For the past 81 years, on August 23 there has been, without break, a memorial service held at the Hollywood Forever cemetery in L.A.. This service even starts at the exact time of his death (although he died in New York and the service is on L.A. time - small nit there
), and the event is no doubt the longest running and most consistently done memorial service in all of classic film. Alot of drama (too much drama) has surrounded it at times, but it is still nice that this is an ongoing thing.As many of you know, Valentino's resting place is very modest - it was actually 'borrowed' from his longtime mentor, screenwriter June Mathis, at the time of his death because there was no place else to bury him. Later, after June's death (also at a very young age), her husband sold the crypt where Rudy is entombed to the Valentino family. So now Valentino lies next to June Mathis...which is actually quite fitting.
There is lots to write about the death of Valentino...and it's aftermath. But most of you probably know the basics: fan suicides, riots outside the funeral parlor in New York as the crowds tried to get in to see him, a funeral in New York followed by a train-ride across the country (also heavily 'attended' by fans across the country), and another giant funeral in L.A. This was accompanied by all sorts of drama related to the women in Valentino's life - particularly Pola Negri, who is still accused by many (with good reason, in my view) of having attempted to turn Valentino's funeral into a publicity piece for herself.
However, past all of the chaos surrounding his death....what is really important to remember is that at the end of the day, he was just a kindhearted and generous man who was known for being good to his friends...and for being ever decent and polite.
No one knows how Valentino would have fared in the sound era. Only two recordings of his voice exist, and both are of him singing...so it is difficult to tell. However, Valentino always understood that fame was fleeting, and that even though he was perhaps the first, he would someday not be the top male sex symbol in Hollywood. Unfortunately, we never got a chance to see what he might have developed into over the years.
But I like to think it would have been something good.
Some of his films are now considered lost (the most important one being A SAINTED DEVIL (1924) )...but after the discovery of BEYOND THE ROCKS a few years back, there is renewed hope that maybe we haven't seen the last of Rudy.
However, in the meantime, we have plenty to enjoy: THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE, THE SHEIK, CAMILLE, THE CONQUERING POWER, BLOOD AND SAND, COBRA, THE EAGLE, THE SON OF THE SHEIK and others have survived intact and are still around for us to enjoy.
Anyway, just wanted to say a few words today as I'm a huge Valentino fan and couldn't let the day go unobserved.
I invite others to post any thoughts they have about Valentino or his films!
And the original first edition of that book CAN be had - it just requires patience. It is not considered to be an authoritative source on Rudy - it is down the list a few notches in that regard. So I am willing to wait for a first edition.
