Search - Son of the Sheik on DVD

Important movie in butchered edition

Darcio R. M. Rodrigues | Sao Paulo, SP Brazil | 06/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the famous sequel to "The Sheik" (1921); it was Valentino's biggest box-office hit and was in many respects superior to the original. The plot is richer and more elaborate, with plenty of action-packed sequences to counterbalance the romantic love scenes. This was obviously meant to please male audiences: the 1920 movie had clicked with female viewers, but Valentino managed to arise only jealousy on men. Producers were more cautious this time and presented him now more like a traditional action-adventure hero male viewers could relate to and identify with. By all means an interesting piece of movie history which you ought to see.Picture quality is acceptable, though it is a bit scratched and blotted, as it was transferred from an old print (I don't know if better prints of this movie survived). The new theater organ music score by Jack Ward is adequate and sound quality is good.A word of warning, however: this edition was transferred from a print used for a re-release in the late 30's, when the infamous Production Code was already being enforced. Accordingly, the movie seems to have been mercilessly butchered by Hays Office censors. Notably the famous scene when Valentino rapes Vilma Banky was omitted. I've never had the chance to see that scene myself but, according to contemporary descriptions, the rape was subtly suggested by a series of expressive closeups. In this edition, the scene is abruptly cut right after V. Banky walks backwards into Valentino's bedroom, followed by Valentino himself. On account of this mutilation I gave this DVD only 4 instead of 5 stars. Maybe it deserved even less, for censorship is always a totally unacceptable thing."

The Magic of Rudolph Valentino . . . . . .

Carolyn Christy | Fairhaven, Ma. United States | 06/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a huge Rudolph Valentino fan. I have been a collector for many years, collecting old Photoplay magazines, photos, tins, postcards, etc. I, also, have most of his films on tape. That is, the films that are still existing today. All the other so called great lovers are measured by Rudy's standards. No one, past or present can compare to the Latin Lover. Now - onto the movie. Son of the Sheik was Valentino's last film before his untimely death at 31. This film is incredible. Rudy plays both the son and the formidable sheik in this, his last film. He falls in love with a dancing girl, Yasmin, played by Vilma Banky. They fall in love until he is captured and tortured. Believing Yasmin to be responsible, he escapes and extracts his own form of revenge. The tent scene where he has Yasmin at his mercy was incredibly sensuous. You KNEW what Ahmed was planning to do to the beautiful Yasmin. She knew it, too, but was powerless to stop him. No matter how much pleading and begging she did, he drove her mercilessly to his bed. One word - WOW! True love prevails, though, and all is saved. Some might find a silent movie to be a bit corny but not I. There is something enchanting - magical about watching Rudy. He is without a doubt, the most graceful man captured on film. No ONE walks or dances the way Rudy does. He is poetry in motion. I could watch him for hours . . .He was blessed with a sinful handsomeness and those eyes . . . They were almost hypnotic in their intensity. It is soooooo easy to see why the women in the 1920's were filled with hysteria for this Latin Lover. After all of these years has passed, his appeal shines forth in this, his final film. There will never be another Rudolph Valentino. He simply graced the screen with his presence and changed everyday life into something magical. While watching him weave his magic, we forgot our troubles if only for a little.*There is only one regret the world must have had when Rudy died. His voice was never recorded. His singing was but nothing of him "speaking". There has been much speculation over his voice and the transition from silent films to talkie films. Would he have made such a successful transition where others had failed? I believe he would have. But we will never know for sure.*"

Beautiful.....

Charlotte Harley | Boca Raton | 08/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Generations removed from today's technology and special effects, this movie would seem amateurish to most people. Looking at those eyes of Valentino, I found it stunning. A simple plot, a charming conglomeration of characters, and stark settings only served to make him stand out even more than he already did. I'm sure he would have graduated to "talkies" with all the grace, aplomb, and dazzling beauty that he brought to the silent screen all those years ago. And watching him, the play of emotion on his face, I can see why women swooned and ignored their husbands. Watching Rudy, I can't help but ignore mine, the poor sod. This is definitely a must-see for you gals out there, trust me. BUY this, my gosh, just for those EYES....yowza."

A true legend of the silent screen ...

Christoph Berner | Vienna, Austria | 02/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Not east of Suez but south of Algiers" ... with these intertitles abounds one of the greatest legends of the Hollywood that is no more. When one thinks of those times one remembers The Wizard Of Oz, Casablanca ... and those
scenes between Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Banky in a tent under
the desert sun.
Made in 1926 for United Artists, directed by master director
George Fitzmaurice and destined to even beat the 1921 original
"The Sheik" at the box office, this sequel to the former Valentino classic is in many ways the better of the two films.
Rudolph Valentino has never looked better than in this film, which would ultimately be his last, and Hungarian born Vilma
Banky outshines the original heroine Agnes Ayres from the "The Sheik" as well, together making these film the ultimate love story of the silent film age. Agnes Ayres however also appears in this film as the Sheik`s mother as a tribute to Valentino (his father is played by Rudy as well in a double role). But the movie has more assets to it. It is also more handsomely produced than "The Sheik", it has a far more glossy look with its` bigger budget and excellent art direction (by William Cameron Menzies of "Gone With The Wind"-fame), a slightly better script and it exposes far better the enormous acting range of Rudolph Valentino, who is still seen today only as the great Latin Lover (despite for example also being a great drama actor or comedian). The big difference might also líe in the fact that "The Sheik" was a typical product of the studio system and "The Son Of The Sheik" was made far more independently. The other interesting fact is that when this movie was made the silent film style had changed greatly since 1921, making the former film look far more primitive. And it is no wonder that all the famous scenes by which Rudolph Valentino is still judged today emerge from this movie, while the other Valentino films (even "The Sheik") are mostly forgotten today - this movie has its place as a sort of silent screen pop icon (and probably the only silent film most people have heard of in their lifetime today - I remember that as a child I only knew one silent film actor - Rudy, courtesy of this film). This
is also probably the curse of this film. It overshadowed all of his work so much and even made the critical judgment of "The Son Of The Sheik" nearly impossible. In fact it is an entertaining piece of Hollywood fairytale, packed with action and romance, exotic escapism and a great climax when Rudolph Valentino frees his love interest Banky from a band of robbers and rides with her into the endless desert ... and right into movie eternity. Truly a film of these ages, even not hampered by its dated plotline and some outrageous "silent film acting".A note about the video quality: after being available for two decades only on bad quality tapes, KINO on Video now has released the first really good print of this film. Though not as beautiful as some of their other films or a Kevin Brownlow restoration, this version is multi-tinted and has an appropiate organ score that enhances many of the scenes. Only some of the reels seem a bit washed out, but at least you have now the chance to get a good quality video tape from Rudy`s most famous film."