Fans of Rudolph Valentino may already be well aware of the connection he shares with June Mathis. While much has been documented about Valentino, Mathis and her story have not been explored in much depth.
Thanks to Thomas J. Slater, Mathis’s story is told through June Mathis: The Rise and Fall of a Silent Film Visionary. This book examines not only Mathis’s time as an actress but more so focuses on her role as a screenwriter and producer for many hit silent films, including the likes of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) and Blood and Sand (1921). In addition to this work, it was Mathis who discovered Valentino and was instrumental in the location of his final resting place at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Slater’s book is exceptionally well-researched and captures Mathis’s complex and multifaceted life well, drawing from historical records, scripts, letters, and a wide range of Mathis’s handwritten notes. This book is not to be missed by fans of the Silent Era.
Hometowns to Hollywood 