Lot 112: A group of letters from André Daven to Rudolph Valentino

A group of letters from André Daven to Rudolph Valentino
3 Autograph Letters Signed and 1 Typed Letter Signed ("André"), 19 pp recto and verso, 4to, New York, Paris, and aboard the SS Mongolia, June 4 to July 19, 1923, to Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambova, on various stationeries, including that of Bonsoir, a newspaper for which Daven was a journalist. In 1923, Rudolph Valentino met André Daven in Paris when Daven interviewed him. The two men became fast friends and allegedly became romantically involved. Valentino believed that Daven was attractive enough to become a film star, and as such, he encouraged him to come to America. Daven eventually had a small part in Valentino's Monsieur Beaucaire (1924), but the relationship seems to have waned after the completion of filming. In his letters, which are written in French, Daven suggests future film roles for Valentino, such as the life story of Prince Murat, gives a play-by-play account of his voyage aboard the SS Mongolia, discusses the goings on of other film stars (including Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks), and brings Valentino up-to-date on the status of his beloved Voisin automobile, among other topics. Most notably, he expresses thanks to and deep affection for both Valentino and his wife. Accompanied by a reprint photo of Daven and Valentino in Monsieur Beaucaire.Provenance: The Estate of William Self 8.5 x 11 in.