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Rudolph Valentino

His death at age 31 spurred suicide attempts and waves of public violence by mourners; a testament to the singular cultural lightning rod that had been the life of Rudolph Valentino. Dubbed "The Great Lover" for posterity, and perhaps the first true superstar in the modern age, Valentino left a mark as a heartthrob and a media phenomenon as well as an actor. His famed tango in "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" and onscreen image as "The Sheik," both in 1921, became mesmerizing, sensual imprints of the power of moving pictures, making him an avatar of the celebrity-obsessed popular culture then gestating throughout the country.