L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 F o r c o n t e m p o r a r y a u d i - ences, it is very difficult to watch a film such as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse or The Sheik, both released in 1921, without letting a smile escape. After a century of cine- ma, special effects, 3D and HD screenings, artificial intelli- gence and immersive virtual sets, our eyes, experienced and accustomed to every possible genre, tend to look at those s i m p l e i m a g e s , t h o s e f i r s t uncertain steps of cinema, with a little too much superiority. And yet, gradually, those blurred images, slow and accelerated at the same time, those unmistakably retro portraits, the spa- tial relationships and theatricality of the poses, stories that seem full of clichés by today's standards, along with the narra- tive techniques, title cards and freeze frames, begin to draw us in. Only by understanding the beginnings of Hollywood can we start to understand the silent-film legend whose death we com- memorate 100 years later: Rodolfo Valentino. The Four Horse- men of the Apocalypse and The Sheik marked the turning point in his career. The first established him as a movie star The films that turned Rudy Valentino into the first global star – and L'Italo Americano From the Editor and an icon of elegance; the second consolidated his place in the collective imagination as the great seducer, Hollywood's "Latin lover." In The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the story revolves around a wealthy and despotic Argentine patriarch whose two daughters marry a Frenchman and a German. When World War I breaks out, the family finds itself divided between opposing sides. Against the drama of war and the devastation symbolically embodied by the Four Horsemen of the Apoca- lypse – Conquest, War, Famine and Death – the story culmi- nates in the tragedy of trench warfare. Valentino plays Julio Desnoyers, the young Argentine grandson raised as a spoiled dandy, sensual and devoted to the nightlife of Paris. But the story eventually redeems him, fol- lowing his profound moral transformation: from a detached hedonist having an affair with a married woman, he chooses to enlist in the army to redeem himself and defend his father's homeland, ultimately meeting a heroic and tragic fate. Charac- ter and actor begin to overlap, and female audiences fall at his feet. Above all, there is the famous tango scene, which made Valentino known around the world for his magnetic charm and screen presence. The Sheik, instead, unfolds in an exotic Arabian Nights atmosphere. It tells the story of an independent, emancipated English aristocrat traveling through the Sahara. The Sheik abducts her and takes her to his camp, but she is later kid- napped by a ruthless desert bandit. Valentino sets off after her, determined to rescue her, and is seriously wounded in the confrontation. As she nurses him back to health, the two fall in love. In the final revelation, the Sheik is discovered to be the son of an English nobleman who was raised in the desert, making their union acceptable according to the social conven- tions of the time. It was by taking on the role of the Sheik that Valentino established himself as the "Great Lover." His performance, built around intense looks and the theatrical expressiveness typical of silent cinema, triggered what became a genuine phe- nomenon of collective hysteria among female moviegoers. Valentino became the modern, revolutionary star, one capable of challenging the traditional model of Hollywood masculinity of the period, represented by figures such as Dou- glas Fairbanks: virile, energetic, sunny, reassuring and Anglo- Saxon. The Italian who arrived in New York in 1913 intro- duced different standards, including a new kind of masculinity that was exotic and sensual. The aesthetics of the 1920s became filled with his elegant tango and dandyish appeal: immaculate clothes, sophisticated posture and slicked-back hair, a style that quickly became fashionable everywhere. He paid the price for that seductive image but, looking back today, we might say that he ultimately won the famous boxing match against those who attacked him as a "pink powder puff." How could one not be fascinated by this persona? And how could one not recognize in him a prototype of the Italian American story, the immigrant who becomes a legend? It is also worth remembering that part of the history of L'I- talo Americano is tied directly to Valentino. For our newspa- per, then under the direction of Cleto Baroni, Valentino repre- sented more than the cultural and social redemption of Italians in America. Defending him meant defending the dig- nity and value of the entire Italian community in the United States. At the same time, it meant recognizing and celebrating the emergence of the first Italian "global star." Simone Schiavinato, Editor Simone Schiavinato NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Member of FUSIE (Federazione Unitaria Stampa Italianaall'Estero), COGITO L'Italo-Americano Please send correspondence to P.O. Box 40156 Pasadena CA 91114 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano Newspaper (a 501(c)(3) non- profit organization), www.italoamericano.org, is the largest and longest-running Italian news- paper in America, not to mention the cultural and news resource for all things Italian in the US. A bilingual newspaper which represents an historical landmark for the Italian American Communities in the West Coast and throughout the US. L'Italo-Americano benefits from subsidies by the Italian Government, Memberships and Donations intended to support and not interrupt a mission that began in 1908 to preserve and promote the Italian language and culture in the USA Periodicals postage paid at Monrovia, California 91016, and additional mailing offices. PUBLISHER Robert Barbera Grande Ufficiale EDITOR IN CHIEF Simone Schiavinato ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Patrick Abbate EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Barbara Minafra COPY EDITOR Francesca Bezzone LOS ANGELES CONTRIBUTOR Silvia Nittoli SAN FRANCISCO CONTRIBUTOR Serena Perfetto SEATTLE CONTRIBUTOR Rita Cipalla CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mariella Radaelli, Matt Walker, Francesca Bezzone, Luca Ferrari, Stefano Carnevali, Paula Reynolds, Teresa Di Fresco Nicoletta Curradi, Generoso D'Agnese, Jessica S. Levy, Fabrizio Del Bimbo, Maria Gloria, Chuck Pecoraro, Anthony Di Renzo Serena Perfetto, Kenneth Scambray, Chiara D'Alessio, Luca Signorini, Giulia Franceschini © 2025 L'Italo-Americano Membership: One year $59 - Single copy $2.25 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to L'Italo Americano P.O. Box 40156 Pasadena CA 91114 Selling Homes Throughout The Bay Area Adele Della Santina "The Right Realtor makes all the di昀erence." 650.400.4747 Adele.DellaSantina@compass.com www.AdeleDS.com DRE# 00911740 Expert in preparation, promotion, and negotiation!

• Cover