Feb 1926 – Speaking of…

Verily, Natacha Rambova seems to be the Patsy of the motion picture business of late. The papers leaped at the story which the gallant Rudy pulled as the cause of the separation which, by the time this appears, will have developed into a Parisian divorce decree. Natacha, he says, is not a home body. She didn’t want children. She would not cook the spaghetti. She was fond of dogs. She wanted to work. His reflected glory did not satisfy her. She wanted her own career. Bunk! Bunk served with piffle sauce. Great publicity for Rudy. But old stuff. Do you remember the way Gloria Swanson set the dear old souls of Paris wild overheard when she said she wanted five or six children? I believe she meant it, because I have seen her with her two children. She adores them. But I have heard of Mr. Valentino hanging around an orphan asylum, and I cannot quite visualize the picture of the sheik walking the floor of a cold California night crooning to Junior asleep. It was not, in my opinion, playing the game to make an effort for sympathy and publicity at the expense of the woman even if it were true which I doubt. And we must hand Mrs. Valentino credit for her attitude in the whole matter. She would not live with him and his friends, told him so, get out, leaving her belongings to him, and went on her way, avoiding any opportunity to publicize herself at his expense. Divorce is no joking matter, but I cannot hold back a little snicker at Rudy crying on the shoulders of the public yearning for kiddies. There is nothing vindictive or downright mean about Valentino. He’s a pleasant chap and a fine actor, whose delusion is that he is also a business man. Natacha has been criticized for managing his affairs. But we have got to admit that in this case her management was much more commendable than his. And to add to her troubles, the F.B.O Company, for whom Miss Rambova made a picture because she needed the money changed its name to “when love grows cold” after it was finished, with the frank purpose of capitalizing her marital troubles. Miss Rambova protested that it would harm her and create the impression that she was the one who was profiting by deceiving the public into believing it was a screen revelation of their love wreck.