The first time in his career as an actor that Valentino was a featured player. Though not yet fully aware of the power he was able to project in subsequent films, Rudy displays his ease, his ‘désinvolture,’ in every frame of these outings, both of which were released long before he was catapulted to fame in “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” (Again, all of Valentino’s comments and observations on this blog have been channeled by Wayne Hatford.)
“My adolescence, at least in the movie industry, is represented by these pictures. I was thrilled to have a top billing in two Carmel Myers films, at a time when her name and reputation were known. A stroke of good fortune, and I embraced the experience! If you take a careful look at my acting here, it was not obviously nuanced yet still there were hints of that. Some pratfalls, yes, but I perfected my sense of timing in these confections, for that is what they were, simple ‘divertissements’ meant to make audiences smile, maybe laugh out loud a little too. I had paid attention to the great comedians of the day and how they approached their work. Then, when offered the opportunity, I applied my own spin and spin I did. In fact, a couple of the scenes were breath-taking, quite literally, like when I fell into a barrel of rainwater or had to pretend to be cramped up while swimming in the ocean. Carmel was easy to work with, a good sport, game for the physicality her roles often required. Beach boy? Not at all though I did pull that scene out of the hat, made it appear convincing (being rescued from drowning by Carmel’s character.)
These are not Valentino films that people commonly speak of but my exuberance was on display, aspects of character that never came fully out of the box on other occasions. Fondly I remember the details of all those entrances and exits ~ in and out, we ran ourselves ragged while having fun. Sun-kissed shoots, through a ‘universal’ lens!” ~ Rudolph Valentino
