Comments on: The “Latin Lover” and His Enemies

By: Kerry

Kerry — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 19:51:31 +0000

Gilbert….my apologies for the typos, ‘was using my I-Phone and it’s itty bitty keys! Meant to say “really do look a lot different from the suit he’s wearing here”…..and meant to say “can you believe we are discussing Valentino nearly 86 years AFTER the man’s demise?”

By: Kerry

Kerry — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 17:27:25 +0000

http://boudoirartdolls.com/sainted_devil

Hi Gilbert,

That photo is most assuredly from the lost “Sainted Devil”.

Please forgive that I am unable to portray photos depicting (just will NOT duplicate or copy for insertion here)but I think if you would kindly just go to the above noted website, there are a few stills there that will show you he is wearing the same outfit, dancing with a lovely lady, not fighting a bull!

The “suit of lights” worn by bull fighters really do like a lot different from the the suit he’s wearing here.

And again, I contend this is a far more POLISHED Valantino then we see in “Blood and Sand”.

Sad this movie is lost.

Finally, Gilbert…..can you believe we are Valentino nearly 86 years AFTER the man’s demise? Now THAT’S star power!

Best regards,

Kerry

By: Gilbert King

Gilbert King — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 02:53:25 +0000

Kerry, there’s definitely some confusion on the internets on this one. The only known print of 1924′s “The Sainted Devil” is mostly destroyed. In “Blood and Sand” Valentino plays a matador whose costumes are very much in line with this publicity photo. You can watch clips here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcw9yj-NdUg Publicity photos were not always taken at the time the movies were made, and this image could have easily been taken after “Blood and Sand” was shot, at a time when Valentino was preparing for or already filming another movie, which could explain why his sideburns are shorter in this publicity photo. In addition, none of the artwork I’ve seen from “The Saintly Devil” features Valentino in a matador’s outfit, as he is in this photograph. But if you can find something definitive, please post!

By: Kerry

Kerry — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:48:16 +0000

That photo is a still from “The Saintly Devil” not “Blood and Sand”.

Remember, throughout the film “Blood and Sand” Valentino’s hair was quite untamed, as were his eyebrows. This is clearly a very polished Valentino.

Wikipedia is great, but this was a mistake, no “Blood and Sand”.

By: Gilbert King

Gilbert King — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:45:27 +0000

Thanks for the heads up, Gael. This image is incorrectly labeled on several sites, including Wikipedia. It is indeed from “Blood and Sand,” a 1922 film where Valentino played the role of a matador, Juan Gallardo.

By: MaryL

MaryL — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 20:03:00 +0000

My father’s mother had a crush on Valentino. That’s why Dad was named Rudolph.

By: Gael Sweeney

Gael Sweeney — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 19:08:34 +0000

The photo of Valentino is actually from “Blood and Sand” — mainly because when you click on it, it says so.

By: cmarrou

cmarrou — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:44:54 +0000

Pola Negri spent her retirement in an expensive home in San Antonio, Texas, where I spent many years as a reporter. Rumors were that she was a lesbian, but again, they were just rumors. Still, they would back up the other rumors that Valentino had something to hide from the media of the time.

Funny how all this seems to matter after almost 90 years…

By: MJ Anderson

MJ Anderson — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 16:06:41 +0000

What a world: the only commentary on a piontless article is a throwaway reference to Valentino’s fictionalized sexuality.

By: David Ehrenstein

David Ehrenstein — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:18:27 +0000

Rudolph Valentino was gay. He married a well-known lesbian for mutual P.R. “cover.” This attempt at heterosexualizing Valentino — like so many others before it — is pathetic.

Samuel Steward wrote the absolute unvarnished truth.

GROW UP!