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Vilma Banky ORIGINAL SIGNED PHOTO Early Hollywood

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The following item is from a private collection of autographed photographs and letters from early Hollywood stars, including famous actors and actresses in silent films and early talkies (1920s-1930s). This is a hand-signed item, not a reprint, autoprint, or rubber stamp. These wonderful items, which are all being sold during this auction, were obtained through the mail around 1925 by a devoted film fan in Coronation, Alberta, who appeared to have taken on a bet from a cynical friend who thought that nobody could expect personal responses to correspondence from these famous individuals. These items show nicely with some mild to moderate age/wear.Celebrity name: Vilma Banky
Signed Item: Photograph with original envelope
Hand inscription: "To Mr Allan with best wishes Sincerely"

Biography: Vilma Banky was hailed as "The Hungarian Rhapsody" and was an immediate hit with American audiences. She appeared opposite silent greats Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (1925) and The Son of the Sheik (1926) and Ronald Colman in a series of fantastic love stories, including The Dark Angel and The Winning of Barbara Worth. Prior to Valentino's death, he and Bánky were close friends, and although affairs were rumored throughout Hollywood, there were just that - rumors. Bánky realized he needed a friend more than anything. Her other close Hollywood friends included Victor Varconi, Gloria Swanson, Lya de Putti, Lily Damita, and Leatrice Joy. It is commonly believed that her thick Hungarian accent cut her career short with the advent of sound, however she began losing interest in films and wanted to settle down with Rod, and simply be a wife. By 1928, in fact, she had begun announcing her intention to retire in a few years. Of her twenty four films, seven exist in their entirety (Der Zirkuskönig, The Son of the Sheik, The Eagle, The Winning of Barbara Worth, The Night of Love, A Lady to Love, and The Rebel) and three exist in fragments (Tavaszi Szerelem in scattered bits and the first five reels of The Magic Flame and an incomplete copy of Two Lovers). Shipping cost (within the U.S.) for this lot will be: $4.50

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