28 Mar 1953 Hungarian Silent Screen Actress Rudolph Valentino Once Screen Lovers

Vilma Banky whose torrid love scenes with Rudolph Valentino scorched the silent screen said Saturday she was content to sit back and watch the Hollywood parade go by. The woman whose passionate embraces with Valentino in “The Eagle” and “Son of the Sheik” were the envy of millions of American women lives comfortably in her furnished Beverly Hills Mansion with her husband, former silent screen actor Rod La Rocque. They have been married for 25 years. But the movie goers of the golden age will never forget La Banky who was brought to America by Sam Goldwyn in 1925. Vilma 51 sat in her cozy living room trim and lovely in a dark dress trimmed in a white Peter-Pan collar and cuffs. She declared she has no regrets for the glorious past, but she had that faraway look when she talked of Valentino. She recalled her love scenes with Valentino in “The Son of the Sheik” saying “they say our love scenes made it one of the great romantic epics. Who can gainsay that my handsome leading man was very colorful. He was colorful in fact, that I believe he would have held his own even in talking pictures”. The Hungarian actress could not speak a word of English when she was performing the sizzling scenes with Valentino. We had to have an interpreter she laughed adding I’ve had my fling. Some people are stage-struck their entire lives. But I happen to be one of those people who knew when to quit. Although her last film was made more than 20 years ago, the former actress toured the U.S. in Anita Loos play “Cherries Are Ripe”, during the 1929-1930 season. Her leading man was husband Rod La Rocque. “I had never been in a play before” but after this one I had enough of the theatre. The one week stands were too much for me. Photography is really my great passion Rod admitted “Next to Vilma of course”. Vilma won lasting glory through her screen performances but she made a total of 10 films and towards the last was making only two pictures a year. Her first film was with Ronald Coleman in “The Dark Angel”. It was after this she was chosen by “The Sheik” to play opposite him in “The Eagle”. She was co-starring with Coleman again in “The Winning of Barbara Worth”. The last film she made was “They knew what they wanted” with Edward G. Robinson. It was produced in the late 1920’s and it was made both in English and German. The foreign film market was much better then Vilma pointed out. After jilting a well-publicized Hungarian nobleman, who had pursued her to this country, the famous glamour girl of the 20’s married Rod La Rocque and with the arrival of the talkies retired to housewifely duties. Although not a slender wisp of a girl whom thousands remember and revere, Vilma Banky is still a very attractive woman with dark blonde hair, a good figure and a quiet assured manner. She plays a championship golf game and has won many prizes. “She is so good” said hubby Rod, that I don’t dare play with her anymore.