name	Mason Rudolph
fullname	Edgar Mason Rudolph
birth date	May 23, 1934
birth place	Clarksville, Tennessee
death date	April 18, 2011
death place	Tuscaloosa, Alabama
height
weight
nationality
yearpro	1958
retired
extour	PGA TourChampions Tour
prowins	12
pgawins	5
otherwins	7
majorwins
masters	4th: 1965
usopen	T8: 1966
open	DNP
pga	T3: 1973
wghofid
wghofyear
award1
year1
awardssection	}}

Edgar Mason Rudolph (May 23, 1934 – April 18, 2011) was an American golfer who won five times on the PGA Tour.

Early years and amateur career

Rudolph was born in Clarksville, Tennessee. He won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 1950. In 1956, he won the Western Amateur and the Tennessee State Open (as an amateur). He played on the 1957 Walker Cup team.

Professional career

Rudolph turned professional in 1958; he joined the PGA Tour in 1959 and was Rookie of the Year. He won five official PGA Tour events during his career. Rudolph also won the Tennessee State Open five times as a pro (1959, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1972). He played on the 1971 Ryder Cup team.

In December 1960, Rudolph took part in a controversial match against Sam Snead. Snead decided to deliberately lose the televised match during its final holes after he discovered he had too many golf clubs in his bag on the 12th hole of the match. The too many clubs in his bag would have caused him to be immediately disqualified After the match was over, Snead said he did not disqualify himself in order to not spoil the show.

Honors and awards

Rudolph was inducted as a charter member of the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 1990. A 9-hole, regulation-length golf course in his hometown is named for him. A men's and a women's collegiate golf tournament also bears his name.

Professional wins (12)

PGA Tour wins (5)

!No.	!Date	!Tournament	!Winning Score	!Margin of Victory	!Runner(s)-up
1	Sep 27, 1959	Golden Gate Championship	-9 (67-72-67-69=275)	2 strokes	Dow Finsterwald, Bob Goalby
2	Oct 27, 1963	Fig Garden Village Open Invitational	-13 (66-67-71-71=275)	3 strokes	Tommy Aaron, Al Geiberger
3	Mar 2, 1964	Greater New Orleans Open Invitational	-5 (68-70-70-75=283)	1 stroke
4	Aug 15, 1966	Thunderbird Classic	-10 (69-70-70-69=278)	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus
5		Green Island Open Invitational	-6 (75-68-67-64=274)	2 strokes	Chris Blocker

Other wins (7)

1956 Tennessee Open (as an amateur)

1959 Tennessee Open

1962 Haig & Haig Scotch Foursome (with Kathy Whitworth)

1963 Tennessee Open

1964 Tennessee Open

1966 Tennessee Open

1972 Tennessee Open

Results in major championships

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" !align="left"|Tournament !1950 !1951 !1952 !1953 !1954 !1955 !1956 !1957 !1958 !1959 |- |The Masters |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|DNP |- |U.S. Open |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |- |PGA Championship |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |}

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" !align="left"|Tournament !1960 !1961 !1962 !1963 !1964 !1965 !1966 !1967 !1968 !1969 |- |The Masters |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|T28 |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|T15 |align="center"|T18 |align="center" style="background:yellow;"|4 |align="center"|CUT |align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T10 |align="center"|T14 |align="center"|11 |- |U.S. Open |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|T45 |align="center"|T28 |align="center"|T27 |align="center"|T34 |align="center"|T11 |align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T8 |align="center"|T38 |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|CUT |- |PGA Championship |align="center"|T22 |align="center"|T37 |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|T23 |align="center" style="background:yellow;"|4 |align="center"|T20 |align="center"|T22 |align="center"|T28 |align="center"|T17 |align="center"|CUT |}

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" !align="left"|Tournament !1970 !1971 !1972 !1973 !1974 |- |The Masters |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|T14 |align="center"|CUT |- |U.S. Open |align="center"|T27 |align="center"|T42 |align="center"|T40 |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|CUT |- |PGA Championship |align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T10 |align="center"|T57 |align="center"|T36 |align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T3 |align="center"|T51 |}

Note: Rudolph never played in The Open Championship. DNP = Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place Yellow background for top-10.

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur

Walker Cup: 1957 (winners)

Professional

Ryder Cup: 1971 (winners)

See also

Golfers with most PGA Tour wins

References

External links

Category:American golfers Category:PGA Tour golfers Category:Champions Tour golfers Category:People from Clarksville, Tennessee Category:1934 births Category:2011 deaths

nl:Mason Rudolph

name	Greg Allen
fullname	Gregory Allen
birth date	27 October 1947
death date	April 25, 2009
cityofbirth	Warren
birth place	Australia
position	Prop
years	1970 - 1976
clubs	Cronulla
caps(tries)	76 (1)
nationalcaps(tries)	}}

Greg Allen (27 October 1947 – 25 April 2009) was an Australian rugby league player for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. His position of choice was at prop-forward.

Early career

Before signing on to the Cronulla-Sutherland club Allen was a strongly built sheep shearer hailing from the country town of Warren in north western New South Wales. The personal profile is incorrect. Greg was born on 28th April 1948 and is still alive and living in Warren NSW. Dated 26/07/2011

Career playing statistics

Point scoring summary

-

Games !! Tries !! Goals !! F/G !! Points
76	1	|	-	4

Matches played

Team !! Matches !! Years
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	76	1970–1976

External links

Greg Allen at Sharks Forever site

Category:Australian rugby league players Category:Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players Category:Living people Category:1947 births

name	Rudolph Valentino
birth name	Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Piero Filiberto Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla
birth date	May 06, 1895
birth place	Castellaneta, Italy
death date	August 23, 1926
death place	New York City, New York, U.S.
years active	1914–1926
occupation	Actor
spouse	}}

Rudolph Valentino (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926) was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik.

His sudden death at age 31 caused mass hysteria among his female fans, propelling him into icon status. Though his films are not as well known today, his name is still widely known.

Early life

Childhood

Valentino was born Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina D'Antonguolla in Castellaneta, Puglia, Kingdom of Italy, to a French mother, Marie Berthe Gabrielle Barbin (1856–1919), and Giovanni Antonio Giuseppe Fedele Guglielmi, a veterinarian who died of malaria when Valentino was 11. He had an older brother, Alberto (1892–1981), a younger sister, Maria, and an older sister Beatrice who died in infancy.

As a child, Valentino was reportedly spoiled and troublesome. His mother coddled him while his father disapproved of his behavior. He did poorly in school, and was eventually enrolled in agricultural school where he received a degree.

After living in Paris in 1912, he soon returned to Italy. Unable to secure employment, he departed for the United States in 1913. He was processed at Ellis Island at age 18 on December 23, 1913.

New York

Arriving in New York City, Valentino soon ran out of money and spent a period of time on the streets. He eventually supported himself with odd jobs such as busing tables in restaurants and gardening. Eventually, he found work as a taxi dancer at Maxim's. Among the other dancers at Maxim's were several displaced members of European nobility and there was a premium in demand for them.

Valentino eventually befriended Chilean heiress Blanca de Saulles who was unhappily married to prominent businessman John de Saulles, with whom she had a son. Whether Blanca and Valentino actually had a romantic relationship is unknown, but when the de Saulles couple divorced, Valentino took the stand to support Blanca de Saulles' claims of infidelity on her husband's part. Following the divorce, John de Saulles reportedly used his political connections to have Valentino arrested, along with a Mrs. Thyme, a known madam, on some unspecified vice charges. The evidence was flimsy at best and after a few days in jail, Valentino's bail was lowered from $10,000 to $1,500.

The trial and subsequent scandal was well publicized, following which Valentino could not find employment. Shortly after the trial, Blanca de Saulles fatally shot her ex-husband during a custody dispute over their son. Fearful of being called in as a witness in another sensational trial, Valentino left town, joining a traveling musical that led him to the West Coast.

Film career

Early bit parts

In 1917, Rudolph Valentino joined an operetta company that traveled to Utah where it disbanded. He then joined an Al Jolson production of Robinson Crusoe Jr., travelling to Los Angeles. By fall, he was in San Francisco with a bit part in a theatrical production of Nobody Home. While in town, Valentino met actor Norman Kerry, who convinced him to try a career in cinema, still in the silent film era.

Valentino, with Kerry as a roommate, moved back to Los Angeles and took up residence at the Alexandria Hotel. He continued dancing, teaching dance and building up a following which included older female clientele who would let him borrow their luxury cars.

With his dancing success, Valentino found a room of his own on Sunset Boulevard and began actively seeking screen roles. His first part was as an extra in the film Alimony, moving on to small parts in several films. Despite his best efforts he was typically cast as a "heavy" (villain) or gangster. At the time, the major male star was Wallace Reid, with a fair complexion, light eyes, and an All American look, with Valentino the opposite, eventually supplanting Sessue Hayakawa as Hollywood's most popular "exotic" male lead.

By 1919, he had carved out a career in bit parts. It was a bit part as a "cabaret parasite" in the drama Eyes of Youth that caught the attention of screenwriter June Mathis, who thought he would be perfect for her next movie. He also appeared as second lead in The Delicious Little Devil (1919) with star Mae Murray.

Acting

Displeased with playing "heavies", Valentino briefly entertained the idea of returning to New York permanently. He returned for a visit in 1917, staying with friends in Greenwich Village, eventually settling in Bayside, Queens. It was here he met Paul Ivano, who would help his career greatly.

While traveling to Palm Springs, Florida to film Stolen Moments, Valentino read the novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. Seeking out a trade paper, he discovered that Metro had bought the film rights to the story. In New York, he sought out Metro's Office, only to find June Mathis had been trying to find him. She cast him in the role of Julio Desnoyers. For director, Mathis had chosen Rex Ingram, with whom Valentino did not get along, leading Mathis to play the role of peacekeeper between the two.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was released in 1921, becoming a commercial and critical success. It was one of the first films to make $1,000,000 at the box office, as well as the sixth highest grossing silent film ever.

Metro Pictures seemed unwilling to acknowledge it had made a star. Most likely due to Rex Ingram's lack of faith in him, the studio refused to give him a raise beyond the $350 a week he had made for Four Horsemen. For his follow up film, they forced him into a bit part in a B film called Uncharted Seas. It was on this film that Valentino met his second wife, Natacha Rambova.

Rambova, Mathis, Ivano, and Valentino began work on the Alla Nazimova film Camille. Valentino was cast in the role of Armand, Nazimova's love interest. The film, mostly under the control of Rambova and Nazimova, was considered too avant garde by critics and the public.

Valentino's final film for Metro was the Mathis-penned The Conquering Power. The film received critical acclaim and did well at the box office. After the film's release, Valentino made a trip to New York where he met with several French producers. Yearning for Europe, better pay, and more respect, Valentino returned and promptly quit Metro.

The Sheik

After quitting Metro, Valentino took up with Famous Players-Lasky, a studio known for films that were more commercially focused. Mathis soon joined him, angering both Ivano and Rambova.

Jesse Lasky intended to capitalize on the star power of Valentino, and cast him in a role that would solidify his reputation as the "Latin Lover". In The Sheik, Valentino played the starring role as Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan. The film was a major success and would go on to define not only his career but his image and legacy. Valentino tried to distance the character from a stereotypical portrayal of an Arab man. Asked if Lady Diana (his love interest) would have fallen for a 'savage' in real life Valentino replied, "People are not savages because they have dark skins. The Arabian civilization is one of the oldest in the world...the Arabs are dignified and keen brained."

Famous Players produced four more feature length films over the next 15 months. His leading role in Moran of the Lady Letty was of a typical Douglas Fairbanks nature, however to capitalize on Valentino's bankability, his character was given a Spanish name and ancestry. The film received mixed reviews but was still a hit with audiences.

In November 1921, Valentino starred alongside Gloria Swanson in Beyond the Rocks. The film contained lavish sets and extravagant costumes, though Photoplay magazine said the film was "a little unreal and hectic". Released in 1922, the film was a critical disappointment. Years after its release, Beyond the Rocks was thought to be lost, save for a one minute portion. In 2002, the film was discovered by the Netherlands Film Museum. The restored version was released on DVD in 2006.

In 1922, Valentino began work on another Mathis-penned film, Blood and Sand. Co-starring Lila Lee and Nita Naldi, Valentino played the lead, bullfighter Juan Gallardo. Initially believing the film would be shot in Spain, Valentino was upset to learn that the studio planned on shooting on a Hollywood back lot. He was further irritated by changes in production, including a director of whom he did not approve.

After finishing the film, Valentino married Rambova, which led to a bigamy trial. The trial was a sensation and the pair was forced to have their marriage annulled and separated for a year. Despite the trial, the film was still a success, with critics calling it a masterpiece on par with Broken Blossoms and Four Horsemen. Blood and Sand went on to become one of the top four grossing movies of 1922, breaking attendance records, and grossing $37,400 at the Rivoli Theatre alone. Valentino would consider this one of his best films.

During his forced break from Rambova, the pair began working (separately) on the Mathis-penned The Young Rajah. Only fragments of this film, recovered in 2005, still remain. The film did not live up to expectations and underperformed at the box office. Valentino felt he had underperformed in the film, being upset over his separation with Rambova. Missing Rambova, Valentino returned to New York after the release of The Young Rajah. They were spotted and followed by reporters constantly. During this time Valentino began to contemplate not returning to Famous Players, although Jesse Lasky already had his next picture, The Spanish Cavalier, in preparation. After speaking with Rambova and his lawyer Arthur Butler Graham, Valentino declared a 'One man Strike' against Famous Players.

Strike against Famous Players

Valentino's reasons for striking were financially based. At the time of his lawsuit against the studio, Valentino was earning $1,250 per week, with an increase to $3,000 after three years. This was $7,000 per week less than what Mary Pickford made in 1916. He was also upset over the broken promise of filming Blood and Sand in Spain, and the failure to shoot the next proposed film in either Spain or at least New York. Valentino had hoped while filming in Europe he could see his family, whom he hadn’t seen in ten years.

In September 1922, he refused to accept paychecks from Famous Players until the dispute was solved, although he owed them money he had spent to pay off Jean Acker. Angered, Famous Players in turn filed suit against him.

Valentino did not back down, and Famous Players realized how much they stood to lose. In trouble after shelving Fatty Arbuckle pictures, the studio tried to settle by upping his salary from $1,250 to $7,000 a week. Variety, erroneously, announced the salary increase as a 'new contract' before news of the lawsuit was released. Valentino refused the offer.

Valentino went on to claim that artistic control was more of an issue than the money. He wrote an open letter to Photoplay magazine, entitled "Open Letter to the American Public", where he argued his case, although the average American had trouble sympathizing, as most made $2,000 a year. Famous Players made their own public statements deeming him more trouble than he was worth (the divorce, bigamy trials, debts) and that he was temperamental, almost diva-like. They claimed to have done all they could and that they had made him a real star.

Other studios began courting him. Joseph Schenck was interested in casting his wife, Norma Talmadge, opposite Valentino in a version of Romeo and Juliet. June Mathis had moved to Goldwyn Pictures where she was in charge of the Ben-Hur project, and interested in casting Valentino in the film. However, Famous Players exercised their option to extend his contract, preventing him from accepting any employment other than with the studio. By this point Valentino was around $80,000 in debt. Valentino filed an appeal, a portion of which was granted. Although he was still not allowed to work as an actor, he could accept other types of employment.

Mineralava Dance Tour

In late 1922, Valentino met George Ullman, who would soon become Valentino's manager. Ullman previously had worked with Mineralava Beauty Clay Company, and convinced them that Valentino would be perfect as a spokesman with his legions of female fans.

The tour was a tremendous success with Valentino and Rambova performing in 88 cities in the United States and Canada. In addition to the tour, Valentino also sponsored Mineralava beauty products and judged Mineralava sponsored beauty contests. One beauty contest was filmed by a young David O. Selznick entitled Rudolph Valentino and His 88 Beauties.

Return to films

When Valentino returned to the United States, it was to an offer from Ritz-Carlton Pictures (working through Famous Players), which included $7,500 a week, creative control, and filming in New York. Rambova negotiated a two picture deal with Famous Players and four pictures for Ritz Carlton. He accepted, turning down an offer to film an Italian production of Quo Vadis in Italy.

The first film under the new contract was Monsieur Beaucaire, wherein Valentino played the lead, Duke of Chartres. The film did poorly and American audiences found it 'effeminate'. The failure of the film, under Rambova's control, is often seen as proof of her controlling nature and would later cause her to be barred from Valentino sets. Valentino made one final movie for Famous Players. In 1924 he starred in The Sainted Devil, now one of his lost films. It had lavish costumes but apparently a weak story. It opened to strong sales but soon dropped off in attendance and ended up as another disappointment.

With his contract fulfilled, Valentino was released from Famous Players but still obligated to Ritz-Carlton for four films. Valentino's next film was a pet project entitled The Hooded Falcon. The production was beset with problems from the start, beginning with the script written by June Mathis. The Valentinos were dissatisfied with Mathis' version and requested that it be rewritten. Mathis took it as a great insult and did not speak to Valentino for almost two years. While Rambova worked designing costumes and rewriting the script for Falcon, Valentino was persuaded to film Cobra with Nita Naldi. Valentino agreed only on condition that it not be released until after The Hooded Falcon debuted.

After filming Cobra, the cast of The Hooded Falcon sailed for France to be fitted for costumes. After three months, they headed back to the United States, where Valentino's new beard, which he had grown for the film, caused a sensation. The crew and cast headed for Hollywood to begin preparations for the film, but much of the budget was taken up during pre-production. Due to the Valentinos' lavish spending on costumes and sets, Ritz-Carlton terminated the deal with the couple, effectively ending Valentino's contract with Ritz-Carlton.

United Artists

During the filming of Monsieur Beaucaire, both Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks approached Valentino privately, due to his contract with Ritz Carlton, about joining with United Artists. Valentino's contract with United Artists provided $10,000 a week for only three pictures a year, plus a percentage of his films. The contract excluded Rambova from production of his films and the film set. Valentino's acceptance of the terms caused a major rift in his marriage to Rambova. George Ullman, who had negotiated the contract with United Artists, offered Rambova $30,000 to finance a film of her own. It became her one and only film, titled What Price Beauty? and starred Myrna Loy.

Valentino chose his first UA project, The Eagle. With the marriage under strain, Valentino began shooting and Rambova announced that she needed a "marital vacation". During the filming of The Eagle, rumors of an affair with co-star Vilma Bánky were reported and ultimately denied by both Bánky and Valentino. The film opened to positive reviews, but a moderate box office.

For the film's release, Valentino travelled to London, staying there and in France, spending money with abandon while his divorce took place. It would be some time before he made another film, The Son of the Sheik, despite his hatred of the sheik image. The film began shooting in February 1926, with Valentino given his choice of director, and pairing him again with Vilma Banky. The film used the authentic costumes he bought abroad and allowed him to play a dual role. Valentino was ill during production, but needed the money to pay his many debts. The film opened on July 8, 1926 to great fanfare. During the premiere, Valentino was reconciled with Mathis; the two had not spoken in almost two years.

Image

Dating back to the de Saulle trial in New York, during which his masculinity had been questioned in print, Valentino had been very sensitive with his public perception. Women loved him and thought him the epitome of romance. However, American men were less impressed, walking out of his movies in disgust. With the Fairbanks type being the epitome of manhood, Valentino was seen as a threat to the All American man. One man asked in a street interview what he thought of Valentino in 1922 replied, "Many men desire to be another Douglas Fairbanks. But Valentino? I wonder..." Women in the same interview found Valentino, "triumphantly seductive. Puts the love-making of the average husband or sweetheart into discard as tame, flat, and unimpassioned." Men may have wanted to act like Fairbanks, but they copied Valentino's look. A man with perfectly greased-back hair was called a "Vaselino".

Some journalists were still calling his masculinity into question, going on at length about his pomaded hair, his dandyish clothing, his treatment of women, his views on women, and whether he was effeminate or not. Valentino hated these stories and was known to carry the clippings of the newspaper articles around with him and criticize them.

In July 1926, The Chicago Tribune reported that a vending machine dispensing pink talcum powder had appeared in an upscale hotel washroom. An editorial that followed used the story to protest the feminization of American men, and blamed the talcum powder on Valentino and his films. The piece infuriated Valentino and he challenged the writer to a duel and then a boxing match. Neither challenge was answered. Shortly afterward, Valentino met with journalist H.L. Mencken for advice on how best to deal with the incident. Mencken advised Valentino to "let the dreadful farce roll along to exhaustion", but Valentino insisted the editorial was "infamous." Mencken found Valentino to be likable and gentlemanly and wrote sympathetically of him in an article published in the Baltimore Sun a week after Valentino's death:

After Valentino challenged the Tribune's anonymous writer to a boxing match, the New York Evening Journal boxing writer, Frank O'Neill, volunteered to fight in his place. Valentino won the bout which took place on the roof of New York's Ambassador Hotel.

Boxing heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey, who trained Valentino and other Hollywood notables of the era in the art of boxing, said of him "He was the most virile and masculine of men. The women were like flies to a honeypot. He could never shake them off, anywhere he went. What a lovely, lucky guy."

Other ventures

In 1923, Valentino published a book of poetry which entitled Day Dreams, He would later serialize events in various magazines. With Liberty magazine, he wrote a series entitled, "How You Can Keep Fit" in 1923. "My Life Story" was serialized in Photoplay during his dance tour. The March issue was one of the best selling ever for the magazine. He followed that with My Private Diary, serialized in Movie Weekly magazine. Most of the serials were later published as books after his death.

Valentino was fascinated with every part of movie-making. During production on a Mae Murray film he spent time studying the director's plans. He craved authenticity and wished to shoot on location, finally forming his own production company, Rudolph Valentino Productions, in 1925. Valentino, George Ullman, and Beatrice Ullman were the incorporators.

On May 14, 1923, while in New York City, Valentino made his only two vocal recordings for Brunswick Records; "Kashmiri Song" (The Sheik) and "El Relicario" (Blood and Sand). The recordings were not released until after Valentino's death by the Celebrity Recording Company; Brunswick did not release them because Valentino's English/Spanish pronunciation was subpar.

Valentino was one of the first in Hollywood to offer an award for artist accomplishments in films. The Academy Awards would later follow suit. In 1925, he gave out his one and only medal, to John Barrymore, for his performance in Beau Brummel. The award, named The Rudolph Valentino Medal, required the agreement of Valentino, two judges and the votes of 75 critics. Everyone other than Valentino himself was eligible.

Personal life

In 1919, just before the rise of his career, Valentino impulsively married actress Jean Acker who was involved with actress Grace Darmond and Alla Nazimova. Acker got involved with Valentino in part to remove herself from the lesbian love triangle, quickly regretted the marriage, and locked Valentino out of their room on their wedding night. The couple separated soon after, the marriage never consummated. The couple remained legally married until 1921, when Acker sued Valentino for divorce, citing desertion. The divorce was granted with Acker receiving alimony. Despite her antics and use of the name "Mrs. Valentino" (a name to which she had no legal right), she and Valentino eventually renewed their friendship. The two remained friends until his death.

Valentino first met Natacha Rambova, a costume designer and art director and protégée of Nazimova, on the set of Uncharted Seas in 1921. The two worked together on the Nazimova production of Camille, by which time they were romantically involved. They married on May 13, 1922, in Mexicali, Mexico, which resulted in Valentino's arrest for bigamy since he had not been divorced for a full year, as required by California law at the time. Days passed and his studio at the time, Famous Players-Lasky, refused to post bail. Eventually, a few friends were able to post the cash bail.

Having to wait the year or face the possibility of being arrested again, Rambova and Valentino lived in separate apartments in New York City, each with their own roommates. On March 14, 1923, they legally remarried.

Many of Valentino's friends disliked Rambova and found her controlling. During his relationship with her, he lost many friends and business associates, including June Mathis. Toward the end of their marriage, Rambova was banned from his sets by contract. Valentino and Rambova divorced in 1925. The end of the marriage was bitter, with Valentino bequeathing Rambova one dollar in his will.

From the time he died until the 1960s, Valentino's sexuality was not generally questioned. At least four books, particularly Hollywood Babylon, began to perpetuate that he may have been homosexual despite his marriage with Rambova. In fact, the marriages to Acker and Rambova, as well as the relationship with Pola Negri only serves to add to the suspicion that Valentino was homosexual and that these were "lavender marriages", as all have documented lesbian relationships. Such books gave rise to claims that Valentino had a relationship with Ramón Novarro, despite even Novarro stating they barely knew each other. Hollywood Babylon in particular spread the rumor that Valentino had given Novarro an art deco dildo as a gift, which was found stuffed in his throat at the time of his murder. No such gift ever existed. These books also gave rise to claims that he may have had relationships with both roommates Paul Ivano and Douglas Gerrad, as well as Norman Kerry, openly gay French actor Jacques Herbertot and André Daven. However, Ivano maintained that it was completely untrue and both he and Valentino were heterosexual. Biographers Emily Leider and Allan Ellenberger generally agree that he was most likely straight.

Further evidence that Valentino was gay are documents in the estate of the late author Samuel Steward indicating that Valentino was a sexual partner of his. However, evidence found in Steward's claim was subsequently refuted. In 1924, Valentino recorded an explicit account of a one night stand with another man in his journal.

Shortly before his death, Valentino was dating actress Pola Negri. Upon his death, Negri made a scene at his funeral, claiming they had been engaged. Valentino had never confirmed the engagement claim.

Death and funeral

On August 15, 1926, Valentino collapsed at the Hotel Ambassador in New York City, New York. He was hospitalized at the Polyclinic in New York and an examination showed him to be suffering from appendicitis and gastric ulcers which required an immediate operation. Despite surgery Valentino developed peritonitis. On August 18 his doctors gave an optimistic prognosis for Valentino and told the media that unless Valentino's condition changed for the worse there was no need for updates. However, on August 21 he was stricken with a severe pleuritis relapse that developed rapidly in his left lung due to the actor's weakened condition. The doctors realized that he was going to die, but, as was common at the time with terminal patients, decided to withhold the prognosis from the actor who believed that his condition would pass. During the early hours of August 23, Valentino was briefly conscious and chatted with his doctors about his future. He fell back into a coma and died a few hours later, at the age of 31.

An estimated 100,000 people lined the streets of New York City to pay their respects at his funeral, handled by the Frank Campbell Funeral Home. The event was a drama itself: Suicides of despondent fans were reported. Windows were smashed as fans tried to get in and an all day riot erupted on August 24. Over 100 Mounted officers and NYPD's Police Reserve was deployed to restore order. A phalanx of officers would line the streets for the remainder of the viewing. The drama inside would not be outdone. Polish Actress Pola Negri, claiming to be Valentino's fiancee, collapsed in hysterics while standing over the coffin, and Campbell's hired four actors to impersonate a Fascist Blackshirt honor guard, which claimed to have been sent by Benito Mussolini. It was later revealed as a planned publicity stunt. Media reports that the body on display in the main salon was not Valentino but a decoy were continually denied by Campbell.

Valentino's funeral mass in New York was held at Saint Malachy's Roman Catholic Church, often called "The Actor's Chapel", as it is located on West 49th Street in the Broadway theater district, and has a long association with show business figures.

After the body was taken by train across the country, a second funeral was held on the West Coast, at the Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Valentino had no final burial arrangements and his friend June Mathis offered her crypt for him in what she thought would be a temporary solution. However, she died the following year and Valentino was placed in the adjoining crypt. The two are still interred side by side in adjoining crypts at the Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery (now the Hollywood Forever Cemetery) in Hollywood, California.

Estate

Valentino left his estate to his brother, sister, and Rambova's aunt Teresa Werner, who was left the share originally bequeathed to Rambova. His Beverly Hills mansion, Falcon Lair, was later owned by heiress Doris Duke. Duke died there in 1993. The home was later sold and underwent major renovations. The estate was bulldozed in 2006 and put back on the market.

Also in 2010, Rudolph Valentino's historic Bayside, Queens, house was restored. John Joseph Fasano, a New York artist, restored all the original mahagony in the famous "Valentino Room". Fasano also painted two traditional murals in oil paint at the estate, and created decorative wall finishes inside the "Valentino Room".

Legacy

After his death many of his films were reissued to help pay his estate expenses. Many were reissued well into the 1930s, long after the demise of silent film. Several books were written including one by Rambova. Several songs, including "There's a New Star in Heaven Tonight" and one by his first wife Jean Acker, entitled "We will meet at the end of the trail", became best sellers. A photomontage print showed Valentino arriving in Heaven and being greeted by Enrico Caruso.

Over the years, a "woman in black" carrying a red rose has come to mourn at Valentino's grave, usually on the anniversary of his death. Several myths surround the woman, though it seems the first woman in black was actually a publicity stunt cooked up by press agent Russel Birdwell in 1928. Several copycats have followed over the years.

Valentino has been depicted frequently in literature, most notably in Mitzi Szereto's Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legendary Lovers and Jacob Appel's After Valentino.

Valentino's hometown of Castellaneta, Italy has created several services in his honor. A Museo Rodolfo Valentino was opened in his childhood home. A Fondazione Rodolfo Valentino was created to promote his life and his work. In 2009 a film school was also opened in his hometown, "Centro Studi Cine Club Rodolfo Valentino Castellaneta." At the centennial of his birth several events were held in his honor. From 1972 to 2006 an Italian acting award, "The Rudolph Valentino Award", was handed out every year. Several actors from all over the world received this award including Leonardo DiCaprio and Elizabeth Taylor.

In 2006, the Italians planned a one-off film festival to celebrate the opening of the Museo Rodolfo Valentino. In May 2010, the American Society held The Rudolph Valentino Film Festival in Los Angeles, California.

Films about Valentino

The life of Rudolph Valentino has been filmed a number of times for television and the big screen. One of these biopics is Ken Russell's 1977 film, Valentino, in which Valentino is portrayed by Rudolf Nureyev. The film itself is only loosely based on his life.

An earlier feature film about Valentino's life, also called Valentino, was released in 1951, starring Anthony Dexter as Valentino.

In 2003, Edoardo Ballerini premiered the short film Good Night Valentino at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. It is based on the transcripts of the conversation between Rudolph Valentino and H.L. Mencken.

In 2010, Italian film director Giuseppe Sansonna shot the documentary film, The Sheik from Castellaneta, on the cult of Valentino in Castellaneta, where he is still considered a demigod. The film shows the curious, sometimes even grotesque, forms that Valentino's myth has taken in local popular culture.

In 2011 American full length silent film "Death of the Sheik" (Silent Life), directed by Vlad Kozlov, is produced and will be premiered in late 2011 in Hollywood.

The original Royal Hawaiian resort was fashioned in a Spanish-Moorish style which was popular during the time period and influenced by screen star Rudolph Valentino.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1914	My Official Wife	Extra	Uncredited
1914		Dance Extra	Uncredited
1916	The Quest of Life		Uncredited
1916	The Foolish Virgin		Uncredited
1916	Seventeen	Extra	Uncredited
1917	Alimony	Dancer	Uncredited
1917	Patria
1918	A Society Sensation	Dick Bradley	as Rudolpho De Valentina
1918	All Night	Richard Thayer	as Rudolpho di Valentina
1918	The Married Virgin	Count Roberto di San Fraccini	as Rodolfo di Valentini
1919	The Delicious Little Devil	Jimmy Calhoun	as Rudolpho De Valintine
1919	The Big Little Person	Arthur Endicott	as M. Rodolpho De Valentina
1919	A Rogue's Romance	Apache Dancer	as Rudolph Volantino
1919	The Homebreaker	Dance Extra	Uncredited
1919	Out of Luck
1919	Virtuous Sinners	Bit Part
1919	The Fog
1919	Nobody Home	Maurice Rennard	as Rodolph Valentine
1919	Eyes of Youth	Clarence Morgan	as Rudolfo Valentino
1920		Jose Dalmarez	as Rudolph Valentine
1920		Jacques Rudanyi	as Rodolph Valentino
1920	The Cheater	Extra	Uncredited
1920	Passion's Playground	Prince Angelo Della Robbia	as Rudolph Valentine
1920	The Wonderful Chance	Joe Klingsby
1921		Julio Desnoyers
1921	Uncharted Seas	Frank Underwood
1921	The Conquering Power	Charles Grandet
1921		Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan
1921		Armand Duval / Manon's Lover in Daydream
1922	Moran of the Lady Letty	Ramon Laredo
1922		Lord Hector Bracondale
1922		Juan Gallardo	as Rodolph Valentino
1922	The Young Rajah	Amos Judd, also known as the Maharajah Sirdir Singh	as Rodolph Valentino
1924		Duke de Chartres/Beaucaire
1924	A Sainted Devil	Don Alonzo Castro
1925		Count Rodrigo Torriani
1925		Lt. Vladimir Dubrovsky, aka The Black Eagle and Marcel Le Blanc
1926	The Son of the Sheik	Ahmed, the Sheik's Son / Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan	Final film

References

Bibliography

Valentino, Rudolph Day Dreams. 1921 PVG Publishing. 2010. ISBN 9780982770917.

Valentino, Rudolph How You Can Keep Fit. McFadden Publications. 1923.

Valentino, Rudolph My Private Diary. Occult Publishing Company. 1929.

Leider, Emily, "Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino" (2003) Farrar, Straus and Giroux (US) ISBN: 0374282390

External links

Literature on Rudolph Valentino

Rudolph Valentino photo gallery

Audio history (MP3, 17:23). Emily Leider, author of Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino, discusses what made Valentino such a sensation in life and death

A retouched photographic collage that claimed to show Valentino's surgery

Valentino biography in Spanish, Italian & English

Valentino and Elinor Glynn sign petition to bring Sarah Bernhardt to Hollywood

Valentino awarding the Rudolph Valentino Award for Acting Excellence to John Barrymore

Falcon Lair – The Rudolph Valentino Home Page

Stolen Moments: Rudolph Valentino, Silent Film, and Everything Movies (podcast)

Category:American actors Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Category:Deaths from surgical complications Category:Deaths from peritonitis Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Italian expatriates in the United States Category:Italian actors Category:Italian film actors Category:American film actors Category:Italian emigrants to the United States Category:Italian silent film actors Category:People from the Province of Taranto Category:20th-century actors Category:1895 births Category:1926 deaths

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bgcolour	silver
name	James Mason
birth name	James Neville Mason
birth date	May 15, 1909
birth place	Huddersfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, UK
death date	July 27, 1984
death place	Lausanne, Romandy, Switzerland
spouse	Pamela Mason (1941–64) Clarissa Kaye-Mason (1971–84)
occupation	Actor
years active	1935–84
goldenglobeawards	Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical/Comedy 1955 A Star Is Born }}

James Neville Mason (15 May 1909 – 27 July 1984) was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes (winning once).

Biography

Early life

Mason was born in Huddersfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to John and Mabel Mason; his father was a wealthy merchant. Mason had no formal training as an actor and initially embarked upon it for fun. He was educated at Marlborough College, and earned a first in architecture at Peterhouse, Cambridge where he became involved in stock theatre companies in his spare time. After Cambridge he joined the Old Vic theatre in London under the guidance of Tyrone Guthrie and Alexander Korda. In 1933 Korda gave Mason a small role in The Private Life of Don Juan but fired him three days into shooting.

Career

From 1935 to 1948 he starred in many British quota quickies. A conscientious objector during World War II (something which caused his family to break with him for many years), he became immensely popular for his brooding anti-heroes in the Gainsborough series of melodramas of the 1940s, including The Man in Grey (1943) and The Wicked Lady (1945). He also starred with Deborah Kerr and Robert Newton in Hatter's Castle (1942). He then took the lead role in the critically acclaimed and immensely popular The Seventh Veil (1945) that set box office records in postwar Britain and raised him to international stardom. He followed it with a role as a mortally wounded Irish revolutionary in Odd Man Out (1947) and his first Hollywood film, Caught (1949).

Mason's distinctive voice enabled him to play a menacing villain as greatly as his good looks assisted him as a leading man. His roles include Brutus in Julius Caesar (1953), Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel and The Desert Rats, the amoral valet turned spy in Joseph Mankiewicz's 5 Fingers, the declining actor in the first remake of A Star Is Born (1954), Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (also 1954), a small town school teacher driven insane by the effects of cortisone in Bigger Than Life (1956), a suave master spy in North by Northwest (1959), a determined explorer in Journey to the Center of the Earth (also 1959), Humbert Humbert in Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962), a hired assassin sent to kill Peter O'Toole's character in Lord Jim (1965), the evil Doctor Polidori in Frankenstein: The True Story (1973), the vampire's servant, Richard Straker, in Salem's Lot, and surreal Royal Navy Captain Hughes in Yellowbeard (1983). One of his last roles, that of corrupt lawyer Ed Concannon in The Verdict (1982), earned him his third and final Oscar nomination.

Mason was once considered to play James Bond in a 1958 TV adaptation of From Russia with Love, which was ultimately never produced. Despite being in his fifties, he was still under consideration to play Bond in Dr. No before Sean Connery was cast. He was also approached to appear as Bond villain Hugo Drax in Moonraker, however, he turned this down despite his renowned tendency to take any job offered him – which led to appearances in films such as The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go, Bloodline and Hunt the Man Down. His final screen-work was playing the lead role in Dr. Fischer of Geneva (adapted from the Graham Greene novella, 1985) as the eccentric wealthy businessman who played games with the Swiss upper class, such as offering gifts to his guests on the proviso they accepted some humiliating ritual activity (such as wearing a child's bib at the dinner table). In 1975 he played Falconhurst plantation owner in the controversial film Mandingo.

In the late 1970s, Mason became a mentor to up-and-coming actor Sam Neill.

Late in life, he served as narrator for a British television series on the films of Charlie Chaplin, Unknown Chaplin, which was aired in the U.S. on PBS and later issued on home video.

Private life

Mason was a devoted lover of animals, particularly cats. He and his wife, Pamela Mason, co-authored the book The Cats in Our Lives, which was published in 1949. James Mason wrote most of the book and also illustrated it. In The Cats in Our Lives, he recounted humorous and sometimes touching tales of the cats (as well as a few dogs) he had known and loved.

Mason was married twice:

First from 1941 to 1964 to British actress Pamela Mason (née Ostrer) (1916–1996); one daughter, Portland Mason Schuyler (1948–2004), and one son, Morgan (who is married to Belinda Carlisle, the lead singer of The Go-Go's. Their son, James Duke Mason, is also an actor). Portland Mason was named for Portland Hoffa, the wife of the American radio comedian Fred Allen; the Allens and the Masons were friends.

Australian actress Clarissa Kaye (1971-his death). Tobe Hooper's DVD commentary for Salem's Lot reveals that Mason regularly worked contractual clauses into his later work guaranteeing Kaye bit parts in his film appearances.

Mason's autobiography, Before I Forget, was published in 1981.

Death

Mason survived a cardiac arrest in 1959 and died as a result of another on 27 July 1984 in Lausanne, Switzerland. He was cremated and (after a delay of 16 years) his ashes were buried in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. The remains of Mason's old friend Charlie Chaplin are in a tomb a few steps away.

Mason's widow, Clarissa Kaye, also known as Kaye-Mason, died in 1994 from cancer.

Filmography

Late Extra (1935)

Twice Branded (1936)

Troubled Waters (1936)

Secret of Stamboul (1936)

Prison Breaker (1936)

The High Command (1936)

Blind Man's Bluff (1936)

The Mill on the Floss (1937)

Catch As Catch Can (1937)

Fire Over England (1937)

Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1937)

I Met a Murderer (1939)

This Man Is Dangerous (1941)

Hatter's Castle (1941)

The Night Has Eyes (1942)

Alibi (1942)

Secret Mission (1942)

Thunder Rock (1942)

The Bells Go Down (1943)

The Man in Grey (1943)

They Met in the Dark (1943)

Hotel Reserve (1944)

Fanny by Gaslight (1944)

Candlelight in Algeria (1944)

A Place of One's Own (1945)

They Were Sisters (1945)

The Wicked Lady (1945)

The Seventh Veil (1945)

Odd Man Out (1947)

The Upturned Glass (1947)

Caught (1949, by Max Ophüls)

Madame Bovary (1949)

The Reckless Moment (1949, by Max Ophüls)

East Side, West Side (1949)

One Way Street (1950)

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)

Lady Possessed (1952) (also producer and writer)

5 Fingers (1952)

The Prisoner of Zenda (1952)

Face to Face (1952)

Charade (1953 film) (1953) (also producer and writer)

The Story of Three Loves (1953)

Botany Bay (1953)

The Desert Rats (1953)

Julius Caesar (1953, by Joseph L. Mankiewicz)

The Man Between (1953)

The Tell-Tale Heart (1953) (animated short subject) (voice)

Prince Valiant (1954)

A Star Is Born (1954, by George Cukor)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

Forever, Darling (with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz) (1956)

Bigger Than Life (1956, by Nicholas Ray) (also producer and writer)

Island in the Sun (1957)

Cry Terror! (1958)

The Decks Ran Red (1958)

A Touch of Larceny (1959)

North by Northwest (1959)

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960)

The Marriage-Go-Round (1961)

Escape from Zahrain (1962)

Lolita (1962)

Hero's Island (1962)

Tiara Tahiti (1962)

Torpedo Bay (1963)

The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)

The Pumpkin Eater (1964)

Lord Jim (1965)

Genghis Khan (1965)

The Uninhibited (1965)

The Blue Max (1966)

Georgy Girl (1966)

The Deadly Affair (1966)

The London Nobody Knows (1967) (documentary) (narrator)

Stranger in the House (1967)

The Legend of Silent Night (1967) (For ABC Television Network)

Vienna: The Years Remembered (1968) (short subject)

Duffy (1968)

Mayerling (1968)

The Sea Gull (1968, by Sidney Lumet)

Age of Consent (1969)

The Yin and Yang of Mr. Go (1970)

Spring and Port Wine (1970)

Cold Sweat (1970)

Bad Man's River (1971)

Kill! (1971)

Child's Play (1972)

Frankenstein: The True Story (1973 TV mini-series)

The Last of Sheila (1973)

The Mackintosh Man (1973)

The Marseille Contract (1974)

11 Harrowhouse (1974)

The Year of the Wildebeest (1975) (documentary) (narrator)

The Left Hand of the Law (1975)

The Flower in His Mouth (1975)

Mandingo (1975)

Kidnap Syndicate (1975)

Autobiography of a Princess (1975, by James Ivory)

Inside Out (1975)

Hot Stuff (1976)

People of the Wind (1976) (documentary) (narrator)

Voyage of the Damned (1976)

Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Cross of Iron (1977)

Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love (1977) (documentary) (narrator in English version)

The Water Babies (1978) (voice)

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

The Boys from Brazil (1978)

Murder by Decree (1979)

The Passage (1979)

Bloodline (1979)

Salem's Lot (1979) (for American TV)

North Sea Hijack (1980)

A Dangerous Summer (1981)

Ivanhoe (1982)

Evil Under the Sun (1982)

The Verdict (1982)

Group Madness (1983) (documentary)

Alexandre (1983)

Yellowbeard (1983)

Don't Eat the Pictures (1983)

The Assisi Underground (1984)

A.D. (1985) (TV mini-series)

The Shooting Party (1985)

Dr. Fischer of Geneva (1985) (TV film)

Influence

The stand-up comedian Eddie Izzard often impersonates James Mason's voice saying it is the voice of God; it is a running gag in his shows.

References

External links

Performances listed in Theatre Archive Uinversity of Bristol

Literature on James Mason

Category:1909 births Category:1984 deaths Category:Alumni of Peterhouse, Cambridge Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:English conscientious objectors Category:British expatriates in Switzerland Category:English film actors Category:English stage actors Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Old Marlburians Category:People from Huddersfield Category:United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassadors

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