Gay???
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vinent — 21 years ago(June 29, 2004 04:24 AM)
Allegedly, there was a rumor that he had a very intimate relationship with Ramon Novarro. Certain biographies stated that he once worked as a gigolo and I guess he might have a fling or two with men.
I read in an autobiography he wrote for a newspaper article on a website. He wrote that he was just a tango dancer but5b4 never mentioned about his work as a gigolo. I think he might be bisexual. But I could be wrong and do correct me if I am.
"What we need is some new, fresh cliches." -Samuel Goldwyn -
Mmmavis — 21 years ago(October 24, 2004 02:44 PM)
He may very well have been bisexual. According to a friend of theirs, he used to come upon Rudolph and Natasha
in flagrante
on a regular basis, and described them as 'tigers in heat'. So I would guess that he was not gay: he seemed to enjoy Natasha's company! I think those rumors started because Jean, his first wife was a lesbian: so was Alla Nazimova, and Natasha was known to be Bi. Back then, gay people often got married to other gay peoplebut lived as roommatesto look respectable. People may have assumed, but Jean had just fooled him, methinks.
Personally, after everything I've read about him (a lot, lol!) I think he was just a very submissive man. He used to wear a bracelet Natasha gave him that said
slave
on it. He also called her 'The Boss'.
I still think he was the most gorgeous man to ever grace the silver screen. -
gloriaisbetterthanyou — 21 years ago(September 02, 2004 10:38 AM)
According to the book "Dark Lover", he most likely had a sexual relationship with a French actor named Andre Daven. He went away on a trip with him, and later wrote of it dreamily in his diary, as if recalling time spent with a lover. . .or something.
And he might have had something going with this other actor who was his roomate when he first began appearing in movies.
That book, and a couple other things I have read seem to indicate that he was attracted to women, but probably also enjoyed the company of men in that particular respect. Its almost as if he felt he needed to be with a woman, and that it was a
relationship
if it was with a woman, and his relations with men were something else entirely. In other words, I don't think he would have considered himself to be gay.
But this is all pretty much blind speculation.
It's okay, Chief, I have my inflatable girl.
Maxwell Smart -
mercury4 — 20 years ago(April 19, 2005 08:44 PM)
Notice how these editorials came about after Valentino was starring in roles like Monsieur Beaucaire. Those weren't exactly the most masculine roles. Why would anyone take the rumors seriously. These (key word here)edtitorials were nothing but Yellow Journalism. Who would believe what they say? Valentino was the Latin Lover. I don't think there was a woman at the time that wasn't crazy about Rudy. This type of thing must have created jealousy. Their way of bringing him down was by making him look like a pansy. Now there are stories that go around today in tabloids, which are pretty much the same as yellow journalism newspapers, that start gay rumors about Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Should we believe these now too? If you want to say Tony Perkins was gay, go ahead. If you want to say Rock Hudson was gay, go ahead. If you want to say Robert Reed was gay and Tab Hunter was gay go ahead. But as far as Rudolph Valentino goes there is no proof. He was even married twice. They didn't work out, but 5b4it wasn't his fault. Take a look here. It is an interview with Rudy's brother. Look for the question about Valentino's sexuality. http://www.geocities.com/~rudyfan/alberto-4.htm
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ducdebrabant — 19 years ago(March 15, 2007 01:22 PM)
The book "Dark Star" sifts very carefully through all the available information and it cautiously suggests that while he was certainly not just homosexual, he may indeed have been bisexual, and have had a few affairs. The French actor Andre Daven is one possible male lover. Natacha certainly seems to have been the great love of his life.
You must be old and wrinkled to have that type of reaction. - Liana -
pocca — 20 years ago(September 26, 2005 04:32 PM)
Jean was actually Alberto's son. Valentino's close friend Paul Ivano also denied that Valentino was gay. The most persistent rumours seem to have involved Norman Kerry and Andre Daven (the stories about Valentino and Ramon Novarro have been pretty much discredited, though). Seeing as most of Valentino's contemporaries are dead themselves now, unless a secret stash of correspondence or revealing memoir is found, it is pretty much impossible to conclusively prove or disprove the rumours. Perhaps a case could be made for Valentino being bisexual, if not primarily gay (his feelings for both his wives and his devastation over the failure of both marriages seemed very genuine).
I feel a bit badly for Emily Leidershe has been attacked by some reviewers for giving any credibility at all to the gay rumours and others, for supposedly not giving them enough credibility (one reviewer compared her to a nervous female groupie). To my knowledge though, it is the best documented biography about Valentino currently in print.
There's a light (Over at the Frankenstein place)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show -
pocca — 20 years ago(October 01, 2005 11:38 AM)
Heh, Valentino's sexual orientation shouldn't matter, but God knows these "Is he or isn't he?" threads (and it sometimes seems as though every male star except for Benjie has one) are among the most popular on imdb.
There's a light (Over at the Frankenstein place)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show -
Tripetta10 — 20 years ago(October 05, 2005 12:34 PM)
The Leider bio is probably the best documented out there. But when Leider tries to make a case for a possible affair bewteen Rudy and Andre Daven, she relies VERY heavily on conjecture. A bit odd, considering that for most of the book she makes a strong case for Rudy being straight
(shrug)
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Swissangel4616 — 19 years ago(January 24, 2007 08:17 AM)
here are two pics with Andr Daven
http://cinestills.com/stillscoll/diapo_pers.php?persid=638&type=3 -
eden_echo — 19 years ago(March 13, 2007 11:51 AM)
Or maybe, just maybe, he wasn't gay, and no it wouldn't matter one way or the other, but not every strikingly good looking man was gay or even bisexual.
Some people just seem to apply that to almost EVERY actor out there, past and present. Women were not left out either, geez!
"I promise you, before I die I'll surely come to your doorstep" -
Aulic Exclusiva — 19 years ago(March 20, 2007 05:32 PM)
Why else would a middle-class boy have emigrated from his native country?
Both his wives, including his so-called "great love" Rambova, were lesbians.
If the Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard, It can also be like a chicken-pox mark. -
black_stormraven — 19 years ago(March 25, 2007 05:56 PM)
Why else would a middle-class boy have emigrated from his native country?
Let's ask the Irish. Answer: potato famine. Ask the Mexicans: poor economy i.e. no work. Ask the Middle Easterns: freedom, religious and political. Ask the Jews: WWII/Holocaust. Ask the Armenians: genocide. There's plenty of reasons why someone emigrates from his/her homeland, not solely because of his or her sexuality.
And for the record, Rudy's first wife was a lesbian, but Rambova was bisexual.
Renewed shall be Blade-that-was-Broken. The Crownless again shall be King. -
cclub — 19 years ago(March 26, 2007 09:01 PM)
Why else would a middle-class boy have emigrated from his native country?>>>>
What does his two bitch wives being lesbians have anything to do with him being gay or bi? I fail to see a correlation.
And dude, how many Italians came to America between 1900 and 1930? Lots! He came to America to gain a new life and beginning.
