available for free viewing and downloading at the internet archive. Click here to watch. 

A physical copy can usually be found on bootleg via ioffer.com or ebay.com

*Camille
1921. This dreadful Alla Nazimova vehicle features a can't miss Valentino. In fact several of his scenes were cut, because Nazimova didn't like being upstaged. Unfortunately it's unlikely they still exist. As for the released version it still exists and was released on DVD via Grapevine. Click here to purchase.

*The Conquering Power
1921. This was Valentino's second June Mathis penned film, though it wasn't a major success (or flop, it did okay). It survives and has been released on VHS, but apparently not an official DVD.  A physical copy can usually be found on bootleg via ioffer.com or ebay.com

*The Sheik
1921. Nothing more to say. However obviously it survives and has been released along with its sequel on DVD. Click here to purchase.

*Moran of the Lady Letty
1922. A decent enough film. Valentino is gorgeous in it. Survives and was released on The Valentino Collection DVD set. Click here to purchase.

*Beyond the Rocks
1922. Was lost for many a year but was rediscovered in 2005 (miracles do happen!) This film co-stars Gloria Swanson and it is amazing. It was been released on DVD via Milestone.  Click here to purchase.

*Blood and Sand
1922. Valentino's last major success before his strike. His third June Mathis penned film was a smashing success and co-starred the lovely Lita Lee and Nita Naldi. It survives and was released on DVD via Kino.  Avoid public domain copies as they contain the second worst looping music score ever). Click here to purchase.

*Rudolph Valentino and his 88 Beauties
1923. A short newsreel following Valentino and the grand finale to his Mineravala Dance and Beauty Competition tour. A rare chance to see him in a natural state. Survives completely and was released on The Valentino Collection. Click here to purchase.

*Monsieur Beaucaire
1924. Valentino's ill fated comeback picture. Survives complete yet the version on DVD is not the best available print, and was taken from a I believe in 1934 re-release with added sound effects and such. Including a fake singing Rudy (it's not actually his voice). At least that's what I've been told, I don't own the DVD (but if its 'Red Red Rose' its fake, Rudy only made 2 recordings in his lifetime). Released on DVD via Grapevine. Click here to purchase.

*Cobra
1925. A very ill fated Natacha run picture made during The Hooded Falcon debacle. Survives and was released on DVD via Image Entertainment. Click here to purchase.

*The Eagle
1925. Valentino's successful 'comeback from Natacha' vehicle. Featured Vilma Banky as his leading lady. Survives and was released on DVD. Click here to purchase.

*Son of the Sheik
1926. Again nothing more to say. Survives completely and was released with the first on on DVD. Click here to purchase.

*Short Films
Valentino made a few short subjects during his lifetime. Unfortunately I believe a lot are lost (he took home video of Natacha, and his European trip none of which I have been told survives). Yet a few still exist. There is a film of him on the beach, a film of him 'undressing' in a car (its hilarious), and film of him at home with Pola. There is also a short film called "Character Studies" which he appeared in with various other stars (including Fatty Arbuckle). On top of this some newsreels showing behind the scenes footage of The Sheik and Blood and Sand exist as well as newsreel of his funeral. MOST of these can be found on The Valentino Collection DVD set. Click here to purchase. The rest are on youtube.

Surviving Fragments

*Patria
1917. Valentino's first surviving role, as an uncredited extra in Chapter 3 (though it is confirmed to be him). Patria has not seen a release but reels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 survive at the Museum of Modern Art. This means Valentino's appearance is in the surviving footage.

*A Society Sensation
1918. Valentino's first real role (as Dick Bradley...a WHITEY!) It was a B film but some of it survives (about 50%). The surviving film was released by Flicker Alley on The Valentino Collection DVD set. Click here to purchase.

*Stolen Moments
1920. The original film was full length and starring Marguerite Namara. After Valentino rose to fame they chopped it in half to feature him (about 35 minutes long). Only the chopped version remains. It was released on The Valentino Collection DVD. Click here to purchase.

*The Young Rajah
1922. The most infamously lost Valentino film. It was his first 'flop' (it did okay but not 'Blood and Sand' okay) and his last film before his Famous Players strike. Only a few fragments have been found, and they aren't in great condition. What survives has been released on The Valentino Collection DVD. Click here to purchase.

*A Sainted Devil
1924. Only a few fragments of this Natacha tinged film are rumored to exist. I have yet to see them or be told where or what they are but I've read it on several sites now so I'll place it here.

Lost Films

*The Battle of the Sexes
1914. This D.W. Griffith/Lillian Gish film is rumored to be Valentino's first, yet its also lost. Valentino was said to have met up with Griffith in California, but that wouldn't be until 1917 or 1918. And Lillian Gish was said to have told Griffith to put Valentino in a film of his, but this was again a Hollywood story. Though if Valentino was just an extra it was possibly neither Gish nor Griffith were aware of him. Since it's lost we can't say for certain.

*My Official Wife
1914. Again a rumored Valentino appearance in a lost film. This was a Clara Kimball Young film, and given that she thought highly of him during "Eyes of Youth" (4 years later) its possible. But since its unseen this is unconfirmed.

*The Quest of Life
1916. Another lost and unconfirmed one.

*Seventeen
1916. This is the first CONFIRMED appearance of Valentino in a film. Of course its lost, but a still from this Jack Pickford film shows Valentino smiling behind the bride.

*The Foolish Virgin
1916. Another Clara Kimball Young. Another lost and unconfirmed picture.