Stunts and Plebiscites

Chapter 6 unearths the conception and execution of a few ingenious stunts that studio promoters Henry Reichenbach and, especially, Victor Shapiro designed to publicize the release of Valentino’s last films, including The Son of the Sheik (1926). The most notable of them was the infamous anonymous editorial published in the Chicago Tribune in mid-July 1926, known as “Pink Powder Puff,” which questioned Valentino’s (heterosexual) virility. These promoters managed to rescue and re-launch Valentino’s image after the fading of his popularity following a series of flops in the mid-1920s and protracted legal wrangles with Famous Players/Paramount. After Valentino’s untimely death in August of 1926, and in collaboration with several publicity figures, other promotional initiatives managed to keep the deceased star’s public persona viable as a commercial attraction for his last work, subsequent film rereleases, and general exploitation. The chapter juxtaposes these intense promotional efforts on Valentino’s behalf against culturalist readings of the actor’s popularity and the alleged spontaneous mass grief following his sudden death.