valentino

[rm]

Lovely piece in the NYTimes on a new book about Valentino -- http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/books/review/11GEWENT.html who of course interests me as anyone who can be said to have been self-invented tends to, although it occurs that perhaps that is what we say about anyone who succeeds in a way that forces others to bend their expectations -- whether that was the intent or not.

Valentino was someone my parents told me about as a child, in response to my fascination with the song Puttin' on the Ritz (I took tap when I was little, okay? And then there was that hideous 80s hit by Taco). I remember they told me that women loved him, that he was Italian, that his eyes were dangerous and that he had those strange dogs.

Comments

[neo-nym.livejournal.com]

I have alwyas found the Valentino phenomena interesting for its time, it was opium for the masses at best, but also spoke to a subterrenean movement occurring in mature women of that day. I loved this article; "a talent for dancing, ...and a love of luxury," makes him seems bigger than life in an erotic way. The comparisons between singers/groups of a more modern age almost pale in comparison; the journalist is correct, these are a different group of women, mostly girls.

And thus, it makes complete sense to me that this exotic man released a generation of mature women, for at that age, the familiar is mundane, and the fact that "There was nothing familiar or comfortable " was exactly the key.

[coyotegoth.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, have you ever heard about Erich von Stroheim? Even for Hollywood, he was a grand master at self-invention.Î

[sykii.livejournal.com]

He's in Coldheart Canyon.
You know, while you're sick is a good time to catch up on your fiction reading...

[beeswing.livejournal.com]

For the record, your new icon is just breathtakingly beautiful. I keep thinking that every single time I see it.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Thank you!