1922 – Studio Backlot Gossip

The Young Rajah,” Rodolph Valentino’s new Paramount picture which Philip E. Rosen is directing, has many fascinating situations and gives the athletic star a chance to show his metal. Wanda Hawley is the pretty leading woman and her co-star Rudolph Valentino is spending all his spare time lately with boxing gloves, fencing foils and a medicine ball—that is, whenever he isn’t riding horseback.

Mr. Rodolph Valentino is back at work on “The Young Rajah,” with Philip Rosen at the megaphone. The adaptation is by June Mathis. The story starts with a mysterious scene and works up to a dramatic climax which it would be hard to excel.

Baron James H. deRothschild, eldest son of the famous French family of financiers, was a guest at our West Coast Studio recently and under the escort of General Manager Victor H. Clarke, Paul Iribe, Fred Kley, Rodolph Valentino, and Adam Hull Shirk, inspected with keen insight and a ready comprehension the intricate W’orkings of the big plant where our pictures are made.

Sensational to the limit are said to be the scenes which Mr. Valentino does sword and cape play before the real fighting bulls. He was trained for the dangerous business by Rafael Palomar, famous Spanish matador, and became highly proficient in the art.

Rodolph goes to San Francisco May 5th to appear at the mammoth benefit to be given by the Mayor’s Citizen Committee to raise funds to help entertain the disabled veterans at the Convention June 26-30 of the Disabled American Veterans of the first World War. Silent Film Star Rodolph Valentino will be escorted by a squadron of cavalry and prominent officials to the hotel and will be royally welcomed.

When Valentino and Naldi were working before the camera, the entire personnel unconsciously drew around them and watched with awe the wonderful acting of this pair. Can you see Mr. Valentino doing a Spanish dance with Nita Naldi, and Lila Lee playing the beautiful Spanish wife? This production was directed by Fred Nihlo, the one and same man who directed “The Three Musketeers”-—that alone should be enough for any exhibitor to know, that together with this marvelous story, under the guiding hand of this capable director and with Rodolph, Nita Naldi and Lila Lee, it will do a record-breaking business at his box-office.