<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Say it isn't so, Rudy!
Review: ...No stars for this book! It is well written but what is said is disgusting. Was he or wasn't he? David Bret has the answer from previously "unpublished material". Bret paints Rudolph Valentino as a homosexual, exhibitionist slob. I own six books about Valentino and none of them allude to these "new characters" that were supposed to be Rudy's lovers. If you like Rudolph Valentino, do not read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: valentino's latin sexualty
Review: although all of the undocumented homosexual affairs of valentino mentioned in this book may not be exactly true, his homosocialty rings true in my experience of the latin male sexuality where appearances are everything and anything goes privately. some of the mentioned associations may have been mere friendships between two friends who shared either homo or bisexualty. that valentino was sexually attracted to andre devan is convincing particularly in light of his travel diary published in the 1920s[ a copy of which i own]. it subtley reveals more than either valentino or the publishers may have known.
this book gave me an insight into the sexuality of valentino .
Rating:
Summary: Complete Nonsense!
Review: Another book--Valentino was gay or wasn't he--or bisexual--Probably more gay than bisexual...but...what is the difference NOW---it was a big deal back then....It is an interesting book if you are have an interest in the Rudolph Valentino legend, that's all.........I would not say it is awful or not worth the money, it is just another book....
Rating: 
Summary: Surprising, after reading the book...
Review: I found David Bret to be a superb writer having an excellent command of prose. His insights of his subjects were interesting and highly sympathetic. He may not have cited his sources, but after seeing his list of books, I'm satisfied that he did know a few people from Hollywood, including Marlene Dietrich. His portrayal of Valentino does not seem at all malicious unless you believe that being gay is a horrible thing. In fact, I'm astonished at the vitality and dynamic nature that was Valentino, and I sensed that belief from the biographer. Particularly doing his own high flying in the fight scene in "The Son of the Sheik." Valentino was hardly a pansie, as many men believed, including myself, until reading this book.
The truth of the matter is that Valentino did some things that did not seem to be masculine at the time which can be read about in all of his biographies. So it did not surprise me to read about him having affairs with other men. And, I knew that he did marry two known lesbians from other biographies. Why the heck did he do that if he was a straight man? I found that Valentino, so perfect on the screen, was truly human with many flaws, such as making noises as he ate and driving recklessly (which I read in other biographies,) which were undoubtedly noticed by those who observed this phenomenal talent in real life who wanted to know if a man with so much charisma whose presence sold so many tickets was indeed human. What impressed me the most was Bret's portrayal of how much of a free spirit Valentino was. Truly a man's man. His lack of care of what others thought of him is what we all would like to be. But, alas, we all have to make a living, and we need our neighbors sometimes. This book gives us a Valentino that was masculine on screen and in real life. I'm glad that Bret has given us such an interesting book that allows us to see that gay men are not necessary women stuck inside men as many who hate or are afraid of gays tend to believe. Gay men can be the most masculine of men. And yes, Bret does mention many straight actors and actresses in Hollywood, so I don't believe that he felt that all talented people have to be gay, etc. Other than knocking stereotypes, the stories concerning the making of those wonderful movies are a good read. Couldn't put the book down after reading the first page, so ignore reviewers with agendas. Do what you will.
Rating:
Summary: This books reeks.....!!!! [money] wasted
Review: The book is interesting in that it reveals Valentino's involvement with a number of male lovers, but it is frustrating in that no documentation is offered to support the narrative. David Bret fails to cite the sources for what he reports and quotes are likewise not cited. There are also a few factual errors in the text, such as referring to the California jail that Valentino was incrcerated in overnight as "the Tombs" (which is in fact in New York).
Rating:
Summary: No star for you!
Review: This book is truly horrid! According to this author 90% of 1920's Hollywood were gay or lesbian and Valentino slept with them all. The timeline of events in Valentino's life has numerous errors, errors that could have been corrected by the most basic research. There is absolutely no documentation given for the outrageous stories told in this book and quotes from movie fan magazines of the period are taken GROSSLY out of context, some even being altered a bit to fit the author's storyline. If Valentino had been gay and was forced to live in hiding due to the times he lived in - it was a great tragedy. However, if the stories in this book are to be believed he lived quite openly and everyone knew it. A hard thing to believe with the Hays "morality" Office snooping around hell bent on cleaning up Hollywood. If you want an honest look into the life of Rudolph Valentino there are many biographies better than this, some written by people who actually knew him. If however, you'd prefer the fictionalized, Jerry Springer version of events, then this is the book for you!
Rating:
Summary: Complete Nonsense!
Review: This is the second most discredited bio of Valentino, in my opinion, trailing just behind Kenneth Anger's funny but spurious "Hollywood Babylon." The author claims to be in the possession of Rudy's private diary and quotes from it episodes of passionate homosexual love. Long ago that "diary" was proven to be a fake, written by a distempered mind. The French-Canadian author, Jeanne de Recqville, carefully explored every sentence of that so-called diary, and demonstrated its numerous mistakes. Let the buyer beware! You'll learn more about the author of this horrible book than you ever will about Rudolph Valentino. It is nonsense like this which cheapens the art of Hollywood biography and discredits the veracity of those who think they are contributing to cinema history.
Rating: 
Summary: A gay's man hell
Review: What really interested me most in David Bret's account of Valentino's life was the gay scene of the 1920s in Hollywood. I believe that is very useful to understand that gay attitudes were not born in the 1960s. I feel compassion and anger for the supressed sexuality of million of men and women.
<< 1 >>
| 
