Silent movie star Rudolph Valentino (1895 – 1926) was just as much an icon of the Twenties as the Flappers and flagpole-sitters. Even as late as 1951 the eccentric little movie theaters across America that ran only thirty year-old flicks filled their seats with middle-aged women who still nursed a flame for Rudolph Valentino: their beau ideal who so many imagined to have been “the perfect lover”.
“In public appearances, admirers often stripped him of hat, tie, pocket handkerchief, even cuff links. Valentino gave the tango its greatest lease on life in America; his panther-like grace, exotic features and sturdy physique contributed to the tremors many women experienced when seeing him on the screen. Few figures of modern times have inspired the mass hysteria that swirled about the life, loves, and final curtain call at 31 of Rudolph Valentino…”
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