Archives for 2011

Karma

October 16, 2011 By Wayne

Does karma, by definition, signal some sort of internecine conflict?

“Yes, to a certain extent. Two competing issues, sometimes more, have to get resolved, be tempered in some respect, like metal in a forge. The combinations, analogous to the material used in swords, eventually make us stronger. Or you could see it as apothecaries do, creating an emulsion. When blending opposites, usually something good comes out of the mix. Karma is the ultimate blending, how the ALL makes itself more whole. Two warring parties coming to terms herald an incredible breakthrough: a newly-born stasis pregnant with possibilities.” ~ Rudolph Valentino

Filed Under: Rudy Speaks, Voce Valentino Blog

Valentino Filmography: “The Conquering Power”

October 7, 2011 By Wayne

Metro Pictures, 1921 ~ directed by Rex Ingram. Valentino comments on his role, certain aspects of the story line, and a couple of the personalities that were involved in the project some 90 years after the fact.

“Well, there certainly was a lot of excess around that shoot, from the feverish visions of Rex Ingram, which translated in numerous ways, to the actual props that stood in for Père Grandet’s gold. A somewhat flat effort though the premise was extremely worthwhile. Alice (Alice Terry, Ingram’s wife) and I did know how to dovetail, meaning we were very complimentary on an energetic level. And, she was very adept at displaying an angelic countenance. Me = the ‘roué,’ personifying the height of excess from the other side of the coin. As opposed to my uncle in the film, I was both spendthrift and libertine.

I did find the big party scene amusing, especially certain images, and there were all sorts of little details I added, sometimes much to Rex’s consternation or chagrin. A potboiler in some sense yet the basic story, the redeeming quality of love, overshadowed the proceedings. Metro brass kept their hands off this one so the final product was mostly Rex’s, petulant as he sometimes could be. The script was a little creaky as novels often create that effect when turned into screenplays. Virile I was in that part though dandified too. My comeuppance forced me to re-assess, and the purity of love I realized with Alice’s character smote me, in the best way possible. I was transfigured, and transformed, by the love of a good woman. Gold, on the other hand, was an instrument of death, as it actually often is, in one manner or another.” ~ Rudolph Valentino

This film is also referred to in the essay on “Eyes” in “Valentino Speaks.”

“In one of my films, I wore a monocle. Very fitting because in that role my character’s sight was limited due to the circumstances of his birth. However, with the help of love, the conquering power, he eventually learned to use both of his eyes to see what was before him.” ~ Rudolph Valentino

Filed Under: Valentino Filmography, Voce Valentino Blog

Why this book?

September 17, 2011 By Wayne

(Speaking to the author) “A shower of sparks, a coming together, is what we are witnessing. A completion is at hand, a job well-done (referring to the publication of “Valentino Speaks.”) We can both be extremely proud of our labors, carried out, as they were, in good conscience and love. I love the Universe, and all of mankind. That is why this book: as a demonstration of the power of love, as proof of the continuity of all life, as a dynamic that cannot be refuted. I am a witness to the brilliance of stars, not from any personal space, or ego base, no, but rather as a reflection of the Whole, the congruence and confluence that is love.

Here is the best way I can ever say it. Why this book? Why not? A culmination of my offerings, an evolutionary tale, what I know I know, and what I will know, simultaneously ~ presented with a pretty bow, ducks all lined up in a row. Yes, I’ve offered a complete package, one that is both viable and vital, “what the Valentino essence would have us know.” Does that sufficiently answer the question?” ~ Rudolph Valentino

Filed Under: Rudy Speaks, Voce Valentino Blog

Love

September 4, 2011 By Wayne

“Though others this have said, ‘tis indeed true, Love is the glue whose purpose, among other things, is to fill in what we might perceive of as empty space, creating a coherent Whole ~ be it micro or macro. Love binds us to each other as well as to the dimensions we inhabit. In essence, it’s our reason for being, THE reason why every-thing IS. So all-encompassing are its perspectives that for all practical purposes Love is unfathomable. Having neither sides nor bottom, it cannot be plumbed.

Love’s implications never cease to amaze. Born of the heart, it blazes across the sky like a shooting star. Indeed, it has rightly been said that experiencing Love, especially for the very first time, feels like a magic carpet ride.

Although they are essentially synonymous, Love is even larger than Life. In fact, it’s the biggest concept there is. I want you to really understand that Love is the force that animates us. There is no other. For all of us, that is to say we who are and ever more shall be, it bespeaks commonality, the feeling of being AT-ONE.

Love works however it’s offered ~ as a sumptuous feast in the mansion of a rich man or as crumbs on a pauper’s table. Love is, in and of itself, all that we truly ever need!” ~ Rudolph Valentino

Filed Under: Rudy Speaks, Voce Valentino Blog

Blanca, Jean, and Pola

August 26, 2011 By Wayne

Three ‘Significant Others.’ From his current vantage point, the Valentino essence describes some of the dynamics he had with each one.

Blanca de Saulles: “Yes, I had feelings for her ~ a young man’s passion, an unattainable woman, someone who could teach me a thing or two. We tangoed in a sexual way but did not mate in the true sense because we were not soul-compatible. But we did dabble in sensuality, on the dance floor and off. She tickled my fancy, that’s all. Taught me about “le haut monde” too (High Society.”)

Jean Acker: “She was a pal more than anything else, like the character “Moran” I would say ~ someone to do things with while commiserating on the vagaries of life. Not a soul mate but a gift, nonetheless. Embarrassing it was to marry without a wedding night but she did spark me to delve into my own psyche as a result, to reflect on what I really wanted. We reconnected, as you know, later in life. A good person though in that life-time her personality was somewhat obtuse.”

Pola Negri: “Pola/NOLA. She was like the city of New Orleans, an endless “fête,” always ready for a lark. Restless she was and high-strung but very secure in herself and adept at creating an image. She helped me burnish mine, to cement my place in the pantheon of lovers. She doted on me to a certain extent and I basked in the attention, a much different dynamic than I had with Natacha, who was more cerebral and reserved.” ~ Rudolph Valentino

Filed Under: Rudy's Personal Life, Voce Valentino Blog