Offered here are many photographs from The Rudolph Valentino Collection plus other Valentino items for your viewing enjoyment and consideration from SilentCinema.com

Silent Society of Hollywood Heritage Paying Tribute to Great Silent Film Actresses with an All-Day Silent Film Event

On Saturday, November 5th, 2011 from 2:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. the Silent Society of Hollywood Heritage is having an all-day tribute to some of the great actresses of the silent cinema by presenting several silent films throughout the day.

The tribute starts with a screening of SEX, starring Louise Glaum at 2:30 p.m., followed by ARE PARENTS PEOPLE?, starring Betty Bronson, Florence Vidor and Adolph Menjou at 3:30 p.m. and ending with the screening of LILAC TIME, starring Gary Cooper and Colleen Moore at 7:30 p.m.

All silent film presentations will be accompanied by the talented composer and musician, Michael Mortilla, who is to say the least an essential component to a silent film screening and a favorite among silent film cinephiles. I've always felt that the (silent) film is the body and the (silent film) score is the soul. To look at a silent film without music is to see and read the words but to have it accompanied by a talented composer / musician is to hear those words speak and joggle your emotions. I have been present at many silent film screenings where Mr. Mortilla was the featured composer and I, among other cinephiles, have never been let down by his wonderful musical presentations.

The Hollywood Heritage is located across the street from The Hollywood Bowl in the Lasky-DeMille Barn at 2100 N. Highland Avenue, Hollywood, CA

The 16th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival

The 16th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival will be held on July 14-17, 2011 at the beautiful Castro Theatre in San Francisco. The festival opens with the silent film UPSTREAM, directed by John Ford and ends with HE WHO GETS SLAPPED, directed by Victor Sjostrom. This year's event features eighteen wonderful programs of new discoveries and restorations, with extraordinary live musical accompaniment by top musicians in the field, including the Alloy Orchestra, Stephen Horne, Dennis James, the Matti Bye Ensemble, the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, and Donald Sosin.

One of the highlights of this year's festival is the premiere of the restoration of MR. FIX-IT, a 1918 romantic comedy starring Douglas Fairbanks (pictured above) which was considered a lost film but was recently discovered and restored by The Goessel Family Foundation, which includes Dr. Tracey Goessel, the preeminent private collector on Douglas Fairbanks.

Of particular interest are two films by major directors: UPSTREAM (1927, US), director John Ford's splendid comedy which was thought lost for many years but was recently discovered in the vaults of the New Zealand Film Archive and preserved. Director F.W. Murnau's masterpiece SUNRISE (1927, US), while quite an accessible film, will feature a unique presentation with a solo performance on the electric guitar by Giovanni Spinelli.

The festival continues with HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1927, US), directed by William Desmond Taylor; I WAS BORN, BUT... (1932, Japan); THE GREAT WHITE SILENCE (1924, UK); IL FUOCO (1915, Italy), directed by Giovanni Pastrone; THE BLIZZARD (1923, Sweden), directed by Mauritz Stiller; THE GOOSE WOMAN (1925, US), directed by Clarence Brown and starring Louise Dresser and Jack Pickford; THE WOMAN MEN YEARN FOR (1929, Germany), starring Marlene Dietrich in her first leading role; SHOES (1916, US), directed by Lois Weber; THE NAIL IN THE BOOT (1931, USSR), directed by Mikhail Kalatozov; and HE WHO GETS SLAPPED (1924, US), directed by Victor Sjostrom and starring Lon Chaney.

This year's festival also includes interesting panel discussions including AMAZING TALES FROM THE ARCHIVES: THE ARCHIVIST AS DETECTIVE, hosted by Jan-Christopher Horak of the UCLA Film and Television Archive and Melissa Levesque of the Academy Film Archive; a selection of WALT DISNEY'S LAUGH-O-GRAMS, hosted by Disney author and historian J.B. Kaufman; VARIATIONS ON A THEME: MUSICIANS ON THE CRAFT OF COMPOSING FOR SILENT FILM, featuring all of the musicians performing at this year's festival and hosted by composer/musician/performer Jill Tracy; and AMAZING TALES FROM THE ARCHIVES: KEVIN BROWNLOW ON 50 YEARS OF RESTORATION, featuring Academy Award Recipient and one of the world's foremost authority on silent film, Mr. Kevin Brownlow.

For more information on this year's exciting event, please visit the San Francisco Silent Film Society's website at www.silentfilm.org.

Rudolph Valentino Birthday Tribute

On the evening of Wednesday, May 11, 2011 a celebration in commemoration of the birthday of silent film legend Rudolph Valentino was held at the Hollywood Heritage Museum in Hollywood, CA. The Museum was filled to capacity as silent film enthusiasts came to hear noted author and Valentino historian Donna Hill gave an entertaining presentation in connection to her book, "Rudolph Valentino, the Silent Idol: His Life in Photographs".

Ms. Hill delighted the audience by showcasing various rare photographs of Valentino which were not able to be included in her book. We enjoyed seeing some never-before-seen candid photos of the handsome silent star as well as beautiful scene stills and on-set publicity stills from his many films. Ms. Hill's presentation was augmented by a condensed presentation of "Blood and Sand" as well as several contemporary and older newsreels and documentaries on Rudolph Valentino.

The event was complimented by a truly amazing display of just a portion of noted Valentino collector (and author of "Valentino the Unforgotten"), Tracy Ryan Terhune. We were treated to view in person original movie posters from "Blood and Sand," "The Young Rajah," "The Eagle," " The Conquering Power" as well as a superb selection of original lobby cards from these films as well as some rare "pre-star" titles. Even more impressive was Mr. Terhune's beautifully arranged display of ultra-rare personal items that belonged to Valentino (including a pair of binoculars with the original case, a silk top hat and various decorative silver pieces) as well as equally rare trophies from a dance contest, an original poster from Valentino's famed "Mineralava" dance tour with his wife, Natacha Rambova, and numerous other amazing pieces.

Hollywood Heritage Board member Mary Mallory produced the event which was initially introduced by Hollywood Heritage's President, Richard Adkins. This was a very special and enjoyable evening that played to a sell-out crowd and is yet another sign of the enduring popularity of the silent cinema and one of it's greatest stars... Rudolph Valentino.