The True Rudolph Valentino (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798349233234)

Fictionalized versions of Rudolph Valentino's life circulated even before his death, fueled in part by studio publicity. During the early months of 1926, Valentino set out to correct the record, collaborating with Spanish journalist Baltasar Fernández Cué on what was intended to be an authorized autobiography.

Cué was granted rare access to Valentino's private world and became a close observer of the star's final months. Before departing for New York, Valentino entrusted him with personal letters and documents, expecting to return and complete the work. His sudden death left the project unfinished.

Determined to fulfill Valentino's wish, Cué completed The True Rudolph Valentino from his firsthand experiences and materials, offering a vivid and intimate account of the actor's life, relationships, and final days. Although still reflecting elements of the mythology Valentino sought to dispel, the work was published in Spanish in 1927 in serialized format in fan magazine, Cine-Mundial.

Presented for the first time in English, Renato Floris' translation of the autobiography Rudolph Valentino intended to write, restores this rare and revealing work to the historical record, accompanied by reproductions of the original Cine-Mundial illustrations.