biography
pronunciation:
[valenteenoh]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1895–1926)
|
| biography:
| Film actor, born in Castellaneta, SE Italy. He studied agriculture, but emigrated to the USA in 1913, and first appeared on the stage as a dancer. In 1919 he made his screen debut, but his first leading role was as Julio in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), which made him a star. His performances in such films as The Sheik (1921), Blood and Sand (1922), The Eagle (1925), and The Son of the Sheik (1926) established him as the leading ‘screen lover’ of the 1920s. He became ill and died of a perforated ulcer at the height of his fame, and his body lay in state, attracting crowds, riots, and suicide attempts by his fans. |
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