User Reviews

This episode deals with the role glamour and sex appeal had in the silents by focusing on two stars at the top of the heap in those departments - Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. It deals with them separately and does more than just talk about their physical appeal, as it talks about their silent careers in pretty good detail.

First, Gloria Swanson is discussed, and in particular her roles in DeMille's films at Paramount. I have to admit that I never got the appeal of Swanson. To me, even in her youth, she looked like a short squat woman with severe features - almost scary. She had a perfectly good voice and her personality had no trouble coming through in a sound film, but tastes changed, and she just wasn't the star in the sound era that she had been.

Next, Valentino is discussed as an example of an actor who had great sex appeal. Part of his appeal came from a complete myth about who he was. The public thought he was a poor tramp-like character who came to the US from Italy to escape poverty. In fact his family was middle class and had always lived quite comfortably. Valentino was homeless for awhile after he came to the US, largely due to periods of unemployment before he broke into acting.

Valentino's fame was waning at the time of his death, probably because of bad film choices he made due to the sway his second wife had over his career. Because he died suddenly when he was young and still famous, he will forever be remembered as just that - young and famous.

It's funny that "Beyond the Rocks" - a film that starred both Valentino and Swanson -is not mentioned, if only to note how these two very popular larger than life stars had worked together.

This episode was not as compelling as most of the others, but as usual, its subject matter is explored in great detail.

In this sixth episode of the wonderful "Hollywood" series by David Gill and Kevin Brownlow, two silent stars are profiled--Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. While both were extremely popular, I was a bit confused why the filmmakers picked these two. Yes, they were extremely popular but Swanson was NOT the top female star of the day like Valentino (briefly) was and her career path was very, very different. I could have sooner seen them pick Mary Pickford and Valentino...or perhaps some other pair. But, no matter. The show IS very good and very watchable. And, like all the other episodes, jam-packed with great footage and interviews. Well worth seeing if a bit confusing about the choice of stars.

The sixth episode of the Brownlow-Gill silent-film documentary, "Hollywood," profiles two of the greatest stars of the silent era: Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. Unfortunately, the twin mini-bios contain little new material, and each segment plays like a glossy entry in the "Hollywood and the Stars" or "Biography" series. Any opportunity to tie the two careers together and make a statement about stardom during the silent era was lost. However, "Swanson and Valentino" is still worth watching, if only for the interviews with Gloria Swanson, Alberto Valentino, Allan Dwan, and Ben Lyon.

Viewers unfamiliar with her autobiography, Swanson on Swanson, will discover that Gloria Swanson began her career in Mack Sennet comedies, although she claims not to have understood the jokes. Unhappy as a straight woman to comics, Gloria teamed with Cecil B. DeMille, who transformed the petite actress into a glamorous star with such films as "Male and Female;" that 1919 film includes a scene with Swanson and a lion, which the actress discusses at length and reveals why, despite the risk, she was insistent on filming it. Unwilling to continue as a clothes horse, Swanson proved herself an actress in two films by Allan Dwan, "Zaza" in 1923 and "Manhandled" in 1924; Dwan describes filming the famous subway scene in "Manhandled," in which Swanson endures a chaotic rush-hour ride. Restless at Paramount, Swanson completed "Stage Struck" in 1925 and then left to join United Artists. However, sound was fast approaching, and her career encountered some bumps. After the success of "Sadie Thompson," she had a disaster in 1928 with Erich von Stroheim's "Queen Kelly," which was never seen in the U.S. Ironically clips from that film appeared in Swanson's best-remembered role as the faded silent film star, Norma Desmond, in Billy Wilder's "Sunset Blvd." in 1950. Adela Rogers St. Johns summed up Gloria Swanson thus: Gloria did not do what others did, she did what she wanted to do, and others followed her.

Rudolph Valentino's life is arguably more familiar from biographies and films than Swanson's, although myths abound, and Valentino's brother, Alberto, attempts to set the record straight. Valentino came from a comfortable Italian family and arrived in New York at age 18. Initially a male taxi dancer in a café, he went to Hollywood, where he was typecast as gigolos and villains. However, cast a Julio in Rex Ingram's 1921 adaptation of "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," Valentino used his dancing skills to tango his way to stardom. Although a star as Julio, Valentino's smoldering performance in 1921's "The Sheik" made him a sensation with female audiences, but earned disdain from males. However, after his marriage to Natasha Rambova, Valentino's films and popularity were negatively affected by his wife's effete influence. With films like "Monsieur Beaucaire," his career faded, while his marriage faltered. Although his 1925 film "The Eagle" was a success, depression and money problems ensued. While Valentino had a sure-fire hit with 1926's "Son of the Sheik," a perforated ulcer later that year led to peritonitis and an early death at age 31; footage of the hysterical mobs at his New York funeral and the parade of stars at his Hollywood funeral illustrate the immense popularity of silent stars; Ben Lyon adds a fascinating footnote about Pola Negri's attempt to insert herself into the funeral with a white floral blanket that included "Pola" spelled out in red roses.

The interviews, film clips, and reminiscences ensure that the two short biographical episodes are worthy viewing. However, some analysis to connect the two bios and comment on stardom during that era would have added value. While there is no question that Swanson and Valentino were among the biggest stars of the era, others rate equal attention: Clara Bow, Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. "Swanson and Valentino" is a good episode in the "Hollywood" series, but missed opportunities and overly familiar material place it among the lesser entries.

Hollywood: Swanson and Valentino (1980)

*** (out of 4)

This sixth entry in the mammoth series is perhaps the weakest so far but it's still well-worth watching for fans of silent cinema or the two stars that are highlighted here. First up we get to hear about the career of Gloria Swanson, which started in comedies, which she apparently hated and then she got the break of her career when teaming up with Cecil B. DeMille. In the Valentino story, we too hear about his rise and eventual fall before an untimely death that caused him to become a legend. Both parts of this documentary have their strong points but there's no question that the big plus is that we get an interview with Swanson. The documentary makes the case that most people know Swanson for her role in SUNSET BLVD. and the type of character she played in that film is pretty much how she comes off here. She's very sure of herself and cocky in many of her answers but all of this will certainly put a smile on your face. One of the best stories she tells is about the lion sequence in MALE AND FEMALE. Her fall from grace is well done and there's no question that she was an interesting character. The Valentino sequence is pretty interesting in the later parts once we get to his death. It's interesting to learn that he was popular but falling fast at the time of his death and that him dying young is what probably made him a legend. There was some newsreel footage of his funeral in New York where a riot broke out and some even more interesting footage in California where he was finally laid to rest. To show that producers were scumbags back in the day, we're told that the man who made the most money off Valentino in life also made $2 million on his death yet the dead actor's family saw none of the money and the actor didn't even get a grave to be buried in.