Thursday, January 17, 2013

Rudolph Valentino Miniature Sheik Bust

This is a miniature Bust of Valentino from what appears to be from the film, The Son of the Sheik. The base of the bust reads: Rudolph Valentino. It stands about 3 and a half inches tall. It is very heavy and appears to be made from some sort of metal or heavy duty plaster. My assumption is that these were produced in the 20's after his death. These do show up on ebay from time to time. The ones I have seen sell for a fair amount of money. Outside of seeing these on ebay, I have not come across these before. I did post a photo of various busts that was sold at an auction and believe there was one or two in that lot as well. Overall, this is a great Valentino memento. If anyone else has any further background on these let me know.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Photos from Moran of the Lady Letty

These are five photos from the 1922 film, "Moran of the Lady Letty." This is not one of Valentino's more popular films; however, there is some great memorabilia out there from this film. These five photos are not too commonly seen. I enjoy collecting movie stills from Valentino's films. The original stills can be very expensive, the newer copies can be bought for a few dollars.

Panini Golden Age Valentino Cards

I typically do not list many newer items here; however, I wanted to list these new cards from Panini. I think it's great that there are still new items available for movie collectors dealing with Valentino. These cards just recently were released by Panini, they are called Golden Age. These depict various movie and TV stars, political and historical figures, and sports stars. There are three variations of Valentino cards in the set. The first is the normal size card from the set, which comes in the normal cream color border, a black border, and a white border. The second is a tobacco size card, which to my understanding comes with various color backs. The final card is a limited edition card that has an actual piece of one of Valentino's hats. I hate to see any of Valentino's items cut up for a card company. On the filp side we all get a chance to own a piece of one of his hats for a fraction of the price.

2 Page Magazine Advertisement for The Sheik

This is a wonderful 2 page magazine ad for the 1921 film, "The Sheik." Besides this being a fantastic ad, with great art work and photos of the film, there are a few things to take note of. This was Valentino's 5th and final film from 1921. His first being The Four Horsemen, which was his first big role. The studio's did not credit the success of The Four Horsemen exclusively because of Valentino, but continued to feature him in various roles in 1921. The Sheik turned Valentino into a major star overnight. Notice the top of this ad it reads: a George Melford Production with Agnes Ayres and Rudolph Valentino. One final thing to mention is the photo on the second page depicts Valentino in a white suit which is from the lost ending. I call it the lost ending because all of the variations of The Sheik I have seen does not depict Valentino in a white suit. I have posted some photos of this scene. This is a great piece and is great for framing. These are not too valuable; however they are great pieces of original memorabilia from 1921.

1926 French Film Review Magazine

This is a French magazine from 1926 dedicated to Valentino. After Valentino's death in August of 1926, he appeared on the cover of virtually every entertainment magazine. With this being said, there are no shortages of magazines from 26 with Valentino on the cover. Some are more desirable that others. Most of the magazines with colorful covers, or depictions of uncommon photos of Valentino tend to be more valuable and sought after. This particular Film Review would most likely not be too valuable; however, would be one more needed for the collection.