The Sheik (1921 film)
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| Starring | Rudolph Valentino Agnes Ayres | |
| Directed by | George Melford | |
| Produced by | Fred Quimby | |
| Written by | Monte M. Katterjohn (adaptation) | |
| Studio | Famous Players–Lasky | |
| Based on | The Sheik by Edith Maude Hull | |
| Music by | Irving Berlin (1970s reissue) Ben Model (2017 Kino Lorber reissue) | |
| Cinematography | William Marshall | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures | |
| Released | Nov 20, 1921 in US | |
| Runtime | 80 minutes | |
| Country | United States | |
| language | Silent with English intertitles | |
The Sheik is a 1921 American silent romantic drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky, directed by George Melford, starring Rudolph Valentino and Agnes Ayres, and featuring Adolphe Menjou. It was based on the bestselling 1919 romance novel of the same name by Edith Maude Hull and was adapted for the screen by Monte M. Katterjohn. The film was a box-office hit and helped propel Valentino to stardom.
In the 1926 sequel The Son of the Sheik, Valentino played both the Sheik and his son, while Ayres reprised her role. A third film in the series, She's a Sheik, was produced in 1927 by Paramount and starred Bebe Daniels in a comedic role reversal of the original film.
Plot
Rudolph Valentino as Sheik Ahmed and Agnes Ayres as Lady Diana. In the North African town of Biskra, headstrong Lady Diana Mayo (Agnes Ayres) refuses a marriage proposal because she believes it would be the end of her independence. Against her brother's wishes, she is planning a month-long trip into the desert, escorted only by natives.
When Diana goes to the local casino, she is informed that it has been reserved for the evening by an important sheik and that none but Arabs may enter. Annoyed at being told what she cannot do, and her curiosity piqued, Diana borrows an Arab dancer's costume and sneaks in. Inside, she finds men gambling for new wives. When she is selected to be the next prize, she resists. Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan (Rudolph Valentino) intervenes, then realizes she is white. Amused, he sends her away. Afterward, Mustapha Ali (Charles Brinley) informs the Sheik that she is the woman he has been hired to guide tomorrow. The Sheik hatches a plan. Early the next morning, he sneaks into her room and tampers with the bullets in her revolver as she is sleeping.
As her brother leaves her to her desert excursion, she assures him that he will see her in London next month. The Sheik and his men come upon Diana riding alone. She tries to flee while shooting at the Sheik, but he easily captures her. Back at his encampment, he orders her about. She is unused to such treatment, but the Sheik tells her she will learn and demands she dress like a woman (she is wearing trousers) for dinner.
Diana tries again to escape, this time into a fierce sandstorm. The Sheik saves her from certain death and tells her she will learn to love him. Later, he finds Diana alone in her quarters, crying. The Sheik considers forcing himself on her but decides against it and calls for a serving girl, Zilah (Ruth Miller). Zilah offers her a hug. Diana accepts and pours out her tears in Zilah's arms.
Diana is permitted to enter the desert under the watchful eye of the Sheik's French valet, Gaston (Lucien Littlefield). She escapes and makes her way across the sands, spotting a caravan unaware that it belongs to the bandit Omair (Walter Long). The Sheik and his men arrive before she does.
After a week, the Sheik is delighted by the news that his close friend from his days in Paris, where he was educated, is coming for a visit. Diana is dismayed at the thought of being seen in Arab dress by a Westerner, but the Sheik does not understand her shame. He does, however, return her gowns before his friend comes so she can wear them to dinner. When she is introduced to writer and doctor Raoul St. Hubert (Adolphe Menjou), Diana's spirit is nearly broken. He befriends her and reprimands the Sheik for his callous treatment of her. The Sheik returns her Western clothing, though he refuses to release her.
When Raoul is called away to tend to an injured man, Diana shows concern that it might be the Sheik. Seeing this from hiding, the Sheik is elated that she may be warming up to him at last. He gives Diana her gun back, telling her he trusts her.
The Sheik confesses to Raoul that he is in love with Diana; his friend convinces him to let her go. Meanwhile, Diana is allowed out again. She playfully writes "I love you Ahmed" in the sand. Then Omair's band captures her, kills her guards, and leaves the wounded Gaston for dead.
When the Sheik searches for Diana, he sees her message and then learns from Gaston who has abducted her. He gathers his men to attack Omair's stronghold. Omair tries to force himself on Diana, but is nearly stabbed by one of his women. Then the Sheik and his men arrive. After a long fight, the Sheik kills Omair but is gravely injured himself.
Raoul tends to him and tells Diana he has a chance. She sits and holds the Sheik's hand. When she remarks that his hand is big for an Arab, Raoul reveals that the Sheik is not one. His father was British and his mother Spanish. They died in the desert, and their child was rescued and raised by the old Sheik; when the old man died, Ahmed returned to rule the tribe. When Ahmed wakes up, Diana confesses her love.
Production
The film was based on Edith Maude Hull's best-selling novel The Sheik. The story became a best seller partly because of its controversial dealings with racial miscegenation and rape. Due to the novel's controversial subject matter, certain aspects were omitted from the film. In the story, Sheik Ahmed rapes Lady Diana. George Melford said, "We have handled the frank scenes in 'The Sheik' so delicately that I think the censors will be the only disappointed reviewers."
There seems to be some disagreement about where the film was shot. Emily W. Leider, author of *Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino*, argues that the desert exterior scenes were filmed in Oxnard, California, and at the Guadalupe Dunes in Santa Barbara County. However, a 1983 newspaper article in the *Suffolk County News* claims that exterior scenes were shot at the "Walking Dunes" in Montauk, New York, and at Kaufman Astoria Studios. Author Richard Koszarski states this is not true and calls it an "urban legend." Another source says filming took place in the desert near Palm Springs, California.
James Kirkwood, Sr., was George Melford's original choice for the starring role of Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan.
In popular culture
- The Sheik became so popular that the word came to be used to mean a young man on the prowl. The object of a Sheik's desire was dubbed "a Sheba".
- The Sheik became widely copied over the years. Burning Sands, Tents of Allah, Felix the Cat Shatters the Sheik, and Rex Ingram's The Arab, which starred Ramón Novarro. The Shriek of Araby, and a Baby Peggy short Peg o' Movies spoofed the film. The title of the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon The Shriek (1933) is a parody of The Sheik. Much later, Elvis Presley's film Harum Scarum drew from The Sheik as well.
- The blues string band The Mississippi Sheiks, active in the late '20s and early '30s, took their name from The Sheik.
- The popular song "The Sheik of Araby" was written in response to the film. In the fourth season episode of I Love Lucy "The Hedda Hopper Story" (1955), Mrs. McGillicuddy (Kathryn Card) sings part of the song while reminiscing about Valentino's role in the film.
- Jimmy Buffett mentions the Sheik in "Pencil Thin Mustache".
- Chapter one of Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus is called "The Sheik", and contains a number of references to Valentino and his most famous film.
- The Sheik is the official mascot of Hollywood High School, and the athletic teams and student body are known as the Sheiks, the name drawn from this movie.
- Ray Stevens' million-selling 1962 pop hit "Ahab the Arab" was heavily influenced by both this film and The Son of the Sheik in the song's use of Arabian atmosphere and music.
- Serbian popular singer Dragana Šarić, also referred to as Bebi Dol, had a hit song called "Rudi" dedicated to Valentino in 1983. In the song, he is referred as "the Sheik's son."
- The Egyptian Lover cites the film as the inspiration for his name.[29]
- In Downton Abbey, season 4, episode 6 the characters Ivy and James go to see The Sheik in theaters on a failed date.
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJD4Gp72GY The Sheik (1921 film) on YouTube}
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:The_Sheik_(1921_film) ]
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