82-522: The Omni King Edward Hotel , also known as the "King Eddy", is a historic luxury hotel in Downtown Toronto , Ontario , Canada. The hotel is located at 37 King Street East , and it occupies the entire block bounded by King Street on the north, Victoria Street on the east, Colborne Street on the south and Leader Lane on the west. The King Edward Hotel was designed by Toronto architect E.J. Lennox for developer George Gooderham's Toronto Hotel Company, and
164-727: A 'one-man strike' against Famous Players. Valentino went on strike for financial reasons. At the time of his lawsuit against the studio, he was earning $ 1,250 per week, with an increase to $ 3,000 after three years. This was $ 7,000 per week less than Mary Pickford made in 1916. He was also upset over the broken promise of filming Blood and Sand in Spain, and the failure to shoot the next proposed film in either Spain or at least New York. Valentino had hoped while filming in Europe he could see his family, whom he had not seen in 10 years. In September 1922, he refused to accept paychecks from Famous Players until
246-427: A bigamy trial, as he had been divorced from his first wife, Jean Acker, for less than a full year, as required by California law at the time. The trial was a sensation and the pair was forced to have their marriage annulled and to be separated for a year. Despite the trial, the film was still a success, with critics calling it a masterpiece on par with Broken Blossoms and Four Horsemen . Blood and Sand became one of
328-641: A career in bit parts. It was a bit part as a "cabaret parasite" in the drama Eyes of Youth , starring Clara Kimball Young , that caught the attention of screenwriter June Mathis , who thought he would be perfect for her next movie. Young would later say it was she and Lewis J. Selznick who discovered him, and that they were disappointed when Valentino accepted a lucrative offer at Metro . He appeared as second lead in The Delicious Little Devil (1919) with star Mae Murray . In 1919, Valentino impulsively married actress Jean Acker . Their marriage
410-416: A commemorative plaque on May 8, 2003. Starwood purchased the brand from Lehman in 2005 and the hotel was renamed, dropping Royal , to become simply Le Méridien King Edward . In 2009, a consortium purchased the structure but retained Le Méridien to manage it. The new owners announced a major restoration that included creating 140 condominiums on the third through fifth floors which had been unused for
492-573: A following that included older female clientele who would let him borrow their luxury cars. At one point after the United States entered World War I , both Kerry and Valentino tried to get into the Canadian Air Force to fly and fight in France. With his dancing success, Valentino found a room of his own on Sunset Boulevard and began actively seeking screen roles. His first part was as an extra in
574-542: A good job and was fired. While he was living on the streets, Valentino would occasionally come back to Murray's for lunch and the staff would slip him some food. Around 1914, restaurateur Joe Pani who owned Castles-by-the-Sea, the Colony, and the Woodmansten Inn was the first to hire Rudolph to dance the tango with Joan Sawyer for $ 50 per week. Eventually, he found work as a taxi dancer at Maxim's Restaurant-Cabaret. Among
656-441: A great insult and did not speak to Valentino for almost two years. While Rambova worked designing costumes and rewriting the script for Falcon, Valentino was persuaded to film Cobra with Nita Naldi . He agreed only on condition that it not be released until after The Hooded Falcon debuted. After filming Cobra, the cast of The Hooded Falcon sailed for France to be fitted for costumes. After three months, they returned to
738-430: A number of years. In 2012, Skyline Hotels & Resorts, one of the owners, assumed management and marketing from Le Méridien and the hotel became The King Edward Hotel . Omni Hotels assumed management on August 1, 2013, when the hotel was renamed The Omni King Edward Hotel . After managing the hotel for two years, Omni Hotels bought it outright on November 24, 2015. Notable dignitaries and luminaries who stayed at
820-406: A result has been undergoing Manhattanization with the construction of new office towers, hotels and condos. As of 2016, the population of downtown Toronto was 237,698 people with 503,575 jobs located within the area. The population density was 143 people per hectare, and the job density was 303 jobs per hectare. The Royal Conservatory of Music is a non-profit music education institution that
902-435: A spokesman with his legions of female fans. The tour was a tremendous success, with Valentino and Rambova performing in 88 cities in the United States and Canada. In addition to the tour, Valentino also sponsored Mineralava beauty products and judged Mineralava-sponsored beauty contests. One beauty contest was filmed by a young David O. Selznick , who titled it Rudolph Valentino and his 88 Beauties. Valentino returned to
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#1732843942949984-525: A street interview in 1922 what he thought of Valentino, replied, "Many other men desire to be another Douglas Fairbanks. But Valentino? I wonder ..." Women in the same interview found Valentino "triumphantly seductive. Puts the love-making of the average husband or sweetheart into discard as tame, flat, and unimpassioned." Some journalists were still calling his "masculinity" into question, going on at length about his pomaded hair, his dandyish clothing, his treatment of women, his views on women, and whether he
1066-418: A stunt mishap, caused an explosion that shook the building and shattered windows. The hotel and the surrounding streets were used extensively in the filming of American Psycho (film) . The opening scenes of The Boys season 4 took place at the hotel. Downtown Toronto Downtown Toronto is the main city centre of Toronto , Ontario, Canada. Located entirely within the district of Old Toronto , it
1148-522: A weak story. It opened to strong sales, but soon dropped off in attendance and ended up as another disappointment. With his contract fulfilled, Valentino was released from Famous Players, but was still obligated to Ritz-Carlton for four films. His next film was a pet project titled The Hooded Falcon. The production was beset with problems from the start, beginning with the script written by June Mathis. The Valentinos were dissatisfied with Mathis's version and requested that it be rewritten. Mathis took it as
1230-494: A week for only three pictures a year, plus a percentage of his films. The contract excluded Rambova from production of his films and the film set. Valentino's acceptance of the terms caused a major rift in his marriage to Rambova. George Ullman, who had negotiated the contract with United Artists, offered Rambova $ 30,000 to finance a film of her own. It became her only film, titled What Price Beauty? and starred Myrna Loy . Valentino chose his first UA project, The Eagle . With
1312-484: A year. Famous Players made their own public statements deeming him more trouble than he was worth (the divorce, bigamy trials, debts) and that he was temperamental, almost diva-like. They claimed to have done all they could and that they had made him a real star. Other studios began courting him. Joseph Schenck was interested in casting his wife, Norma Talmadge , opposite Valentino in a version of Romeo and Juliet . June Mathis had moved to Goldwyn Pictures , where she
1394-561: A younger sister, Maria, and an older sister, Beatrice, who had died in infancy. As a child, Valentino was indulged because of his exceptional looks and his playful personality. His mother coddled him, while his father disapproved of him. He did poorly in school and was eventually enrolled in agricultural school in Genoa , where he earned a certificate. After living in Paris in 1912, he soon returned to Italy. Unable to secure employment, he departed for
1476-637: Is St. Lawrence Hall, St. James' Cathedral , St. Michael's Cathedral , St. Paul's Basilica , the Enoch Turner School House, the Bank of Upper Canada, Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel, and the Gooderham Building . On Saturday there is a farmers' market. Other historical districts in downtown Toronto include Cabbagetown , Corktown , the Distillery District , and Old Town . To the west of
1558-522: Is adjacent to the downtown area, and the much larger Toronto Pearson International Airport located 27 km to the northwest. 43°39′9.01″N 79°23′0.81″W / 43.6525028°N 79.3835583°W / 43.6525028; -79.3835583 Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover ,
1640-704: Is an arts school whose main building is located in Grange Park. The Université de l'Ontario français is a French-language postsecondary institution situated in East Bayfront. Toronto Metropolitan University and the University of Toronto are research universities , with the former located in the Garden District and the latter's St. George campus situated in the Discovery District. Apart from its St. George campus,
1722-568: Is approximately 16.6 square kilometres in area, bounded by Bloor Street to the northeast and Dupont Street to the northwest, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don Valley to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west. It is also the home of the municipal government of Toronto and the Government of Ontario . The area is made up of Canada's largest concentration of skyscrapers and businesses that form Toronto's skyline. Since 2022, downtown Toronto has
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#17328439429491804-504: Is headquartered in downtown Toronto. Four different public school boards provide primary and secondary education for the City of Toronto, as well as the downtown area. Two Toronto-based school boards provide instruction in the English language , the secular Toronto District School Board , and the separate Toronto Catholic District School Board . The other two Toronto-based school boards,
1886-489: Is home to many furniture stores, interior design studios and contemporary casual dining options . The CF Toronto Eaton Centre , a large, multilevel enclosed shopping mall and office complex that spans several blocks and houses 330 stores, is the city's top tourist attraction with over one million visitors weekly. Other indoor shopping malls include College Park , the Tenor , Aura , Yorkville Village , Atrium on Bay , Village by
1968-519: Is the city's major intermodal transportation hub, providing access not only to local and regional public transit , but also to inter-city rail services like Via Rail . In addition to surface-level pedestrian sidewalks, much of downtown Toronto is also connected through the PATH Underground , an extensive network of underground pedestrian tunnels , skyways , and at-grade walkways. Nearby airports include Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , which
2050-495: Is the intersection of the city's subway lines and is one of the busiest intersections in the city. At the intersection of Avenue Road and Bloor Street is the Royal Ontario Museum , the largest museum in the city, with a diverse anthropological and natural history collection. The Harbourfront area to the south was formerly an industrial and railway lands area. Since the 1970s, it has seen extensive redevelopment, including
2132-732: Is the tallest building in Canada at a height of 298 metres (978 feet). The CN Tower , once the tallest free-standing structure in the world, remains the tallest such structure in the Americas, standing at 553.33 metres (1,815 ft., 5 inches). Other notable buildings include Scotia Plaza , TD Centre , Commerce Court , the Royal Bank Plaza , The Bay 's flagship store, and the Fairmont Royal York Hotel . Since 2007, urban consolidation has been centred in downtown Toronto and as
2214-1013: The Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal , the Royal Connaught Hotel in Hamilton, Ontario , the General Brock Hotel in Niagara Falls , the Prince Edward Hotel in Windsor, Ontario and the Alpine Inn in Sainte-Adèle, Quebec . In 1950, Sheraton purchased Cardy's hotels and assumed management of the property, renaming it The King Edward Sheraton . The hotel dropped the Sheraton name in 1975, after
2296-639: The Princess of Wales Theatre . The area is now the site of Roy Thomson Hall and the Canadian Broadcasting Centre . The Yorkville area, to the north, north of Bloor Street and the Mink Mile , has more than 700 designer boutiques, spas, restaurants, hotels, and world-class galleries. It is a former village in its own right (prior to 1883) and since the early 1970s has developed into an up-scale shopping district. The intersection of Bloor and Yonge Streets
2378-483: The Seneca Polytechnic . Downtown Toronto is home to the flagship department stores of The Bay , Saks Fifth Avenue and Holt Renfrew . The traditional shopping districts concentrated on Queen Street West and King Street East have seen recent growth to encompass the area surrounding Yonge–Dundas Square . The Old Town portion of the downtown, stretching from St. Lawrence Market to the Distillery District
2460-509: The 1960s. The area of St. Lawrence to the east of the financial district is one of the oldest areas of Toronto. It features heritage buildings, theatres, music, dining and many pubs. It is a community of distinct downtown neighbourhoods including the site of the original Town of York, which was Toronto's first neighbourhood, dating back to 1793. The area boasts one of the largest concentrations of 19th-century buildings in Ontario. Of particular note
2542-434: The 1970s, Toronto experienced major economic growth and surpassed Montreal to become the largest city in Canada. Many international and domestic businesses relocated to Toronto and created massive new skyscrapers downtown. All of Canada's Big Five banks constructed skyscrapers beginning in the late 1960s up until the early 1990s. Today downtown Toronto contains dozens of notable skyscrapers. The area's First Canadian Place
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2624-805: The Arts & Letter Club, the Church of the Holy Trinity, Mackenzie House, Maple Leaf Gardens, Old City Hall, and the Toronto Police Museum and Discovery Centre. The Financial District , centred on the intersection of Bay Street and King Street is the centre of Canada's financial industry . It contains the Toronto Stock Exchange , which is the largest in Canada and tenth in the world by market capitalization as of 2021. The construction of skyscrapers in downtown Toronto had started to rapidly increase since
2706-606: The Grange, Manulife Centre and the PATH underground city network , the largest underground shopping complex in the world. Emerging retail destinations include Mirvish Village , the Well and the renovated St. Lawrence Market North . Yonge Street , a major arterial route in the city, begins at the northern shore of the Toronto Harbour and runs through downtown, continuing north all the way to
2788-511: The Sheik , despite his hatred of the sheik image. The film began shooting in February 1926, with Valentino given his choice of director, and pairing him again with Vilma Bánky. The film used the authentic costumes he bought abroad and allowed him to play a dual role. Valentino was ill during production, but he needed the money to pay his many debts. The film opened on July 9, 1926, to great fanfare. During
2870-459: The United States in 1913. He was processed at Ellis Island at age 18 on December 23, 1913. Valentino never applied for United States citizenship, and retained his Italian citizenship. Arriving in New York City, he supported himself with odd jobs such as busing tables in restaurants and gardening. Valentino once worked as a bus boy at Murray's on 42nd Street and was well liked, but didn't do
2952-498: The United States in reply to an offer from Ritz-Carlton Pictures (working through Famous Players), which included $ 7,500 a week, creative control, and filming in New York. Rambova negotiated a two-picture deal with Famous Players and four pictures for Ritz-Carlton. He accepted, turning down an offer to film an Italian production of Quo Vadis in Italy. The first film under the new contract
3034-472: The United States, where Valentino's new beard, which he had grown for the film, caused a sensation. "I opened once a paper and I tell you what was in. It was Rudolph Valentino with a beard upon his chin. My heart stopped off from beating and I fainted dead away, and I never want to come to life until the judgement day," was soon printed in Photoplay . The cast and crew left for Hollywood to begin preparations for
3116-645: The University of Toronto also operates two satellite campuses outside the downtown core in Mississauga and Scarborough . Colleges based in downtown Toronto include George Brown College , Toronto Film School , Trebas Institute , and the Randolph College for the Performing Arts . Four other colleges that are based outside of downtown Toronto, but operate satellite branches in the downtown core include Collège Boréal , Georgian College , Humber College and
3198-466: The age of 31 caused mass hysteria among his fans, further cementing his place in early cinematic history as a cultural film icon . Valentino was born in Castellaneta , Apulia , Italy and named Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella. His father, Giovanni Antonio Giuseppe Fedele Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella, was an Italian from Martina Franca , Apulia ; he
3280-539: The area has been experiencing a renaissance as the Business Improvement Area (BIA) has brought in new retail and improved the cleanliness. The area has also seen the opening of the Dundas Square public square, a public space for holding performances and art displays. The area includes several live theatres, a movie complex at Dundas Square and the historic Massey Hall . Historical sites and landmarks include
3362-454: The ballroom was one of its announced goals. The ballroom re-opened in April 2017 after a closure of 38 years. Throughout the years, the hotel has passed through the hands of a number of owners. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company became owners in 1933 when it foreclosed on the mortgage. Between 1941 and 1950, the hotel passed between C. A. Ripley and Vernon Cardy. Cardy's Hotel chain also owned
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3444-513: The box office. Valentino felt he had underperformed in the film, being upset over his separation with Rambova. Missing Rambova, Valentino returned to New York after the release of The Young Rajah . They were spotted and followed by reporters constantly. During this time, Valentino began to contemplate not returning to Famous Players, although Jesse Lasky already had his next picture, The Spanish Cavalier , in preparation. After speaking with Rambova and his lawyer Arthur Butler Graham, Valentino declared
3526-645: The building of the Rogers Centre stadium, numerous condominiums and the Harbourfront Centre waterfront revitalization. The area to the east of Yonge Street is still in transition, with the conversion of industrial lands to mixed residential and commercial uses planned. Among the important government headquarters in downtown Toronto include the Ontario Legislature , and the Toronto City Hall . In
3608-479: The city of Barrie, Ontario . Other notable streets include Dundas , Bloor , Queen , King , and University . The Toronto Transit Commission administers the Toronto area's public transportation system, including buses , streetcar , and subways . The regional public transportation service, GO Transit , also provides bus and commuter train service to downtown Toronto from its hub, Union Station . Union Station
3690-403: The dispute was solved, although he owed them money he had spent to pay off Jean Acker . Angered, Famous Players, in turn, filed suit against him. Valentino did not back down, and Famous Players realized how much they stood to lose. In trouble after shelving Roscoe Arbuckle pictures, the studio tried to settle by upping his salary from $ 1,250 to $ 7,000 a week. Variety erroneously announced
3772-569: The editorial was "infamous". Mencken found Valentino to be likable and gentlemanly and wrote sympathetically of him in an article published in The Baltimore Sun a week after Valentino's death: It was not that trifling Chicago episode that was riding him; it was the whole grotesque futility of his life. Had he achieved, out of nothing, a vast and dizzy success? Then that success was hollow as well as vast—a colossal and preposterous nothing. Was he acclaimed by yelling multitudes? Then every time
3854-427: The film Alimony , moving on to small parts in several films. Despite his best efforts, he was typically cast as a "heavy" (villain) or gangster. At the time, the archetypal major male star was Wallace Reid , with a fair complexion, light eyes, and an All-American look, with Valentino the opposite; he eventually supplanted Sessue Hayakawa as Hollywood's most popular "exotic" male lead. By 1919, he had carved out
3936-758: The film was "a little unreal and hectic." Released in 1922, the film was a critical disappointment. Years after its release, Beyond the Rocks was thought to be lost , save for a one-minute portion. But in 2002, the film was discovered by the Netherlands Film Museum. The restored version was released on DVD in 2006. In February, 1922 Life magazine reported that, according to the Famous Players press office, Valentino would henceforth be known as "Rodolph" rather than "Rudolph." In 1922, Valentino began work on another Mathis-penned film, Blood and Sand . He played
4018-544: The film, but much of the budget was taken up during preproduction. Due to the Valentinos' lavish spending on costumes and sets, Ritz-Carlton terminated the deal with the couple, effectively ending Valentino's contract with them. During the filming of Monsieur Beaucaire , both Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks approached Valentino privately, due to his contract with Ritz-Carlton, about joining with United Artists . Valentino's contract with United Artists provided $ 10,000
4100-631: The financial district is the Entertainment District . It is home to hundreds of restaurants, nightclubs, sporting facilities, boutiques, hotels, attractions, and live theatre. The district was formerly an industrial area and was redeveloped for entertainment purposes in the early 1980s, becoming a major centre for entertainment. The redevelopment started with the Mirvish family refurbishing the Royal Alexandra Theatre and their construction of
4182-537: The four top-grossing movies of 1922, breaking attendance records, and grossing $ 37,400 at the Rivoli Theatre alone. Valentino considered this one of his best films. During his forced break from Rambova, the pair began working separately on the Mathis-penned The Young Rajah . Only fragments of this film, recovered in 2005, still remain. The film did not live up to expectations and underperformed at
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#17328439429494264-433: The hotel have included Rudolph Valentino , Louis Armstrong , Elvis Presley , Margaret Thatcher , Britney Spears , and Ernest Hemingway who had lived in the hotel for a period. The Beatles stayed at the hotel's royal suite during their first visit to Toronto, in 1964, and caused the hotel's biggest commotion to date, when 3,000 fans packed the streets and flooded the lobby. In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed in
4346-554: The hotel outright on December 23 of that year. When Forte acquired Le Méridien hotels from Air France in 1994, the King Edward was rechristened Le Royal Méridien King Edward . The Le Méridien chain was involved in several other acquisitions and mergers between 1996 and 2003 when the brand came under the ownership of Lehman Brothers Holdings . For the hotel's 100th anniversary, the Ontario Heritage Trust unveiled
4428-446: The lead— bullfighter Juan Gallardo—and co-starred with Lila Lee and Nita Naldi . Initially believing the film would be shot in Spain , Valentino was upset to learn that the studio planned on shooting on a Hollywood back lot. He was further irritated by changes in production, including a director of whom he did not approve. After finishing the film, Valentino married Rambova, which led to
4510-535: The marriage under strain, Valentino began shooting and Rambova announced that she needed a "marital vacation". During the filming of The Eagle , rumors of an affair with co-star Vilma Bánky were reported and ultimately denied by both Bánky and Valentino. The film opened to positive reviews, but a moderate box office. For the film's release, Valentino travelled to London, staying there and in France, spending money with abandon while his divorce took place. Quite some time elapsed before he made another film, The Son of
4592-431: The multitudes yelled he felt himself blushing inside ... The thing, at the start, must have only bewildered him, but in those last days, unless I am a worse psychologist than even the professors of psychology, it was revolting him. Worse, it was making him afraid ... Here was a young man who was living daily the dream of millions of other men. Here was one who was catnip to women. Here was one who had wealth and fame. And here
4674-613: The next 15 months. His leading role in Moran of the Lady Letty was of a typical Douglas Fairbanks nature; however, to capitalize on Valentino's bankability, his character was given a Spanish name and ancestry. The film received mixed reviews, but was still a hit with audiences. In November 1921, Valentino starred alongside Gloria Swanson in Beyond the Rocks . The film contained lavish sets and extravagant costumes, though Photoplay magazine said
4756-489: The novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez . Seeking out a trade paper, he discovered that Metro had bought the film rights to the story. In New York, he sought out Metro's office, only to discover that June Mathis had been trying to find him. She cast him in the role of Julio Desnoyers. For the director, Mathis had chosen Rex Ingram , with whom Valentino did not get along, leading Mathis to play
4838-575: The opening of the brand new Four Seasons Sheraton Hotel nearby, becoming the King Edward Hotel , but it remained part of Sheraton for another three years, until 1978. After a number of years of decline, it was bought by Trans Nation, Inc., a partnership of Emilio Valentini and John Franciotti, in 1979 for $ 6.3 million and closed on September 2, 1979, for a $ 30 million restoration designed by Stanford Downey Architects Inc. The property reopened May 7, 1981, as part of Trusthouse Forte Hotels , which bought
4920-401: The other dancers at Maxim's were several displaced members of European nobility, for whom a premium demand existed. Valentino eventually befriended Chilean heiress Blanca de Saulles , who was unhappily married to businessman John de Saulles , with whom she had a son. Whether Blanca and Valentino actually had a romantic relationship is unknown, but when the de Saulles divorced, Valentino took
5002-482: The premiere, Valentino was reconciled with Mathis; the two had not spoken in almost two years. Dating back to the de Saulles trial in New York, during which his "masculinity" had been questioned in print, Valentino had been very sensitive about his public perception. With the Fairbanks type being the supposed epitome of manhood, Valentino was sometimes portrayed as a threat to the "All American" man. One man, asked in
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#17328439429495084-403: The present-day Paramount Pictures , a studio known for films that were more commercially focused. Mathis soon joined him, angering both Ivano and Rambova. Jesse L. Lasky intended to capitalize on the star power of Valentino, and cast him in a role that solidified his reputation as the "Latin lover". In The Sheik (1921), Valentino played the starring role of Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan. The film
5166-451: The role of peacekeeper between the two. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was released in 1921 and became a commercial and critical success. It was one of the first films to make $ 1,000,000 at the box office, the sixth-highest grossing silent film ever. Metro Pictures seemed unwilling to acknowledge that it had made a star. Most likely due to Rex Ingram's lack of faith in Valentino,
5248-469: The salary increase as a "new contract" before news of the lawsuit was released, and Valentino angrily rejected the offer. Valentino went on to claim that artistic control was more of an issue than the money. He wrote an open letter to Photoplay magazine, titled "Open Letter to the American Public", in which he argued his case, although the average American had trouble sympathizing, as most made $ 2,000
5330-441: The same royal suite a day before their bed-in for peace began. In February 1964, "moralists picketed" when Liz Taylor and Richard Burton stayed in a suite together; they were not married to each other at the time, causing a scandal . The King Edward has not only housed film stars but also film sets, from the mellow, Leonard Cohen ’s 1983 musical I am a Hotel , to the melodramatic, Jamie Foxx ’s film Bait , which, during
5412-574: The second most skyscrapers in North America exceeding 200 metres (656 ft) in height, behind only Midtown Manhattan, New York City . The retail core of the downtown is located along Yonge Street from Queen Street to College Street. There is a large cluster of retail centres and shops in the area, including the Toronto Eaton Centre indoor mall. There are an estimated 600 retail stores, 150 bars and restaurants, and 7 hotels. In recent years
5494-510: The secular Conseil scolaire Viamonde , and the separate Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir provide instruction in the French language . Several independent schools also operate within downtown Toronto. Downtown Toronto is home to four public universities , the University of Toronto , OCAD University , Université de l'Ontario français and Toronto Metropolitan University . OCAD University
5576-402: The stand to support Blanca de Saulles's claims of infidelity on her husband's part. Following the divorce, John de Saulles reportedly used his political connections to have Valentino arrested, along with a Mrs. Thyme, a known madam, on some unspecified vice charges. The evidence was flimsy at best, and after a few days in jail, Valentino's bail was lowered from $ 10,000 to $ 1,500. Shortly after
5658-438: The studio refused to give him a raise beyond the $ 350 a week he had made for Four Horsemen . For his follow-up film, they forced him into a bit part in a B-film called Uncharted Seas . On this film, Valentino met his second wife, Natacha Rambova . That same year, Valentino's legal wife, Jean Acker, successfully sued for divorce. Rambova, Mathis, Ivano, and Valentino began work on the Alla Nazimova film Camille . Valentino
5740-435: The talcum powder on Valentino and his films. The piece infuriated Valentino and he challenged the writer to his choice of a boxing or wrestling match, since dueling was illegal. Neither challenge was answered. Shortly afterward, Valentino met with journalist H. L. Mencken for advice on how best to deal with the incident. Mencken advised Valentino to "let the dreadful farce roll along to exhaustion," but Valentino insisted
5822-541: The trial, Blanca de Saulles fatally shot her ex-husband during a custody dispute over their son. Following his own well-publicized trial and the subsequent scandal over the murder, Valentino could not find employment. Fearful of being called in as a witness in another sensational trial, Valentino left town and joined a traveling musical that led him to the West Coast. In 1917, Valentino joined an operetta company that traveled to Utah , where it disbanded. He then joined an Al Jolson production of Robinson Crusoe, Jr. , which
5904-512: Was Monsieur Beaucaire , wherein Valentino played the lead, the Duke of Chartres. The film did poorly and American audiences found it "effeminate". The failure of the film, under Rambova's control, is often seen as proof of her controlling nature and later caused her to be barred from Valentino sets. Valentino made one final movie for Famous Players. In 1924, he starred in A Sainted Devil, now one of his lost films. It had lavish costumes, but apparently
5986-481: Was "effeminate" or not. Valentino hated these stories and was known to carry clippings of the newspaper articles around with him and criticize them. In July 1926, the Chicago Tribune reported that a vending machine dispensing pink talcum powder (face powder) had appeared in an upscale hotel's men's washroom. An editorial that followed used the story to protest the supposed feminization of American men, and blamed
6068-638: Was a captain of cavalry in the Italian Army, later a veterinarian, who died of malaria when Valentino was 11. His mother, Marie Berthe Gabrielle Barbin (1856–1918), was French with Torinese ancestry (the original family name was Barbini, gallicized to Barbin later on), born in Lure in the Franche-Comté region. She was lady-in-waiting to a local marquess. Valentino had an older brother, Alberto (1892–1981),
6150-545: Was a major success and defined not only his career but his image and legacy. Valentino tried to distance the character from a stereotypical portrayal of an Arab man. Asked if Lady Diana (his love interest) would have fallen for a "savage" in real life, Valentino replied, "People are not savages because they have dark skins. The Arabian civilization is one of the oldest in the world ... the Arabs are dignified and keen-brained." Famous Players produced four more feature-length films over
6232-582: Was added to the east of the original eight-storey structure, replacing the Sullivan Hotel on the site. On the two top floors of the tower is the Crystal Ballroom, that until the late 1950s was the most fashionable in the city. The room was closed in the late 1950s due to stricter fire codes and was not restored during the 1979-81 renovation. When the Omni Hotel chain invested in the hotel in 2013, restoring
6314-476: Was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse , The Sheik , Blood and Sand , The Eagle , and The Son of the Sheik . Valentino was a sex symbol of the 1920s, known in Hollywood as the " Latin Lover " (a title invented for him by Hollywood moguls), the "Great Lover", or simply Valentino. His early death at
6396-694: Was cast in the role of Armand, Nazimova's love interest. The film, mostly under the control of Rambova and Nazimova, was considered too avant garde by critics and the public. Valentino's final film for Metro was the Mathis-penned The Conquering Power . The film received critical acclaim and did well at the box office. After the film's release, Valentino made a trip to New York, where he met with several French producers. Yearning for Europe, better pay, and more respect, Valentino returned and promptly quit Metro. After quitting Metro, Valentino took up with Famous Players–Lasky , forerunner of
6478-534: Was granted its name by namesake King Edward VII . Construction began in 1901, with the demolition of the Walker Building on the site. Built at a cost of CA$ 2,000,000 (equivalent to $ 71,912,478 in 2023), the hotel opened in 1903 with 400 rooms and 300 baths, and it claimed to be entirely fireproof. In 1921, an 18-storey tower, costing CA$ 2,500,000 (equivalent to $ 39,275,000 in 2023), designed by Chicago architect Henry Ives Cobb , with 530 additional rooms
6560-677: Was in charge of the Ben-Hur project, and interested in casting Valentino in the film. However, Famous Players exercised its option to extend his contract, preventing him from accepting any employment other than with the studio. By this point, Valentino was about $ 80,000 in debt. He filed an appeal, a portion of which was granted. Although he was still not allowed to work as an actor, he could accept other types of employment. In late 1922, Valentino met George Ullman, who soon became his manager. Ullman had previously worked with Mineralava Beauty Clay Company, and convinced them that Valentino would be perfect as
6642-531: Was purportedly never consummated. Displeased with playing "heavies," Valentino briefly entertained the idea of returning to New York permanently. He returned for a visit in 1917, staying with friends in Greenwich Village , eventually settling in Bayside, Queens . There he met Paul Ivano , who would greatly help his career. While traveling to Palm Springs, California , to film Stolen Moments , Valentino read
6724-527: Was travelling to Los Angeles. By fall, he was in San Francisco with a bit part in a theatrical production of Nobody Home . While in town, Valentino met actor Norman Kerry , who convinced him to try a career in cinema, which was still in the silent film era. Valentino and Kerry moved back to Los Angeles and became roommates at the Alexandria Hotel . He continued dancing, teaching dance, and building up
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