Examiner: Six questions with Donna Hill, author of a new boo

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Six questions with Donna Hill, author of a new book on Rudolph Valentino
July 13, 4:33 PMSF Silent Movie ExaminerThomas Glady

San Francisco film historian Donna Hill has just authored a new book on the silent film star Rudolph Valentino. It’s a beautifully produced pictorial titled Rudolph Valentino, The Silent Idol: His Life in Photographs.

Valentino was more than the “sheik” he played in one of his most famous films. He was also more than the legendary star who died at a tragically young age. As one of the most alluring and enigmatic of 20th century icons, Valentino continues to inspire generations of moviegoers. In Rudolph Valentino, The Silent Idol: His Life in Photographs, Hill retells the story of Valentino’s life using a treasure trove of rare photographs. Drawn from the author’s extensive collection and those of fellow collectors and archives, most of the images in this new book have not been seen since the 1920's. Many have never been released publicly until now.

For long-time fans as well as curious newcomers, these remarkable images - candid snapshots taken at home, while traveling, or on film sets - reveal the glamour and charm of the man who continues to beguile movie lovers to this day.

Hill is a lifelong film aficionado with a particular love for the silent era. She has collected Valentino memorabilia for over thirty years. Recently, examiner.com had a chance to speak with the author about her new book and interest in the legendary film star Rudolph Valentino.

Examiner.com: There have been a number of earlier books about Rudolph Valentino. How does your books compare with those? What makes your book different?

Donna Hill: The previous books on Valentino have been straightforward biographies. A good number of the books on Valentino used the same photos or movie stills. I always found that frustrating. Like Pickford, Fairbanks, and even Louise Brooks, Valentino was photographed all the time: there are publicity shots, stills from films, and news photos. Pick up the average book and you will usually see a shot from The Sheik or Son of the Sheik, though very few of Valentino as himself, off screen. The difference from the other thirty or so biographies is that my book consists primarily of candids, behind the scenes studio shots, and portraits. This is a side of Valentino that has never before been explored, at least not in this fashion.

Examiner.com: Why Valentino? What is it about him as a movie star or as a person that you find appealing? Do you have a favorite Valentino film?

Donna Hill: Why Valentino? As I explain in my introduction, Valentino captivated me the first time I saw him, in Blood and Sand. He had such charm and magnetism, and I sought to learn more about him. I read the books available at my library. After all these years, having seen all of Valentino’s extant films in some form or another, my opinion has not changed. On screen he was a magnetic personality, and the camera loved him. Like so many actors on the silent screen, he had a distinct talent for communicating thought and emotion in a way the audience could translate.

Valentino was a fascinating human being. The private Valentino contrasted sharply with his public persona; he was not really a Latin Lover in his private life. As much as I loved the films, it was a single photograph that really got me interested in finding out who this man called Rudolph Valentino was - who he was off screen.

A favorite film? I think my favorite remains his breakout film, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It's a film that stands up well today, not only for Valentino's performance, but as a whole. It's the film that catapulted him to stardom and viewing it today you can understand 100% why he became a star.

Examiner.com: What got you started on the book? How long did it take? Did you find out anything new in the course of your research?

Donna Hill: I've been collecting for over 30 years. Two things got me started collecting and eventually led to this book. As I mentioned, it was a single photo that got me started. As I started collecting memorabilia, I looked for portraits or off-screen candids. I did not ignore film stills, but finding a nice candid shot was like peering into King Tut's tomb for me. It added another piece to the puzzle.

The second was the result of a conversation that took place in 1980. My best friend mentioned off hand one day how nice it would be to do a book on Valentino using only candid photos and, if possible, photos that had not been previously published. That really stuck with me through the years.

While this book originally was intended to be a more standard biography, it evolved. After Emily Leider's 2003 biography, I decided to go back to the original idea. This was the book that no one had done before and one I thought Valentino fans would enjoy the most. It's taken a long time, but I've been working on this book for the last ten years. Happily, since it took so long - and since I took so long - I had the benefit of acquiring or adding some really wonderful images that only recently came to light. In fact, about 3 days prior to the final edit of the book, I'd acquired a new photo which became a last minute addition. It’s a great photo and I was happy to be able to add it to the mix.

I discovered a few previously unknown tidbits about Valentino. That was one wonderful thing about the research, I learned a lot more about Valentino. A few things made it in to the various chapters.

Examiner.com: We’ve seen your book and it is beautiful; the print quality is high. Why did you self publish?

Donna Hill: I chose to self publish because the publishing industry is vastly different today than from when this project began. I pitched the book five years ago through regular channels and came up empty. I was very close to a contract with a University Press but the editor I was working with moved on to another publisher in the middle of the process. That, combined with the sheer cost of producing a photo book, ended that particular deal.

At that point, the thought of starting again at square one was not very appealing and very discouraging. This process can take years unless your name is Stephanie Meyer. I began to investigate the options for self publishing. There are not a lot of options for a graphic heavy book, at least not one that would make a product affordable and allow me 100% control. After looking at all the options I could find, I opted to use the services of Blurb.com to publish the book. I won't lie and say that the entire process has been simple - there were headaches and hiccups along the way. Many in fact! In the end, the product is what matters and I was and am extremely happy with the quality Blurb gave me. The cost of the book is higher than I'd like, but, in the end the quality is there. And it’s what counts.

Examiner.com: Valentino spent time here in San Francisco. Does your book cover that period in his life?

Donna Hill: Yes. I was born in the Bay Area and have been a San Francisco resident for many years. I took a special pride in making sure to include photos taken in The City. Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything specific to his short time in San Francisco in 1917, but I do have some that cover visits Valentino made in 1921, 1922, and 1926. Valentino did make some good friends during his short stay as a resident in 1917, and he often visited San Francisco after he became famous in Hollywood.

Examiner.com: What’s next for Donna Hill? Any plans for another book?

At this point, I'm not entirely sure. I'd love to do another project, certainly. I do not have anything except a few ideas in the hopper. Another online project will be the debut of a new website devoted to Valentino’s leading lady, and my favorite vamp, Nita Naldi. We’ve only got a teaser page up, you can find that at www.silent-vamp.com. For the time being, I'm looking forward to resting on my laurels. I am happy to report that even with limited press and distribution, the book is selling briskly.

Donna Hill will be signing copies of her new book at the Castro Theater as part of the upcoming San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Hill’s signing follows the screening of The Man with a Movie Camera on Sunday, July 18 at approximately 4:00 pm. Admission is by festival ticket. Hill will be joined by Emily Leider, the author of Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino. Leider contributed an introduction to Hill’s new book.

For more info: Donna Hill’s website on Rudolph Valentino can be found at http://www.rudolph-valentino.com/. More information on her new book can be through the publisher at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1439029

Thomas Gladysz is an arts journalist and author. Recently, he wrote the introduction to the new “Louise Brooks edition” of Margarete Böhme's classic novel, The Diary of a Lost Girl (PandorasBox Press). He writes and blogs about early film from his book and DVD filled apartment in San Francisco. Gladysz loves reading and writing and old movies. More at www.thomasgladysz.com.

[rogerskarsten]

Well, by my count, there were actually twelve questions.

Nice article!

~Roger

[drednm]

Very nice!!

[R Michael Pyle]

I definitely want one. Congrats, Donna!

[Harlett O'Dowd]

I definitely want one. Congrats, Donna!

Whoo hoo! You go girl! Will you be signing at 4 HORSEMEN too?

[rudyfan]

I definitely want one. Congrats, Donna!

Whoo hoo! You go girl! Will you be signing at 4 HORSEMEN too?

R. Michael, thanks! I hope you will enjoy it!

Harlett, no, alas. It's not an Academy produced book, ergo, no book signing with them. Harrumph, snobs!

[thomas_gladysz]

Well, by my count, there were actually twelve questions.

Right you are. But you see, I was an English major in college. You can't expect me to know how to do the math.

[drednm]

hey... i was an English major too and i can count to at least 12

[thomas_gladysz]

hey... i was an English major too and i can count to at least 12

You must have an advanced degree.

[drednm]

Yup.... several.... See... still counting