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Exotic Silent Romance With Rudolph Valentino At His Peak
If any particular film epitomized the lush exotic feel of silent filmmaking in the 1920's then "Son of the Sheik", would most definately be it. This 1926 effort captured legendary silent star Rudolph Valentino at his cinematic peak and sadly proved to be his last film before his tragically early death at age 31. Here he happily had a perfect vehicle for his farewell performance full of sensual romance in exotic places with just a hint of menace under the surface, beautiful photography and costumes, and the handsome Valentino playing the dual roles of both father and son to mos tinteresting effect. A sequel to Valentino's earlier star making role in "The Sheik", this followup filmed 5 years later was blessed with a much bigger budget and has a far more polished look to it at a time when Valentino was also maturing as a performer as is seen in his capable playing of the father role which showed his developing character actor skills in a less glamourous type of role that perhaps indicated Valentino's ability to take on more serious characters in his future films had he lived longer. <
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>Like this films famous parent "The Sheik", produced in 1921 which was largely responsible for making Valentino a full fledged star and matinee idol, this effort was based in part on the Edith Maude Hull novel "The Sons of the Sheik". The original two sons of the story were reduced to one in the first film and in "The Son of the Sheik", we are treated to the next generation where we are introduced to the headstrong young Ahmed, son of the original Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan (both plyed by Rudolph Valentino) and Diana (Agnes Ayres - repeating her role from the original film). The action opens with a travelling show arriving in the area run by the the corrupt Andre a frech merchant who makes most of his money from robbing his patrons. he has a beautiful daughter Yasmin (Vilma Banky), who dances in the shows and is used by Andre to entice men in so that Andre can rob them. Ahmed sees the performance and is instantly smitten by Yasmin. The pair fall in love and plan a future together despite the fact that his controlling father has another young girl in mind for him as a bride. Andre follows Yasmin one evening when she is to meet Ahmed and without her actually knowing plans to kidnap the young man and hold him for ransom. After allowing Yasmin and Ahmed to share some tender moments together in some ruins on the edge of the desert Andre and his corrupt band of followers then set upon the unarmed Ahmed and tie him up hoping to secure ransom money from his father. Ahmed luckily manages to escape but before he does get away one of the thieves tells him falsely that Yasmin was actually in on the trap and does this kind of thing on a regular basis to rob unsuspecting young men taken with her obvious charms. Not knowing the real truth Ahmed swears revenge against her and when he encounters her again later he manages to break up her performance at a tavern and kidnaps her, taking her back to his desert camp where he intends to punish her for supposedly betraying him. Yasmin tries to convince him of her innocence but Ahmed is intent upon humiliating her for all the pain he suffered. Even under the threat of a brutal rape however it is obvious that Ahmed still loves Yasmin and when his father intervenes she is released to go back to the unsavoury life she led with her father and his pack of theives. Ahmed however finally learns from Ramadan (Karl Dane), that Yasmin was indeed innocent of any wrong doing against him Ahmed seeks to get her back and in the exciting finale manages to literally sweep her off her feet in a fast paced pursuit on horseback across the desert sands until the final embrace. <
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>While modern sensibilities might object to the controversial rape scene in Ahmed's tent which is all off screen this film is remarkable for its incredible sensual quality and really explains fully the real mystique of Rudolph Valentino as one of cinema's most charismatic lovers. At age 31 just prior to his tragic death Valentino's features had matured making him a far more attractive screen personality and while his acting still adheres largely to silent film expectations it has a smoothness to it in "Son of the Sheik", that makes his character very believable. Physically Valentino was in top form in this effort which is ironic considering that he did not long survive the filming and the scene showing his torture reveals a well muscled body full of health and fitness guarenteed to quicken th epulse of many movie goers of th etime. Valentino's playing (at his own insistence), of the dual roles of father and Son is most interesting and the split screen technique when both men are in the same shot is amazingly sophisticated and smooth for this early period. Seeing Valentino done up as an old man complete with greying beard and wrinkles makes for an interesting observation and Valentino does succeed well in giving both men a very different personality much to his credit. In "Son" he is reunited with very popular actress Vilma Banky who costarred with him in the classic "The Eagle". She is still probably best remembered for her two roles opposite Valentino but her accent sadly made her one of the first victims of sound when it came in after 1929. Here however she is at her peak and is perfect casting for the at times fragile carnival dancer who almost loses the great love of her life thanks to her deceitful father. She and Valentino have a great screen chemistry and their scenes after Ahmed feels that Yasmin has betrayed him and swears revenge are first rate. The whole look and feel of "Son of the Sheik", is far superior to its predecessor with William Cameron Menzies' sublime production designs a real stand out. The extensive location photography taken in the boiling Yuma Desert really giving you the feel of being in the real desert. Certainly this film's higher budget shows in every frame from the superb costumes, to Ahmed's elaborate tent and the wonderful sepia photography incorporated into many scenes. For a film made in 1926 the surviving print is nothing short of amazing and has a clarity and crispness about it that is unexpected in such an old film. The original theatre organ score by Jack Ward that was created to accompany this film is also highly appropriate and gives a very clear indication of the original live music that would have been provided during the original screenings of "The Son of the Sheik" back in the silent era. <
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>Anyone wanting to enjoy a first class silent era romantic drama or to simply see just what made the legendary Rudolph Valentino such a special identity need go no further than "The Son of the Sheik". it is my favourite Valentino performance made all the more piognant by the fact that it was also his last and was a great financial success after he had already passed away. The sight of Valentino in his Sheik outfit riding over the Sand Dunes after abducting a young woman is one of the most enduring and classic images from the silent era and certainly all later "heartthrobs", on the Hollywood scene for many a decade had their mettle measured against that of the legendary Valentino. For exotic drama full of romance, seduction, and good old fashioned "lust in the dust", you cannot better the 1926 silent melodrama "The Son of the Sheik", starring the one and only Rudolph Valentino.

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A true legend of the silent screen ...
"Not east of Suez but south of Algiers" ... with these intertitles abounds one of the greatest legends of the Hollywood that is no more. When one thinks of those times one remembers The Wizard Of Oz, Casablanca ... and those
scenes between Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Banky in a tent under
the desert sun.
Made in 1926 for United Artists, directed by master director
George Fitzmaurice and destined to even beat the 1921 original
"The Sheik" at the box office, this sequel to the former Valentino classic is in many ways the better of the two films.
Rudolph Valentino has never looked better than in this film, which would ultimately be his last, and Hungarian born Vilma
Banky outshines the original heroine Agnes Ayres from the "The Sheik" as well, together making these film the ultimate love story of the silent film age. Agnes Ayres however also appears in this film as the Sheik`s mother as a tribute to Valentino (his father is played by Rudy as well in a double role). But the movie has more assets to it. It is also more handsomely produced than "The Sheik", it has a far more glossy look with its` bigger budget and excellent art direction (by William Cameron Menzies of "Gone With The Wind"-fame), a slightly better script and it exposes far better the enormous acting range of Rudolph Valentino, who is still seen today only as the great Latin Lover (despite for example also being a great drama actor or comedian). The big difference might also líe in the fact that "The Sheik" was a typical product of the studio system and "The Son Of The Sheik" was made far more independently. The other interesting fact is that when this movie was made the silent film style had changed greatly since 1921, making the former film look far more primitive. And it is no wonder that all the famous scenes by which Rudolph Valentino is still judged today emerge from this movie, while the other Valentino films (even "The Sheik") are mostly forgotten today - this movie has its place as a sort of silent screen pop icon (and probably the only silent film most people have heard of in their lifetime today - I remember that as a child I only knew one silent film actor - Rudy, courtesy of this film). This
is also probably the curse of this film. It overshadowed all of his work so much and even made the critical judgment of "The Son Of The Sheik" nearly impossible. In fact it is an entertaining piece of Hollywood fairytale, packed with action and romance, exotic escapism and a great climax when Rudolph Valentino frees his love interest Banky from a band of robbers and rides with her into the endless desert ... and right into movie eternity. Truly a film of these ages, even not hampered by its dated plotline and some outrageous "silent film acting".

A note about the video quality: after being available for two decades only on bad quality tapes, KINO on Video now has released the first really good print of this film. Though not as beautiful as some of their other films or a Kevin Brownlow restoration, this version is multi-tinted and has an appropiate organ score that enhances many of the scenes. Only some of the reels seem a bit washed out, but at least you have now the chance to get a good quality video tape from Rudy`s most famous film.

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VALENTINO'S FINEST FILM.
Like many classic movie buffs, I often wondered what all the fuss about Rudolph Valention a.k.a. "The Great Lover" was about. The answer lies in watching this mesmorizing film! Really a tongue-cheek examination of his own bigger-than-life personna, the actor magnificently portrays the double role of father and son. As Ahmed, the son, Rudy falls in love with the Hungarian Vilma Banky (as Yasmin), a beautiful dancer. Ahmed later holds the beguiling young woman responsible when he is captured and held for by her roguish father's thieves. When Ahmed's father, the Shiek, intervenes, it is discovered that Yasmin is innocent of betrayal and after some heavy derring-do, there is a happy ending. This fast-paced film from 1926 has lost none of it's charm with the passage of time and proves over and over again that Valentino was without question the least understood and most maligned of all of Hollywood's great stars. He was indeed an enigmatic presence in this film. The photography is ethereal, and the desert looks more enchanting here than in any film, and the chases, rescues and stunts are still wonderful to watch. Valentino would die prematurely at the age of 31 of peritonitis 26 August, 1926. For a great companion piece, watch Valentino's great 1921 hit THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE.