The sheikh

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Movie
German title The sheikh
Original title The Sheik
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1921
length 80 minutes
Rod
Director George Melford
script Monte Katterjohn
production Paramount Pictures
music Roger Bellon
camera William Marshall , Paul Ivano
occupation

The Sheik (Original title: The Sheik ) is an American film from 1921 by George Melford with Rudolph Valentino in the title role. It is based on the novel of the same name by EM Hull . The film was first shown on October 30, 1921 in Los Angeles.

action

Lady Diana Mayo is alone on a trip into the desert when she is noticed by Sheikh Ahmed Ben Hassan at a party . He captures her and rapes her. A friend of the Sheikh, Raoul de St. Hubert, comes to visit and rebukes the Sheikh for his behavior. The sheikh confesses his love for Diana, whereupon Raoul manages to convince him to let her go.

However, Diana is attacked and kidnapped by a gang beforehand. The Sheikh sets out to save Diana. In a fight with the bandit Omair, he kills him, but is seriously injured. Diana learns that the sheikh has only been adopted and is actually the son of a British and a Spanish woman . When Ahmed wakes up, she confesses her love to him.

background

In the book version by Edith Maude Hull , Diana falls in love with the sheikh, precisely because he rapes her. In the film this rape is only hinted at. And some critics predicted the film would fail because it failed to portray it more clearly. The portrayal of Arabs is stereotypical, and since mixed marriages were still a criminal offense at the time of its publication , a kiss between a British woman and an Arab would have been impossible. For this reason, the sheikh is portrayed as the adopted child of a British and a Spanish woman.

The sheikh made Rudolph Valentino a sex symbol and is perhaps his most famous role today. In 1926, a sequel was filmed under the title The Son of the Sheikh , also with Valentino in the lead role .

literature

  • Edith Maude Hull : The Sheikh. Roman (Original title: The Sheik ). German by Eva Malsch . Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg 2001, 283 pages, ISBN 3-499-26297-5
  • EM Hull: The Sheikh. Roman (Original title: The Sheik ). German by Martin Proskauer . E. Keils Nachfahren, Leipzig 1927, 117 p. [With eight 8 panels based on photos from the last Valentino film "The Sheikh's Son"]
  • Robert K. Klepper: Silent Films, 1877-1996. A Critical Guide to 646 Movies . Jefferson (NC) and London 1999
  • Gaylyn Studlar: The Perils of Pleasure Fan Magazine Discourse as Women's Commidified Culture in the 1920s . In: Richard Abel : Silent Film . London 1996

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gaylyn Studlar: The Perils of Pleasure Fan Magazine Discourse as Women's Commidified Culture in the 1920s . In Richard Abel: Silent Film . London 1996. p. 286.

Web links

Commons : The Sheik (film)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files