Posts Tagged With: June Mathis
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.
Dec 1924 – June Mathis & Silvano Balboni Marriage
December bride June Mathis, screen writer and Silvano Balboni cinematographer were married at the Mission of St. Cecilia, Riverside, California.
Their whirlwind romance is an outstanding example of how two professionals seemed destined to meet and have their own happily ever after. It started out as mutual admiration between the couple. Silvano amazed at the personality of Miss Mathis and June was attracted to his dynamic looks. Now they are looking forward to collaborating on future movie projects.
This happily married couple were married until June’s early demise in 1927. Their last movie collaboration was “The Masked Woman”. For this project, June Mathis wrote and directed, and her husband had to come in and finish what his wife started.
This article is about Metro Studios where Rudolph Valentino worked on several of his most notable movies. June Mathis was the head writer at Metro.
29 Sep 2021 – National Silent Movie Day Blogathon – Rudy’s Influence on the Silent’s
Today is National Silent Movie Day and to celebrate this wonderful global event, I am contributing the following article “Rudy’s Influence on the Silent’s” to the National Silent Movie Day Blogathon. I would like to thank both “Silentology Blog” and “In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood Blog” for hosting this event.
In 1913, Rudolph Valentino’s arrival to this country with not much money from his transatlantic crossing and unable to speak English he did doing what he could to survive. Oftentimes, he faced homelessness, went hungry or swallowing his pride by taking lowly paying jobs. By doing so, he made just enough money to help with everyday expenses such as food, a roof over his head, or being able to take a shower. As job opportunities came and went it seemed at certain times life would knock him down. However, life always takes you places for a reason and it’s important to note, he learned a valuable lesson from each experience he faced. As time moves on he finds that living in New York was not working out. So, his friend Norm Kerry suggested a bright future awaits both of them in California and they made their way across the country to Los Angeles and an unknown future. Living in a new city, a determined Rudolph Valentino went on casting calls to all the major movie studios to no avail and found there were no immediate job opportunities in the motion picture industry for a virtual unknown. Eventually he found work as a movie extra and his enthusiasm was garnering him notice. In 1919, after making the movie “Eyes of Youth”, with Clara Kimball Young, it is written in Hollywood history that June Mathis, Metro Studio Executive noticed the talented actor and wanted him a virtual Hollywood unknown for the starring role in “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. Although it took some time for her to to persuade studio bosses that he was box office gold and in the end motion picture history was made. From the first moment he appeared on the silver screen it was an immediate love affair with a movie going public. His smoldering good looks and romantic visage a global audience was forever ensnared and life as he knew it changed. What endeared him to a movie going public was his rags to riches story. He achieved the American dream as a hopeful immigrant in this melting pot country and his success gave every other immigrant hope for their own success story. The public was mesmerized by him and immediately wanted to know his life story. Every movie in which Rudolph Valentino appeared he was a dedicated professional. While his roles called for dramatic scenes often requiring physically dangerous stunts, he performed many on his own. There were times, he had contractual disagreements with several movie studios, However, everything always worked out for him in the end.
In the 1920’s and beyond, Valentino had enormous influence both in the fashion world and on film. His personal style was ahead of its time and always immaculately turned out. He had extravagant taste in clothing and wore nothing, but the best labels of the day and his style was always duplicated. Professional men wanted to know his style choices and what grooming products he bought. In a NY Times article, Valentino briefly grew a beard for a film and the degree of public outcry was overwhelming. Fans wrote asking him to shave, and the Master Barber’s Association threatened to boycott his films for the damage he was doing to their business.
Valentino was a consummate professional and one of the first actors in Hollywood who fought for creative content control over any movie he would appear in and better pay this battle resulted in a well-publicized feud launched against his employer Famous Players-Laskey Studio. In 1923, during a well fought court battle he struck a new deal that gave him exactly what he wanted. But his next films were not a financial success, and the blame was placed on his second wife Natacha Rambova. The newly formed United Artists Studios brought Rudolph Valentino on board and in the contractual agreement it was noted they did not want her on set and kept out of sight. In 23 Aug 1926, Rudolph Valentino died in New York City while promoting his final film “Son of the Sheik”. His influence on the silent’s is well noted and documented by Hollywood Movie Historians for the ages. His memory lives on through social media, books, films and the annual memorial service at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. In a 21st century global community, Valentino’s work has garnered a new generation of fans that appreciate him and in the end, Silent Film Star Rudolph Valentino was one of the most profound actors of the era. His influence on the Silents will forever be known.
3 Aug 1924 – Rumors
All the worlds in Europe this summer. From Paris or London, Rome or Germany with its alluring shops are getting a good dose of filmland. June Mathis, Carmel Myers, and George Walsh are at the Claridge and when they gaily telephoned me the other day. Telephone service like people is the same everywhere only I do think after this trip I shall feel inclined to apologize to the Los Angeles phones. I used to think it was the worst in the world, but I have met London and Paris since then. The only redeeming feature is in Paris it is only one arm that goes to sleep while you are waiting for the operator to wake up. The mouthpiece and receiver are like a one-piece bathing suit all together. So, lunch at the Ritz Hotel with June Mathis after which we watched mannikins parade in several shops just to get a slant at the new styles. When June passed up the filmy frocks which are no doubt putting the eyes out in Deauville now, and insisted that she is being a hard-working woman must have more practical attire, the inquisitive French girl, observant too interrupted with, “Ah Madame cannot be a regular working woman. She has such lovely jewels”. She no doubt had her eye on the lovely necklace watch June gave herself in Hollywood last Christmas. I wanted to know whether the report from Hollywood that June Mathis married here to George Walsh was true. Miss Mathis declared she was neither married nor engaged to George Walsh and that is that. So, let the rumor mill find something else to gossip about. From my observation since June is in Paris, I would say George Walsh and other Americans who maybe interested in the talented lady there is a keen rival for her affections, and he is Italian and happens to be in the movie industry. June met her new man in Rome, and he appears quite attentive. Do I hear wedding bells in their future? Time will only tell.
18 Apr 1921 – Triple Named Parrot Escapes From Film Studio
18 Feb 1919 – Here’s a Lesson for All Budding Scenario Writers
25 Jan 1922 – Hollywood Invites Sarah Earnhardt to 10th Anniversary
23 Dec 1924 – Natacha sends June on her way
Hollywood tongues have been wagging over the newest sensation of studio circles. What will be the result of the ruption between Mrs. Valentino and June Mathis? For the time being “Rudy” has bowed to his imperious wife and let his ablest friend and sponsor go her way. It was Miss Mathis who started Valentino on the road to opulence and fame. She picked him for the lead for “The Four Horsemen” she saw an opportunity and it paid off in a big way. Mrs. Valentino who wrote “The Scarlet Power” saw what changes Miss Mathis had made in it, the grand smashup came. So “Cobra” was substituted and all the grand vestments and shining armour for the Rambova story were packed away. Cost of the switch runs into the hundres of thousands, but the wife, who in other matters also laid down the law, is triumphant. No one concerned will talk, but Valentino retains his admiration for Miss Mathis. But only from a safe distance.
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