One of the most noteworthy movies cited as personifying the spirit of the Jazz Age is November 1921's "The Sheik." Actor Rudolph Valentino's cheeky portrayal of a desert leader created film's first male sex symbol and had millions of female viewers swooning.
The movie--and the actor's--success had its roots in a very popular 1919 romantic novel, 'The Sheik,' by Edith Hull. Over the summer of 1921 Valentino had left his previous employer, Metro Pictures, for Paramount, who had secured the rights of the book. The studio immediately cast its newcomer for the lead. The tale of an Arab leader living in a large desert oasis who falls in love for a reluctant English adventuress trekking her way across the North African sands adds enough spice for even the prudish of viewers to salivate. The initial surprise of the film was how much of a misogynist Valentino's character, Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan, was and how he teasingly treats his opposite, Lady Diana Mayo, played by Agnes Ayres, with utter disrespect. There's an evolution of sentiment to the Sheik, however, as the movie progresses. An exciting rescue sequence where the Lady is captured by an outlaw band, motivating the Sheik to gather his forces, ensues.
When "The Sheik" premiered in theaters around the country, the box office immediately rang with record receipts. The popularity of the book helped, but Valentino's star attraction from his earlier 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' added to the demand. Despite production costs in upwards of $200,000, the movie garnered over $1 million in just the first year. One theater in France played the film 42 straight weeks. It was also the first Valentino movie to be shown in his native Italy.
The impact of "The Sheik" through the years is immense. It was the first 'desert' movie to be produced and has spawned several inspired films, such as 1955's 'Harum Scarum' with Elvis Presley, that draws from Valentino's portrayal. The term 'sheik' entered the English lexicon after its premier to mean a young man on the prowl. And "The Sheik" is listed #80 in American Film Institute's 100 Greatest Romantic Films as well as nominated in AFI's 100 Heart-Pounding Movies.
The movie--and the actor's--success had its roots in a very popular 1919 romantic novel, 'The Sheik,' by Edith Hull. Over the summer of 1921 Valentino had left his previous employer, Metro Pictures, for Paramount, who had secured the rights of the book. The studio immediately cast its newcomer for the lead. The tale of an Arab leader living in a large desert oasis who falls in love for a reluctant English adventuress trekking her way across the North African sands adds enough spice for even the prudish of viewers to salivate. The initial surprise of the film was how much of a misogynist Valentino's character, Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan, was and how he teasingly treats his opposite, Lady Diana Mayo, played by Agnes Ayres, with utter disrespect. There's an evolution of sentiment to the Sheik, however, as the movie progresses. An exciting rescue sequence where the Lady is captured by an outlaw band, motivating the Sheik to gather his forces, ensues.
When "The Sheik" premiered in theaters around the country, the box office immediately rang with record receipts. The popularity of the book helped, but Valentino's star attraction from his earlier 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' added to the demand. Despite production costs in upwards of $200,000, the movie garnered over $1 million in just the first year. One theater in France played the film 42 straight weeks. It was also the first Valentino movie to be shown in his native Italy.
The impact of "The Sheik" through the years is immense. It was the first 'desert' movie to be produced and has spawned several inspired films, such as 1955's 'Harum Scarum' with Elvis Presley, that draws from Valentino's portrayal. The term 'sheik' entered the English lexicon after its premier to mean a young man on the prowl. And "The Sheik" is listed #80 in American Film Institute's 100 Greatest Romantic Films as well as nominated in AFI's 100 Heart-Pounding Movies.