The great Jazz Standard SHEIK OF ARABY:

In Ted Snyders 1921 song celebrating Rudolf Valentino and his Movie THE SHEIK OF ARABY

The Californian Ramblers – The Sheik Of Araby / Georgia Rose
Label:
Vocalion (2) – 14275

A The Sheik Of Araby
Composed By – Snyder*
Lyrics By – Wheeler*, Smith*
B Georgia Rose (Introd. Snowflake)
Composed By – Rosenthal*
Lyrics By [Uncredited] – Alexander Sullivan, Jimmy Flynn
Written-By – Morgan*


Alto Saxophone [Uncredited] – Jimmy Duff, Unknown Artist
Banjo [Uncredited] – Ray Kitchingman
Clarinet [Uncredited] – Jimmy Duff
Drums [Uncredited] – Max MacIntosh
Piano [Uncredited] – Preston Sargeant
Tenor Saxophone [Uncredited] – Unknown Artist
Trombone [Uncredited] – Jim Gilliland
Trumpet [Uncredited] – Lloyd Baker, Unknown Artist
Tuba [Uncredited] – Jose Torres (4)

This is one of the LOUDEST acoustic records, which will stop the platter on weaker motors

Orig Issue Brown Wax Vocalion 10" 78 rpm 

CONDITION: VERY GOOD PLUS minor wear but very rubbed, plays VG++ EXCEPTIONALLY QUIET, light fuzziness at end

A GREAT COPY

The Sheik is a 1921 silent movie produced by Famous Players-Lasky, directed by George Melford and starring Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres and Adolphe Menjou. It was based on the bestselling romance novel The Sheik by Edith Maude Hull.

ReceptionThe Sheik premiered in Los Angeles on October 21, 1921. Critical reception was mixed with many critics feeling the toned-down rape scene ruined the original message.[1] However it was a major success with audiences, smashing attendance records where it debuted. In its first week of release it set attendance records at two of New York's major theatres, the Rialto and the Rivoli. The New York Telegraph estimated that in the first few weeks 125,000 people had seen the film.[1]

Lasky declared the last week of November 'The Sheik Week' and had the film premiere at 250 theatres in the US on November 20, 1921. The film ran for six months in Sydney, Australia, as well as 42 weeks in one theatre in France. [1] It was the first Valentino film to show in his native Italy.[1]

Within the first year alone the Sheik exceeded $1 million grosses.[1] The film cost $200,000 to make.[1]

Male audiencesMale moviegoers instantly loathed The Sheik, most refusing to see it or laughing out loud at the love scenes. Many men would walk out during film and/or felt threatened by Valentino's style of lovemaking, and blamed Valentino personally for the censored script and style of acting throughout the movie. Many called him effeminate for the long flowing robes of the character.[1]

An extended rant was led by Dick Dorgan via Photoplay, writing several articles denouncing Valentino. Dorgan accused Valentino of being exactly like Theda Bara and too pretty for a male. Dorgan even wrote a song against Valentino, calling it "A Song of Hate!"[1]

Female audiencesFemale moviegoers could not get enough of Valentino. Francis Marion dubbed it The Shriek due to the female reaction.[1]

Cultural InfluenceThe Sheik became the movie that defined Rudolph Valentino's career much to his annoyance.[1] The film was also the picture that propelled him into superstardom. Ironically the first releases had the title credits as, The Sheik...starring Agnes Ayres.[1]

The Sheik became so popular that the word came to be used to mean a young man on the prowl. The object of a Sheik's desire was dubbed "a Sheba."[1]

The Sheik became widely copied over the years. Burning Sands, Tents of Allah, Felix the Cat Shatters the Sheik, and Rex Ingram's The Arab which starred Ramon Navarro. The Shriek of Araby, and a Baby Peggy short Peg o' Movies spoofed the film. Much later Elvis Presley's film Harum Scarum drew from The Sheik as well.[1]

The popular song "The Sheik of Araby" was written for the novel; but popularized by the film. "Kashmiri Song" was also popularized once again by the film (having originally been released in 1902). Jimmy Buffett mentioned the Sheik in "Pencil Thin Mustache."

Chapter one of Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus is called "The Sheik," and contains a number of references to Valentino and his most famous film.

Ray Stevens million selling 1962 pop hit "Ahab the Arab" was heavily influenced by both this film and The Son of the Sheik in the song's use of Arabian atmosphere and music. In the song, Ahab was the other man in Fatima's life. Fatima was a member of the Sultan's harem and she and Ahab were lovers behind the Sultan's back.

Serbian popular singer Dragana Šaric, also referred to as Bebi Dol, had a hit song called Rudi dedicated to Valentino in 1983. In the song he is referred as "the Sheik's son."