Thursday, October 27, 2022

E Allora



Selfie after dinner; salad, steak, Chianti Classico Reserve & Halloween candy.

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Regarding the Comments

I took the comments off this blog as a show of strength not weakness. A weaker person would have continued nonsensically to argue with the bastards. And yes I called them all that, Renato does too and with every good reason. So Tracy Terhune can rush off to log that insult into his tally.

According to Google definitions: “Bastard” is defined as an “unpleasant and despicable person.” There you have it and if Mr. Terhune wants to be called more flattering adjectives then he should earn them.

I have never cowered before their bastard acts and never will. I distinctly recall the first moments of awareness I had some time around 2003 when I realized the story I had to tell about Rudolph Valentino. Gulp. And I remember reading Affairs Valentino and shuddering. But I had to tell the story. It was the truth. I did not cower.

I paid, and we continue to pay the price for refusing to cower before the bastards of the Valentino world. But I think they have all sunk well below the real surface of respectability by now. 

They can not hide who they are anymore and with times so tough, no one respects a bastard and they are incredibly easy to spot these days.



Saturday, October 22, 2022

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

A Public Service Announcement

I think the first review left on David Bret's book, Marlene Dietrich – My Friend – An Intimate Biography hits the old nail on the head. It reads, “Fake book, don't bother.” I address Bret's claims about that book and more today, because I have long disbelieved anything Bret says. I know for a million facts/reasons that he can only lie and about everything. He is the “boy who cried and cries wolf.”

This said, recently he might have just been forced to be truthful. This rarest of all occasions took place in his response to a court-ordered collection effort. In the course of this effort, Bret was contacted by a court official about certain of his assets; assets he alleged owning.

I informed the court Bret claimed ownership of three things which I knew would be worth considerable cash and with this he could pay me something on or all of the damages awarded to me in my victorious defamation lawsuit against him.

I told the court Bret has claimed for years his Valentino biography was based on Valentino's “unpublished diary” which he owned. I claimed this “unpublished diary” was 100% author fantasy fiction.

Here he shares a detail about his ownership of a “Valentino diary” and adds one more hysterical claim that his godfather was Jacques Hebertot's lover. This excerpt is taken from a post he made in 2010 on the blog run by Ms. Hala Pickford. 


I told the court Bret also claimed he owned letters written to Valentino by Andre Daven. I told them those letters would be worth a small fortune. As excerpted from the Facebook messenger exchange between “Cindy Martin” and Renato Floris which took place in 2019:

I also told the court, Bret claimed he engaged in phone conversations with Marlene Dietrich before her death which he taped. It was based on those Dietrich tapes that he wrote his “fake book”, calling her audaciously in his title... “My friend”. I have long alleged Bret never knew Dietrich, never spoke to her nor taped a word she said. It was all fake.

I based this primarily on the fact Bret lied about and continues to lie about everything. The obvious fact he has never shared a snippet of those tapes publicly is proof enough. He has created fake online accounts to post fake testimony as to his ownership of those tapes.... but he has never presented any proof he even knew his “friend” Dietrich.

Dietrich's daughter Maria Riva demanded to hear the tapes and instead of kindly accommodating her, Bret lashed her onto his death wish list... i.e. people he hopes will die soon. (For Bret death is some kind of punishment) Here a “Terry Sanderson” attests to having listened to Bret's Dietrich tapes, etc.


And Bret's public blurb on the book's Amazon page and other promos (see above) reads:

"I always feel at ease when I am talking to you, David. That is because you are one of the few men in the world who has tried to understand me." Marlene Dietrich In the last years of her life, Marlene Dietrich enjoyed a close friendship with David Bret. This book - the only biography of Dietrich to have been written with the full approval and complemented by her own words - is the result of that friendship. Her only condition was that the author should neither speak about nor publish her testament until after her death.

In a remarkable series of candid interviews, the last just two days before her death on 6 May 1992, we are presented with a Dietrich far removed from the images she conveyed in such films as DISHONOURED, DESTRY RIDES AGAIN and, of course, BLUE ANGEL, the vehicle which rocketed her to international stardom.”

Lies, all outrageous lies. “Fake book” indeed.

Why do I say this today? Because Bret's singular moment of truthiness came a few weeks ago when he was forced to respond to the court officers inquiry about the cash value of that Valentino diary, the Daven letters and the Dietrich tapes. Because he owes me some $70,000.00, I would have been promptly able to seize the property as payment.

Bret writes in the letter he wrote to my attorney and I excerpt:


So there you have it. No tapes, no letters and no diary and revealed in his own words. Now of course he could be lying to the court again. But if that is the case there could be some criminal charges made and some jail time served.

First comment on Bret's Dietrich book says it all, “Fake book. Don't bother.”

In the interest of truthfulness, I rest my case.

** I wanted to say thank -you to those of you who have subscribed to our Patreon account. I have been informed you have to enter through your main account to leave a “like” or a comment. The link sent by e-mail notification is only to see that post.

Subscribe and join us here:

 https://www.patreon.com/AffairsValentino 


Sunday, October 16, 2022

"Undimmed..."

I found this snippet (see below) in my paper archive. Way back when I printed everything out and made binders. The last binder I made was for Norma and about ¾ way in, I realized I did not need to do that at all.

I have no citation for the item below and "Pa sing" would be missing that second "s". 


I will not be turning the blog comments back on because I will never again give "Satan's Angels"/"The Devil's Brigade" the opportunity to have at me all day long. 

To join in the conversation, I hope you will subscribe to our Patreon account at:

www.patreon.com/affairsvalentino


Friday, October 14, 2022

"To Those Who Do Nothing..."

To those who do nothing else but smear us, discredit us and belittle us, I have shut off your bully access to me. 

My home is now serene and you can scurry off to writing with the wind about your favorite topic... us...and make yourselves look like the incredible lying morons you are. You need no help with that. 

You seem to forget that people know us personally and they get very angry reading your lies about us. And because you lie about us and defame us to such a high degree of cruelty, your motive in doing so becomes crystal clear.

Whatever is motivating you to be so very possessed by us...is certainly not Rudolph Valentino or the truth.

Plain and Simple

How sorrowful and tragic these people are. I am blown away that with all life dishes out and to everyone, these people find the motivation to make things even worse... and for us. Why? In god's name, why? 

Renato said the other day that it is as if we are picking our way around the side of a cliff and they are right in front with little shovels digging the dirt away, trying to make us fall. 

But the ultimate height of mind bogging is that they do this to us for years on end in a heinous and public way... and then they act the victims. The added layer of abuse and when a bully starts accusing their victim of bullying it is the final straw. That makes them stupid in my opinion because part of me thinks they might be stupid enough to believe they are. 

Should I "learn" them a thing or two? ...and bother to post all of the years of evil they heaved our way? I could, one after another, file after file, year after year and now decade after decade. You do not have to look very far now to see the evidence... because they have no qualms about leaving it laying all over this blog in the form of comments. 

Well get off your high horses hypocrites. You are not that great, you are not Valentino experts, not king of Valentino, not Rambova's cousin, you are in fact a disgrace to the Valentino legacy; an utter and unequivocal disgrace. It may not seem so important in the greater scheme of things, but it is vital on a justice level. 

I want justice for what these people did to me and what they now trying to do to Renato. Renato who works so tirelessly and quietly on his Valentino translations; with such power and brilliance. The world of Valentino will long appreciate his hard work. He is almost done with his next book, in Italiano... which he has been working on for quite some time. 

And we are very excited over it. As we were with every single one of our books. 

Thursday, October 13, 2022

No Response on My Offer

 A "bitch" is by definition a female dog, wolf or otter but also defined by Miriam Webster as, "a malicious, spiteful and overbearing woman". So there you have it. Check the date on the excerpt below (2018... her banner year) and know I have years and years of evidence that this "bitch" has been defaming us and bragging about impeding our right to do a fair and honest business for a very, very long time and done so publicly.

What is stunning is the silence, the deafening silence from people like Donna Hill, Tracy Terhune, and the Valentino family as they do nothing to stop her. And no they are not "minding their own business"... ruining us is their business and has been for an even longer time than the "Cindy Martin" account has been in existence. 

I do not buy the fake construct that she has been ousted of every forum. I think that is part of the whole scam. I am sure they goad her on and snicker in the back room, dancing a little jig of glee at her horribleness. Does she get a Christmas bonus every year?

For those who do not know she goes by the alias of "Dark Mum" and her other alias is "Cindy Martin". I have still had no word from this account agreeing to appear on camera with me, live with a picture ID to answer some of my questions. 

I was told this week she would never accept because "she is not who she says she is." I think the Valentino World will be very surprised to see who this "bitch", by definition... is. Below just one of hundreds of screenshots where she bashes Renato and I with lies and obscene defamation. As excerpted:


Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Eye-Watering

I'd like to clarify that contrary to the troll's claim our Patreon account is a “money-grab” and that we are shady characters, etc. I obviously have nothing at all to do with the subscriptions which are set up directly with Patreon.

Only the subscriber's e-mail and the name associated with that e-mail are visible to me and this information is private to me. Patrons are not visible to other Patrons unless they comment on a post and then the name associated with the email is shown but never the e-mail.

Many Patreon accounts offer a range of available tiers of subscription but we have one minimal tier because we are there for the privacy features and the ability to block unwelcome/utterly disgusting comments.

Patreon is a platform which allows people to fund the arts primarily and a way to support people who are actively working on something you are interested in.

In this way, patrons assume the role of investors and become a part of the work itself. I think you all know by now that Renato and I will do our best and work hard, as we always do... to make what we share there unique.

We have been advised to move to Patreon for some time now because of the abusive comments I am forced to read every day... but frankly I did not want to charge even a small fee. But privacy is extremely important which has become painfully obvious on this blog.

I also opened the Patreon account because I am dedicated to protecting those who support us. And this was becoming a real challenge this past week.

I will not be approving any more of their disturbed comments here and will instead be hurling them onto the burning trash pit. They are still sending them in... despite humiliating themselves on the previous post.

Thank you everyone for understanding and inspiring and supporting us!  Here is the new site for anyone interested. 

https://www.patreon.com/AffairsValentino

* On a side note... dinner with family last night at Musso & Frank's in Hollywood and when I saw the menu I wondered what Rudolph Valentino might have paid for that Filet Mignon back in his day; surely not 57$. 

I understand the menu is pretty much the same as it was when Rudy was frequenting the restaurant, but its kind of eye-watering price-wise at this point.

Mussos is still my favorite place to eat when we are in Los Angeles and it never disappoints especially in old Hollywood ambience. 





Tuesday, October 11, 2022

I Say "Drive Right By"

I guess it is time again to clarify that I have a file of unopened comments submitted to this blog (see below) and just an fyi to these folks. If you want to continue to waste your time writing them anyway that is your prerogative.


I also do not read this woman's (above) blog at all and never have. I consider her mess a complete “drive right by”. Here is what I mean by that.

On our first drive into El Jadida in Morocco, we passed a burning trash pit on the outskirts of the city. It was vast, smoldering with the desperate picking their way over it. I was horrified and that was the moment that I realized all was not well with life in Morocco. Not a place to stop the car and mosey over. Not at all. Burning trash pits of Morroco... that is what I consider the online output of Cindy Martin.

But in her defense I will refresh and remind that in 2019, she had a brief sojourn from the mob and messaged with Renato for a while. She published that exchange in which Renato of course was his always gentlemanly self.

She shared endless information with him about the specifics of said mob and I personally think that her blabbing only took place at all because someone shot her up with sodium pentothal, ( “a drug used to extract truthful statements from people”.) She could not help herself and told a lot of truths.

Because the entire transcript is ridiculously long, and in the interest of brevity... I made three collages of excerpts of the most impressive and informative things she told Renato. Of course after scurrying back to the burning trash pit, she said it was all lies. But boy it sure "rang true" to us. As excerpted from the messenger exchange which she has published and which Renato received and which is preserved on the server. (Each passage is a separate excerpt) 



And because they are accusing me of lying when I said I now have more than a thousand of their comments, “awaiting publication” on the blog, I share this:

In closing I am extending an invitation to Ms. Martin, “Squeaky”, as I call her...to appear on camera, live on Zoom with me and we open with her presentation of her photo ID to prove it is she. And might I request that the “son” appear also with her side by side?

I have a few questions.


Monday, October 10, 2022

A Bit of Information

I want to share a word about our Patreon venue. I have set this up to be able to engage/blog/etc., in public discussions without constant and disturbing harassment from those malicious few. Blogger does not allow me to block someone unless I make the blog private which I do not want to do. The result here is that I am bombarded every day with insult. 

Patreon has a feature to block a subscriber and cancel their subscription if they post insulting comments. Imagine that! 

It is a paid subscription of five dollars a month and the subscription is set up through Patreon, not us... and can be terminated at any time. The only information I receive is the e-mail account and name. This information is not made public.  

Renato and I plan to produce unique video posts and organize Zoom Q & A's and create live, streaming debates and discussions. It is a new venue for us with many new features to explore in creating unique posts and sharing our research.  

I am new to Patreon but promise to learn all the features they provide. Which really are many.

I will still be maintaining this blog. Anyone interested can sign up here:

https://www.patreon.com/AffairsValentino


Sunday, October 9, 2022

Rudolph Valentino & That French Incident Part Two

Bello

Renato and I recorded an update to our previous podcast yesterday. But then he found another nugget which had to be included. We are redoing today at some point and it should be on soon. The story unfolds. I am pretty excited about it and so is Renato.

Meanwhile, more of my Instagram Affairs Valentino art.




 

Friday, October 7, 2022

Regarding the Truth About Our Integrity and Professionalism

A Commentary from Renato Floris:

I commend Evelyn for how she is able to face, quite stoically, the daily insults and bullying attacks attempting to force her to close her blog.

A blog where she deals with the topic of “Rudolph Valentino's life” in a scientific and documented way. There she shares her methods which are typical of serious researchers and a thousand miles away from the false "truths" about the subject of Valentino. I refer to those false "truths" which have been sadly legitimized, while deprived of any logic and presented without even the slightest intellectual honesty and actual documented evidence.

Intellectual honesty always guides us in our work as it does for all sincere and honest researchers.

The arguments used by those who want us and our work dead and buried, silenced forever, are evidence of their dreamed goal.

But we do not give up so easily and I can also say that if there had not been all these attacks, for years, we might be devoting our time to other research. Their miserable arrogance forced us to continue to work with the seriousness which distinguishes us and on an interesting and truly complex character to which we are not emotionally linked.

Emotions and prejudices are the enemies of any serious search for truth.

The first argument used against us is that we are deceivers. This is because as their last resort, in the face of Valentino's truth supported by our exceptional documentation... we are called counterfeiters and all our documents are branded to be "by default" false and created by us.

There is also a “Pasionaria” who acts as if she were a forensic technician. She pathetically tries to demonstrate that the documents we present are our masterful inventions which she can prove false.

I would advise that lady to devote herself to more useful activities and not let herself be guided only by envy. I know she would like to be Evelyn, but I'm sorry this is a mission impossible because that position is already occupied.

Last but not least, I also remind the "Pasionaria" that insults are not opinions.

The primary weapon used to keep people interested in Valentino's life far away from us, is to possess and exhibit Valentino relics. Owning these relics entitles the owner to utter any nonsense. Owning relics does not mean you own or even know the history. All this reminds me of the perfidious practices of the early colonizers who waved colored necklaces and shining trinkets about to steal the good faith of the naive honest natives.

Lastly, I share my clarification that in the famous photograph, taken in Deauville which we used as the image for our most recent podcast, the gentleman to Valentino's left is not André Daven but René Clair. It doesn't take a lot of science to figure out Rene Clair isn't Daven.

I wanted the legitimacy of my discovery to be verified professionally and I asked the highest French authority in cinema for their affirmation this was Rene Clair. I contacted the curator of the iconography section of the Cinémathèque Française, who, without ifs, ands or buts, confirmed the validity of my discovery. 

I am very sorry for these people's provocations as they reject the obvious, because their obstinacy prevents them from learning something new about Rudolph Valentino.

Less bullying and more healthy intellectual honesty. 


Henri & Yola

In addition to the previous post's discovery, Oscar Sheridan, Henri Letellier was an entertaining personality Renato discovered. Henri really had an affinity with Valentino and as I said in the podcast, he worked to rehabilitate the damage done to Valentino's image in France. 

I previously attributed the lavish parties in Paris to Manuel Reachi but now think they were all Letellier's doing. What a wildly fascinating person he was with his love of dancing the charleston, drinking champagne and almost owning Deauville (and being the mayor of Deauville for many years). He was an extremely productive man artistically but many of the cartoons of Henri have him dancing which is fun to see. 

We found a great deal about him, many mentions of him hosting parties for Valentino and he and his wife Yola (pictured below) were immortalized in many cartoons and articles. This image below is taken from a lengthy article about Henri and Yola and their Parisian home. More in the podcast. 



Thursday, October 6, 2022

Oscar M. Sheridan

An interesting peripheral character we recently discovered while researching Rudy and Natacha's honeymoon in 1923 was Oscar M. Sheridan. He was a journalist working for the British newspaper, The Daily Mail. The Valentino's hired him as their press agent and he appears here and there in the course of his work as press agent/liaison for the honeymooners.

Oscar M. Sheridan was very young at the time and I do not think his career in film manifested so mightily. He wrote and directed two movies, Big Business in 1930 and Such Women Are Dangerous in 1934. He published one book in 1929, Vanity in Mayfair.

Here he appears on the far right of the photo taken as the Valentino's land in France (hat and bowtie):

And here Oscar Sheridan appears with the imposing Mr. Hebertot and Rudy and Natacha wearing their rain gear in Deauville.


Wednesday, October 5, 2022

"The Sheik Amazed..."

I read the article below in the podcast, "Rudolph Valentino & That French Incident" and thought to share it here as an interesting insight into Rudy's attraction to Rosika (Rosie) Dolly. 

The beautiful Dolly Sisters have a fascinating history and some can be found here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Sisters

This article is sourced to The South Bend Tribune, South Bend, Indiana, January 15, 1926. 


Tada!

How much fun Renato and I have together working on our projects. He works hard every day and in all seriousness while enjoying every minute. I guess we have to redo this picture because we are missing Norma and there will be a few more additions at some point. 


** A Renato specialty of the day... lasagna perfecto. It smelled so good.  #funwithphoneapps
 

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

..."et non Andre Daven"... and not Andre Daven

I share the definitive documentation regarding the identification of Rene Clair (see previous post). Although it has been mistakenly labeled as being a photo of Andre Daven in Deauville, this is false. It is left to right: Rolph de Mare, Valentino and Rene Clair... both men who were in Deauville with the Valentinos.  

Regarding the fact that this person on Valentino's left is René Clair; this has been verified by the Iconographic section of the Cinémathèque Française. (see e-mail below)



This (above) is the response to Renato's request for clarification on the identity of the person at Rudolph Valentino's left. The curator of the image sector replied with the following message:

Bonjour Renato,

Après vérification des différents portraits que nous avons de René Clair nous vous confirmons que c’est bien lui qui est sur la photo et non André Daven.

En espérant avoir répondu à votre demande…

Restant à votre disposition,

Bien cordialement,

xxxxxxxxxxx

***

(English translation of the verification e-mail)

Hello Renato,

After checking the different portraits we have of René Clair, we confirm that it is him who is in the photo and not André Daven.

Hoping to have answered your request ...

Remaining at your disposal,

Best regards,

xxxxxxxxxxx