Kino Lorber continues to release titles to Blu-ray that only they would release. For May 30th they have announced releases of two Rudolph Valentino movies, The Sheik and The Son of the Sheik. I don’t have anything to back this up, I haven’t done the research or anything like that to confirm, but I think at this point Kino Lorber has released more silent films on Blu-ray than anyone else. I don’t know if this is true at all, but I do know that up to this point they have released a ton of silent films and that’s awesome. These are the types of movies that could easily get lost, so it’s wonderful to see Kino Lorber keep them alive. These two Valentino releases are welcome additions to the silent Blu-ray category.
The Sheik
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: May 30, 2017
1921 / US / English Intertitles / Adventure-Drama-Romance / 75 min / NR / B&WDirector: George Melford
Starring: Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres, Ruth MillerSynopsis:
Hollywood’s first male sex symbol, Rudolph Valentino, appears in his most iconic roles in The Sheik (1921). Agnes Ayres stars as Lady Diana Mayo, a headstrong Western woman who infiltrates the private party of the handsome Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan (Valentino). When the Sheik later encounters Diana in the desert, he abducts her and takes her to his sumptuous lair. Unable to resist the Sheik’s cruel magnetism, Diana’s defiant nature crumbles and she begins to develop affectionate feelings for her captor. The Sheik plays upon a long tradition of Orientalism in Western art, which romanticized the sands of Northern Africa as a hotbed or seduction and captivity.Special Features:
Audio Commentary by Gaylyn Studlar, author of This Mad Masquerade: Stardom and Masculinity in the Jazz Age and co-editor of Visions of the East: Orientalism in Film
Archival footage taken at Valentino’s funeral
Original theatrical trailer of Valentino’s Blood and Sand (1922)The Son of the Sheik
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: May 30, 2017
1926 / US / English intertitles / Adventure-Drama-Romance / 68 min / NR / B&WDirector: George Fitzmaurice
Starring: Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Bánky, George FawcettSynopsis:
In this visually intoxicating sequel to Valentino’s career-defining film The Sheik, the silent screen’s greatest lover portrays a cultured yet untamed young man who is lured into a thieve’s trap by a beautiful dancer, Yasmin (Vilma Banky). After escaping, he kidnaps the damsel and holds her captive in his desert lair, dressing her in Arabian finery and threatening to unleash his violent passion upon her. Exotic romance saturates every frame of this Orientalist epic; its sadomoasochistic fantasies are acted out against the lavish set design of William Cameron Menzies (The Thief of Bagdad) and lushly photographed by George Barnes (Sadie Thompson). The Son of the Sheik proved to be Valentino’s final film. He died suddenly on August 23rd, 1926 at the age of 31, just before the picture’s release. This edition is mastered from the best surviving 35mm elements and features a dazzling score by Alloy Orchestra.Special Features:
Music by Alloy Orchestra
Filmed introduction by Orson Welles
“Valentino: His Life and Times,” a vintage documentary short
“Valentino at the Beach” (aka “The Sheik’s Physique”), a rare short subject
Original theatrical trailer of The Young Rajah (1922)
A sampling of newspaper headlines announcing Valentino’s illness and death
