The Sheik/The Son of the Sheik

Silent-screen legend Rudolph Valentino stars in this double bill--the strikingly color-tinted 1921 original The Sheik and its less lavish, black-and-white 1926 sequel The Son of the Sheik. In the former, the famous matinee roué plays an Arab leader who falls for a noble Englishwoman. Reprising his title role in the follow-up, Valentino also plays the chieftain's son--a chip off the old block who defies his dad's advice and pursues a dance girl. Both titles show the usual signs of wear but are augmented by fresh scores. Extras include short films of a beauty pageant sponsored by Valentino and a newsreel covering his early death at age 31. Appealing to diehard silent film and/or Valentino fans, this dual release has its memorable moments but is pretty slow-going, overall. Larger cinema collections will definitely want to consider; optional elsewhere. (T. Rich)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—May 30, 2017—Kino Lorber, 75 min., not rated, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1921's The Sheik features a fine transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary by author Gaylyn Studlar, and archival footage of star Rudolph Valentino's funeral (3 min.). Bottom line: this Valentino classic sparkles on Blu-ray.][Blu-ray/DVD Review— May 30, 2017—Kino Lorber, 80 min., not rated, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1926's The Son of Sheik is presented with a good transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include an archival introduction by filmmaker Orson Welles (18 min.), the archival featurette “Valentino: His Life and Times” on star Rudolph Valentino (8 min.), the companion short subject “Valentino at the Beach” aka “The Sheik's Physique” (3 min.), and a sampling of newspaper headlines announcing Valentino's illness (2 min.). Bottom line: this sequel to the Valentino classic looks sharp on Blu-ray.]