Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-27
The Truth About Rudolph Valentino
Actor and Wife Again Visit Europe Preparing for Picture.

With "Beaucaire" finished in the
early Spring. Rudy went to Florida for
q holiday with French boy who was
Q friend Of his. while remained in
New York to prepare costumes and
Devil"
We had great difficulty finding the
proper story for this, our second pic
ture. Finally, after much searching,
End" Rudy was delighted with the
script as originally submitted. 1t was
centered about a revolution in South
America, full of the color, fire and
dramatic situations that had character
lied THE Four Horsemen." Like The
Four Horsemen," the plot was motivated
by war, and we thought it might be
equally successful as a picture.
But after the story had been ac-
eepted, bought and paid for, the pow
ers behind the throne suddenly decided
that for the sake Of international policy
Cor eXpense) all traces OF war must be
eliminated. In other words, the very
reason for the story, the spinal column
of the beast, was amputated. What re-
NAMED were a few fragmentary Incl
dents strung together by threadbare
plot and given the title THE Sainted
Devil" objected loudly to this mutila-
ton of fine story; it took all the pep
from the picture. predicted it would
be failure. But my objections were
promptly overruled and, rather than
cause more trouble, I sank into quiz
essence. It was the last picture of our
contract with Famous Players and we
didn't want more litigation. Anything
for peace!
Blamed for First Flop.
When this spineless drama was re-
leased I was blamed for its failure.
They declared 1t was my poor judg-
ment. Was it not I who had chosen
it? 1t was useless to remind them
that the mangled plot finally used was
from the one I had chosen.
BY this time I had grown 50 accus-
toned to being the goat it is strange
didn't grow horns and beard. They
accused me of sacrificing Rudy to my
own selfish ambitions" wanted to
be power in the Industry" I have
plenty of things on my conscience, but
fortunately this despicable thing is not
one of them!
We wanted Nita Naldi for the femi-
nine lead opposite Rudy in 1.-THE
Sainted Devil" but when we asked Fa-
nous Players for her they refused, say
ing she had grown too fat to appear in
picture. When we told this to Nita
she laughed, saying she. had grown
fat on purpose because she didn't like
the kind of roles they gave her.
knowing Nita would do anything for
Rudy and me, even to giving up spa
ghetti, I asked Famous If we might have
her If promised to reduce her.
They said, Eyes, if you'll make her
lose Is pounds, but that isn't humanity
possible"
Nita was truly Latin. Her i6ea of
happy life was three meals of kpa-
rr1a law nVN@ nf I h.,
OF sleep. But for the sake of playing
with Rudy she was willing to forego
even this. By strenuous diet of spin
ach and pineapple and with the aid
OF two masseurS we soon had her not
only IS, but 40 pounds, lighter. And
she played the role.
Nita was tremendously fond of Rudy.
She always spoke of him as "our Rudy"
and profeSsed great jealousy when any
over him. Nita was the enfant terrible
OF the screen, always up to tricks and
prankS, and woe to any one who in
CURED her diSfavor! She particularly
disliked Gloria Swanson; perhaps pe-
cause the two were so different, perhaps
because Gloria, too, had a marked weak
ness for Rudy.
Jeered at GIOria's Hope.
"The Sainted Devil" was filmed in
the Astoria, L. l., studio and Gloria
was making picture there at the same
time. Her set was next our own This
was at the peak of Gloria's stardom
and she had aspirations to play Peter
Pan" In fact, it was all arranged she
should do it until Sir James Barrie in
terfered and refused to let her play the
part of his favorite character. At any
rate, it was while we were all working
together out there that the question
of Gloria as Peter was receiving n )st
discussion.
During the long waits between ca.4lera
shots Nita used to sit on Glorias set,
her skirts pulled up to her knees, look
ing very demure and innocent, studying
q script book in which she had painted
in great black letters "Peter Pan"
I'VE won't have our Rudy vamped,"
she used to say to me.
THE. Sainted Devil" finished our
work with Famous, and now at last
Rudy was free for the two pictures he
had contracted to make for j. D. Will
lianls Of the Ritz Co. For the first
tain Blood" but while Mr.. Williams was
debating its screen values some one
else bought the script So I myself
wrote story in the same environment
as Captain Blood" but with different
plot, in which Rudy was to play the
part of a fourteenth century Moorish
prince. With his fair for anything
Oriental he would have been superb in
this role. This story submitted to Mr..
Williams.