sheik

While he played minor roles such as exotic dancers and seducers, he caught the eye of June Messis (1892-1927), a powerful female screenwriter at Metro, the predecessor of MGM, and was selected to play the lead role in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), directed by Rex Ingram and based on a novel by Spanish novelist Blasco Ibáñez. Valentino's popularity reached its peak with The Sheik (1921), a film directed by George Melford based on a novel by British novelist Edith M. Hull, and it is said that the English word sheik, meaning an Arabian chieftain, took on the meanings of a man attractive to women, a playboy, and a lady-killer. Also based on an original story by Ibáñez, "Blood and Sand" (1922), directed by Fred Niblo, was a big hit, and in 1923 he released a sentimental collection of poems, "Day Dreams," which sold hundreds of thousands of copies. However, his poor acting was harshly criticized by male audiences and critics, and he was also accused of bigamy, which led to a decline in his popularity. He regained popularity with "The Eagle" (1925) and "The Battle of the Sands" (1926), but he died of peritonitis caused by a perforated ulcer at the age of 31.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "sheik" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…　もっぱらエキゾティックなダンサーや色事師などの端役を演じているうち，MGMの前身であるメトロの実力者であった女流脚本家ジューン･メシス(1892‐1927)の目にとまり，スペインの小説家ブラスコ･イバニエス原作，レックス･イングラム監督の《黙示録の四騎士》(1921)の主役に抜擢（ばつてき）され，〈神秘的な禁断のエロティシズム〉と〈抑制された情熱〉のシンボルとして女性の間で爆発的な人気を呼ぶ。イギリスの女流小説家イーディス･M.ハルの原作をジョージ･メルフォード監督が映画化した《シーク》(1921)で〈バレンチノ熱〉は頂点に達し，アラビアの首長を意味する〈シークsheik〉という英語の単語に〈女性にとって魅力的な男性〉〈色男〉〈女たらしlady‐killer〉という意味が加わったといわれる。再びイバニエスの原作で，フレッド･ニブロ監督による《血と砂》(1922)も大ヒットし，23年には感傷的な詩集《白昼夢Day Dreams》を出して数十万部も売れたが，演技の拙劣さは男性の観客や批評家から酷評され，また重婚罪で告発されたことも手伝って人気が落ちはじめ，《荒鷲》(1925)と《熱砂の舞》(1926)で人気を回復したのもつかの間，穿孔潰瘍による腹膜炎のため31年の生涯を終えた。…

※「sheik」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

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