Rudolph Valentino

Italian actor and sex symbol, nicknamed "The Latin Lover," who gained fame in the USA through his romantic portrayals in films such as The Sheik (1921), Blood And Sand (1922) and Monsieur Beaucaire (1924). He came to the USA in 1913 and became a star after his first role, in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921).

After a very brief marriage to actress Jean Acker (that was never consummated), the great film lover married Natacha Rambova on 15 March 1922 in Mexicali, Mexico. Rambova soon took charge of, and most say, misdirected Valentino's career. She antagonized studio execs to the point of having her barred from the sets. Valentino's divorce from Acker had not been finalized at the time of his marriage to Rambova and he was jailed on charges of bigamy. Valentino and Rambova divorced in 1925. The end of the marriage was bitter, with Valentino bequeathing Rambova one dollar in his will.

Valentino died of peritonitis due to a ruptured appendix on 23 August 1926 at age 31 in New York City. An estimated 100,000 people lined the streets of Manhattan to pay their respects at his funeral. After his death he was idolized as a cult figure.