- Nita Naldi, Blood and Sand, 1922. “Nita Naldi – who’s she?” screamed Natacha Rambova, Valentino’s overbearing, second wife. “She’s a nobody. And besides she’s too fat – has breasts like a cow.” Not really. In fact, Nitzi loved inviting interviewers to feel her firm bosom. She made two other Valentino films and had mutual contempt for Rambova (ex-Winifred Shaunessy). “She always had to be the boss and I never liked what she did to Rudy.” Bebe and May McAvoy lost here – but Daniels won Rudy as as Monsieur Beaucaire, 1924 As for Blood and Sand, Stan Laurel’s Mud and Sand was better. May would buy her freedom from Paramount when The Bettes – Bronson and Compson – pinched “her” roles! I She blame CB De Mille for this because she refused to cut her hair and wear animal skins for his Adam’s Rib, 1923. Her career went of 98 films stretched from Ben-Hur, 1925, to Ben-Hur, 1957, and, indeed, from Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer (she had nothing to say in the first talkie) to Elvis Presley in her penultimate film, Jailhouse Rock.
Birth year: 1899Death year: 1984Other name: Casting Calls: 1