| | In Hollywood Valentino initially had small roles as an [[extra]], and then was able to land a few leading man roles in poorly budgeted movies. Valentino's breakthrough to star status came when he landed the lead in [[The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]], a [[World War I]] film based on the popular novel by Vicente Blasco-Ibanez. | | In Hollywood Valentino initially had small roles as an [[extra]], and then was able to land a few leading man roles in poorly budgeted movies. Valentino's breakthrough to star status came when he landed the lead in [[The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]], a [[World War I]] film based on the popular novel by Vicente Blasco-Ibanez. |
| − | [[The Sheik]], released in 1921, would become Valentino's signature role, the role for which he is still remembered today. Along with the discovery of [[King Tut]]'s tomb, and the promotion of the Arab campaigns of World War I by [[T. E. Lawrence]] (also known as "Lawrence of Arabia"), ''The Sheik'' helped foster the arabic [[craze]] of the 1920s, and for years to come "hip" young men of the time would be known as "sheiks", and their girlfriends as "shebas" (referring to the Queen of Sheba).<ref> http://home.earthlink.net/~dlarkins/slang-pg.htm </ref> ''The Sheik'' was tremendously popular despite a fairly absurd story line, and Valentino would eventually reprise the role in ''Son of the Sheik''. | + | [[The Sheik]], released in 1921, would become Valentino's signature role, the role for which he is still remembered today. Along with the discovery of [[King Tut]]'s tomb, and the promotion of the Arab campaigns of World War I by [[T. E. Lawrence]] (also known as "Lawrence of Arabia"), ''The Sheik'' helped foster the arabic [[craze]] of the 1920s, and for years to come "hip" young men of the time would be known as "sheiks", and their girlfriends as "shebas" (referring to the [[Queen of Sheba]]).<ref> http://home.earthlink.net/~dlarkins/slang-pg.htm </ref> ''The Sheik'' was tremendously popular despite a fairly absurd story line, and Valentino would eventually reprise the role in ''Son of the Sheik''. |
| | Valentino went on to star in many more films, notably including the [[bullfight]]ing epic ''Blood and Sand'', and ''The Eagle''. | | Valentino went on to star in many more films, notably including the [[bullfight]]ing epic ''Blood and Sand'', and ''The Eagle''. |