Rudolph Valentino Was the First ‘Sex Symbol’ of the Silent Film Era. Then His Sudden Death at 31 Rocked Hollywood, 100 Years Ago

NEED TO KNOW

• Rudolph Valentino was a young, rising star in Hollywood, becoming a mainstay in silent films

• From 1917 through his death in 1926, the star gained a reputation as the “Great Lover” of the screen for his sexy roles

• Valentino died suddenly at the age of 31, with thousands of mourners lining the streets of New York in the days that followed

Rudolph Valentino was one of Hollywood’s earliest and brightest stars.

It’s for that reason that the actor’s death was one of the earliest to receive a true outpouring of public mourning. Born Rodolfo Guglielmi in Castellaneta, Italy, in 1895, he arrived in the United States in 1913, taking up various odd jobs while also performing as a vaudeville dancer.

Valentino entered film in 1917 and quickly became typecast as a Latin lover/villain actor in romantic dramas, including Alimony (1917), The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), and Blood and Sand (1922).

The young actor intoxicated female audiences, who gave him the nickname “Great Lover.” He is considered by many to be the first sex symbol of the silent film era.

The star was at the top of his game when he came out with The Son of the Sheik in 1926. About a month later, on August 15, 1926, Valentino collapsed in his apartment at the Hotel Ambassador in New York City. He was hospitalized with what was believed to be a ruptured ulcer. He was taken to Polyclinic Hospital and underwent emergency surgery an hour after his arrival. The ulcer was operated on and his appendix was removed, per The New York Times.

Doctors said that while the fact that Valentino survived the surgery was a good sign, the next few days would be crucial to his prognosis. Fans gathered outside the hospital, hopeful for news of the actor’s recovery. Meanwhile, Hollywood’s first tabloids speculated about Valentino’s first wife, Jean Acker, rushing to the hospital while Valentino was rumored to be dating actress Pola Negri.

On Aug. 21, things took a turn when Valentino developed pleuritis in one of his lungs. Through it all, Valentino was reported to be optimistic. He survived another 48 hours before dying on Aug. 23, 1926, at 31 years old. Crowds outside became devastated as the news was confirmed, swelling in the hours that followed.

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Valentino’s body was taken out the back entrance of Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, where mourners ultimately realized the deceased had been taken. Police became involved as fans gathered in the streets.

The actor’s funeral was held on Aug. 30 at Saint Malachy’s Roman Catholic Church in New York City, as over 100,000 mourners took to the streets. Police again had to help restore order as the chaotic scene unfolded.

Valentino’s body was then sent by train to Hollywood, where he had another funeral on Sept. 14 before he was laid to rest in Hollywood Memorial Park.

Read the original article on People