Since 1999, we've proudly offered DVD rentals by mail, with a curated library of about 60,000 titles. Our diverse range of films and TV series has reached customers across the U.S. We're excited to launch a new version of CAFEDVD to expand our services. Please visit our new site!    
Home     |     Cart     |     My Account     |     My Wish List     |     Help      
 

  Search
 
 
 
  Genres:
Action Music
Animation Romance
Classic Sci-Fi
Comedy Sports
Cult Suspense
Documentary Special Int
Drama Television
Family Thriller
Foreign War
Horror Western
Independent PG-13,PG,G
 
  1001 Movies You Must
   See Before You Die
  Most Requested
  Directors
  New Releases
  Popular Independent
  Criterion Collection
  All Time Favorites
  AFI 100
  Staff Recommended A-M
  Staff Recommended N-Z
  Best of Contemporary
   Foreign Films
  Best of British Film
  Best of Documentary
   Films
  Roger Ebert's
   Overlooked Film Festival
  Top Shakespeare
   Adaptations
  Best of Avant Garde
  Best of Romance
  Select Sentimental
  Cream of Comedy
  Best Recent American
   Features
  Movies by 40
   Directors to watch
  Best Cinematography
  Masters of Montage
  Hollywood
   Contemporary Classic
  Cannes Winners
  Vatican Picks
  Best American
   Independent
  Best of
   Science-Fiction
 .


Click here to visit our new site --> CafeDVD 2.0

Photo Coming Soon
Sheik, The/ The Son Of The Sheik (Double Feature) (1926)
Rating:
Starring: Rudolph Valentino
Director: George Melford
Category: Drama, Classics, Classics, Special Interest
Studio: Image Ent.
Subtitles:
[None]
Length:
152 mins

 
 

 

Women fainted in the aisles when The Sheik was released in 1921. The titled Lady Diana Mayo (Agnes Ayres) is carried into the desert by a n Arab chieftain, Ahmed Ben Hassan (Valentino), who takes one look at her and wants her, right then and there. Filmed on the heels of women's suffrage, Lady Diana was presented as a strong-willed and intelligent character, but as for Ahmed- nobody had seen anything like Valentino's natural sex appeal on the screen before. His charismatic presence electrified audiences; his Sheik symbolized the forbidden allure of the exotic and forever secured Valentino's place in screen legend. From the lavish dressing of this production, Arabian wall tapestries, tunics, cassocks, and garish jewelry became a fad in decoration and attire.

Paramount hustled its new sensation from one uninspired vehicle to another, and Valentino, by all accounts an intelligent and considerate person, finally expressed his displeasure by taking leave of the studio. Legally blocked by Paramount from making films for others, he an his wife Natacha Rambova, embarked on a national dance tour sponsored by a beauty aid called Mineralava. It culminated in a beauty contest judged by Valentino. A newsreel of this event is included on this DVD; it gave Valentino hungry audiences another glimpse of their idol.

The Son of the Sheik, a sequel to The Sheik, was designed to revive Valentino's career. As both parent and son, Rudy has two virile leading parts, showing how a son of the desert inherited the passions of the father. Although the production is on a modest scale compared to the original Sheik, Valentino's performance is far more accomplished, and there's a tongue-in-cheek quality which gives The Son a certain magic even today. Young Ahmed falls in love with Yasmin, a dancing girl (Vilma Banky), but he is captured and tortured by bandits. Believing Yasmin to be responsible, he escapes and plans his own form of revenge, although true love, of course, finally prevails.

In New York for the premiere of The Son of the Sheik, Valentino collapsed and died eight days later at the age of 31. The public hysteria surrounding his funeral is documented in the original Pathe newsreel, which rounds out this extraordinary DVD.