31 March '07

THE SON OF THE SHEIK

An epitome of the grandeur and romance of early Hollywood silent cinema, The Son of the Sheik captures the West’s fascination with the mystery and exoticism of the Arab world. The picture of famed silent screen actor, Rudolph Valentino, riding on his horse over the sand dunes with Vilma Bánky, is considered one of the most enduring and iconic images from the silent era.

Widely hailed as the best film of Valentino’s career, The Son of the Sheik is also his last work. On August 15, 1926, the actor collapsed and died eight days later at the age of 31. The death of this screen icon sparked off a public hysteria and his funeral attracted an unprecedented crowd of 100,000 people on the streets of New York City.