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© 2010 by Katherine Gallagher and Marliene Isaacs. All Rights Reserved.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Needed Clarification....and some Fun

Gentle Readers,

Rudy is disturbed about something.  I need to get an explanation in here very quickly.

We want to make it abundantly clear that neither Rudy, Marilene, nor myself are anti-gay.  We have very strong beliefs and opinions, but that is not a topic for this blog.  Rudy's desire is for the truth about him to be known, just as anyone would want people to know the truth as opposed to lies and misrepresentations.  Please, we don't want anyone to be hurt!   Rudy knows all too well what that feels like!

As another example, it has been widely said that Rudy would never have made the transition to sound films, not because of his accent, but because he had a high, squeaky voice. ( I'm sorry, I'm laughing.)  That is too funny.  Rudy had a lovely speaking voice.  (He knows where I'm going with this and he's laughing.)  He made a record back in 1923.  He recorded two songs, "The Kashmiri Love Song" used in THE SHEIK and "El Relicario" used in BLOOD AND SAND.  The pressing was very small, they were made mainly for friends.  After Rudy heard the playbacks he said, "Well, there goes my opera career."  

I have a copy of the original record, and also have the songs on my iPod.  (Which tickles him....he's on and iPod)  His singing is passable, I'll give him that.  (I have been a singer myself.  My final performance was at my niece's wedding where I sang "The Lord's Prayer".  Everyone loved it, but me.  So, I hung up my spurs, so to speak.)  Anyway, these recordings are the only existing examples of Rudy's voice.  There are no recordings of him speaking.  I'll figure out some way to let you hear him.  His voice is a low tenor, and since most people sing in a higher register than they speak, you can judge for yourselves.

Well, this has turned out to be longer than I expected......and fun!  Let's keep the lighter tone going with this post.  I also want you to see Rudy without the hair gel he used in order to get that "patent leather hair" look.  (I didn't make that up. That's what the the style was called.)  You'll see why he needed to use plaster. heheheheh   I've always told him I liked him better with his hair natural.  

I know......We'll take a poll!!  Natural or sleek? 

(okay, the only photo I could get my hands on where Rudy's hair is natural is taken from a film.  Rudy is not only dressed in a period costume, but he also has a mustache and goatee.)  No matter, the subject is his hair.  So, here they are.  Make your choice.

Natural hair:

Sleek hair:


Well, that's all from me today.  I'll continue with the story tomorrow, I promise.  (Don't forget to vote.)

5 comments:

  1. I like both looks actually. He's the kind of handsome man that can wear his hair any way and look good. And thank you for the disclaimer about the gay issue. I am gay but have not taken offense to Rudy's protestations. I've reached a point in my life, that if this were me, I'd protest being labeled straight!

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  2. This is a tough one -- he looks great both ways! I like the mustache and goatee too. Does Rudy get to vote?

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  3. Can't say particularly.

    Slick hair was a fashion of the time (Not just Bela Lugosi, someone with whom I'm familiar in spirit myself. Great actor. Wish I could have seen him perform Shakespeare in Hungarian!).

    The Spanish Grandee look was as you said for a part. Bet a lot of people wouldn't recognize him, as they think of publicity shots or The Sheik'

    I was just discussing with my son about silent movies. They spoke of course, but the only words werre at intervals for dialog, kind of preclosed captioning!

    Acting had to be done with movement and eyes, showing thought as now, but moreso.

    A shame he didn't survive for the talkies.

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  4. Gloria Swanson said in a interview conducted later in her life that silent films were more difficult than sound. There was dialog in silent films, but smack in the middle of the character's dialog sequence, the editors would cut a huge portion out in order to fit the "dialog card" into the film. The actors only had seconds to convey the meaning and emotion of what they were saying. As you said, it had to be done with their faces, especially their eyes.

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