Franco Zeffirelli

popular name: Rudolf Valentino

date_of_death: August 23, 1926

age: 31

cause_of_death: Ruptured gastric ulcer, general peritonitis and septic pneumonia

claim_to_fame: Show Business

best_know_for: Nicknamed The Latin Lover, Rudolf Valentino 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 the age of 31 caused mass hysteria among his fans, further cementing his place in early cinematic history as a cultural film icon.

popular name: Bess Houdini

date_of_death: February 11, 1943

age: 67

cause_of_death: Heart Attack

claim_to_fame: Show Business

best_know_for: Wilhelmina Beatrice “Bess” Rahner was born to German immigrants in Brooklyn, New York, in 1876. Her life changed while performing at Coney Island with “The Floral Sisters” act, catching the eye of Theo Houdini. However, Bess fell in love and ended up marrying Harry Houdini, Theo’s older brother, on June 22, 1894 (just three weeks after their first meeting). They started working together as ‘The Houdinis,’ with Harry as ‘The Handcuff King’ and Bess as his assistant, occasionally performing their signature trick: Metamorphosis. Bess enjoyed collecting dolls, caring for their pets, and designing costumes for Harry’s shows. They didn’t have children due to Bess’s medical condition. Harry Houdini died on October 31, 1926 from a ruptured appendix caused by peritonitis. He was punched in the abdomen by Jocelyn Gordon Whitehead on October 22, which may have contributed to the rupture. Houdini had severe abdominal pain, but he didn’t seek immediate medical help and continued performing for the next few days in great pain, leading to his death. Long after Houdini’s death Bess continued to hold séances in an attempt to communicate with her deceased husband, honoring a pact they made while he was alive. Despite persistent attempts, she never successfully contacted him and eventually called off. Upon her death, she was laid to rest at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.

popular name: Rudy Vallée

date_of_death: July 3, 1986

age: 84

cause_of_death: Throat cancer

claim_to_fame: Show Business

best_know_for: Rudy Vallée was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host who is considered by many to be the first modern American teen idol and pop star. After playing drums in his high school band, Vallée played clarinet and saxophone in bands around New England as a teenager. From 1924 to 1925, he played with the Savoy Havana Band at the Savoy Hotel in London and upon return to the states he graduated with a degree in philosophy from Yale University. After graduation, he formed Rudy Vallée and the Connecticut Yankees, having named himself after saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft. With this band (formed in 1928), which included two violins, two saxophones, a piano, a banjo, and drums, he started singing. He had a thin, wavering tenor voice and seemed more at home singing sweet ballads than jazz songs. But his singing, suave manner, and boyish good looks attracted attention, especially from young women. In the 1920s and early '30s he had a hit radio program, The Fleishmann's Yeast Hour (although his explosive, ego-driven personality made his cast and crew hate him). In the early 1930s he was ranked with the likes of Bing Crosby and the tragic Russ Columbo in the Hit Parade. A huge hit on radio in 1933 with his program Vallee was considered a bastard by his staff. He was known to instigate fist fights with virtually anyone who got on his nerves. During his show's run he slugged photographers, threw sheet music at pianists' heads, and socked hecklers in their noses. While audiences loved him, most of his staff hated him. As a very popular star in nightclubs, on records, and in movies, he helped other singers, such as Alice Faye--who was his band singer for a while--and Frances Langford to start their careers. In his early movies he often played the romantic lead, but later he switched to stuffy and comic parts and later also appeared on Broadway. In his final years Rudy took a turn at performing standup comedy ... badly.