Balladeer’s Blog’s periodic look at silent movies and silent film stars continues with a sampling of Rudolph Valentino’s movies, from both before and after he became the Latin Lover sensation of his era.
THE SHEIK (1921) – Edith Maude Hull’s 1919 novel came to the big screen to cement Rudolph Valentino’s rising star. He shone as Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan with Agnes Ayers as Lady Diane Mayo.
Diane is an adventuress who has spurned all marriage proposals thus far and her latest escapade is a tour of the desert led by Arab guides. In a ritzy casino the night before her expedition departs, she dresses as a dancing girl to sneak into an exclusive event being held by Ahmed.
The Sheik is charmed and aroused by this wild and haughty Western woman who listens to no man, not even male relatives like her brother. Ahmed and his troops surreptitiously follow Diane’s caravan and when the time is right, the Sheik abducts her and carries her off to his elaborate tent-mansion deep in the desert.
A lot of Gothic Romance Novel antics follow in this film that has not aged well. Valentino’s wide eyes and flaring nostrils were masterfully parodied by Peter Sellers in a comedy bit decades later.
It’s impossible to take his performance seriously through modern eyes, which is just as well since he is basically guilty of kidnapping and taking advantage of the young woman.
As their battle of wills goes on, Diane is seized by caravan robbers and taken to their leader’s lair. Sheik Ahmed leads his men to the rescue, and, with Stockholm Syndrome well and truly in charge, Lady Diane “realizes” how much she has fallen in love with her abductor.
The most laughable aspects of silent film histrionics make immersion in this 86-minute movie impossible. Luckily, it’s so ridiculous that you can never forget you’re watching a movie, and that Diane is never really in any danger from Valentino or anyone else.
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“Donald Trump won because the corporate media and the political establishment don’t understand there are tens of millions of people who are not racists, who are not sexists, they’re hurting.”
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