Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-19

man who frequently stood
/, around in the lobby of the Hotel
Alexandria. He was very dark and
slim. and his eyes had the somberness
of the Latin. l was especially struck
by the grace of his walk and his
gestures. Even when he leaned up
against a cigar case he did 1t with
certain stateliness. and you felt
that the column of some ruined tenn
pie overlooking the Mediterranean
would have been much more appro-
pirate than his present background.
Quite evidently he was looking for
job. In fact, before I was intro
duced to him heard him approaching
various people In the industry.
Anything doing today?" Have
you finished casting So-and So ~
When do you start shooting?" These
questions, so familiar in the lobby of
Hollywood hotel. We're made more
manner, by a slightly foreign accent.
He always looked so eager when he
put the question and SO disappointed
, when he got the answer.
Not long ago when l was in Holly
wood i saw this same young man at a
, nearby seaShore resort. On this day
he was in a bathing suit, and he was
leading three police dogs. The dogs
! were not a protective measure, but
, certainly the scene that day might
: have warranted some sort Of guard.
| For as the young man walked out
toward the waves, as the sun shone
on his swarthy skin, the hundreds of
women and girls who had come to
Long Beach pressed onward for a
more satisfactory glimpse of the
bather. And as they did so an awed
whisper passed through the feminine
multitude.
That's he-that's Valentino"
In all film history, replete as that
! there has been nothing quite so swift
as the rise of this young Italian pan
feminist, Rodolph Valentino The be-
ginning of the GREATNESS ascent may
afternoon by a certain Mr.. Cole, a
painter living in Hollywood. To this
reception came Rex Ingram, then
lately returned from overseas service
In the flying corps. Came also in
company with Paul Troubetsky.
Rodolph Valentino. At this point
shall allow Mr.. Ingram to tell the
story just as he related 1t to me one
evening last summer while we sat
chatting on the porch of Mae Muir
rays and Bobby Leonard's home at
Great Neck.
Il was attracted at once by valen-
tino's face and by his remarka BILE
grace of movement" said Ingram,
anu maze Immediately mental
note of him. There's a fellow, thought
I. who would be great in pictures, and
if / get my job of directing back I'm
going to use him. 1 was pretty con-
fdent then, you see, that this ex-
pertinent was due for the very near
future. Little did think that months
yes, almost a year-would go by
and find me just as idle as ! was that
day when I walked into Mr.. Coles
reception.
Il wasn't remembering much about
Valentino In those days, I can tell
you. I was SO poor that had to hook
all the civilian clothes I had left be-
hind me in my storage trunks. This
left me nothing but my uniform, and
the uniform proved, as it did to so
many other ex-service men, anything
but a talisman. The only effect il
seemed to produce was to prejudice
any possible employer against me.
At last-of course that's the way 1t
always happens had two jobs Of
fered me at once. In the meantime.
though, i had been obliged to give
up my little 50 room. In fact, when
got my double offer / was owing
two months rent for it.
The job I chose was with the -
-. No sooner had I started to
work than I discovered Valentino
was on the same lot under Holubar.
This second contact with the young
; foreigner deepened my confidence
|, that he would be a great success on
the silver-Sheet, and when 1.-THE Four
Horsemen" came along / thought OF
him Immediately.
CONTINUED in TomorrOW's StarO