The Sheik (Silent)

The Great Lover of the Silver Screen, Rudolph Valentino rose to super stardom with his role as The Sheik. Despite Paramount's modest expectations and tepid reviews, female reaction to this film overwhelmingly propelled it to enormous box office success and legendary status. Some of his other classic performances include The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse (1921), Blood And Sand (1922), and The Eagle (1925). Following his untimely death at age 31 the following year, over 80,000 adoring fans swamped his funeral.

Struck down by her beauty, Sheik Ahmed abducts Lady Diana, an English woman touring Arabia, and carries her off to his desert kingdom. Although he lavishes her with attention and luxuries, she withholds herself from his charms. Wandering off from Ahmed's guards, she is captured by the desert bandit Omair. The Sheik rounds up his warriors and races off to attack Omair's stronghold, before the brute can force himself upon his beloved Diana.

Actor George Waggner would later turn to directing, helming several Universal horror classics including The Wolf Man (1941). Director George Melford is best remembered for the Spanish version of Dracula (1931).

• silent