Product Description

The screens greatest lover portrays a cultured yet untamed young man who is lured into a thieves trap by a beautiful dancer yasmin. After escaping he kidnaps the damsel and holds her captive in his desert lair gowning her in arabian finery and threatening to unleash his violent passion upon her. Studio: Kino International Release Date: 03/21/2000 Starring: Rudolph Valentino Agnes Ayres Run time: 68 minutes Rating: Nr Director: George Fitzmaurice

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90803 in DVD
• Brand: Son
• Released on: 2000-04-10
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Color, DVD, Silent, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 68 minutes

Customer Reviews

Important movie in butchered edition
This is the famous sequel to "The Sheik" (1921); it was Valentino's biggest box-office hit and was in many respects superior to the original. The plot is richer and more elaborate, with plenty of action-packed sequences to counterbalance the romantic love scenes. This was obviously meant to please male audiences: the 1920 movie had clicked with female viewers, but Valentino managed to arise only jealousy on men. Producers were more cautious this time and presented him now more like a traditional action-adventure hero male viewers could relate to and identify with. By all means an interesting piece of movie history which you ought to see.

Picture quality is acceptable, though it is a bit scratched and blotted, as it was transferred from an old print (I don't know if better prints of this movie survived). The new theater organ music score by Jack Ward is adequate and sound quality is good.

A word of warning, however: this edition was transferred from a print used for a re-release in the late 30's, when the infamous Production Code was already being enforced. Accordingly, the movie seems to have been mercilessly butchered by Hays Office censors. Notably the famous scene when Valentino rapes Vilma Banky was omitted. I've never had the chance to see that scene myself but, according to contemporary descriptions, the rape was subtly suggested by a series of expressive closeups. In this edition, the scene is abruptly cut right after V. Banky walks backwards into Valentino's bedroom, followed by Valentino himself. On account of this mutilation I gave this DVD only 4 instead of 5 stars. Maybe it deserved even less, for censorship is always a totally unacceptable thing.

Beautiful.....
Generations removed from today's technology and special effects, this movie would seem amateurish to most people. Looking at those eyes of Valentino, I found it stunning. A simple plot, a charming conglomeration of characters, and stark settings only served to make him stand out even more than he already did. I'm sure he would have graduated to "talkies" with all the grace, aplomb, and dazzling beauty that he brought to the silent screen all those years ago. And watching him, the play of emotion on his face, I can see why women swooned and ignored their husbands. Watching Rudy, I can't help but ignore mine, the poor sod. This is definitely a must-see for you gals out there, trust me. BUY this, my gosh, just for those EYES....yowza.

The Magic of Rudolph Valentino . . . . . .
I am a huge Rudolph Valentino fan. I have been a collector for many years, collecting old Photoplay magazines, photos, tins, postcards, etc. I, also, have most of his films on tape. That is, the films that are still existing today. All the other so called great lovers are measured by Rudy's standards. No one, past or present can compare to the Latin Lover. Now - onto the movie.

Son of the Sheik was Valentino's last film before his untimely death at 31. This film is incredible. Rudy plays both the son and the formidable sheik in this, his last film. He falls in love with a dancing girl, Yasmin, played by Vilma Banky. They fall in love until he is captured and tortured. Believing Yasmin to be responsible, he escapes and extracts his own form of revenge. The tent scene where he has Yasmin at his mercy was incredibly sensuous. You KNEW what Ahmed was planning to do to the beautiful Yasmin. She knew it, too, but was powerless to stop him. No matter how much pleading and begging she did, he drove her mercilessly to his bed. One word - WOW! True love prevails, though, and all is saved.

Some might find a silent movie to be a bit corny but not I. There is something enchanting - magical about watching Rudy. He is without a doubt, the most graceful man captured on film. No ONE walks or dances the way Rudy does. He is poetry in motion. I could watch him for hours . . .

He was blessed with a sinful handsomeness and those eyes . . . They were almost hypnotic in their intensity. It is soooooo easy to see why the women in the 1920's were filled with hysteria for this Latin Lover. After all of these years has passed, his appeal shines forth in this, his final film. There will never be another Rudolph Valentino. He simply graced the screen with his presence and changed everyday life into something magical. While watching him weave his magic, we forgot our troubles if only for a little.

*There is only one regret the world must have had when Rudy died. His voice was never recorded. His singing was but nothing of him "speaking". There has been much speculation over his voice and the transition from silent films to talkie films. Would he have made such a successful transition where others had failed? I believe he would have. But we will never know for sure.*