THE EAGLE (1925) RUDOLPH VALENTINO’S IMITATION OF DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS FILMS

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THE EAGLE (1925) – Valentino dabbled in Douglas Fairbanks territory as the masked hero of this tale set in Russia under Catherine the Great. Our man plays Vladimir Dubrovsky, a lieutenant in Czarina Catherine’s Imperial Guard.

Vladimir’s masculine heroics catch the eye of Catherine the Great (Louise Dresser), and she plans to make him her latest male conquest. She promises Dubrovsky a meteoric rise in the military … IF he climbs into bed with her.

The young officer declines the offer and rides off to avoid Catherine’s wrath. She puts a price on Vladimir’s head. The fugitive covertly visits his family estate, where he learns the land has been stolen from them by the evil nobleman Kyrilla Troekouroff. 

Dubrovsky is furious and wants revenge. He becomes the Black Eagle, the masked leader of a band of outlaws who go on to prey on Troekouroff’s interests everywhere in the region.

Eventually, the bandit chief intercepts a letter of introduction from a French tutor on his way to instruct Kyrilla’s daughter Mascha (Vilma Banky). 

Since no one in Troekouroff’s household has ever met the tutor, Valentino impersonates him in order to infiltrate his enemy’s home. The Black Eagle falls in love with Mascha and drags out his time as her tutor while repeatedly delaying avenging himself on her father to avoid causing her emotional pain.

Ultimately the disguised Vladimir and Mascha flee together, but our hero is caught up with by the military. Just to have a happy ending, Catherine the Great lets bygones be bygones and allows the young lovers to flee to France under assumed names. 73 minutes.

FOR A SIMILAR LOOK AT DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS MOVIES CLICK HERE.

FOR A SIMILAR LOOK AT ACTRESS THEDA BARA’S MOVIES CLICK HERE.