Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino

by Emily W. Leider

Book Overview

From the author of Becoming Mae West--an in-depth look at the Silver-Screen legend who forever changed America's idea of the leading man Tango pirate, gigolo, powder puff, Adonis--all have been used to describe the silent-film icon known as Rudolph Valentino. From his early days as a taxi dancer in New York City to his near apotheosis as the ultimate Hollywood heartthrob, Rudolph Valentino (often to his distress) occupied a space squarely at the center...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374282390
• ISBN13: 9780374282394
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 514 Pages
• Weight: 2.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A First Rate Biography

I have seen other books on Rudolph Valentino but was always skeptical since 'Rudy' has been dragged through so many tabloid type write-ups but this one appeared to be a valid and thoroughly researched work. I am delighted that I bought it. At long last, Rudy is shown as both the man and the actor. There are times when Ms. Leider has to state that "he may have..." but it is necessary when Rudy's early days in New York are open to guessing what he may have done. When there is no record available, Ms. Leider takes the high road rather than interjecting a definite action the young immigrant made. I found it difficult to put this book down. It is a page turner. I found myself feeling as if I knew Rudy and I liked him. I didn't want him to die! Like Jean Harlow, he didn't seek medical help until it was too late. Both Harlow and Valentino have been subjects of author Irving Shulman. Those books are to be avoided at all costs. Instead, go with David Stenn's definitive biography on Jean entitled "Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow". Like Emily Leider, he did his research leaving no stone unturned. As for those reviews who call Leider's work "homophobic", I disagree. There is simply no evidence that Valentino was gay or bisexual. He was not homophobic and there may have been one fling with a man but if no evidence is present then one cannot assume otherwise that Valentino was heterosexual. Like James Dean, people often want him to have been bisexual or gay. Ms. Leider states that both women and men were attracted to Rudy and that is true. The same holds true for Valentino. There is a certain vulnerability and boyishness about him that is attractive. But take note how she refutes Pola Negri's statements that she and Rudy were engaged. Rudy was down to earth and not histrionic like Pola. The films themselves are crucial and it is sad to learn how many are lost such as "The Young Rajah". Hopefully, it may be discovered like "Beyond The Rocks", his only film with Gloria Swanson. This book is a keeper. It is alive and the author brings Rudy from his pedestal and shows the young man and his many turmoils with the press and insecure American men! If anyone were to ask me what book to read on Valentino, this is the one. I am grateful to Emily Leider for showing us Rudy, warts and all. He was often foolish in spending, in love and he was no businessman What we have here is, after so many years, the real Rudy.

What a celebrity biography should be

This is everything a good celebrity biography should be--scholarly, thoroughly researched, entertaining, insightful, giving detailed profiles of people who were very important in the star's life instead of just focusing on the subject himself, and giving off the genuine feel that the writer really has respect for her subject. Too many celebrity biographies, sadly, are little more than tabloids, reporting every bit of gossip as undisputed fact, even if there's zero evidence, repeating the same old unverified or exaggerated anecdotes, and giving credence to misinformation provided by questionable sources, many of whom have some sort of agenda. Ms. Leider's book is nothing like the type of sleaze churned out by people such as Geoffrey Giuliano and the late Albert Goldman. It's easy to fall into a trap of writing a sensationalised account when you're dealing with a star about whom there's been so much misinformation, gossip, and outright slander for so many decades, but she rises above that and reports only the truth (though of course people who have long cherished and believed in said gossip aren't going to be too happy their longtime fantasies are discredited). There were a couple of tidbits in this book I found to be a little too much information, but even those things were presented in a tasteful and respectful way, not just put in there to be to shocking or sensational. There were also a lot of great pictures, and a LOT of sources listed in the back to go to for additional information (books, magazine articles, websites, etc.). Having heard that this book was very positively and heartily endorsed at the annual memorial service on Valentino's Jarhzeit (death anniversary), I was sold on reading it. And since this book has been written, happily, 'Beyond the Rocks' is no longer a lost film as it's reported in these pages. It's the perfect combination of scholarly research, lively storytelling, and genuine respect and love for the biographer's subject.

Bravo!

I just finished "Dark Lover" and I have only one thing to say.....WOW!!! I can honestly say that it is the most thoroughly researched book on Rudy to date, and Emily dug deep to uncover every Valentino morsel that could be found. While there are no "smoking guns" (as some folks had hoped for), it is a treasure trove of incidents, insights, and opinions that previously were overlooked. I found many new details I was unaware of, such as the souvenir coins minted for "The Eagle" or Rudy falling off the stage at the premiere of "Son of the Sheik." Also, that Natacha apparently had an affair at the end of their relationship, or the seriousness of Rudy's relationship with Andre. RV's later years have more depth than ever before, but where Emily really scoops is on Rudy's childhood....peeling away the years like the layers of an onion. One can almost feel the hot, yellow sun beating down on Rudy's back as he plays mischievously in Taranto... I closed the book with regret that I had no more to read. Emily, you outdid yourself. Well done!

Leider Has A Few Tricks Up Her Sleeve

I have read so many books on Rudy Valentino that my first instinct was to pass on this. I was sure no one could do much with the life of an actor who has been dead nearly 77 years. Fool that I am, I figured I'd give it a cursory look/see and probably put it down in quick order and move on to better things.The shocker here is that this is really one of the best biographies I've picked up in a very long time and it has as much to do with the writer/researcher as it does with the subject itself.This is no rehash of the same tired Rudy V. stories that have been perpetuated since his death. It contains a lot of fresh material and new insights into the personality and public persona of Valentino.Leider is the rare combination of gifted biographer and tireless researcher. In the process of writing this book, she managed to really get down to the bare bones of her subject. She managed to do this while creating a mood and setting for all the action. In other words, she seemed to really understand the environment under which Valentino and all the other early screen stars worked and flourished in.Where as other Valentino biographers seem to spit out questionable or unsubstantiated "facts", Ms. Leider to the best of her ability deals honestly with the material given her and attempts to authenticate information to the best of her ability and she deals honestly with rumors and innuendos and labels them as such.One aspect of Leider's research that I found particularly interesting is that she not only researched her subject, but also the secondary players who interacted with Valentino during his life. She developed full profiles of people such as Pola Negri, Natacha Rambova, George Ullman......people who interacted with Valentino and were important components in the story of his life.I am a huge fan of Jean Harlow and Clara Bow's biographer David Steen. Now Emily Leider also has my admiration. She and Steen have set a standard for celebrity biographers to follow.