The Washington times., 1926-08-23

who died seven years before MS ar
rival here.
BY his own admission. he was a
| pretty wild boy" in those days,
and he gravitated to Broadway
night life. Here he learned to
dance while spending his small
hoard of money, and this fact saved
him later, after his failure as an
under gardener on the Bliss estate.
Failure as Gardener
He had secured this job through
an agency and took it only after
a few nights in Central Park had
cooled his ardour for Broadway
;azz. and suggested the necessity
for making some money some
where.
Whatever the reason. the grad
uate of the college of agriculture
was q rank failure as an under
gardener. 1t was in the winter,
and the work was chiefly in green
houses. Either Valentino was I'M
familiar with this branch of horti.
culture, or something. At all
events, he terminated his employ
ment at the end of a month to
everybody's satisfaction, including
his own, and came back to New
York. 1t was at this time that he
qualified as a dishwasher in var.
ious restaurants.
But at this time his luck APP
peared to turn for the better. He
had so quickly picked up the then
modern dance steps that he got
position in Bustonoby's. one OF
the popular dance places in New
York, teaching Jew dance steps to
women patrons.
Thus it was as dancer that
Valentino first obtained a foot
hold in this country. Before he
left it he had something Of n
vogue on Broadway, and was the
dancing partner in turn of both
Bonnie Glass and Joan Sawyer.
Moved Westward
At this time, about 1915. Holly.
wood had doomed on the western
horizon as the desirable mecca OF
moviedom and Valentino, like thou.
sands of others, yearned for a
matter Of transportation was an
obstacle to him as it was to
many, but he overcame 1t by az
cepting a role in q musical cor1-
edy troupe which was headed in
that direction.
AS luck would have it. the Or
ganization held together for the
trip and collapsed in San Fran
cisco. stranding Valentino within
a few hundred miles of his desti-
nation. But after selling. or try
| ing to sell bonds in San Francisco
| for a month or two. he finally ar
| rived at Hollywood
Here. for three years. the man
| who was later to be hailed as the
| greatest lover f'the screen. lived the
precarlous life Of a movie extra.
Sometimes. for a few months. he
was fortunate enough to get small
| parts. and ate three meals day.
More often he didn't. He admitted
| that this periods was the hardest
| Of his life.
Met Jean Acker
II was at this time that he met
and married Jean Acker. his first
| wife. Miss Acker at that time was
also little more than an extra. But
was in frequent demand. That was
in 1919.
| Meanwhile, Winifred Hudnut,
adopted daughter of Richard Hud-
nut. the perfumer had arrived in
| Hollywood az art director and cos.
tuner for Nine. Nazimova. who
was about to produce Camille.
| As the day approached for thL
| first rehearsaIs. Nine. Nazimova dis
covered that the actor who she
had cast for the character of Al
mand. the lover in her play, was
not available, and she began search.
| ing for a substitute. The man she
needed was slim, dark, passion.
ate type, who could make love con.
vincingly. But the lots" seemed
unable to produce such a type.
Gets First Chance
Then 1t was that Miss Hudnut,
or "Natassa Ramsova." as she pre-.
ferred to be known. thought of
Valentino. She said to Nazimova:
II saw a young man the other
day who looked the part to per.
fectior His name is Valentino"
Nine. Nazimova asked: But
does he know how to make love?"
The lady who was to become the
second Mrs. Valentino answered:
How should know, but he looked
as IL he might; why not give him
a try-out?"
1 VeIsatiuo was Eivsn the tryout.