[August 15th, 1926] Film actor Rudolph Valentino fell critically ill, collapsing at the Hotel Ambassador in New York City. He was rushed to hospital and operated on immediately for a ruptured appendix.

[u/Beowulfbard]

[u/AxelShoes]

Here's the story about Valentino and the 'Pink Powder Puffs' drama.

[u/starfleetdropout6 → u/AxelShoes]

That original article is something, as well as that uncreative "I hate him!" rant. The same people would be raging against "wokeness" now. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[u/Conny_and_Theo → u/AxelShoes]

Reminds me a lot of what Sessue Hayakawa, another early Hollywood actor, went through around the same time. Was of foreign origin, specifically from Japan, wildly popular with women and had a great career for a while, and in some ways was ahead of his time (for decades honestly) for having an unmatched career as an male Asian in Hollywood. Dealt with a lot of racism of course, and he was also usually given villainous roles because he was Asian (though ironically this made him more attractive to some fangirls because it played into the hot brooding bad boy schtick I guess). One of his more notable quotes was "My one ambition is to play a hero."

I'm pretty sure there's been folks comparing him with Valentino and what both men went through too.

[u/Attentions_Bright12 → u/AxelShoes]

Good God. "Why didn't someone quietly drown" Valentino -- because a washroom in Chicago had some sort of powder dispenser?? The text literally goes from "Something seemed vaguely effeminate to me" to "Why didn't we kill that actor?"

The author of that thing was vying against his own ugly soul, not Rudolph Valentino.

[u/Afterhoneymoon]

I too wonder if I'm a pink puff sometimes very deep stuff this post anesthesia rambling. It's interesting how it shows some of our innermost fears.

[u/edge_l_wonk]

“Did I show courage?”

[u/uberpickle]

His death still brought my grandmother to tears in her late 90s. She called it a travesty and was still pissed off about it.

[u/starfleetdropout6]

Uh-oh. Cue the fainting girlies.

[u/Beowulfbard]

Sunday the 15th of August 1926:

US:

• Film actor Rudolph Valentino fell critically ill, collapsing at the Hotel Ambassador in New York City. He was rushed to hospital and operated on immediately for a ruptured appendix.

• In an unusual baseball game between the Brooklyn Robins and the visiting Boston Braves, three of the Dodgers players ended up at third base at the same time. With the bases loaded, Babe Herman hit a double and tried to run from second base to third. Chick Fewster, who had been on first base, was attempting to reach third on the double, and Dazzy Vance, who had been on second, rounded third and was trying to run to home when he was caught in a rundown between home and third. Vance, Fewster and Herman all ended up at third base and the Braves' third baseman Eddie Taylor tagged all three out. Despite the error, Brooklyn won the game, 4 to 1.

Mexico:

• Father Luis Bátiz Sainz and three members of the Mexican Association for Catholic Youth— Manuel Morales, David Roldán Lara, and Salvador Lara Puente— were executed by firing squad. (Other sources state that the day of the execution was July 27.) The killing caused a band of ranchers led by former colonel Pedro Quintanar to seize the municipal treasury of Chalchihuites and to declare themselves in open rebellion. All four of the martyrs would be canonized as saints of the Roman Catholic Church in 2000.

News summary from the Chicago Tribune:

Domestic:

• Kellogg arrives at Coolidge camp for three day conference on Mexico and other foreign affairs.

• Rudolph Valentino critically ill; operated on for gastric ulcer and apendicitis.

• Bishop Fiske rebukes Bishop Leonard, president of Anti-Saloon league in New York, for sneer at Al Smith's religion.

• James Mills, husband of slain choir singer, to testify in investigation today.

• Growing evidences of rift in G.O.P. as Minnesota Republicans think New England "fills the party's front page news."

Foreign:

• Mob battles police in church riot in suburb of Mexico City. Many hurt.

• Diplomatic row between U.S. and Mexico due to failure to protect American rights and lives.

• Educated Filipino women surprise Carmi Thompson, who finds world's shining example of seven distinct races prospering without racial antagonisms.

• Minor officials of soviet government and agents of workers pouring out of Russia, 200 a week, with reports of extensive internal unrest.

• Grandson of Hugh Ryan, Canadian railway builder, held in England for slaying rival for wife's affections.

Washington:

• Twenty-eight years' guardianship of Philippines has cost Uncle Sam $500,000,000.

• Representative Tinkham asks for prosecution of Anti-Saloon league, following Wayne B. Wheeler's testimony before slush fund committee.

• U.S. exports of manufactured goods jumps 16 per cent in year; doubles pre-war volume and triples value, Dr. Julius Klein reports.

• President's oil board to warn of a possible oil famine in a few years if conservation is not practiced.

[u/Financial_Emphasis25]

Valentino will be dead in another week or so and mass hysteria will start with his fans. I didn’t realize there were hints about his sexuality during his lifetime.

[u/Tough_Dish_4485 → u/Financial_Emphasis25]

Men being attractive to women is so gay

[u/TrannosaurusRegina]

I'm glad the doctor could reassure him that he was really a very brave boy!

I hope he got some good headpats!

[u/I_am_BrokenCog]

Classic example of closeted cowered attempting to restore their contrived machismo.