The Immortal Charm of Rudolf Valentino Rudolf Valentino’s career is a classic example of how an actor with very modest abilities, but with a beautiful appearance, managed to become an idol of the public not only during his lifetime, but also many years after his death. The most popular films with the participation of Valentino were “Sheikh” and “Blood and Sand”, which brought the actor millions of fans not only in America, but also in other countries. Valentino’s premature death from peritonitis at the age of only 31 caused a wave of suicides among his admirers, and his grave became an object of almost religious worship for many years.
The film “Cobra” was the penultimate in the creative career of Rudolf Valentino and is considered not his greatest achievement. In it, the actor plays the impoverished Italian Count Rodrigo Torriani, who agrees to the proposal of his American friend Jack Dorning and moves to New York to work for his firm as an expert on antiques. But much more old things young aristocrat interested in beautiful women. One of his love interests leads to tragic consequences.
Perhaps the main advantage of this half-forgotten tape is not banal directing and sluggish acting, but an interesting work of production artist William Cameron Menzies, who later became a famous director. You can also note the beautiful outfits of female characters created by the legendary costume designer Adrian Adolph Greenberg, who took part in the creation of more than 250 films. Although this picture may seem boring and banal to most modern viewers, silent film lovers and fans of Rudolf Valentino should still get acquainted with it.
6 out of 10