| The Sheik | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | George Melford |
| Produced by | Famous Players-Lasky |
| Written by | Edith Hull (novel) Monte M. Katterjohn (scenario) |
| Starring | Rudolph Valentino Agnes Ayres Adolphe Menjou |
| Music by | Irving Berlin (1970s reissue) |
| Cinematography | William Marshall Paul Ivano |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 30, 1921 (USA) |
| Running time | 80 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | silent film English intertitles |
The Sheik is a 1921 silent film produced by Famous Players-Lasky, directed by George Melford and starring Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres, and Adolphe Menjou. It was based on the bestselling romance novel The Sheik by Edith Maude Hull.
In the sequel, Son of the Sheik, Valentino played both the Sheik and his son, while Ayres reprised her role.
Contents |
In the North African town of Biskra, headstrong Lady Diana Mayo (Ayres) refuses a marriage proposal because she believes it would be the end of her independence. Against her brother's wishes, she is planning a month-long trip into the desert escorted only by natives.
When Diana goes to the local casino, she is informed it has been appropriated for the evening by an important Sheik, and that none but Arabs may enter. Annoyed at being told what she cannot do, and her curiosity piqued, Diana borrows an Arab dancer's costume and sneaks in. Inside, she finds men gambling for new wives. When she is selected to be the next prize, she resists. Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan (Valentino) intervenes, then realizes she is white. Amused, he sends her away. Afterward, Mustapha Ali (Charles Brinley) informs the Sheik she is the woman he has been hired to guide tomorrow. The Sheik hatches a plan. Early the next morning, he sneaks into her room and tampers with the bullets in her revolver as she is sleeping.
As her brother leaves her to her desert excursion, she assures him he will see her in London next month. The Sheik and his men come upon Diana riding alone. She tries to flee while shooting at the Sheik, but he easily captures her. Back at his encampment, he orders her about. She is unused to such treatment, but the Sheik tells her she will learn and demands she dress like a woman (she is wearing pants) for dinner.
Diana tries again to escape, this time into a raging sand storm. The Sheik saves her from certain death, and tells her she will learn to love him. Later, he finds Diana alone in her quarters weeping. The Sheik considers forcing himself upon her, but decides against it.
After a week, the Sheik is delighted by the news that his close friend from his days in Paris (where he was educated) is coming for a visit. Diana is dismayed at the thought of being seen in Arab dress by a Westerner, but the Sheik does not understand her shame. When she is introduced to writer and doctor Raoul St. Hubert (Menjou), Diana's spirit is nearly broken. He befriends her and reprimands the Sheik for his callous treatment of her. The Sheik returns her Western clothing, though he refuses to release her.
When Raoul is called away to tend to an injured man, Diana shows concern that it might be the Sheik. Seeing this from hiding, the Sheik is elated that she may be warming up to him at last. He gives Diana her gun back, telling her he trusts her.
Diana is allowed to go into the desert under the watchful eye of the Sheik's French valet Gaston (Lucien Littlefield). She escapes. Making her way across the sands, she spots a caravan, unaware that it belongs to the bandit Omair (Walter Long). Fortunately, the Sheik and his men reach her first.
The Sheik reveals to Raoul he is in love with Diana. His friend convinces him to let her go. Meanwhile, Diana is allowed out once more. She playfully writes "I love you Ahmed" in the sand. Then Omair's band captures her, killing her guards and leaving the wounded Gaston for dead.
When the Sheik goes looking for Diana, he sees her message, then learns from Gaston who has abducted her. He gathers his men to attack Omair's stronghold. Omair tries to force himself on Diana, but is almost stabbed by one of his women. Then the Sheik and his men sweep in. After a long fight, the Sheik kills Omair, but is himself gravely injured.
Raoul tends to him and tells Diana he has a chance. She sits and holds the Sheik's hand. When she remarks that his hand is big for an Arab, Raoul reveals that the Sheik is not one. His father was British and his mother Spanish. They died in the desert, and their child was rescued and raised by the old Sheik. When the old man died, Ahmed returned to rule the tribe. When Ahmed wakes up, Diana confesses her love.
Fed up with Metro Pictures, Valentino, without any consultation from his friends or lawyers, signed a contract with Famous Players-Lasky. Jesse Lasky boasted of how cheap he had gotten Valentino for; for The Sheik, Valentino received a salary of $500 a week, much less than many stars of the time who made about double that figure.[1] Despite the paltry salary, Lasky had personally sought a vehicle for Valentino's Famous Players debut; and on the advice of his secretary picked The Sheik.[1]
There appears to be some dispute as to where the film was shot. Emily W. Leider in Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino argues that the desert exterior scenes were filmed in Oxnard, California, and the Guadalupe Dunes of Santa Barbara County. However, many contend, and history would seem to bear it out, that filming took place at the Famous Player studios in Astoria, Queens, New York, with the exteriors shot at the "Walking Dunes" in East Hampton, Long Island.
At the time of the release anti-miscegenation laws made it illegal for two races to marry. A kiss between a white woman and a man of color would not be allowed on film. The only way to make the Sheik's love of Diana 'acceptable' was to portray him as a European towards the end of the film.[1] Though the portrayal of Arabs is stereotypical; Valentino tried his best to distance the character from a stereotypical portrayal of an Arab man. Asked if Lady Diana would have fallen for a 'savage' in real life Valentino replied, "People are not savages because they have dark skins. The Arabian civilization is one of the oldest in the world...the Arabs are dignified and keen brained."[1]
In the novel, Diana falls in love with the Sheik because he raped her, and he softens to her because he has finally broken her.[1] In the movie, the Sheik insinuates to Diana why he brought her there; and the audience later sees him kissing her forcefully, though no actual rape is depicted. Once the Sheik returns to the tent after dealing with some runaway horses, he sees Diana crying, and sends her servant to comfort her. These scenes were racy enough to have a morality board ban the movie in Kansas City.[1]
The Sheik premiered in Los Angeles on October 21, 1921. Critical reception was mixed with many critics feeling the toned-down rape scene ruined the original message.[1] However it was a major success with audiences, smashing attendance records where it debuted. In its first week of release it set attendance records at two of New York's major theatres, the Rialto and the Rivoli. The New York Telegraph estimated that in the first few weeks 125,000 people had seen the film.[1]
Lasky declared the last week of November 'The Sheik Week' and had the film premiere at 250 theatres in the US on November 20, 1921. The film ran for six months in Sydney, Australia, as well as 42 weeks in one theatre in France. [1] It was the first Valentino film to show in his native Italy.[1]
Within the first year alone The Sheik exceeded $1 million grosses.[1] The film cost $200,000 to make.[1]
Male moviegoers instantly loathed The Sheik, most refusing to see it or laughing out loud at the love scenes. Many men would walk out during film and/or felt threatened by Valentino's style of lovemaking, and blamed Valentino personally for the censored script and style of acting throughout the movie. Many called him effeminate for the long flowing robes of the character.[1]
An extended rant was led by Dick Dorgan via Photoplay, writing several articles denouncing Valentino. Dorgan accused Valentino of being exactly like Theda Bara and too pretty for a male. Dorgan even wrote a song against Valentino, calling it "A Song of Hate!"[1]
Female moviegoers could not get enough of Valentino. Francis Marion dubbed it The Shriek due to the female reaction.[1]
The Sheik became the movie that defined Valentino's career, much to his annoyance,[1] propelling him into superstardom. Ironically the first releases had title credits that read, The Sheik...starring Agnes Ayres.[1]
The Sheik became so popular that the word came to be used to mean a young man on the prowl. The object of a Sheik's desire was dubbed "a Sheba."[1]
The Sheik became widely copied over the years. Burning Sands, Tents of Allah, Felix the Cat Shatters the Sheik, and Rex Ingram's The Arab, which starred Ramón Novarro. The Shriek of Araby, and a Baby Peggy short Peg o' Movies spoofed the film. The title of the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon The Shriek (1933) is a parody of The Sheik.[2] Much later, Elvis Presley's film Harum Scarum drew from The Sheik as well.[1]
The popular song "The Sheik of Araby" was written for the novel, but popularized by the film. "Kashmiri Song", originally released in 1902, was popularized once again by the film (Valentino sings parts of it twice). Jimmy Buffett mentions the Sheik in "Pencil Thin Mustache".
Chapter one of Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus is called "The Sheik", and contains a number of references to Valentino and his most famous film.
Ray Stevens million selling 1962 pop hit "Ahab the Arab" was heavily influenced by both this film and The Son of the Sheik in the song's use of Arabian atmosphere and music.
Serbian popular singer Dragana Šarić, also referred to as Bebi Dol, had a hit song called "Rudi" dedicated to Valentino in 1983. In the song, he is referred as "the Sheik's son."
The Sheik has been re-released several times over the years, most notably in 1937 and 1938 worldwide. It was released by Paramount Video in 1987. On June 25, 2002, Image Entertainment released it on DVD along with The Son of the Sheik.