Pop Culture WI: Rudolph Valentino survived and lived after 1926

ramones1986

ramones1986

The death of the silent movie star, as remembered by Gloria Swanson in her autobiography "Swanson on Swanson":

"He (Henri de la Falaise, Gloria's third husband) asked me about Rudy (Valentino) because for three days the papers had been full of reports of Valentino's collapse as the result of a ruptured appendix and a perforated ulcer. I told him the papers said he was much better. Then, on August 23, Rudy died. His death enraged me and his funeral sickened me. A month before his death his physician in Hollywood had examined him and said he was in perfect shape, and up to the very end his doctors in New York were broadcasting encouraging reports about his recovery while they kept him sedated and flat on his back."...
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She continued:
"He haunted me for weeks. Dead at thirty-one, of success and pressure and medical negligence."
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What if Rudolph Valentino's Hollywood physician said the truth about the condition of his patient? What if his New York doctors really gave their best to cure Rudy?

If Rudy Valentino recovered, what will happen to his career? Will he survive the talkies?

Comments and/or analysis are welcome in this thread.
 
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ramones1986

ramones1986

Here's the picture of Rudolph Valentino:
valentino.jpg

Pictures from some of his movies:​
11dvd.1.650.jpg

"Beyond the Rocks" with Gloria Swanson
Valentino_in_The_Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse.jpg

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
rudolph-valentino-and-vilma-banky-the-son-of-the-sheik-1926.jpg

"The Son of the Sheik"
Sheik2.bmp

"The Sheik"​
 
Emperor Norton I

Emperor Norton I

I don't know anything much about the silent film era. I'd say most others don't. Hence the dry response. Could he survive into the talkies? I don't know. I do know he was popular with women, so much so that his death caused women to weep and faint. He'd have a chance of making it into the talking film era on the basis of that popularity, so long as he can keep up with the developments and is capable of acting in the talking film era. He'll also run into the issue of age. Age is much more an issue in those days than now, since 40 wasn't the new 20; it was just 40, and it looked it, and you'd keel over by 60-something looking 80-something. A heart throb will have trouble surviving wrinkles.
 

Geon

Donor
Valentino and Talkies

A lot would depend on what Valentino's voice actually sounds like. Was there ever a recording of his voice actually made? Valentino certainly had the screen presence and magnetism like no other that this alone should have been enough to help him survive the "talkies." Unfortunately actors with similar stage presence such as John Gilbert quickly faded out because their voices sounded so bad.

Geon
 
lounge60

lounge60

After 1929 Valentino declines as leading role actor for his heavy Italian accent,and became a character actor in exotic roles (Italian Count,Spanish Hidalgo,Arabian Sheik,and so).
Displeased, he back in Italy in 1932 and become a major star in pre-war Italian cinema.
In late 30s become also director.
After the war his carrer is divided between Hollywood and Cinecittà (in USA television have rediscovered his silent movies);
Appears in several movie ( memorable is his cameo role in "Sunset Boulevard").
Finally he accept to be a good character actor (as the old Charles Boyer).
In 1965 have a Academy Honorary Award.
His last movie is Airport 75.
Valentino withdraws in 1975.
Die in his house in Rome in 1986.
 
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