Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926): Valentino, the “Great Lover of the Silent Screen” had an up-and-down career, starting with extra work, then discovery by the writer June Mathis, and the expert guidance of director Rex Ingram. Between Valentino’s huge hit The Sheik and his untimely death at thirty-one, there were five years of squabbles with studios, unhappy marriages, and financial problems, but his legacy as an idol was secure. Valentino said: “A man should live his life. Mine is living me.”