Renato has edited a portion of a French television show where Jeanne DeRecqueville appeared. She appears with her protege; a young man she was then promoting to play Valentino. And we plan to do a voice over in English of this video soon but I wanted to share it. For now it is in French!
https://youtu.be/vtVDrI0eAM0
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Renato Sends His Sympathies
In response to David Bret's absurdly
petty comments about Evelyn's last post, I was reminded of the verse
in the Bible in Matthew, 7, 3-5... “Why does one look at the speck
of sawdust in their brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank
in their own?”
A banal misspelling for Bret becomes a
valid reason for derision and insult; as a street predator he hides
behind virtual bushes to jump out and hit with his hopeless
affirmations and arrogant presumptions.
It would be a far better use of time
for Bret to have revised his own translation into the language of
Dante and Manzoni, which he claims to know so well. I laughed loudly
as I read the title of his book, “Rudolph Valentino: L'uomo Ei Suoi
Uomini”. Even his title contains two delusional and glaring mistakes.
The subsequent reading of his book's
blurb, written in a way even an illiterate could not conceive, proves
that the translation was done without any knowledge of Italian
grammar and of the semantic values of the words used. Above all, it
reads as if it was written under the influence of hallucinogenic
potions and with the contribution of the worst possible automatic
translator and obviously without even the slightest revision by a
native speaker of the language.
I am truly amazed that Tracy Ryan
Terhune continues to offer a stage for Bret's exploits, because in
this way, in addition to being an accomplice aware of judicial
ordinances, he proves to be equally as much of a mean-spirited
nit-picker. And I do not understand how such a petty character like
that can claim the right to pontificate authoritatively before the
earthy remains of Rudolph Valentino and with the approval of the
actor's family who, in this way, show remarkably little respect for
the one whose reflected light grants them such undeserved attention.
How low you have all fallen as you
create your own sad fate.
With all my sympathies,
Renato Floris
Friday, May 29, 2020
The Souvenir
I
share this image from our home, because there is a story to that
piece of red clay roofing tile there on the shelf. This tile was
once a part of the roof of the Falcon Lair stables. It came to
Renato this way.
In
the mid-1990's Renato traveled to Los Angeles as an advance
production man for the Italian television RAI's production of the
documentary on Valentino, “Lo Squardo di Valentino”... translated
as “Valentino's Glance”.
His
host and Valentino expert was Ms. Patricia Lampinen. At the time, she
was known for publishing a regular newsletter about Valentino. Renato
is not completely sure but recalls she lived in Minneapolis.
At
one point in their filming, the documentary production team hosted a
luncheon at an Italian restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard where they
celebrated a sort of birthday party for Valentino. They set up this
luncheon to interview Valentino fans who attended.
One
of these fans attending the RAI luncheon organized by Renato was
Tracy Terhune. Go figure. And he appears in one brief segment of the
documentary. Renato has the documentary file and will be uploading it
on our Youtube channel soon. It is only in Italian but maybe that can
be another translation project for Renato... an English voice over.
So
back to the roof tile...Ms. Lampinen went up to Falcon Lair during
her visit to Los Angeles as would be expected. Upon her arrival she
noticed they were changing the roof tiles on the stables. She managed
to abscond with a few of the old tiles as treasured souvenirs. Before
she said goodbye to the Italian film makers from Turin, she made sure
Renato had one of the tiles.
Our
little piece of Falcon Lair... from our home to yours...thanks to
Patricia Lampinen.
Thursday, May 28, 2020
In Response to Tracy Terhune's “Saints Over Satan” Image of 2/22/2018
I respond to Tracy Terhune's most recent claim we hate him and he is
our victim with the following:
After
he runs/administrates a vicious, designated hate blog under my book's
title for eight years and counting,
After
he runs/organizes, according to Cindy Martin, a syndicate of haters
and a “Campaign to Ruin Evelyn” with the intent to do our
business harm,
After
he instills for years, a “mob mentality” in those he recruits in
this campaign,
After
he calls us names and chirps in anticipation of our deaths,
After
he provides David Bret with a platform to post his lie-filled
insanity about us,
After
Terhune posts... and for years... threatening and disturbing images
on the home page of that blog to greet people seeking information
about my book (see below),
After
he debases and defames us relentlessly, forcing us to respond and
respond and defend and defend for years on end,
And
much more....!
I
would say that after all of this...logically Tracy Terhune can not expect anyone on earth
to believe he is our victim. No one believes that. And I venture to
say even he does not believe it... it is just strategy to harass us
further.
Feeling
smug in his choice of that tired old and cheesy Google Blogger
backdrop of books on shelves… I guess posted in the hopes of giving
an illusion he is learned (as in he read one of those books?)... he
dares to pass that eight year old hateful and terrifying blog off as
some literary critique. Fat chance...he fools no one.
Only
the lowest kind of scum on earth would stoop so low as to publicly do
all of those things and more I am very sure which I do not now
about... and not own it. And is it not even lower still for him to
accuse his actual victims of doing what he does to them... to him?
Shifty
crooks behave like that... scheming their nefarious plans while
thinking they are fooling everyone with a phony upright citizen
exterior.
To
me that is about as fake as a person can be. Does Tracy Terhune
really think the Valentino world has not noticed? Well, I am pleased
to say that many have.
Many
people visit that blog and then write us absolutely furious about it.
They encourage us to respond. People are not going to that blog for
wit or wisdom because there is nothing there but hate.
The
duplicitous Tracy Terhune mocks us...two 70's year old people and
mocks our efforts. He bullies us mercilessly on that blog and has for
many years all while presenting himself before Valentino's crypt
reading the Bible as he basks in some keeper of the relics' aura. And
without those relics to wave about where would he be in that regard?
I
say over time the inevitable is happening. People are seeing through
the phony veneer. What is Abraham Lincoln's famous expression?
“You
can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people
all the time, but you can not fool all of the people all the time.”
Terhune
might want to heed that advice. The disparity between his two
personas...of the bible puncher and the behind-the-scenes most
hateful blogger...well that disparity is diminishing. He becomes one.
And
as far as us “hating” him, I find that ridiculous statement far
more revealing about his feelings than ours. And in my opinion he is
a victim... a victim of his own terrible personality.
Here
follows another of Tracy Ryan Terhune's disturbing images he posted
on the home page of his “literary critique”. I think his
posting this image on his hate Affairs Valentino blog on February 22,
2018 at 11:15 a.m., also says way more about him than us.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Renato Floris Responds to Tracy Terhune's Malicious Intent
Since, as André Breton once said,
"punctuality is the virtue of those who get bored"... I waited
for the sassy broadsides of Tracy Ryan Terhune and David Bret who,
always waiting for any reason to free themselves from their boring
lives and attack the work of Evelyn and myself, are always in prime
position waiting for the slightest excuse to ridicule us, offend us
and defame us.
I share what they say about me and I quote
verbatim the exhaustive description of my titles made by Bret:
"multi- lingual child star, lighting technician, Cordon Bleu
chef, puppeteer and Firemen's Muse". This is all true but Firemen's
Muse is too much. I only collaborated with the head quarters of the
firefighters of Turin, Asti, Rome and Bologna and with many of them I
became and still am a good friend.
As our book “Rudolph Valentino - In
English” came out, Tracy Ryan Terhune rushed to buy it, which I
thank him for. But the reason for his haste is clear... it was his desire to
publish, in the shortest possible time, what he he calls a "critique"... and be on time to diminish and defame our
work with the malicious intent to ruin our sales.
Terhune does not welcome a new book on
Valentino but complains we have not corrected several inaccuracies of De Recqueville; well I want to remind him here that I translated De
Recqueville's book but I did not write it. I have not written a
companion reading manual yet but feel I did a substantial effort in
footnoting for the reader.
I also point out that the book is
already extensively footnoted with the beauty of 391 footnotes which includes
those appearing in the original book and those included in the
appendices.
Regarding why I translated this book, I
refer to the first lines of my introduction:
I have been asked many times why I
chose to translate this book into English, which as far as historical
accuracy is concerned certainly has a few shortcomings. Despite this,
I consider De Recqueville more of an actual witness than a
biographer. She contacted those still living who knew Valentino
personally, from his brother Alberto to his French comrades René
Clair, Jacques Hébertot, Robert Florey, Yvonne Legeay and Paul Ivano
to even the chamber maids at the Plaza Athenée Hotel who fluffed
Valentino's pillows. Another of her intriguing contacts was Doctor
Howard Meeker, one of the many physicians who tried to save Valentino
and who mercifully closed his eyes. These contact's testimony forms
the true power of De Recqueville's book.
Despite any of my translation's mechanical imperfections, I am very proud of the book and I feel it is a
most worthy contribution to the legacy of Rudolph Valentino. Tracy
Terhune's attempt to destroy this book and all of our books proves he has
other motivations than to add to Valentino's history.
Terhune and his acolyte Bret, in my
opinion, are just angry that they can no longer lie about the content
of De Recqueville's book and no longer freely lie about many things. They throw their
stones but I am confident people are far wiser than Terhune and Bret believe. Those people interested in knowing more about
Valentino and not less, as Terhune would like it...they can judge for
themselves as to the intent and effort on my behalf. And they do not
need Tracy Terhune to try and censor what they should or should not
read about Valentino or anything else.
Jeanne De Recqueville was presented with the key
to Castellaneta for her noble work in the defense of the memory of Valentino... something which I think should be respected in this history. I hope everyone will read the new book and find many things to
learn. I say read, people read!! And enjoy!
Have a good day everyone,
Renato
Monday, May 25, 2020
The Registry of Actions
I
have told the detailed story of how I came to discover the lost probate court
documents of Rudolph Valentino both in Affairs Valentino and in several podcast episodes. When it was ascertained that the
original case file was stolen from its rightful housing location in
the Los Angeles County Hall of Records, I embarked on a search for
any copies that might be about.
I
was more than rewarded when a librarian in a law library asked if
George Ullman ever filed an appeal of the 1930 decision. I said yes.
She sent me off to the California Court of Appeals Library and there
they were... some 1000 pages of officially copied records.
There
were a few documents still on file in Los Angeles and the Registry of
Actions (below) is one. This is the record of all actions, payments in and out...made on
behalf of the estate of Rudolph Valentino.
I
found it fascinating and although difficult to decipher I think it
worth it. You might have to download the pages in order to enlarge
them. I have also included this document in our book, “Affairs Valentino
Companion Guide – The Lost Court Documents of Rudolph Valentino”,
from page 63.
And again I mention what a tragedy is has been to realize how fiercely the Valentino family and the "team", spearheaded by Tracy Terhune and David Bret have worked to prevent the public from ever having access to Affairs Valentino and this incredibly insightful information. And it is even more disturbing to realize that according to Bill Self (who told me himself), Tracy Terhune and Donna Hill, the entire case file of these Valentino records is in the hands of these very people. Those documents should be, by law, available for public review.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
A Bit More Information for My Avid Reader, Tracy Terhune
To
David Bret/Albert Morris/Joey Jenkinson, the punctuation police
officer on the beat... who seems to be camping on my blog to catch
any infraction before I correct it.... I ask him... do you have a
life?
How
hypocritical that David Bret, who trolls online apparently day and
night and under several aliases which he created in carefully
cultivated fake Facebook accounts... how hypocritical that he would
pretend to be appalled that other people use aliases online to
protect themself from people like him. And I add that Bret's aliases
were confirmed to us by Ms. Cindy Martin.
I
think he knows by now that his reputation is so awful that he is no
longer welcome on anyone's Facebook group under his own name... why?... because if David
Bret stepped in, members of those groups would run for the exits.
With his history and reputation, how can he claim any pretense to
higher ground to pout in judgment of my very necessary responses to
his and Tracy Ryan Terhune's disgusting lies.
And
to my most avid reader, Tracy Terhune... I first of all thank him for
buying our new book, Renato's Jeanne De Recqueville's “Rudolph
Valentino”. He seems to be the first person to ever buy our books
and I always know that it will not be more than a few days before he
posts his utter, utter outrage at us, our book and the very ground we
walk on.
Yes,
dear avid reader Terhune appears to be capable of mistakes also...
and this is especially so in regards to his claiming, as fact, that
Jeanne De Recqueville's book “Rudolph Valentino” was never
mentioned in any Valentino book. I addressed this in my previous two
posts but today I share the following.
*I
am sure he owns a copy of Donna Hill's book “Silent Idol”... and
if he could scan her acknowledgment section, he will see she
expresses gratitude to someone for having translated a portion of the
book for her use.
My
avid reader Terhune may stand corrected as he was wrong on all
accounts as the book was indeed cited in every significant book on
Valentino since De Recqueville published her book in 1978.
*As
David Bret/Joey Jenkinson/Albert Morris now, predictably, accuses me
of writing the message I posted which I received from someone... who,
yes, was using the name of Gabriel Oak... I state I did not write
that. The reason Bret makes the constant accusation of forgery and
fraud is because this is and has been his MO for a decade.
In
the past he posted long fake letters, which he wrote, to bolster his defamatory lies that I was arrested for cocaine abuse. He has engaged in long
conversations on line with his other aliases trashing us and our
work... He is in my expert opinion a diabolical master at the
Facebook abusive practice of creating multiple identities in order to
bully and deceive online.
For
the record, if I write something it is by me unless I say it is not.
I feel I have been clear about that here and in our podcasts. And
when I state that something someone sent to me is preserved on a
server; this authenticates the origin of the message and the
recipient. In this way it could always be verified. Albert
Morris/Joey Jenkinson/David Bret knows very well what this means...
despite his increasingly incoherent attempts to construct a rational
and intelligent post in which to register his tired and predictable
outrage, outrage, outrage at everything I do, write or say.
I
think both he and Terhune would be surprised to know just how much
the encouraging voice of opposition to their actions and presence is
growing. We do hear from people about this through our several
venues and yes from time to time I do reprint a comment sent to us.
Including this excerpt (below) from a comment we received on the same
subject as it was discussed yesterday which read in part:
“Bret
is not the only Terhune sychophant who fallaciously used De
Recqueville's book to make his case Rudy was gay. Terhune forum
flunky, Simon Constable, who created the Daven Affair blog, also took
a page from Bret's twisted scribblings and erroneously coordinated De
Recqueville and Leider to bolster his own contorted theories. Thanks
to this translation, we now know De Recqueville disproves what
Terhune's fan club believes. Perhaps Terhune would make much better
use of his time critiquing his pals than trying to flyspeck the vast
volume of serious work put out by you, Evelyn Zumaya and Renato
Floris.”
And
of course, hell yes ...I strongly encourage people to use an alias.
Do Terhune and Bret/Morris/Jenkinson really think I would put anyone
else in the line of their fire for writing encouraging messages to
us? I think it is obvious what Terhune and Bret could and do to anyone voicing
a peep of criticism of them or support of us... they ruin,
subject folks such as ourselves to unthinkable levels of cyber bullying... and delight in burying people's good names, such as ours... in sick lies for the world to read.
I
protect those wise and brilliantly knowledgeable Valentino scholars
and admirers who take the time to read and write to us. Unfortunately because of Terhune and Bret's past, present and very public actions, protecting our supporter's identities from their retaliation is
critical.
Tracy
Ryan Terhune, keeper of the relics along with the absolute and
unquestioning devotion of his faithful servant David Bret/Albert
Morriss's's'/Joey Jenkinson....have long ago demonstrated what they
do to people online. They continue to do this today.
And
I purposely made that typo there just now for their benefit... in the
very least it will give David/Joey/Albert something to obsess on. I
actually feel sorry for them sometimes as they seem to be embroiled
in their consistent states of outrage and hate... life is short and
better I say to find your zen moment and be kind.
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Has Tracy Terhune Read Dark Lover?
In
regards to Terhune stating as fact that the Jeanne De Recqueville
book is not cited in any Valentino biographies, I state this is false
and respond with the following.
First
and foremost we have to ask; how many books were published on
Valentino after De Recqueville's book was published in 1978, in which
the author could cite De Recqueville? The Scagnetti book was
published three years earlier in 1975 and the next book of
consequence was Michael Morris', Madam Valentino in 1991.
Contrary
to what Terhune states, Micheal Morris did cite Jeanne De Recqueville's book on page #266 in his Madam Valentino under his section “Sources
– Books”. It was Michael Morris who first recommended the book to
me as he felt it was an important work.
The
next publication was Dark Lover in 2003 by Emily Leider which Terhune
mentions and in this regard I share a message we received from a Gabriel Oak about this today. I cite this verbatim and add that it
is preserved on servers:
“Evelyn,
I
have seen Terhune’s sickening “review” of the De Recqueville
book and I IMPLORE YOU to consider publishing the following on your
blog!
So,
that poisonous cow Terhune is on the attack yet again. He says of the
De Recqueville book, “It's
no wonder this book is not quoted nor sourced in ANY book about
Rudolph Valentino.”
Hmmm. How very odd that he would have missed
the sourcing of De Recqueville’s book in his sacred copy of Emily
Leider’s “Dark Lover.”
Terhune
rhapsodizes endlessly about the virtues of Leider’s work, and
pronounces it, together with Irving Shulman’s “Valentino” as
all one needs to read on the subject of the Great Lover.
In
fact, according to Terhune, Leider’s work is superior to Rambova
and Ullman’s books about Valentino, because unlike Valentino’s
wife and manager, Leider had no agenda. This is perverse.
Leider
drew so heavily upon Rambova and Ullman’s books that she virtually
incorporated them wholesale! Perhaps Terhune hasn’t actually read
the book he so sanctifies.
No
surprise then that Terhune is ignorant of the fact that Leider
sources De Recqueville on the very page that she declares that the
relationship between Valentino and Andre Daven ”seems to have been
a genuine love affair.”
Astonishing that the rabidly agenda driven
Terhune would miss this. So - have a gander at pages 300 and 475 of
“Dark Lover” Terhune, and eat your rancid words.
And
one more observation. Only a person with partial command of his
mother tongue would excoriate a polyglot. You are no match for Renato
Floris, Terhune!”
*Of
course I cited the De Recqueville book in Affairs Valentino in 2011
and in subsequent editions. Terhune is wrong on all accounts about
the DeRecqueville book's not being cited. It sure has been and in
every publication since her book came out.
More of Tracy Terhune and David Bret's Name-Calling, Defamation & Bullying
Today I respond to a rash of lies
issued by Tracy Terhune and David Bret disguised as a review of our
latest book; Renato's fine translation of Jeanne De Recqueville's
“Rudolph Valentino”. I will always defend the quality and
integrity of our work and do so today.
Cindy Martin filled us in on the
relationship of Tracy Ryan Terhune and David Bret some time ago by
explaining how Terhune controls as the “puppet
master” and how he requires that Bret read his comments to him
before he will allow Bret to post them on their designated blog
which they run under my book's title to
bully us. According to Ms. Martin's information, Tracy Ryan Terhune approved the
following in his so-called “literary review” of our new book. It
should be obvious to any thinking person that this is not a
legitimate review.
As
excerpted from Terhune's blog as a comment he approved for posting by
David Bret where he refers to Renato as the following:
“....Enter 74-year-old Child Bill Hiccup- he of the
oversized hats and ego: multi-lingual child star, lighting
technician, Cordon Bleu chef, puppeteer and Firemen's Muse....”
And with this, the name-calling duo of
mean-spiritedness, Tracy Ryan Terhune and David Bret have issued
their stock trashing of our new book; a “critique” in which Terhune does little else but point out a
misspelling and a few typos. Is this is all he was looking for in the
book?
These two have greeted all of our books
by pointing out typos along with their grossly over played litany of hate by
calling every one of our books “fiction”, “over-priced”, etc.
What Bret and Terhune fail to address
is that this is the book which has been claimed for years to include proof that Valentino was gay and had love affairs with
Andre Daven, Jacques Hebertot, etc. We found that the opposite is true.
Bret initially claimed his source for saying
Valentino was gay was Florey's “Magic Lantern” until we published
a fine translation of that. With this proven to be a lie, he then claimed De Recqueville's book was his source as it was not in English. So with this now proven to be false... Bret claims desperately there was some other, secret source; another Florey manuscript (conveniently
not in English) in which Florey wrote about “the real Valentino”.
I say this is another of Bret's
tremendous lies because Robert Florey wrote Jeanne DeRecqueville in 1978 saying Valentino was not gay. It is far easier for Bret to say it was all in
another invisible secret source somewhere (in a foreign language) which he can not reveal, than
to admit he is straight up lying and has been for years. No one is believing this any more. And btw if his
book's are selling so well as he claims (Amazon ratings say
differently) then he better begin paying his bills; i.e. the defamation
damages we won.
As I mentioned, upon translating the book, we
found De Recqueville completely refutes that Valentino was gay and
does this through personal correspondence with Hebertot, Rene Clair,
etc. How much more definitive can a source be but the people who were there?
Of course we did not rewrite Jeanne De
Recqueville's book and correct everything because we brought the book
out in English as she wrote it.. making it available to a new audience...but the content is the value of this book and as Renato
pointed out, she was more of a witness than a biographer.
One would think that Tracy Terhune
would express gratitude to us for making these foreign publications
available in English and for spending the enormous amount of work
hours putting the books together. One would think the Valentino
family would welcome a new addition to the Valentino literary legacy
and thank us for the contribution. One would think they might voice disapproval of the bullying that has and is going on in the name of their relative by Terhune and
Bret. Their silence is complicity.
And I find it hypocritical for Terhune
to be criticizing our new translation with someone like Bret who
wrote what I believe to be the two most fictionalized and
reprehensibly awful books on Valentino. I am still waiting for
Terhune's manifesto length “critique” of Bret's two books; the
last one dedicated to Tracy Terhune.
Terhune and Bret's angry and hateful
diatribe posted today... reveals much more about them than it ever
could about us or the book.
They have spoken in unison again to
bully under the disguise of it being a review when the graphic
history of Terhune's Affairs Valentino blog is disgusting and
shocking. (see below) He can not pretend to be doing anything
legitimate or worthwhile on that blog after how he has savaged us and
our work their for 8 years and counting...and in light of the very
few books Terhune has turned out I think we have been working hard
and deserve a nod for that. I say to him that if he does not like our
books or our translations then he can do some himself and realize
what hard work it is.
When was the last time Terhune wrote a
book, translated one or contributed anything but divisive energy to
Valentino's memory? And I think we can scarcely turn to David Bret
for any hope of the tiniest shred of truthfulness. This, a man whose
books are page by page laughably laden with typos and errors... who
once labeled a picture of Valentino's brother as his “great lover
Andre Daven”, who produces no proof for his absurd claims regarding
almost anything and no proof he ever knew anyone he claims to have
known such as Daven, Dietrich, Garbo... all of them. Where is his
proof? And his outrage at my saying this is not proof.
Terhune has every right to post what he
wishes. But by posting it on that blog which he has sadistically used to divert
traffic seeking information about us and our work,... this proves it
is just more bullying. This blog is where he has harassed us with images of Jesus, Satan, threats in bold red letters
and where he provides a platform for David Bret, who owes us over 40,000$ in
unpaid damages for the defamation lawsuit which we won against him...
this is where Terhune and Bret mock us, wish our impending deaths
with their tick tocking … this is where Terhune posts his “review”
today. The entire intention is obvious.
In closing in response to Bret's lie
that Jeanne De Recqueville never mentioned Frank Mennillo is her
book; I say this is proof Bret never read either book ...because in
her 1978 edition on page 155 she writes about his presence at
Valentino's death bed with his “eyes full of tears”, etc. We
translate this on page 123 in our edition. So proof in my opinion
Bret and Terhune just scanned for some typos to embellish their bully
attacks. I also add that Yvonne Legeay, who was the sexual love
partner of Andre Daven in 1923, met and knew Jeanne De Recqueville
when they appeared together on a television show in France. Yvonne
Legeay told Ms. DeRecqueville she knew Valentino and I for one am
going to believe her... over believing the tired rantings of a bitter
and known liar.
Here follows just a few of the images
Terhune has used on his hate Affairs Valentino blog where he now
posts his review... and I share a few of David Bret's characteristic
images he has posted about me. In this I have responded.
Some of Tracy Terhune's images used on the hate blog. (above and below)
Below two screenshots which were included as evidence in the defamation lawsuit we won against David Bret. These are public record housed in the Court of Asti in Italy.
David Bret mocks the death of my father.
**** Find our new book @ https://amzn.to/2WIDCyL
Friday, May 22, 2020
Innuendo is Not Fact
In
2003, I interviewed Brad Steiger, one of the authors of The Intimate
and Shocking Expose of Rudolph Valentino by Brad Steiger and Chaw
Mank. I certainly would have interviewed Mr. Mank but he was
deceased. In my opinion theirs is the second worst book ever written
about Valentino and among the many reasons why I say this:
One...
it is homophobic and denigrates homosexuality in many ways including
references to homosexuals as “deviants”. And two... because
Steiger and Mank allege it is sourced to some mythical accounts and
documents which they never locate or reveal. This is not sloppy
research, but no research. I kept a couple of sources anonymous in
Affairs Valentino but I included over 40 pages of end notes as
directions for readers to find my sources for themselves if they so
desired.
The
Mank and Steiger book is presented in an obscene and sexually graphic
jumble of typos and factual missteps. Steiger and Mank portray
Valentino as a sexually confused mess of a man who vomits in disgust
while trying to have sex with a woman, a man who spends most of his
time in gay bath houses and who was sexually molested by a nanny as a
little boy. That last aspect was so disturbingly presented, I wonder
how it ever came to be in print.
This
book denigrates Valentino further by exploiting some correspondence
he had with Chaw Mank's fan magazine, which was polite and
professional. Steiger and Mank include these formal greetings from
Valentino in order to bolster their x-rated narrative. The book, by
the way, was made into the equally as awful Ken Russell movie,
Valentino. Enough said.
I
critiqued the book in my speech in Turin and in Affairs Valentino.
David Bret has been furious at me for that ever since... this because
he claims he knew Chaw Mank and that he based his Valentino book on
Mank and Steiger's book. I pointed out in my speech that Bret
plagiarized the book. I also question that Bret knew Mank and point out that Mank died many years before Bret wrote on Valentino.
Because
Steiger's stereotyping of homosexuals so dominates and because Bret
likes to feign being an advocate for the gay community, I found this
all quite odd.
You
may watch my speech and my critique of both books @
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9PrbMz0qwmnEWSGZb_jNZQ
Today
I present the transcript of my exchange with Brad Steiger and say
that I found it shocking in its sweeping innuendo with his claiming
rumor as fact, and perpetuating antiquated homosexual stereotypes...
such as his emphatic statements that one's sexual orientation is
contagious and determined by your friends and business associates. I
also wrote more analysis of his book in my article, Words of
Clarification which can be read @ https://bit.ly/2JOxk8s
Here follows my print out of the email exchange verbatim which is of course preserved on the servers. I add my footnotes today about his responses as I had a bit more to add.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Pola Negri Was "Sick of Talking About Valentino"?
In 2003, I interviewed Valentino memorabilia collector Bill Self. I have spoken about these interviews many times as the information he shared with me became a valuable aspect of Affairs Valentino. I have also mentioned before that Bill Self did not want to be recorded and was shy when I began writing. I had to be subtle in my scrawling.
I have those notes in a file and today share these 4 little pages as I think they provide interesting insight. At the time of this interview, I had not yet found the probate court records and I was just telling Bill Self about my discovery of Valentino's shipping case or sarcophagus at Campbell's.
I have those notes in a file and today share these 4 little pages as I think they provide interesting insight. At the time of this interview, I had not yet found the probate court records and I was just telling Bill Self about my discovery of Valentino's shipping case or sarcophagus at Campbell's.
Bill Self assures me I will "see" those missing court records, tells me that "Pola Negri was sick of talking about Rudolph Valentino", tells me he will "get to work for me", and I jot down a reminder to write a thank you note, call the funeral director Dick Cunningham and the Campbells' contact.
Bill Self and I discuss Lou Mahoney being fired and Dr. Howard Meeker's report. He tells me he has the surgeon Dr. Rawl's office medical papers and that Alberto Valentino "stole things". I am not sure what I meant under #3 - "Personal Story - nature".
Bill Self tells me that Jean Acker "hated" the crypt services, that Rudolph Valentino fired Robert Florey... he tells me about the Four Horsemen Screen Actor's Guild event and George Ullman giving him things and I wrote, "slave bracelet"...was like Xmas for him (for Self), etc.
Bill Self and I discuss the shipping case and Campbells, some mention of Michael Morris and he tells me he has a memoir which was written by Paul Ivano. He adds that Alberto and Jean knew Paul Ivano and Robert Florey but "didn't speak much". The last reference is a reminder to look up the Gramercy address.
Just because this needs to be repeated.
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
George Ullman Was a Man of High Integrity
The
most compelling pieces of evidence I found as proof of the integrity
of Rudolph Valentino's closest friend and business manager, S. George
Ullman were the blank checks, signed by Rudolph Valentino. These were
presented to the judge during the 1930 hearing necessitated by the
frivolous charges brought against Ullman by Valentino's brother.
George
Ullman's lawyer presented the signed checks as proof that if George
Ullman wanted to steal money from the estate, as he was being accused
of doing by said brother, he could have just written in the amount
and cashed the checks.
The
judge did not accept the checks into evidence and told Ullman's
lawyer no proof was needed because S. George Ullman had already
demonstrated his integrity to the court and proved he was capable of
expert accounting of the estate.
S.
George Ullman was a man of high integrity.
Natacha Rambova's Art
Natacha
Rambova's sketches reveal a confident hand. Such talented women, working as artists...faced and still face for that matter... a dilemma; the agonizing choice whether to pursue their art professionally or have children. This was especially true for the women of Rambova's
day.
Pursuing art as a career for Natacha Rambova went
beyond a fantasy and her success was almost overnight; she was a star when she met Rudolph Valentino. I agree with Michael Morris' ardent belief that Rambova created the Valentino aesthetic and was "The Woman Behind the Myth".
An interviewer once asked me what effect the Hollywood movie moguls
had on Natacha Rambova and I did not have to ponder long and
answered, “They destroyed her.” For me this was the bottom line.
Below, the
sketches of Natacha Rambova from her days with Valentino and years
“Beyond Valentino” from her Egyptian field sketchbook.
Natacha Rambova "Beyond Valentino" in her home in Mallorca. Her then husband Alvaro de Ursaiz wears the striped shirt. This is one of the images which were first published in "Beyond Valentino" from the collection of Natacha's god daughter, Maria Salome. Don't you wish the photographer had asked the woman in the black beret to move to the right or left? Still a fabulous image I think.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Tracy Terhune is Our Nightmare
Renato
and I sent the letter below some time ago to the man who controls the
campaign he organized to bully us online and ruin our reputations and
our book's sales on the designated hate blog he runs under the title
of my book, Affairs Valentino; Tracy Ryan Terhune. Since he did not
reply to this e-mail nor accommodate our request, I post it below as
I know he is reading this blog because he is responding in his
signature mean-spirited and cruel way.
Despite
his running that blog for eight years, where he greets my web traffic
by demeaning us in all possible ways, vile images, calling me a
madwoman and Fool Zumaya and Renato, Child Star 72, he now calls our
response to his attacks there, an obsession with him. I respond by
saying that Tracy Terhune is not someone we like to think about, talk
about, know about and we are not obsessed with him... he is our
nightmare.
Tracy
Ryan Terhune has been our nightmare for years... no matter what we do
in regards to our work on Valentino, whatever we write, publish or
discover, his menacing presence is there to viciously and
aggressively attack us and our work... and do so under the title of
my book Affairs Valentino. Terhune throws his stones at us again and
again on his hate blog which he so proudly boasts is the first item
in MY and the book's Google search and I ask indeed, what kind of
person brags about something like that?
By
accusing us of being obsessed with him... is this not a gas-lighting
tour de force... considering what he has done to us on that blog
since 2012 and considering what he continues to do now by mocking us
for daring to respond. This when anyone would do the exact same in
our situation.
Cindy
Martin wrote about Terhune's bullying of us last spring, defined it
in detail, commenting how no one gets “wigged out” about a book
like Tracy Terhune has about Affairs Valentino. According to the
government website on bullying, he is conducting a text book example
of bullying on that blog. This because one of the identifying actions
of a bully/cyber bully is to open a designated blog where they defame
and torture their targeted victims and usually by accusing their
targets of doing exactly what they are doing. Terhune could write
the alphabet, share a few nursery rhymes on that blog and every
single word would be bullying because of the purpose of that blog.
I
ask him...why does he not post the link to his Affairs Valentino hate
blog on his Facebook group pages? If it is important enough for him
to post his hate there, then why does he not share it everywhere and
proudly? I say because he throws his stones and hides the hand by
deleting his most hateful posts, his disgusting images and hides that
bullying blog under the false pretense that he is the victim.
Tracy
Terhune does not have to like our books, but as someone who feigns
interest/authority in all things Valentino because of his collection,
he could acknowledge our efforts and the new discoveries we have
contributed and not actively work to sadistically ruin us. This seems
to contradict his envisioned role he works so feverishly (and
cruelly) to maintain in the Valentino world.
He
humble brags about not being an expert on Valentino but every time
there is a tiny question on the groups he controls, (according to
Cindy Martin both We Never Forget and Mad About the Boy) they call in
Tracy Terhune for his two cents.
As
long as he is broadcasting under my book's title that we are insane,
cruel, dottering, old people who are obsessed with him, I will
respond, respond, respond. I think anyone reading this can imagine
how little I am obsessed with him or this horrifying situation and
how little I enjoy responding. I ask what choice do we have but to
respond? If we do not... then we and our books are buried in
Terhune's sea of lies about us and our work.
So
why is Tracy Ryan Terhune now counting every time I mention his name
in reporting his actions as if his name is a four letter word...when
he has made very sure my name was destroyed and thoroughly and with
lies.
When
Tracy Terhune closes that wicked blog and returns that URL to me
courteously and ceases in his organizing and instigating his
“syndicate of haters” and disbands his “Campaign Against
Evelyn” as Cindy Martin called it... then perhaps he will see his
name less in print. Meanwhile, I will report on and respond to what
he does there to ensure that our truth is recorded and that this
story is told.
Logically,
as long as Tracy Terhune continues in this course of action, I have
little choice but to mention his name. But does not his list of my
mentioning his name obviously stand as proof of our being forced to
respond to his deplorable actions and motives? The longer his list
gets, the worse he looks. And every single day he runs that blog,
even a day without an update... it makes no difference... its very
presence and content is bullying.
I
ask him again to kindly do the gentlemanly thing and close the blog.
Us.
In December 2011 on our way home from Morocco
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