Rudolph Valentino Thesis

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Rudolph Valentino, born Rodolfo Alfonzo Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla, was an Italian actor who starred in several films during the 1920s. Many of the films he starred in were well known silent films, such as The Son of the Sheik and The Eagle. Valentino was not just an actor; he was also a pop icon and a sex symbol. Rudolph Valentino is a part of the lasting impact of the 1920s, because of his status as a pop icon, a sex symbol, and a successful immigrant.
Valentino was born in Castellaneta, Puglia, Italy in May 1895. His parents were Marie Gabrielle, and Giovanni Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla. He had an older brother named Alberto, a younger sister named Maria, and an older sister named Beatrice. During his childhood, Valentino was a troublemaker who did not do well in school. After earning a degree from an agricultural school, he moved to Paris. He eventually returned to Italy, but because he …show more content…

During this time he obtained unusual jobs such as being a bus boy and a gardener. Finally he found a job as a hired dance partner at Maxim’s. However, after being involved in a political scandal, Valentino headed west with a traveling operetta group which left him in Utah. Then he joined a company which left him in San Francisco. While in San Francisco, he met an actor who convinced him to try acting. After meeting this actor, he moved to Los Angeles and began to work towards a career in film. In the beginning, Valentino played gangsters in films, but he was not happy with these roles, so he moved back to New York. Now that he was a popular male lead, he was able to obtain better roles. From this point onward, Valentino had many roles in films and became greatly successful. Unfortunately, he died at the age of 31 as a result of peritonitis. Even though Valentino died at a young age, he still accomplished many things in the short time that he

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