Jornal da Mostra
Nº 352 > 28ª Mostra > 24/08/2005
Subscribe here the 'Jornal da Mostra'
Missing Valentino film is restored by the Amsterdam Film Museum
Film star Rudolph Valentino of the twenties (1895-1926) was once again in the news in the cinematographic media, in 2004, when a copy, practically intact, of Beyond the Rocks (1922), and missing for some 75 years - was re-discovered in a private collection in Holland. The find was announced by the Amsterdam Film Museum and is the only record of the film directed by Sam Wood. The production marked the sole encounter on the screen between Valentino and another legend of silent film, Gloria Swanson.The film was discovered as part of a collector's inventory that had been passed on to the museum five years ago. The feature was the 24th of Valentino's career out of a total of 32.The copy was in a relatively good state of conservation, with the exception of two minutes. After intensive endeavors in terms of restoration, supervised by experts Mark-Paul Meyer and Giovanna Fossati, the 81-minute production on hopeless love is ready to be shown and is to travel the world in special sessions. Dutch composer Henny Vrienten was assigned the task of producing the new sound track as accompaniment to the film sessions.
Beyond the Rocks is based on a novel by Elinor Glyn and tells the story of a woman (Swanson) forced to marry an older man (Valentino) with whom, eventually, she falls in love. At the time, Paramount assigned Swanson to the film as a way of punishing the actress for exerting too much control over her own career. She did not mind, however, since she was a great friend of Valentino's.
Born in 1895, in Italy, Rudolph Valentino became a star in the United States in the twenties, with his roles in romantic films. He died in 1926. Gloria Swanson, better known for her role in Sunset Boulevard (1950), was one of the most popular actresses of her times. She died in 1893.
In 2006, Beyond the Rocks will be available in a luxury edition on DVD.
Translation into English: Clare Elizabeth Charity (clarecharity@uol.com.br)
