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Novels
*Conversations with Rodolfo by Hala Pickford
Release date: December 1st, 2009
Author: Hala Pickford
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ISBN: 0981644031
Price: $21
Pages: 248
Synopsis:
In 1926 Silent Film Idol Rudolph Valentino, known as The Great Lover, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 31. In the years that have since passed, his death has come to overshadow his life and his work. But what would have been had he not died so young? This is the inspiration behind the whimsical novel, "Conversations with Rodolfo" written by Hala Pickford, The Founding Sheba of The Rudolph Valentino Society. A lover of silent film, Pickford uses her knowledge of film history to paint a picture of what might have occurred had Valentino not died in 1926, but in 2005. Would he have made it in the new medium of 'talkies' (sound film)? Would he be remembered like Charlie Chaplin? Or forgotten like Mae Murray? Would he have reconciled with the love of his life, Natacha Rambova? Or would he have been able to find a new love?
"Conversations with Rodolfo" opens in 2004, following down on his luck wannabe music journalist, Michael Johnston. Johnston is madly in love with a new girl he has met named Gloria. Trying to impress her he agrees to a Saturday spent with her beloved grandparents. There he finds her grandfather is a man who calls himself Rodolfo, though many others have known him by the name 'Rudolph Valentino'. Despite his age, Rodolfo is as lively as a 20 year old, and on Michael's request he agrees to a series of interviews about his long life, with the stipulation that they not be published until his death. Through these interviews we get to hear the story of Rudolph Valentino, from his boyhood in Italy to the birth of his granddaughter. From his role in The Sheik, to his work with Charlie Chaplin in the 1950s.
Reprints
*Rudolph Valentino: A Wife's Memories of an Icon by Natacha Rambova
Release date: December 1st, 2009
Author: Natacha Rambova
Cover Photo: Kevin Scrantz
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ISBN: 098164404X
Price: $27
Synopsis:
In 1926 Silent Film Icon, Rudolph Valentino, died unexpectedly at the age of 31. That same year, he had finalized a bitter divorce from his wife of four years, Natacha Rambova. Valentino had been madly in love with the gorgeous and very talented designer, yet they had been unable to make their marriage work. Since their first marriage in 1922, the public had been critical of Rambova, blaming her for any mistakes in Valentino's career or life. As Valentino laid on his deathbed in New York, Rambova was in Paris. The two exchanged telegrams to the very end, with both sides believing they would soon reunite and a reconciliation had taken place. Upon hearing the news of his death, Rambova was so distraught she locked herself in her room for three days. With many estate issues to fulfill, Valentino's manager George Ullman took the reigns.
To help keep Valentino's name in the spotlight, Ullman wrote a book detailing his time with the gifted actor. Ullman and Rambova had never gotten along, fighting for control of Valentino's career. Feeling she had been unfairly portrayed not only by Ullman, but also by the press, Rambova decided to write her own book. First published in the UK in 1927, "Rudy: An Intimate Portrait by His Wife", presented Rambova's side of the story, providing many amusing stories and anecdotes about her time with Valentino. Both Valentino and Rambova had been firm believers in the practice of Spiritualism. Rambova decided to utilize her beliefs for this book, adding a section titled "Revelations", consisting of things supposedly told to her by Valentino's soul, through seances. Rambova felt the need to publish these 'messages', believing these were things his soul wished to communicate with the world. However things soon got out of hand, with boisterous fans and attention seekers bombarding the legacy of Rudolph Valentino with their own claims. Rambova would remain firm in her beliefs, eventually becoming a renowned Egyptologist.
After the publication of this book, she never spoke of her time with Valentino again. "Rudolph Valentino: An Intimate Portrait by his wife" is proudly reprinted by The Rudolph Valentino Society for the first time in over 80 years, under a new title, "Rudolph Valentino: A Wife's Memories of an Icon". In addition to the original text there is a new section containing biographies, filmographies, bibliographies, notes, and new forwards. This section also contains groundbreaking biographies on screenwriter and film executive June Mathis; as well as silent film vamp Nita Naldi. 70% of proceeds from this book benefit The Rudolph Valentino Society and Film Festival.
*Day Dreams by Rudolph Valentino
Release date: May 27th, 2010
Author: Rudolph Valentino (with foreword by Evelyn Zumaya)
Cover Art: Evelyn Zumaya
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ISBN: 9780982770917
Price: $21
Synopsis:
In 1923 silent film icon Rudolph Valentino found himself unexpectedly unable to work. His 'one man strike' against his studio demanding better films resulted in court battles which legally prohibited the Latin Lover from acting in any capacity. Valentino was sorely in need of an income.
At the same time his interest in the Occult and Spiritualism was growing. He and his new wife, Natacha Rambova, sought the guidance of mediums, spirit guides and automatic writing. Rambova would later claim her husband was quite adept at receiving messages from the other side via automatic writing.
"Day Dreams" (also commonly spelled as 'Daydreams'), a book of poetry, was released during Valentino's one man strike. Rambova later claimed all of these poems were received from spirit guides via automatic writing. Whether one believes or not, "Day Dreams" makes for an interesting read for movie buffs, Rudolph Valentino fans and Spiritualists alike. Included in this rare reprint is a foreword by Rudolph Valentino and George Ullman biographer Evelyn Zumaya.