Book review - "Dark Lover"

Excellent biography of the legendary silent film star, Rudolph Valentino. Valentino is one of the few silent stars still known by young 'uns today along with Chaplin, Keaton, Garbo. Why? He had a totally suitable name, he had a strong iconic presence, and he died at the right time of his career. Valentino had a mythic reputation in his lifetime and even more so today. This book shows the real Rudy - who seems to have been an amiable guy, a charmer and talented dancer who was a bit of a dill, kept having affairs with lesbians/bi-sexuals, a kind of spoilt kid who loved his food and worried about going bald. He is touchingly human here - so his death is a genuine shame. I watched a copy of the Eagle recently and Valentino still has charisma.

The book is very well researched. It sheds a lot of light on his impact on 1920s America - popularising of the latino lover, his effect on women, and - surprisingly - his effect on men. Valentino was hated by many men in his life - he was the first metrosexual superstar - but he influenced male fashion, especially after Blood and Sand. Its interesting to consider how he would have fared with the coming of sound.