The Daven Hoax

As it was being discussed here recently, how Ms. Emily Leider contributed in great measure to the misconceptions about Daven's true role in the Valentinos' life, I was asked to post the link (see below) to the blog I run where we have shared our research into Andre Daven. This truth was revealed by George Ullman and was confirmed by Valentino himself in a letter to Jacques Hebertot. It is not so mystifying why that letter Valentino wrote or the true history of Andre Daven has not be shared openly, or at all.

The assertion that Daven was Valentino's lover is false for several reasons. First of all, neither Daven or Valentino were gay. Secondly, because the ambition of Natacha and Rudolph to discover new talent because they were artistically generous...does not mean there was anything beyond a sincere professional interest.

And as Michael Morris used to reiterate, "A fishing trip is not proof someone was gay". Innuendo is not fact. Find our research here:

 https://andredaven.blogspot.com/

Those "Home-Grown" Fantasies

In 2003, Michael Morris sent me the following e-mail. Renato emphasizes, “intellectual honesty” and here Michael addresses what he calls the “home-grown fantasies”. When a “home-grown fantasy” is passed off as fact it becomes the problem for me. And Michael admitting he was “angry” learning about this “lack of credibility” is understandable. I felt the same way when I first discovered the rampant lying with all authority...and still feel the same way today.

An Interesting Profile

While I was searching for that passage from Cindy Martin which I used as illustration in my previous post, I read something from her exchange with Renato that has stuck with me for hours now.

Well I would say to her the following to explain my predicament:

If you lived next door to someone who was obsessed with your death, who stayed home all day long thinking about your death, posting online that you were already dead, writing long gory descriptions of your death and your corpse for fun... you would be worrying he might do something to have his dearest wish and fantasy come true.

I would be mentally ill if I did NOT think things like that.

Martin's belief that I am “mentally ill” brings up another theme they use to ruin me...claiming that I am insane, “the Madwoman of Turin”... and they are not implying a touch of madness, they tell people I am “raving mad”. Such as Eleanor Gribbin telling someone to not bother reading Affairs Valentino because it is just the “ravings of a mad woman”.

So it all begins to present an interesting profile of me, doesn't it?

A raving mad woman who forges court documents from the 1920's.... which I guess can be done on a computer according to Cindy Martin: (From the same message exchange with Renato)

So Ms. Martin, if you are reading this, I would respond by telling you that I have every reason to protect myself and my loved ones from maniacs.

Getting One Thing Right

I neglected to mention something I feel relevant to my previous posts... this being how for years I was accused, and very publicly so, of forging all of those records. Imagine that. 

As if I somehow dreamed up and created a massive case file of one thousand court records from the settlement of Valentino's estate? This theme of my forging records was a major point in Tracy Terhune's, David Bret's and their “molls on the sidelines'” (as Michael Morris called them), campaign to bury Affairs Valentino. I add one of those “molls” being Cindy Martin who was the most aggressive in accusing me of forging those court records.

At one point in time Tracy Terhune admitted he had seen those stolen court records in the hands of three Valentino collectors and Donna Hill told me Jeanine Villalobos exchanged one of Valentino's shirts for the entire case file. So I felt those records had been authenticated as not having been my forgeries. Bill Self also confirmed Villalobos taking possession of the case file in an e-mail to me.

Despite this, calling me the forger was still the strategy to discredit me, as Martin continued with bits like this, left on my Tumblr account on February 25, 2018:

At one point in time, Cindy Martin messaged Renato and in mentioning the records she wrote the following:

“I have to ask myself, if Tracy already had these court papers that Evelyn found then why did Tracy not bring the info forward in his own book? He could have written it or had Donna Hill help him. I mean, was it due to Sylvia and Villalobos being at odds? Was Tracy paid to protect the lies that were out there?”

After assaulting my work for years with her allegations I was some master forger, Martin goes on to say,

“It is the fault of those who withheld the info. Had I known I most certainly would have confronted Tracy about it. Same with the court documents. Its not my fault I did not know. It is however my fault that I trusted a man I had seen screw others over. I did not ever trust Donna Hill. That one I got right.”

It was a ludicrous claim to pound away for years saying I forged all of the records, loading the internet with that defamation. What kind of genius would I have to be to do that anyway?

The Registry of Actions

Today I had the occasion to read through “The Registry of Actions”. This is a long document itemizing every action taken in the probate case of Rudolph Valentino. The itemization begins of course in September 10, 1926 and does not end until October 8, 1958.

I noticed a couple of things worth pointing out. One, that Dr. Howard Meeker, the surgeon who operated on Valentino before his death, charged the estate $3500.00 which I think is high for that day. Remember inflation at this point is almost x15. So $52,000.00

I also noticed an entry (see below) which listed the action as “Resignation of Executor”...

How often “they” like to state Ullman was removed as executor by the family, the court, etc. False.

The other thing that hit me is this. Valentino's debt was pretty much paid off by July 20, 1927, except for a charge from lawyer W. I. Gilbert on August 2. And the rest of the document, all of the pages (see below)... imo should all have been avoided if Alberto/Jean took the funds they had then and closed it all down. This was an endless legal entanglement which netted them nothing. These pages primarily consist of Alberto and Jean objecting to every single thing. I am not sure what they thought they would gain by doing that but perhaps it was like a person gambling until they are broke.

Keeping the issue alive in the hopes of what? As one of Alberto and Jean's lawyers once said, “Who knows maybe Ullman will strike it rich one day?” Or maybe it was an action, a thrilling prospect of millions. Those pages of objections and lawyering, to me represent Alberto and Jean spending every last penny Rudolph earned. Every last penny Ullman made for them.

Because back in 1929 or so, there was money in their bank accounts. They had cash to burn. And you know why? Because S. George Ullman ran that business and paid Rudy's bills, saw that everyone was fed, the properties maintained and eventually sold.

I did include this entire document in the Companion Guide, but perhaps you can download these images and enlarge them. I apologize if they are not in order but I think I make my point. Alberto and Jean's lawyers running up their billable hours. Personally I think most of this could have and should have been avoided. 

Accessing "Inside Information"

A note regarding Natacha Rambova being banished in Valentino's United Artists' contract which Tracy Terhune commented on recently. He stated, “as any examination of the contract would prove untrue”... I want to say that “examining” that contract was impossible until I found those appeals court records. Until that time, and until I reproduced the entire contract in the Affairs Valentino Companion Guide, to the very best of my knowledge it was never publicly available and hence impossible to “examine”. The only people who could “examine” that original contract were collectors, because I do know the original copy ended up in Bill Self's hands.

I make the point that no one could fact check that document for years on end. Even Michael Morris was shocked to read it (my recovered copy) and find out Natacha was not mentioned. Bill Self told me he had the original contract but never shared it with me. To the best of my knowledge no collector or member of the Valentino family with access to that original document ever corrected that point in history. Yes it was "inside information", leaked or maybe just a rumor... but no one could "examine" the contract to prove this was true or false. 

As I am not allowed to comment on Terhune's post about the contract, because we are banned from his Facebook group, I just mention here it was not possible to “examine” the original and it still is. I would ask him to share scans of the entire original document. The provenance of that document is dubious imo, because would this not be kept in Ullman's files/wicker baskets in his garage... as he was Valentino's manager? How did Self get this?

Someone sent me the text of Terhune's comment and the newspaper clipping he references. I did not see if anyone in his group corrected his comment and I am sure they no doubt did. Maybe he caught the typo. But the Valentino's “marital vacation” did not begin two months before August 1926. This all took place in 1925, the previous year. In August 1926... Valentino died.

But Terhune admits the idea that Natacha was banished in the UA contract was “inside” information and then says that “any examination of the contract would prove this untrue”.  Well I tried for years to “examine” that contract and only found a court copy of it buried deep in the Appeals Court Library in 2003. 

I also will point out that because the appeals records I discovered were copies of the original probate file stolen from its rightful housing in the Los Angeles County Hall of Records, there would also be another copy of that UA contract included in that missing case file. This file should be publicly available by law. So another opportunity to "examine" the UA contract and prove this rumor untrue is lost. 

#kookierabble

Writing in the Margins

As I have mentioned I have legal custody of Michael Morris' archive, what is left of it that is.

Earlier today I was sifting through the boxes and found his copy of Emily Leider's book, Dark Lover. He annotated here and there, in his hand writing, and some of the comments I found interesting. I share a few and say that except for the one comment (included)...he seems to have been inspired to write in his copy more out of criticism. It was almost as if he was correcting a term paper. (I excerpt under Fair Use guidelines to illustrate this post's narrative):

I note another mislabel I found today in the photograph section preceding p. 211...Leider has incorrectly labeled the man on Valentino's right as Jacque Hebertot but it is Andre Daven, the man who ripped Valentino off for a tremendous amount of money. (more on that here)

https://andredaven.blogspot.com/

There were a few times when I was initially researching Affairs Valentino when I ran into Ms. Leider's professional researchers who were out there doing the leg work. However when I discovered the Ullmans and the court records, etc. my research took an entirely different direction.

I found it odd she included collector Bill Self in her interviews because he told me he never spoke to her. Also she cites Michael Morris as being interviewed when he told me how in one phone call with Ms. Leider he said there was nothing new to be learned about Valentino. (He loved to joke how I proved him wrong about that) He was miffed at Ms. Leider because although she mentions citing Madam Valentino in a few of her notes...she did not include Michael's Madam Valentino in her bibliography.

I think anyone knowing my story would understand my primary issue with Dark Lover because Leider's use of innuendo diminishes the integrity of the book for me in a great way.... and the innuendo is extensive. It is always been my opinion that Ms. Leider pandered to the gay Valentino radicals for fear they would do exactly what they did to me.

The innuendo is all she had of course to keep a gay/bisexual narrative going to make them happy. Because there has never been a shred of proof Valentino was anything but what he was. Heterosexual. But Ms. Leider iced her cake with extra layers of “what ifs?” and “bisexuality is always an option” and “certainly implies” and commentary on whether it is acceptable or not to be gay which in actuality says nothing. But she pandered in my opinion and I guess I stand as the great lesson to anyone who does not pander to the Valentino was gay fundamentalists.

In Ms. Leider's case the innuendo all worked very well for her. Kim Edelman/Albert Morris/David Bret has recently and feebly tried to show support for Dark Lover by calling Leider the “Honest wife” and referring to me... the one he dare not refer to by name... just a “Valentino widow”.

It must be pointed out that this “widow” and “wife” tagging by Bret reveals a great deal about him psychologically. The whole topic of wives of dead husbands, wives who do not dare tell a lie...one being bad and the other good? He uses the "widow" phrase with great joy and because it is death related, it has become his new zinger. It is not insulting to be a widow and name-calling like that is still, still, still a very tasteless and ignorant thing to do. Go figure. But I guess being an ass is always an option. 

Pure Heaven

I have to thank you all for reading these meanderings. I know it is not always the most pleasant thing to read the angst expressed here. And I used that term loosely. More like rage.

What happened to Renato and I and what is still happening is so awfully bad that I think most people have little idea the scope of what has come down.

I realize it would be entertaining to sit and chat here about Valentino. And nothing more. But I feel that is what I am doing. Rudolph Valentino, in my opinion was and is sadly held hostage by a bunch of people who have incredibly low standards of moral behavior. They will stoop lower than anyone can imagine.

I often think I will just begin to post their past abuse, post by post. Maybe people would know how bad this has been. Its shocking. And criminal imo.

I would like to be the circus pony being all light and cheerful. But Valentino's world is on fire imo. And time to put that fire out. I think it is time to get rid of the liars and thieves and enact some good will.

I know in light of all the major things going on in the world it might seem a small thing to care about righting the wrongs being done in the Valentino World. But it is what has come to me to do.

We have not suffered this much for nothing. And you know on the 11^th hour as we were set to upload the new book, a researcher we contacted almost two years ago contacted us to get to work. He is all over it knowing we await his findings. Will we wait and for how long? Will he find what we are looking for? Very exciting.

I wrestle about what to post here; light and Rudy focused fluff or keep on cleaning house.

Ok this (see below) is the last Castellaneta video I promise. Some of these were taken by Aurelio Miccoli. Thank you Aurelio! And the rest of the images from that trip are just Rajah and Leeloo running around that terrace next to our Castellaneta Hotel room. My god, it was a fabulous hotel. Except I was worried hawks would carry my tiny dogs away. Here is the link to the absolute hotel to stay at when visiting Castellaneta. A bit out of town but a must.

I can not make this a life goal because we stayed there. It was pure heaven.

https://www.casaisabella.it

More Complete BS

*Updated post with columnist Obit below

If this was true, (see "American Injustice" article below) then why was George Ullman held responsible, through a bizarre twist of legal loopholes, i.e. missing page of the will, to repay Alberto Valentino money which was advanced to him in good faith over years. What happened to the nearly $38,000 in cold cash Alberto received before 1930. By today's exchange rate x 15 this was $570,000.00. And this was just cash and not including those "baubles" Alberto would later sell to Self such as Rudy's platinum wristwatch which netted (according to Tracy Terhune) $10,000. For god's sake how did this man get away with telling such complete BS?

I wonder if all those records disappeared much earlier than even I think they did. Surely someone could have gone and taken a look. And Ullman really could have said something but I know from his children he was too demoralized by it all and barely said a word about it to his family.

Alberto had the DNA to get some press but reading this is mind-blowing and disgusting. The play for sympathy and work might have made for some emotional copy... but truly he was doing this after he had just blown through his brother Rudolph's fortune which all rightfully belonged to Jean.

* In response to the comment left: I found this about the columnist Jack Grant from the Mirror News, October 21, 1949:

Life Goal

 https://www.hotel-negresco-nice.com/en/exceptional/montserrat-caballe

Some Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambova landmarking at the Hotel Negresco in Nice. Life goal to stay here which has yet to happen. But we have visited. Natacha's mother wrote about the scene here on New Year's Eve 1923-1924 and I retold it in Affairs Valentino; an inebriated Valentino acting the bullfighter. I was mesmerized being there with this bit of Valentino history locale. It is worth checking out the website because the rooms and the views are breathtaking I think. (see link above)

Card Games

Despite the fact that the Alberto Valentino family spokesperson stole almost all of Michael Morris' notes, some survived the raid. I am not sure how these escaped but I think it was because they visibly had no relation in content to Rudolph Valentino.

Most of the surviving hand written notes in Michael's archive are transcripts of conversations he had with Mark Hasselriis, Natacha's companion for the last 20 plus years of her life.

This one page from the Hasselriis notes is sweet I think. Natacha and her Uncle Dickie played solitaire. But still upsetting how larceny seems to be so accepted by some in the Valentino World. Michael Morris' notes need to be all returned, every single page. 

This said, Michael tried to get his notes back. One of many e-mails he shared with me about this. (see below)

This said...

In response to a comment about the love child theory, I think it might be wiser for me to wait until the new book is out which will be in the next couple of weeks (maybe less). In regards to Jean's physical resemblance I will say this was one of the least important aspects of the theory for me. I think children have a broad gene pool and I know none of my three children look like me. Two of my children bear absolutely no resemblance.

This said people who were there and saw Jean with Rudy commented. Pola Negri said his resemblance was “astonishing”, Baltasar Cue commented how Jean looked very much like Rudy and Bill Self knew Jean until the end and told me, “He looked exactly like him.” But as I mentioned this was never a major point for me as it was the totality of all of the evidence which convinced me after years of being very cynical about it.

The question I am left with is this... did Jean know what happened to his inheritance? Did he ever study the data in the court records or did he just take Alberto's word for it all? Sadly I think the latter is probably the case. Who knows? For me the most compelling piece of evidence was and still is... the decades long and deeply serious covering-up.

More on this soon.

Logic Dictates

Mercifully my dear husband reads the “bastards” as he calls them. I say mercifully because for years he has so nobly protected me from the brunt of their horror by reading it, capturing it, archiving those screenshots and then processing the rage. Being Italian that is a struggle. Italians are not famous for their emotional control. They get riled up and they will let you know.

When he felt or feels I need to know something he tells me, but he bears the sorrow and anguish so much of the time silently, day after day without a word to me. Sometimes he will mutter in Italian, sometimes be blown away at the stupidity. But it is never good and today reading that shit Terhune wrote about my heroic husband made me furious.

What a total jerk to mock Renato. He should beg to have five minutes with a man as great, as brilliant and as entertaining as Renato. Renato's life stories are epic and his own history astounding. He has traveled the world, known so many incredible people and cared so tenderly for his disabled brother and mother after his father died.

To have this sniveling, sneering, arrogant POS Tracy Terhune call him demeaning names? I do not think so. That really pissed me off.

And what does this have to do with Rudolph Valentino? Everything. Absolutely everything.

Free Valentino from the tyranny of Terhune.

About Disputes - A Comment From Renato Floris

The thing that saddens me most is that Evelyn and I find ourselves the victims of unprecedented censorship. 

Disputes among civilized people, endowed with sincere intellectual honesty, can always be settled, the parties explain their positions, documenting their validity and then, seriously and honestly, the conclusions are drawn.

But this does not happen to us as our mouths are gagged, well before a word can be uttered. All this is proof that what we claim is indisputable reality.

I express my utmost disgust at how Rudolph Valentino is exploited especially in asking Ms. Donna Hill courteously some time ago why none of our books were included in her great bibliography.

Instead of replying to me directly, Ms. Donna Hill passed the ball to Tracy Ryan Terhune who bullied me in the blog he stole from Evelyn.

This is the exact text of my communication with Ms. Donna Hill on 6 - 7 -18:

“Good morning Ms. Hill,

I visited your very well done and accurate site, but in the list regarding the books about or related to Rudolph Valentino I can't see the different titles I have had the honor to publish.

I talk about Day Dreams with the introduction by Evelyn Zumaya, Affairs Valentino A Special Edition, Affairs Valentino Companion Guide, The S. George Ullman Memoir, L'Affare Valentino (Italian Edition) all by Evelyn Zumaya Also missing the books by Mr. Aurelio Miccoli, The Infancy of the Myth and its Italian version L'Infanzia del Mito.

Last but not least the book BEYOND VALENTINO: A MADAM VALENTINO ADDENDUM by Michael Morris and Evelyn Zumaya. I saw in your list the books by my friends Leo Pantaleo and Chicca Guglielmi Morone why not the books I publish?

I really don't understand the profuse hate against Evelyn Zumaya, could you please help me to know why? I'm sure as Michael told me a lot about how serious you are that you'll fix this problem and that you are not participating in the hate campaign against Ms. Zumaya and, it looks, boycott of my books! Waiting to read from you I send my best regards.

Renato Floris”

The answer came on 6-15-18, not by Ms. Donna Hill's pen but by Tracy Ryan Terhune's who wrote publicly on the blog which belonged to Evelyn, the following (I excerpt the post under Fair Use guidelines):

“Last week Child Star Floris flung a terse e-mail to a newly revamped Valentino website. On the site there is a wonderfully compiled list of recommended books on Rudolph Valentino. And books by Evelyn Zumaya & party were not on the list. The webmaster indicated that the list was not all inclusive. That did nothing to deter Child Star Floris who now forgoes acting for publishing his wife's books. He wrote in a moment of clarity that "I can 't see different titles I have the honor to publish" about Rudolph Valentino. Then he name drops Michael Morris and shifts focus by begging "that you'll fix this problem and that you are not participating to the hate campaign against Ms. Zumaya and, it looks, boycott of my books!" Face it, you're not on the list. No one's boycotting you. I don't see you putting other peoples books up on your website.”

I would tell Tracy Terhune that we do not compile nor include such an all encompassing Valentino bibliography on our websites. The sites are dedicated solely to our production of books.

I wonder how people who behave in this way, who mock, name-call and demean, can genuinely represent the memory of Rudolph Valentino and how such characters are allowed to celebrate his memory. 

Hardly Controversial

I respond to a comment left about the “controversy” and a reader's comments about Donna Hill's book. I have never criticized her book or the quality of the work (I questioned why it was being promoted by someone like David Bret) but I feel personally that the quality is tarnished for me because of her aggressive involvement with Tracy Terhune and his “Campaign to Ruin Evelyn”. This has been confirmed in many ways and documented and I feel it is a reasonable reaction all things considered. In regards to seeing this as a “controversy” I say the following.

Controversy is defined as “debate, dissension, dispute, disagreement and a discussion marked by the expression of opposing views”. Donna Hill administrates a large Facebook group on Valentino, We Never Forget which forbids any discussion of or mention of us or our books. There has been no possibility of our discussing a thing or being “controversial” because that is not allowed by Donna Hill and Tracy Terhune. Where we are concerned there is no expressing of any opposing views because we are not allowed the tiniest moment to do so. Recently someone cited Affairs Valentino on their group and the entire thread vanished.

This is not controversy but bullying, with the definition of bullying being “tormenting, tyrannizing and brow beating... seeking to harm, intimidate”... this is a much more accurate description of what goes on than controversy.

How many mornings we wake (and woke over the past decade!) to my utter despair and tears to find the fresh lies, the furious hell laid out for us on the killing blogs of Terhune and Bret, the vicious and complete lies about our lives and work... the menacing countdowns to our deaths... and with the silent support of Donna Hill and yes it hurts when occasionally material which was told to Donna Hill has contributed to their morning attacks.

I agree with the comment left that this behavior in no way benefits the legacy of  the "endearing" Rudolph. How can they feign even the meekest sincere interest in Valentino when they oppress, suppress new documentation we share and torment us by trashing our books with lies even before they have a moment of life? This is not controversy but a whole lot of bullying.

We were canceled by Hill and Terhune and Bret long before that phrase had much relevance. And it does not feel so good to know they will be doing so with our next books too.... books we have worked diligently on for a long time.... books we are very proud to share.

"A Formidable Harmony"

In a previous post I mused whether all of this was a “blessing or a curse”? I am going with blessing. It is not as if we are beaten down, sad, weak and miserable...hardly. That we are not. More like we are upbeat, happy, strong and content.... We have so much to be grateful for.

The blessings in documents that seem to find us, the epic stories which knock on our door and all those mysteries yet to be solved.

In the Foreword of our new book, Renato referred to our “formidable harmony”. He could not have said it better. So I am going with “blessing”.

This is not to say the stakes are not high and we will continue to defend ourselves fiercely from the liars and thieves. If it takes a lawsuit or two more to shut that noise down from the book burners so it shall be. We sued Kim Edelman for defamation and won handily.

It is a spicy tale we are spinning and this one might burn a little hot here and there. We will not shy away at this point. We have come too far.

Thank you for all the comments...and the sass.

     #sacredplaces

A Long Way From Hollywood

A few more of the images from the trip to Castellaneta. Taranto in the distance. 

That is the Question

Someone would have come along sooner or later to open this Valentino's Pandora's box. (The definition of “Pandora's Box” being a “present which seems valuable but which is actually a curse”)

It was not that they left a little pirates map with footsteps telling me where to go and a big X over the spot. But they were very sloppy in their subterfuge and left a trail of clues because of that. It took a while but it was not so hard to piece those clues together.

I had this plan long ago when Affairs Valentino was finally in print... to inscribe a copy to Bill Self and go to his home with it. I planned to hand it to him personally and say, “There's no such thing as the perfect crime, Bill.”

So very much was hidden long before Bill Self arrived to bankroll the further hiding of it all. And boy they crammed that box full didn't they? (Or should I say crates from Ullman's garage?) It would have taken seasoned criminals to pull off what they all tried to do. But realistically how long did they think they could sell the world that cardboard cutout version of Valentino and bury the man with their suffocating fiction? How long could they have hidden the truth? Someone would have come along sooner or later.

….”Pandora's Box”? Or “Pandora's” typewriter? Blessing or Curse, that is the question. 

Makes Me Wonder

What a towering endorsement from David Bret we find today for Donna Hill's book of photos. Is this a genuine endorsement or a slap in the face? Makes me wonder in light of the past history of these two.

Outwardly Donna Hill has shunned David Bret, not including his “books” on her Valentino publications list. (She is also shunning all of our books) Donna Hill has many times in the past spoken very poorly about Bret and I never once in my experience found her to praise Bret or even act his friend publicly.

Perhaps collector Donna Hill attempted to censor Bret in some way... perhaps his character Kim Edelman needed chastising behind the scenes... as Donna Hill allows him to roam her Facebook Group “We Never Forget” as Kim Edelman. Bret allows Tracy Terhune to censor his posts but a woman? Based on my experience.... I would say he would react very poorly to a woman's censoring.

Because in Bret's misogynistic world, unless women are fawning over him such as the mythical Marlene D., woman are to be scorned, mocked, called hags, cunts, their bodies picked apart and verbally violated, they are demeaned and traumatized. (Anyone doubting that please send me a note and I will forward thousands of screenshots as evidence.)

I wonder if that ad for collector Donna Hill's book is a slap because I can not believe she would be so happy to have Bret inspiring things like this nor implying in the slightest publicly they are a thing. It is overt.

Cindy Martin dutifully explained to Renato, in writing, how collector Donna Hill runs We Never Forget and went on to share further details of Hill's arrangements with Terhune and Bret. Perhaps now it is too late for Donna Hill as far as Bret is concerned and he will soon relegate her to his chilling arena of hate where she will become one of his “Valentino Widows”. Whatever the hell that means anyway. 

Kim Edelman is David Bret. David Bret is shilling Hill's book and I guess we must take this for what it appears to be; a sign of her true friendship and partnership with the monster. 

Renato once wrote a businesslike query to Donna Hill asking why she openly shunned all of our books. He received her offensive reply which did not come from her. She passed his query on, and instantly I might add... to Tracy Terhune and David Bret so they could rip into Renato on that bully blog they run. Hill did not give Renato the courtesy of a reply and instead seized the opportunity to feed Terhune and Bret.

Collectors and their dog or just kookie rabble?

Rambova's Estate

One more volley of truth:

The lie that Natacha Rambova was after Valentino for his money and that she was a grasping, greedy personality because she wanted his money is just that. A lie. 

I am honored to have been granted legal custody of Michael Morris' archive... or what is left of it after the Alberto Valentino family spokesperson ravaging. I share a page from those  remaining notes they left behind and in his handwriting. Here (see below) Michael records Natacha Rambova's estate worth as $367,000 when she died. I did the calculation (see below) and that is just over 3 million dollars today. 

So Natacha Rambova needed no ones money and if ever there was proof she and Rudy fell crazy in love with all the trimmings this would be it. Because by 1966, Natacha considered herself broke, on the down side. She applied for grants for her study, lived modestly in Connecticut. In the 1920's, back in her day, her financial worth was far more. I think we can officially lay the idea that Rambova was after Valentino's money to rest in favor of some common sense and Michael's note. 

A Great Graphic

"Never Use Your Mother's Maiden Name"

I will not disagree with any of the comments left on my previous posts about Mr. William Self. I will add that I believe he wanted me to succeed. Despite his encouragement, at one point in our interviews our exchanges felt like that Mad magazine cartoon, “Spy v. Spy” as we both worked our individuals angles for information. I was looking for documents and he was after anything I discovered. I was after those court records and wanted to see the United Artists' contract. He promised me every interview that he would dig that up and find those reel to reel tapes of Bee Ullman's interview. He never did. So it went.

When I told him Michael Morris encouraged me to write an article about the literary legacy of Valentino being gay, he said he wanted to read it. He did read it and called me full of praise.

Bill Self was not a man to express much outward emotion, Michael Morris called him “The Sphinx”... but he was upset over a couple of things.

He did not like the then heavy presence of the “Rudy as gay” contingency. He lamented how these people usurped the annual memorial service and explained to me how these people intimidated and managed to get press for the event. He warned me about someone named “Tracy Terhune” who I was about to run into full force. He told me to “tread lightly” where he was concerned. That proved a bit impossible.

Self told me to “change my passwords and often” and explained how he had been hacked and also said never use your mother's maiden name! Security seemed an issue for him.

While I was interviewing Bill, Emily Leider's book came out and I asked him what he thought of it. He said he thought originally I might be “in trouble” by the book, but then said I was not to worry because he found the book to be “the same old thing”. He did not like the title and spoke about that and said he could not finish reading the book. He was also mystified Lieder quoted him because he said he never spoke to her.

I was always welcomed to the Self home and treated graciously. And I honestly think if Jeanine Villalobos had not slammed that door in my face Self would have eventually told me everything. He was intrigued by my work and I think he wanted to be a part of the Valentino story. But I went on to discover the back story of William Self which in many ways came together all on its own.

I want to make the point that he knew what I was writing, he knew my perspective on the subject of Rudolph Valentino and he was a willing participant for the interviews I did have with him.

Hell no, Bill!

Well Valentino collector Bill Self kind of slipped up here in this e-mail. He seldom sent me e-mails and would always call.. to I guess avoid something like this happening. Or did he want this to happen? 

Here (see below) he tells me that the Alberto Valentino spokeswoman Jeanine Villalobos was in receipt of the stolen case file of Valentino's probate court records and has the gall to tell me that this is, "where they belong".

Hell no Bill, those records are public record and belong in the Los Angeles County Hall of Records for all to see. Now Self's e-mail was confirmed of course by Donna Hill when she told me the same and added that Ms. Villalobos exchanged one of Valentino's shirts for the case file.

Bear in mind George Ullman's son Bob...at the time was a few weeks from his death and wanting to know the truth about his father's tenure as executor which was contained in that case file. Hence why I was trying to find those records for him. Bill Self knew that... and still they hid those records from a dying man. 

Bill Self told me he waived the purchase of that shipping case/sarcophagus he is mentioning in this e-mail...when in fact I would learn later on he already owned it. 

Smoking Guns Galore

I think it is fair to say that something huge is being hidden by the Alberto Valentino family. If this were not the case then doors would be wide open, materials shared and censorship non-existent. However, the opposite is true (see all previous posts!) It took me a good long while to recognize the motley cast of characters prompting all those door slammings in my face. I was once naive about that. I no longer am.

Yesterday someone commented how they were amazed I had not gone insane having to endure all I did and still must endure. A valid question. Because at every turn I recognized another awful alliance...and at every turn another door was slammed in my face. 

I am extremely proud of myself and Renato for discovering all we have despite such tremendous efforts to stop us. The criminals have tried to hide their crimes, but they are not all that clever. Bits and pieces of evidence are about because Rudolph Valentino left an incredible paper trail on two continents.

A good detective can solve a crime with the smallest piece of evidence and this is what I feel Renato and I have  accomplished. We find bits and pieces they missed. It does not matter if those bits and pieces were small or grand none of our discoveries were insignificant.

What a moment it was for me when the research desk librarian asked me if S. George Ullman ever filed an appeal in California. It never occurred to the thieves hiding their crime that when Ullman did file his appeal his case would consist of a huge portion of the original stolen case file. In solving this crime, that was the smoking gun. 

At one point I began compiling a list of all the missing/stolen records relating to Rudolph Valentino. I have not been so diligent in keeping the list current. But does this list not present again the obvious question... why hide if there is nothing to hide?

Here follows the list of documents we found to be gone, gone, gone with the wind:

Missing from their rightful housing in the United States:

1. The original and entire case file of the California Supreme Court case of Guglielmi v. Ullman, # 83678, “In the Supreme Court of the State of California, In the matter of the Estate of Rodolpho (sic) Guglielmi, also known as Rudolph Valentino, deceased. S. George Ullman, Appellant, vs. Alberto Guglielmi, Maria Guglielmi Strada, Bank of America National Trust & Savings Association, a national banking association as administrator of the estate of Rudolpho Guglielmi with the will annexed, Teresa Werner, Ray L. Riley, State Controller, Respondents.”

2. The Harry Baskerville Audit of S. George Ullman's executor accounting of the Valentino estate.

3. All evidence admitted in the case of Guglielmi v. Ullman, including Executor's First Account, Supplemental Executor Accounts and attached Schedules,

4. The original copy of Paragraph Fourth appointing Jean Guglielmi as Rudolph Valentino's sole heir as submitted to the court by Attorney Raymond Stewart

5. The complete “Reporter's Transcripts” of court testimony delivered in Guglielmi v. Ullman including Direct Examination and Cross Examinations.

6. Natacha Rambova and Rudolph Valentino's divorce and property settlement entered as court exhibit.

7. The Cinema Finance loan records and accounting

8. Itemization and accounting of estate assets and Ullman's book keeping ledgers as admitted as court's evidence

9. Falcon Lair Grey Book household ledgers and all original extracts.

10. The original Rudolph Valentino Production Company ledgers including the Pan American Bank loan records, VAB records and all tax assessment records of payments and abatement.

11. The Cosmic Arts by-laws, accounting registers and inventory including Executor's Exhibit #2.

12. The assignation of Cosmic Arts to Rudolph Valentino Productions documents and contracts

13. The original United Artists contracts as filed as court's evidence as “Executor's Exhibit One”.

14. Cosmic Arts contracts and book keeping ledgers

15. Executor's Exhibit #4, the letter written by Maria Strada to George Ullman.

16. Jean Guglielmi's, “Declaration of Intention”, first page with photograph, which is missing from the National Archives of Registered Aliens.

And I add:

17. The Paul Ivano Memoir

18. The reel to reel tapes of the Beatrice Ullman interviews.

The following public records were found to be missing from their rightful housing in Italy:

1. Proof of Alberto and Ada's Turin residency from the Turin Historical City archives

2. Guglielmi Family Forms or “Foglios di Famiglia” in Turin Historical Archives

3. Guglielmi Family Form missing from Campobasso

4. Guglielmi Family Form missing from Filadelfia

5. Guglielmi Family Form missing from Putignano

6. Guglielmi Family Form missing from Santeramo In Colle

7. Proof of Jean Guglielmi's Santeramo In Colle residency

8. Proof of residency in Santeramo In Colle for Ada and Alberto Guglielmi

9. Proof of Alberto's Guglielmi's residency in Campobasso

10. Proof of residency for Alberto, Ada and Jean Guglielmi in Putignano

11. Proof of Ada Guglielmi's residency in Campobasso

Sacred Artifacts

The shirt Rudolph Valentino was wearing when he went into the hospital on that fateful day, is a sacred artifact, to be treated with reverence. Like the shirt Lincoln was wearing when he was shot. I once saw the shirt Secretary of State William Seward was wearing when he was stabbed and it was in a glass case in the Seward House in Auburn, New York. It made an impression on me. It was not being passed around between the highest bidders with the winner of the bloody shirt bragging how he got a real deal. But incredibly this is exactly what happened with the death vestment of Valentino.

That vestment/shirt is a moment in history to be revered as a part of the tragedy that was the death of Rudolph Valentino. Imagine on that awful day when Rudy walked into the ER in the Polyclinic Hospital... imagine if he could see into the future and read how said collector was bragging about how he bought that shirt for a lot less than it was worth?

Something is very wrong in the Valentino World.

All of those things belong in a museum. It is for me disgusting that these historical artifacts are even handled by these awful people, flung back and forth like currency, trophies to inflate the egos of collectors. I call for all of these artifacts to be in the hands of curators now. Valentino's history is being lost... and believe me as someone piecing it together I know this as fact.

Valentino deserves his history be preserved and not edited, censored and hoarded by a bunch of self-serving ego-maniacal bullies.

https://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/4217

#castthemerchantsoutofthetemple #stopbullying

"Biting the Hand That Feeds You"

Some of the only records still remaining on file in the Los Angeles County Hall of Records are those relating to the years of Alberto and Jean Valentino's collection processes on George Ullman. It is staggering to see the lengths they went to attempting to collect this money from Ullman because it was money he advanced to Alberto immediately after Valentino's death. The business losses were dismissed on Ullman's appeal and the amount he owed Alberto was money Alberto had already spent...Ullman as executor did not know Jean was the sole heir until after he dispersed the advances in good faith to Alberto. The court recommended a "fairness lien" be established and told Jean Valentino not to pursue Ullman because he did not benefit from the money advanced. Jean ignored the court's advice and engaged in a 30 year collection process v. Ullman. 

What I find even worse than this barbaric harassment of an innocent man, is the continued trashing of Ullman by the Alberto family operatives, Tracy Terhune, David Bret and their obedient sycophants. Ullman had such a great spirit to live his life as a father and grand father in a loving and admirable way. Until these records were recovered by yours truly, Alberto's lies stood as truth. Incredibly, despite these records being brought forth, Tracy Terhune continues to heap unjustified abuse on this man when in reality he owes it all to Mr. Ullman; his collection, his death servicing... he should be Ullman's biggest supporter. 

The following documents reveal the staggering interest rates, the aggressiveness of the Alberto Valentino family and what life was like for Ullman for decades on after he made a fortune for the Valentino family. This kind of defines the expression to, "Bite the hand that feeds you". (see below - Collection orders served on Ullman by the Sheriff with one document evidence Jean Valentino attempted to seize Ullman's business. The court rejected his petition)

Regarding my "Anti-Christ" Status

Perhaps this year at his death fest, Tracy Terhune will have one of those boards where you stick your head through a hole in order to have your picture taken. What would it be? A large, poorly painted piece of plywood with Rudolph Valentino on one side and maybe Jean Acker on the other? For fifty cents Terhune would let people line up and stick their heads through the hole and BE Valentino.

Will he have caramel apples in honor of Carmel Myers? A kettle corn machine would be a good touch and fragrant and maybe some funnel cakes simmering in the oil.

And Terhune, there he is with his cash register with RVG embossed on the side ringing up his sales of a lifetime... Ca-ching!...a shirt Valentino was wearing when he stumbled gravely ill to the hospital...and oh how he brags about the deal he scored on that trophy. Ghoul.

Well fyi for Terhune... the Polyclinic Hospital did not give a thing to the ex-wife. She had no power of attorney and no hospital would hand over personal effects to anyone who did not have power of attorney, let alone an old girlfriend and bitter ex-wife. You know who was there and had power of attorney? S. George Ullman … and he was in receipt of the shirt and he gave it to Jean Acker. So you can sit down and stop taking your bows for your “expertise and sourcing”.

Meanwhile, an excerpt on the subject from a book I have yet to publish...

“Crypt Maintenance

I will be the first person to admit that I do not understand the Valentino gathering at the crypt tradition or the fussing over the tomb. I wrote about the origin of this Hollywood tradition in Affairs Valentino and based my report on this upon sworn testimony by George Ullman. It is my opinion that Ullman would not have risked imprisonment for perjury with his direct answer on the witness stand saying he began the tradition.

Yet, the tradition of the service has continued throughout the years and the role of emcee became Terhune's and he had made this, in my opinion, his identity. I believe it is because of Terhune's fascination with Valentino's death and iron handed control over this service, he has consequently been successful in perpetuating the association of Rudolph Valentino with his death.

Terhune not only promotes and markets the Valentino crypt service every year, but it is my opinion that he also markets himself and exploits the service to make contact with other Valentino memorabilia collectors. He has utilized the service to advertise and show pieces from his private collection. I allege that the service in Hollywood Forever before the crypt of Rudolph Valentino each year at the precise moment of his death, to be a commercial venture held by collectors who perform as emcee and gatherers so they may appear in a noble light to those fans attending the service as genuine fans of Valentino. The inherent sadness that is any tomb, a final resting place is, that in Valentino's case, the tomb is disguised as commemoration of the cash value of the star's earthly remains.

A ghoul by definition is a “person morbidly interested in death.“ I would consider someone who assumes the self-appointed role of crypt maintenance and the conducting of a service before the embalmed corpse of Rudolph Valentino to be demonstrating a “morbid interest” in the star's death and current condition.

Would it be that ghouls whisper in the night passing secrets of the Hollywood stars gone by busying themselves before Valentino's crypt? Tracy Terhune, prowling about the grave, will freshen the dead flowers and clean the lipstick kisses from the marble as evidence.

Meanwhile, as Terhune tends to his duties in the mausoleum and plans for his annual fete al Tombe, he feeds information from Los Angeles to David Bret and monitors me on a daily basis. Their death talk races from Terhune to David Bret through cyberspace.

Together, as a partnership in the veneration of Valentino and death, they create a force of ruination of me and my work on Valentino. Bret's blood dripping, maggots crawling, bones breaking, skin sagging and corpses engaging in sexual perversion melded into Terhune's vicious allegations of my being a liar with an “agenda of hate”.

The subject of my death is a presence at Valentino's crypt. Perhaps it is not being discussed openly, by ghouls or mortals but the emcee knows. He not only tends to the crypt but in my opinion and according to evidence as filed by himself and now public record, stokes the coals of David Bret's hell fires. As he removes the dead flowers from the sconces on Valentino's marble plaque, does he get his, “good laugh”, as he reads Bret's killing blog posts?

Apparently, he chuckles as I am gutted, my throat slit, I hang myself, I die of cancer, I walk into traffic. While Terhune finds this all hilarious, he gets his “chuckle” musing before the bones of Valentino scheming how best to prevent Affairs Valentino from ever happening again. In doing this I imagine Terhune felt he was acting out of some high authority of God to prevent my book from being made public. I have no doubt that he feels he is a soldier for God and that ridding the world of my book is a Crusade with every religion overtone.

Death has always stalked the legacy of Rudolph Valentino. One could conclude this is to be expected as he died young. But other movie stars have suffered similar fates and not been held captive in their afterlife by those fixated upon their death, their grave and the subject of death itself and those interjecting religious fervor in the fixation.

For the sake of a long since deceased movie star, the “team” in the very least, conspired to work their individual death angles. David Bret posting so many “witty death wishes” as he called them for me and his “Team-mate”, as he called him and “dear friend with whom he spoke on the phone with everyday”, Tracy Terhune, focusing his attentions upon a service he perpetuates on the fresh air side of the marble slab of Valentino's dead body and final resting place.

But in the fall of 2012, as Bret was covering the death-laden, gory, misogynistic, sexual perversity homophobery about me, Tracy Terhune was about to bring up the rear with a mind-blowing assault of Christian self-righteousness by calling me out as Satan's hand maiden. His posting online about my being evil and satanic cluttered my book's online presence and because of this new angle of defamation, my anti-Christ status continues to this very day.”

Making a Point

Michael Morris was such a God in the Valentino World yet treated so poorly by those who fancy themselves “Keepers of the Flame”. What a bunch of hypocrites they are. After Michael died they came out praising his book and work... while they dashed his posthumous book to the rocks saying I wrote it and “Buyer Beware”. Disgusting defilement of Michael's great accomplishment.

After Michael's death, Tracy Terhune felt safe to try and convince the world Michael had nothing to do with me, Cindy Martin claimed I did not know him and that I forged e-mails I posted from Michael to me... and Bret savaged Michael within days of his death online saying vile things about this great man. He actually engaged in a furious exchange with one of Michael's doctoral students.

Was Michael ever invited by Tracy Terhune to speak at his death fest? Not that I know of... because Michael would have been thrilled to speak.

And Donna Hill and Jeanine Villalobos?... who swanned about Michael convincing him to fork over his archive? Well we all know how that worked out. 

Did any of these people come out to defend him publicly when Bret was spitting his homophobic slurs Michael's way? No they did not.

I could go on. I have made my point. While they all wallow in their smug deals and shekels saved on a piece of poor Rudy... Michael's legacy puts them all to shame.

#castthemerchantsoutofthetemple