Promissory note, 8.25 x 3.5, filled out in another hand and signed by Valentino, "Rudolph Valentino," payable to his wife, Mrs. Rudolph Valentino, for $5000, May 1, 1922. In fine condition.
In 1919, Valentino, famed sex symbol of the silent film era, made a dramatically hasty decision; he took Jean Acker, fellow silent film star, as his wife. This impulsive union quickly found a befuddled groom on the wrong side of a locked door of his hotel room, a regretful new bride on the other. The marriage was never consummated, and the couple would finally divorce on March 4, 1922, Acker claiming desertion.
But the manipulative actress did not walk away empty-handed: the use of the name 'Mrs. Valentino' and a one-time alimony payment of $12,000 were granted. This promissory note for roughly half of the alimony settlement pre-dates Valentino's next great, impulsive venture: only two months post-divorce and 12 days after issuing the note, Valentino ventured to Mexicali, Mexico, where he and noted art director and costume designer, Natacha Rambova, eloped. Upon crossing the border back to California, the Latin lover was summoned by the courts on charges of bigamy, having violated the terms of the divorce which, under state law, would only become final and legal one year after filing. Valentino was arrested, having paid one wife off while taking another in just under two weeks, a move that reigned scandal and shame upon his personal and professional life. Signed documents from Valentino are scarce, and the timing and circumstances surrounding this particular item make it an invaluable addition to any classic film collection.
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