Synopsis
From the author of Becoming Mae West—an in-depth look at the Silver-Screen legend who forever changed America’s idea of the leading man
Tango pirate, gigolo, powder puff, Adonis—all have been used to describe the silent-film icon known as Rudolph Valentino. From his early days as a taxi dancer in New York City to his near apotheosis as the ultimate Hollywood heartthrob, Rudolph Valentino (often to his distress) occupied a space squarely at the center of controversy. In this thoughtful retelling of Valentino’s short and tragic life—the first fully documented biography of the star—Emily W. Leider looks at the Great Lover’s life and legacy, and explores the events and issues that made him emblematic of the Jazz Age. Valentino’s androgynous sexuality was a lightning rod for fiery and contradictory impulses that ran the gamut from swooning adoration to lashing resentment. He was reviled in the press for being too feminine for a man; yet he also brought to the screen the alluring, savage lover who embodied women’s darker, forbidden sexual fantasies.
In tandem, Leider explores notions of the outsider in American culture as represented by Valentino’s experience as an immigrant who became a celebrity. As the silver screen’s first dark-skinned romantic hero, Valentino helped to redefine and broaden American masculine ideals, ultimately coming to represent a graceful masculinity that trumped the deeply ingrained status quo of how a man could look and act.
Tango pirate, gigolo, powder puff, Adonis—all have been used to describe the silent-film icon known as Rudolph Valentino. From his early days as a taxi dancer in New York City to his near apotheosis as the ultimate Hollywood heartthrob, Rudolph Valentino (often to his distress) occupied a space squarely at the center of controversy. In this thoughtful retelling of Valentino’s short and tragic life—the first fully documented biography of the star—Emily W. Leider looks at the Great Lover’s life and legacy, and explores the events and issues that made him emblematic of the Jazz Age. Valentino’s androgynous sexuality was a lightning rod for fiery and contradictory impulses that ran the gamut from swooning adoration to lashing resentment. He was reviled in the press for being too feminine for a man; yet he also brought to the screen the alluring, savage lover who embodied women’s darker, forbidden sexual fantasies.
In tandem, Leider explores notions of the outsider in American culture as represented by Valentino’s experience as an immigrant who became a celebrity. As the silver screen’s first dark-skinned romantic hero, Valentino helped to redefine and broaden American masculine ideals, ultimately coming to represent a graceful masculinity that trumped the deeply ingrained status quo of how a man could look and act.
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About the Author
Emily W. Leider is the author of Becoming Mae West (FSG, 1997). She lives in San Francisco.
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Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino
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Dark Lover: The Life and Death
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Dark Lover : The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino
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Dark Lover : The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino
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ISBN 13: 9780374282394
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Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino
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Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino
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DARK LOVER: the LIFE and DEATH of RUDOLPH VALENTINO *
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Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. B00K: Fine/, 2003 (illustrator). 1st Edition. B00K: Fine/, $23.88 0374282390 DARK LOVER: the LIFE and DEATH of RUDOLPH VALENTINO * LEIDER, Emily W. Farrar, Straus & Giroux New York, New York * * * * * 2003 1sT Edition And Printing D/j + H/c Off~White Rectangle On Spine With Title In Black Letters, Dust Jacket: Near Fine/, Slight Shelf, Edge And Corner Wear. Two Light Marks On Front Cover. Front Interior Flap, $35.00 / $57.95. Hard Cover B00K: Fine/, Slight Shelf, Edge And Corner Wear. 514 Numbered Pages, Clean And Tight To The Spine, Light Use, In Fine/ Condition. One Light Finger Mark, Bottom Edge Of Pages. This Item Will Be Sent Wrapped In Plastic, Taped Shut And In A = xxxxxxxx = To Prevent Shipping Damage So That It Will Arrive In The Description Described Which Applies To This B00K, Only. = No Odors, No Writing, No Names, No Rippling, Not Stuck Together, No Book Plate, Not X~Library, No Other Marks. = Will Make It, An Excellent Addition To Your Own Personal Library Collection, Or As A Gift, For The Discriminating Reader / Collector. = WORLD WIDE SHIPPING, AVAILABLE *. Seller Inventory # 017123
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