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On May 13, 1922, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambova had a marriage ceremony performed in Mexicali.
(L to R) Otto Moller (mayor of Mexicali), Natacha Rambova, Dr. Florilla White (in the background), Judge Faustino Sandoval, and Douglas Gerrard. Wedding guests standing on the porch. Photo taken by Paul Ivano. Nazimova did not want her photo taken.
There were a few factors that played into this, love being paramount, of course. Finances were also an issue. Natacha and Rudy had been basically living together at Natacha's house, although Rudy technically was maintaining a separate residence with Paul Ivano. Also, Rudy had just been slapped with a judgment that would force him to pay Jean Acker, his soon-to-be former wife, a one-time $12,000.00 alimony payment. It seemed sensible to get married before Jean found out they were cohabitating. Also, then they could really pool their finances.
Rudy had just finished 'Blood & Sand' and they finally had a little money, which would not last long, but they wanted to take advantage of what they had while they could.
Their friend Dagmar Godowsky offered a suggestion. She had recently married Frank Mayo, a Universal player, during the interlocutory period of his divorce. They had circumvented the decree by crossing the Mexican border and marrying in Tijuana. They were advised that California’s divorce laws did not apply to marriages outside the United States. Rudy and Natacha consulted their attorney, and were advised against this 'marriage.' They chose to ignore the attorney's advice.
Alla Nazimova was at the wedding party when Rudy and Natacha married in Mexicali. They’d all driven down together. Nazimova was with her young lover, Paul Ivano. Rudy even brought his two big dogs along. They’d stayed overnight with Natacha’s friends in Palm Springs before the wedding and returned there after the ceremony then staying on for a few more days. Had they really thought about it, they would have consummated the marriage somewhere in Mexico and avoided the problems that followed.
Rudy & Natacha on their wedding trip to Mexicali
The bad news was waiting for them in Los Angeles. “Question Valentino Marriage: Possible Bigamy Angle Disclosed by Wedding to Perfumer’s Heiress.” The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office launched a full-scale investigation the next day.
Investigators called Jean Acker in for an interview. Detectives were dispatched to locate witnesses in Palm Springs, El Centro, and Mexicali. Next came word that the U.S. Department of Justice was looking into the case to see if Valentino had violated the Mann Act, which prohibited transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes.
A few days later the District Attorney announced he had sufficient evidence to file charges of two counts of bigamy against Valentino. The first count was simple bigamy – he’d married Natacha before his divorce was final. The second count was the first of its kind ever filed in California. It asserted that “on or about the fifteenth of May, the defendant unlawfully and feloniously cohabitated with said Winifred Hudnut in the county of Riverside and at different other places, all within the State.” The penalty for bigamy was from one to ten years in prison, or a fine of up to $5,000.
The next day, May 20, was a Saturday, but arrangements were made for Valentino to turn himself in. He was arraigned, and bail was set at $10,000. Rudy’s friends arranged the bail., but because it was a holiday weekend, the banks were closed. Rudy still had to spend a night in jail. Upon his release, he issued a statement:
“I have loved deeply, but in loving I may have erred. I will say that the love that made me do what I have done was prompted by the noblest intentions that a man could have.”
Crowds gathered outside the courthouse on the day of the trial. Inside, the courtroom was packed every day with reporters and fans, mostly women hoping to get a glimpse of Valentino.
The issue at hand centered on whether Rudy and Natacha consummated their marriage. Housekeepers at the cottage where the wedding party stayed in Palm Springs testified that there were two beds and a couch in the house and that all were occupied each night. When asked to identify the friends who stayed at the house, one of the housekeepers referred to one of the occupants as a “strange lady.” When shown a photo, the woman identified the lady as Alla Nazimova. As soon as the identification was made, a subpoena was issued for Nazimova. Her presence at the wedding was announced in the Times in an article titled, “Valentino Case Names Nazimova.”
Alla was in a bind. If she testified truthfully, she would have to admit Rudy and Natacha cohabitated in Palm Springs, and Valentino could go to jail. But if she lied and it was found out, a perjury charge could mean deportation – or worse. With no good options, she decided to leave town until the trial was over.
Paul Ivano, Rudy’s friend, and Alla’s young lover, testified that he shared a room with Valentino. He also said that when the couple returned to Los Angeles, Rudy and Natacha slept in their own homes. Later that day a Deputy Sheriff nabbed Nazimova and served her with a subpoena as she was boarding a train for New York.
Both Ivano and Nazimova ended up committing perjury, and risking deportation, by testifying that Rudy and Natacha had not slept together on their wedding night.
The trial recessed for the weekend on Friday, but on Monday the judge announced that the evidence presented had been insufficient to prove that Rudy and Natacha had consummated their marriage. Charges were dropped, bail was returned and Rudy was set free. The judge ruled that Rudy and Natacha were not to be together for a certain period of time.
Rudy in court on June 1, 1922. Rudy looks scared to death - probably afraid that if things don't go well he could be deported ... if he doesn't go to prison in the U.S.
Rudy later released a statement:
“Though I am rejoiced at the wonderful news of my acquittal and exoneration, still there is a tear of regret because of the enforced absence of the woman who has been my inspiration and counselor in my art.”
So, even though it was not technically legal, I'm still going to send my loving wishes into the astral plane for a 'Happy Anniversary' to Rudy & Natacha.
Darkmum
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