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The Sheik

Play trailer Poster for The Sheik Released Oct 30, 1921 1h 13m Romance Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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79% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Paris-educated Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan (Rudolph Valentino) provides brides for wealthy Arabs. The high-spirited Lady Diana Mayo (Agnes Ayres), learning that the sheik will be in the city of Biskra, Algeria, playfully decides to disguise herself as a dancing girl to become one of the prospective brides, yet is unable to go through with the deception -- much to Ahmed's amusement. Hearing that Diana will be touring the Sahara Desert, Ahmed abducts her, intending to make her fall in love with him.
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The Sheik

Critics Reviews

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Post-Dispatch Staff St. Louis Post-Dispatch The desert scenes are conventional. The action is at times draggy and the picture is not as "big" as its extensive exploitation would indicate. Jan 13, 2022 Full Review Mae Tinee Chicago Tribune The picture teems with picturesque scenes and beautiful color effects. It is well directed and well acted. You may thoroughly approve of Miss Ayers. May 17, 2021 Full Review Variety Staff Variety The acting could not be worse than the story, but it is bad enough. Valentino is revealed as a player without resource. May 11, 2018 Full Review Carl Sandburg Chicago Daily News The pageantry of horsemen and spears on backgrounds of white sand and sloping dunes is notable. As a spectacle photoplay it should easily have high rank. Mar 28, 2022 Full Review Frank J. Avella Edge Media Network ...the film doesn't have much to offer outside of Valentino's bizarre, yet infectious, performance, which is filled with grand gestures and muggings galore. Rated: B- Feb 7, 2022 Full Review James Kendrick Q Network Film Desk has not aged particularly well, and not only because the creepy Stockholm Syndrome quality of the romance Rated: 2/4 Jan 5, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Joel H I wasn't as richly entertained by The Sheik as I expected to be. The plot is somehow overly complicated, yet highly simplistic at the same time. And frankly, after hearing so much about the reputation of Rudolph Valentino, I expected more from him. His performance seemed to consist of holding a sly grin on his face the whole time. Although there were a few moments when he would widen his eyes and give a creepy grin that was supposed to be charming. Perhaps the book this silent film was based on is more intriguing, but I found this journey with The Sheik to be, for the most part, bland and dry. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/03/23 Full Review David F Really dated and slow moving. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/23/23 Full Review Audience Member A sprawling, epic love story set in the desert, The Sheik catapulted Valentino and Ayres to stardom. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member The best thrilling romance movie ever made! With the best movie character ever portrayed: Rudolph Valentino as Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member THE SHEIK i give all the stars in the universe along with Rudolph Valentino. people who judge it poorly do not take in to consideration how long ago it was, A rotten tomato? Really?? It was the start of movies and before the talkies. I do not know what people expected, Some thing like Star Wars? It was 1921 and 26 and Rudolph Valentino did a hell of a good job romancing the women. He had millions of fans. He was known as the worlds greatest lover. He is the most visited star in history because he died so young and so suddenly 31. To this day there is a memorial service on Aug 23- 1926, Every year since then, 92 years. He would not of ever been visited at all if he was a horrible actor and his movies were bad. Just consider the year please. To this day I am amazed. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Even the Alloy Orchestra can't save this film from being a historical footnote. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Sheik

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The Sheik

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Movie Info

Synopsis Paris-educated Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan (Rudolph Valentino) provides brides for wealthy Arabs. The high-spirited Lady Diana Mayo (Agnes Ayres), learning that the sheik will be in the city of Biskra, Algeria, playfully decides to disguise herself as a dancing girl to become one of the prospective brides, yet is unable to go through with the deception -- much to Ahmed's amusement. Hearing that Diana will be touring the Sahara Desert, Ahmed abducts her, intending to make her fall in love with him.
Director
George Melford
Screenwriter
Edith Maude Hull, Monte M. Katterjohn
Distributor
Grapevine Video, Stokey Video, Paramount Pictures, Reel Media International [us]
Production Co
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation
Genre
Romance, Drama
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 30, 1921, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 7, 2021
Runtime
1h 13m
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