Rudolf Nureyev’s Dancing Tailcoat as Valentino

Rudolf Nureyev as Rudolph Valentino in Valentino (1977) Vitals Rudolf Nureyev as Rudolph Valentino, Italian-American dancer and future silent film star Los Angeles, Fall 1919 Film: Valentino Release Date: October 4, 1977 Director: Ken Russell Costume Designer: Shirley Russell Tailor: Anderson & Shepherd WARNING! Spoilers ahead! Background The sudden death of screen icon Rudolph Valentino 100 years ago today on August 23, 1926 prompted mass public mourning including approximately 100,000 mourners lining the streets of Manhattan to pay their respects. Among these was his lover—and fellow silent-era sex symbol—Pola Negri, who theatrically collapsed over his $10,000 coffin, which she had previously adorned with an eleven-foot-long bank of lilies spelling out her own name. In contrast to more tasteful tributes offered by contemporaries like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, fans launched a day-long riot by smashing the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel’s windows in attempts to get in,…