Today marks the 95th anniversary of the death of Rudolph Valentino in New York City at the age of 31. He was on across-country tour promoting the release of his new film, SON OF THE SHEIK. The huge public reaction to Rudy’s death was unprecedented and is generally regarded as the first mass media response to the death of a celebrity. The commemoration of Valentino’s passing continues to make news every year now well into the 21st century.
Here is a video I made for a song that was written within weeks of Rudy’s death. No doubt it captured the mood of the public: