The Washington times., 1922-08-13

Yv7HEN the news travelled across the
w country on the telegraph wires
recently that Rodolph Valentino,
the movie hero, had married Miss Wini-
fred Hudnut, there was one very surprised
young woman-Mr. Valentines divorced
wife" ~
II was true that divorce proceeding
had been carried through the courts, and
Miss Jean Acker, the first wife of Valen-
tino, had won: her suit. But the law has
curious way of holding up the final
effectiveness of divorce decree for sew
eral months.
During the period between the end Of
the divorce trial and the time that the di-
vorce decree becomes really effective, the
divorced couple are neither man and wife
nor are they quite in a position to con-
slider themselves thoroughly divorced
Until the period, which by law varies in
different States, has elapsed after the trial
ends, neither one of the parties can marry
again.
Probably the young movie hero did, not
know this kink in the law. When the di-
vorce trial ended in the court with a de-
cree of divorce perhaps he got the impress
sion that it was all over between himself
and Jean Acker, and that there was no
reason why divorced man should not
take on another wife if he could find one.
But it happened that on March of
this year, when Justice Toland signed the
decree of divorce, he added this clause:,
at is adjudged that when one year will
have expired after the entry of the inter-
locutory judgment, final judgment dis
solving the marriage will be entered"
In real life true love seldom runs
smoothly anyhow. But in the movies every
thing always turns out we'll in the end:
Love laughs at law, and the lover and his
sweetheart, after narrowing the audience
with all the mishaps and misadventures
that the scenario writer can think Of, al
ways arrive at happy finale. -, r.,
Rodolph Valentino had played many
lover parts and had struggled through the
terrible vicissitudes of love and had landed
up in the last part of the last reel with the
bright sun always shining on himself and
his sweetheart. And SO, perhaps, the
lover of the movies concluded that he
could always play the same part in real
life, and that love would laugh at law and
end UP with sublime happiness. -!
So on the 18th day of May, q little !.
more than two months after the divorce
suit ended, Valentino and Miss Hudnut
slipped across the United States border
into Mexico and were married in :, q
regular moving picture stage setting by
the Mayor of the little town of Mexicali.
Of course, Miss Jean Acker, divorced
but still his legal wife, read the news and
marveled at Rodolph's audacity.. Not hay-
ing the kindlest feelings in the world for
her partly divorced husband, she bestirred
herself, and called the attention of the
California authorities to the fact that a
man had married who, by law, had no
right to maryland that Rodolph VAL
entino was the man. ~ .,sGI'.
So the Los Angeles authorities. began
proceedings, and with Justice Walter
Handy presiding, Valentino was brought
into court, charged with bigamy. A.
The question and answer testimony
which developed at that recent trial of
Valentino gives an interesting picture
of that curious movie marriage down
across the border in Mexico which was
quickly clouded by tears and the officers
Of the law-just as Rodolpho would have
acted il for the screen. =. ...r
When the case began Miss Jean Acker.