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National Film and Sound Archive
National Film and Sound Archive
National Film and Sound Archive

Rudolph Valentino Beautebox tin by Henry Clive

1922

Rudolph Valentino Beautebox tin by Henry Clive

1922

  • NFSA IDs6rnpejp
  • TypeObjects
  • MediumArtefact
  • FormMemorabilia
  • Year1922

Rudolph Valentino – the smouldering icon of silent cinema – stole hearts in The Sheik (1921), and this Beautebox biscuit tin captured his magnetic charm in full colour. Illustrated by Melbourne-born artist Henry Clive, the tin was a giveaway for moviegoers, but it’s now a rare tribute to one of the first Australians to break into Hollywood.

Clive’s story is pure showbiz: magician, silent film actor, set designer for Charlie Chaplin, and eventually Hollywood’s go-to ‘cover girl artist’ of the 1920s, painting the era’s brightest stars. At 69, he married his fifth wife – Acquanetta, a fiery B-movie queen dubbed 'The Venezuelan Volcano'. Clearly, Clive knew how to keep the drama going off-screen too.

Rudolph Valentino – the smouldering icon of silent cinema – stole hearts in The Sheik (1921), and this Beautebox biscuit tin captured his magnetic charm in full colour. Illustrated by Melbourne-born artist Henry Clive, the tin was a giveaway for moviegoers, but it’s now a rare tribute to one of the first Australians to break into Hollywood.

Clive’s story is pure showbiz: magician, silent film actor, set designer for Charlie Chaplin, and eventually Hollywood’s go-to ‘cover girl artist’ of the 1920s, painting the era’s brightest stars. At 69, he married his fifth wife – Acquanetta, a fiery B-movie queen dubbed 'The Venezuelan Volcano'. Clearly, Clive knew how to keep the drama going off-screen too.

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