Monday, February 2, 2015

Movie Theater Photo from 1921 Frivolous Wives

This is an awesome photo from 1921.  The photo depicts the outside of a movie theater with the marquee/sign that reads Rudolph Valentino Here Sun, Mon, Tues, Rudolph Valentino in Frivolous Wives.  There appears to be a fairly large crowd, mainly younger people lined up to get in the theater.  The sign almost makes it seem like he is going to make a personal appearance, which he may have.  Most likely, it was a great way to get fans attention, you know since there was no Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Cell Phones, Etc.  The other interesting thing is "Frivolous Wives."  In 1918 Valentino had a smaller/supporting role in a film called The Married Virgin.  When Valentino's fame grew from The Four Horsemen and The Sheik, studios and directors cashed in on his fame by re-releasing some of his earlier films.  In this case the director Joe Maxwell edited the film down from 7 reels to 6.  This new 6 reel film which seem to showcase and sometimes repeat scenes with Valentino.  The film was re-released in 1921 under the name Frivolous Wives, making it seem like a new film. 

This photos simply depicts the fans lining up to see the film.  A great early snapshot of filmgoers and the movie theater. 




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