Remembering the Sheik : Crowd of Rudolph Valentino Fans Thins, but ‘Lady in Black’ Remains

On the 62nd anniversary of Rudolph Valentino’s death, the “Lady in Black” was the first person at the cemetery.

Estrellita Del Regil, who claims to be a descendant of a royal Italian family, stepped off the bus in front of Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery early Tuesday and strolled through the gate as soon as it opened.

Inside the stately old Cathedral Mausoleum, she took gold stars from her purse and carefully taped them to the floor creating a trail leading to the screen idol’s crypt.

Lady in Black’s Daughter

Then she reached into a shopping bag and took out a faded bridal gown and a pair of sequined high-heel shoes, placed them neatly on a blanket in front of where Valentino is entombed and waited for others of the faithful to arrive.

The dress and shoes were the ones she would have worn if her fiance hadn’t been killed in a plane crash when she was young, said Del Regil, who insists she is the daughter of the original “Lady in Black,” a mysterious figure who for years appeared regularly at Valentino’s crypt.

The dress and shoes have become familiar props in what continues to be one of Hollywood’s quirkier rituals.

In an age of fleeting fame, there is nothing fleeting about the devotion of the small group of mostly octogenarian fans that each year assembles at the cemetery to pay homage to the long-departed screen star on the anniversary of his death.

On Tuesday, about 100 people sat on metal chairs in the cavernous mausoleum and listened to prayers, speeches and a scratchy recording of a Valentino love ballad that left several elderly women teary-eyed.

A few oohed and aahed upon being introduced to 43-year-old Pat Valentino, a San Fernando Valley musician who described himself as the Sheik’s “first cousin, twice removed.”

Although other distant relatives of the movie legend have attended the event over the years, it was Pat Valentino’s first appearance since he was a child, he said.

But not all of those who attended the 45-minute memorial service could be described as true Valentino aficionados. The real die-hards who have marked the occasion faithfully have dwindled to perhaps no more than two dozen.

“You’re seeing the originals disappear, but there’s a second generation coming along to carry on the tradition, insisted Mike McKelvy, who took the day off from his job in an Encino pet shop to attend.

As a sort of unofficial parliamentarian for the loose-knit Valentino fan club, it fell to McKelvy to report that the Rev. Pilson Potter, an ordained chaplain and character actor who has served as officiating minister at the event for as long as anyone can remember, had died last year.

Taking his place was the Rev. David Berry, 70, who after a prayer to “bless the immortal soul that we have come here to honor,” confided that he hoped to return each year “as long as I’m able.”

Although the format of the service has stayed much the same, the death of some long-time Valentino fans has forced changes in the program, said Wolfgang (Bud) Testa, who has been emcee of the event for 37 years.

“We used to have a different woman who knew Valentino personally give a little speech every year, but since the death several years back of (actress) Mary MacLaren, we’ve had to alter that,” he said.

This time, the “I Remember Rudy” portion of the program was handled by silent screen actress Mary Philbin, best known for her starring role in “Phantom of the Opera.” Although well-received, she conceded that although she had seen all of Valentino’s movies, she “actually never met him in person.”

It didn’t seem to matter. Among the genuine faithful were others with their own agendas.

Stephanie Farago, who said she remodeled a room in her house that she christened the “Rudolph Valentino Room,” brought a tall Valentino doll, the same one pictured on the cover of a book she recently wrote about antique art dolls.

She also brought along her publicist.

JoAnne Mix, a gallery painter and occasional actress, and her friend, Stephanie Lloyd, who runs an actors studio in Orange County, professed admiration for Valentino, but said the real reason they came was to gather ideas for a play they’re working on about the film idol’s life.

“We’ve seen some characters here, and we’ve picked up some ideas,” Mix said.

And then there was Mady MaGuire, an aspiring actress who was wearing a veil and escorted by a photographer she had hired for the occasion. She created a stir when she walked up to the crypt and asked to have her picture taken beside “Estrellita.”

MaGuire, who claims to have had an intimate experience with Valentino’s ghost five years ago while living in an apartment building where he is said to have once lived, said she decided to come “because I thought it might bring me luck.”

“Estrellita,” who two years ago had to be restrained after attacking a young starlet who showed up wearing a veil, dismissed the latest invasion of her turf with a frown and a wave of the hand.

“They don’t bother me, these others (Ladies in Black),” she snapped. “Because they’re all fakes, all phonies.”

RUDOLPH VALENTINO’S FILMS “All Night” (1918) “A Society Sensation” (1918) “The Big Little Person” (1919) “The Delicious Little Devil” (1919) “Out of Luck” (1919) “Stolen Moments” (1920) “The Wonderful Chance” (1920) “The Conquering Power” (1921) “Camille” (1921) “Uncharted Seas” (1921) “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” (1921) “The Sheik” (1921) “Beyond the Rocks” (1922) “The Isle of Love” (1922) “The Young Rahah” (1922) “Blood and Sand” (1922) “Moran of the Lady Letty” (1922) “Monsieur Beaucaire” (1924) “A Sainted Devil” (1924) “Cobra” (1925) “The Eagle” (1925) “Son of the Sheik” (1926)

Source: The Motion Picture Guide