For more than a century, Rudolph Valentino's life has been shaped by myth, marketing, and deliberate distortion. Even before his death, fictionalized versions of his story were circulated through studio publicity, obscuring the historical record.In the months preceding his death in 1926, Valentino sought to reclaim his own narrative through an authorized autobiography, undertaken with Spanish journalist Baltasar Cu�. His death prevented the project from being completed-but the original documentation survived.Drawing on archival material uncovered through decades of research in the United States and Italy, Evelyn Zumaya Floris and Renato Floris assembled a body of evidence never previously accessed by Valentino biographers. From this material, a documented history emerged that fundamentally alters the popular understanding of Valentino's life.The Rudolph Valentino Case Files includes the complete 1956 Robert Florey serialized investigation "Unforgettable, Unforgotten: Rudolph Valentino Survives His Legend," a definitive analysis of the ghost-written My Private Diary, original essays detailing major archival discoveries, and newly translated Italian and French articles published here for the first time.With extensive visual material and an introduction by Renato Floris, this volume presents a rigorously documented portrait of Rudolph Valentino, grounded in primary sources rather than legend.
Floris, Evelyn Zumaya: - Evelyn Zumaya Floris is an author, historian and independent scholar whose work focuses on the cultural legacy of silent film icon Rudolph Valentino. For more than two decades, she has researched Valentino's life, the legal and financial controversies surrounding his estate and the suppressed archival materials which shape his historical narrative. Her previous books include, Affairs Valentino, Affairs Valentino Legacy Edition, The Affairs Valentino Companion Guide, Astral Affairs Rambova and Norma: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino's Beauty Queen. Working alongside her late husband and collaborator Renato Floris, she has built one of the most comprehensive private archives on Valentino and his manager George Ullman. Floris is known for her meticulous documentation, fearless investigative approach and unwavering commitment to historical truth. She publishes widely on the Valentino era through books, blogs and digital archives and her work has sparked international interest for its revelations about narrative control, celebrity culture and the power dynamics within collector communities.
Floris, Renato: - Renato Floris (1946-2023) was an accomplished translator, editor, and independent publisher whose work played a central role in the modern preservation of Rudolph Valentino history. Fluent in multiple languages, he translated several cornerstone Valentino-era texts, including the serialized fan-magazine memoir "My Private Diary" into Italian; Baltasar Cue's 1927 Spanish biography "El Verdadero Rudolph Valentino" (which he brought into English as "The True Rudolph Valentino"); and Jeanne de Recqueville's seminal French study "Rudolph Valentino."Across two decades, Renato translated countless archival articles, legal documents, and rare period sources, making primary material accessible to English-language readers for the first time. As CEO of his publishing company, Viale Industria Pubblicazioni, he shepherded numerous Valentino-related works into print with his meticulous editorial force, design integrity and historical fidelity. His contribution to Valentino scholarship remains immeasurable.
