Monthly Archives: August 2026

The world’s greatest lover was the world’s poorest financier. If Rudolph Valentino had any bank balance at all when he died, it was but a few hundred dollars, his close friend, Joseph Schenck hazards. Last year the sheik earned between a million and a million and a quarter dollars and spent virtually every cent of it. There was no reverence for money in “Rudy’s” makeup. There was no bent-for its accumulation.  Valentino was prodigal, gullible. If he saw something he wanted whether an automobile, a tapestry or a fishing pole he bought it, regardless of price says Schenck., head of United Artists. “I should judge his home at Hollywood was worth $75,000. He always owned four of five cars and some riding horses. “For his home, he bought many painting s and tapestries often at inflated prices. He had a collection of fencing foils, and another of guns/ “Anybody could touch him. He carried $50,000 personal insurance. Friends often advised him to increase the amount, but here again is Valentino’s disregard for money was manifest. Accumulating lasting wealth in life or leaving it in death meant nothing to him. “But for his business manager George Ullman, he might easily have died broke.” Valentino had a 50% interest in the net profits of “The Son of the Sheik” and “The Eagle.” These two pictures still are playing over the country, and the Valentino Estate doubtless will receive a comfortable amount from them. His salary from the production organization of United Artists was $6500 per week $338,000 a year. For making each of his earlier pictures of importance, Valentino generally received $200,000 and a 25% share of the profits.  So far, as Schenck knows Valentino never invested in stocks or bonds and owned no real estate other than his house. Thus his estate is without “quick assets” other than his insurance. Both his parents are dead. Valentino was unusually fond of his brother Alberto Guglielmi and his sister Maria. He was devoted to Alberto’s children. To these kin, probably will go such worldly goods as failed to slip through “Rudy’s” fingers.

In the early afternoon, while the crowds were still moving past the casket, H.E. Hall a volunteer organist, seated himself at a pipe organist, seated himself at a pipe organ recently installed in the funeral parlors and played softly. Some women were moved to tears. Mrs. Jean Commo, 150 East Third Street, who said she was also from the little Italian town where Valentino was born, was one of the first to arrive in the morning. She carried a bronze crucifix which she laid upon the coffin. A woman and two girls were overcome in the course of the first day. The first was Irene Newman, 22 years old, of 8 Lewis Street, Yonkers. She walked up to the casket when she crumpled to the floor. Drs Fuch and Silver of Reception Hospital attended her. She quickly recovered and went home. Dolly Toth, 19, of 143 Knapp Ave, Clifton, NJ fainted as soon as she entered the room. She was revived and with determination walked up to the coffin, where she fainted for a second time. Rose Tviteva, 14, 449 East 185^th Street, Bronx, became hysterical while waiting to view the body. Restoratives were applied to her, and she was sent home. Drs Silver and Fuchs, aided by Dr. Sterling Wyman of the Flower Hospital, and Margaret Dare a nurse of Metropolitan Hospital, were in charge of an emergency hospital established near the bier. Mrs. Richard Rees Whittlemore, widow of the Baltimore Bandit who was recently hanged for murder was recognized in the funeral line last night at 2100 hours. She was in morning and said she had come to pay her respects to Valentino, whom she said she had met once when he was a judge in a beauty contest to select “Miss Baltimore”. Others who were present were James Corbett, former heavyweight champion, and his wife. One of those who wept at the bier was Nellie Savage. She said, she had appeared with Valentino in “The Sainted Devil” and “Monsieur Beaucaire.” The room in which the body laid was nearly filled with floral tributes sent by members of stage and screen. Charlie Chaplin sent a wreath of orchids with a card that read “To Rudy, whom I loved as an artist and a friend”. Other wreaths bore cards from Lois Wilson, Harold Lloyd, Nellie and Mae Savage, Cecil Lean and Cleo Mayfield. June Mathis scenario writer, who was credited by Valentino with having aided him in getting his part in “Four Horsemen”, sent a wreath of roses. Other floral pieces included a spray of lilies from Lola Pierce, one of Valentino’s first dance partners; dahlias and roses from Sam Goldwyn, gladioli, and orchids from Marilyn Miller; a blanket of yellow roses from Joseph Schenck and Norma Tallmadge.  Isabel Clough, 58 West 165^th Street, who went to view the body, carried a spray of gladioli. Explaining why she brought her flowers, she said “I figured that this would be a clever way to get in. I have always admired Valentino and so I thought I would buy him some flowers so that I could see him at once”. Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford returning from Europe were deeply shocked by a radio message they received at sea from Mr. Schenck. Miss Pickford said they would not go the funeral parlors but would attend the funeral. She said she preferred to remember Valentino as she saw him last in life. Morris Gest and Rex Ingram were also returning and were deeply shocked by his death.  Two women were arrested at the funeral parlors on charges of disorderly conduct on Tuesday after they had gotten into arguments with policemen were let off with suspended sentences by Magistrate Goodman in the West Side Court. One wept all the time she was in court and refused to give her name and address. The other defendant described herself as Mrs. Sarah Kaplan, 30 112 East 139^th Street.

Today, we mourn the loss of silent film star Rudolph Valentino who died 100 years ago. His popularity has never faded with new generations of people who appreciate what he brought to the movie screen.

Today, if you’re in the LA area please stop by Hollywood Forever Cemetery where the oldest continuing memorial service Hollywood event will take place at 12:10 pm (PST), Cathedral Mausoleum. I recommend arriving early.

Today, if you’re in the online community the Memorial Service will be shown “live” on Facebook. I will be online watching.

Today, many will be privately grieving his passing and you are not alone.

It’s during this time, I remember my dear friend Pam Colt, who passed away 5 years ago this month. I met her at a Valentino Memorial Service and we became good friends. Also, I would like to personally acknowledge the passing of Ms. Emily Leider a noted author. Lastly Donna Hill a bright star who unselfishly gave and will be forever loved by all who knew her.

One more thing, thank you to the ALL subscribers and supporters of this blog. I appreciate all of you. It has been a labour of love with this blog and my YT channel.

The serenade of a thousand years ago. The song of a hushed lip. Lives forever in the glass of today. Wherein we see the reflection of it. If we but brush away. The cobwebs of a doubting faith.

I read words he wrote; I watch movies he made; I listen to music about him. It has been one hundred years since his passing and the grief I feel is still fresh.

I could not have known him and yet, after all the years I have spent reading about him, looking at his photographs, watching his films, and trying to separate the real man from the legend that grew around him, there are times when I feel as though I did know him.

That may sound strange. How can we feel that we know someone we never met? Perhaps it happens when we spend enough time following the fragments of his life he left behind in moving images in which we can still watch him smile, walk across the room, become angry, fall in love, dance the tango and wish his dance partner were us. There are photographs, interviews, newspaper stories, and recollections from people of a bygone era who personally knew him. Yet a century later those fragments remain.

Rudolph Valentino has been dead for 100 years and during that century other people have continually rewritten him with truth or lies. While using fiction to remake fact and making money off this.

 A century separates us; I care about the man who once occupied a now empty space. When 23 August comes around and I know others may see nothing more than the anniversary of the death of an old movie star. I feel something different. I feel the absence of someone I never met. He’s still in my heart and after all these years I will never apologise and never forget.