During my interviews with Valentino memorabilia collector Bill Self in 2003, he told me about a show he produced in the 1950's titled, The Schlitz Playhouse of Stars. He said as producer he was able to use many of his Valentino friends and associates in the show in a variety of ways.
As many of these folks such as Robert Florey, Paul Ivano, Jean Acker and Alberto Valentino were reaching the ends of their careers in Hollywood, Self's patronage in this way did not go unrewarded. He would receive from them, in return for work on the show...Valentino relics and stories.
Self told me how most of the time the bits parts were not credited but that I might recognize Jean Acker and even Francis X. Bushman. He also told me he donated all the reels of the Playhouse of Stars to the American Heritage Center, a facility associated with the University of Wyoming. The minute I heard that I sent an e-mail to the center to see if I could have access to the reels.
Well the University of Wyoming is located in Laramie just north of the Wyoming and Colorado border near Cheyenne; not a real accessible location. I lived in San Francisco at the time but still planned to make that trip and head on over to Laramie and find Self's reels.
I never did follow through on the trip, but I recently learned many of the shows are now on Youtube. Some are of better quality than others, I will just say that. The credits are at the end of the half hour shows. I have barely begun to watch them but in the few episodes I have checked out I saw “Alberto Valentino” as an editor in one and Paul Ivano as cameraman in another. This episode (link below) is directed by none other than Robert Florey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgt0leo7lr0&list=PLP-ASg-A26Xga5tR1fKTFcZQgTm_3jH4i&index=29
If you want to scour the credits I found a site which is helpful:
http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/SchlitzPlayhouseOfStars_02_(1952-53).htm
The Schlitz Playhouse of Stars is a trivial question in Rudolph Valentino's story, but a strange one. This show, in my opinion, stands as evidence of Self's quest for collecting all things Valentino. A fair exchange I guess you could say; Self provided work on a popular TV show for those Valentino players and for Self he gained a world class Valentino collection...including such things as a memoir dictated by Paul Ivano, inscribed books from Robert Florey and a wealth of relics from George Ullman. Self told me he regularly cast actors represented by the S. George Ullman Talent Agency.
In this way Self not only collected the goods but collected the stories which he shared genrerously with me until Jeanine Villalobos told him he could no longer speak with me. But I do not begrudge Self for casting these folks in this show, not at all. He had his ulterior motive but so did they.
Good luck watching these episodes. For me they are more than a bit dizzying. I am glad I did not make the trek to Laramie after all.
