Vilma Bánky

 Vilma Bánky, born Vilma Koncsics (January 9, 1901 – March 18, 1991)

She was a Hungarian-American silent film actress. Bánky was best known for her roles in The Eagle and The Son of the Sheik with Rudolph Valentino and several romantic pairings with Ronald Colman. Her first film appearance was in the now lost film, Im Letzten Augenblick (In the last moment), directed by Carl Boese in Germany in 1919. On a trip to Budapest in 1925, Hollywood film producer Samuel Goldwyn discovered and signed her to a contract. She was an immediate hit with American audiences in her first American film, The Dark Angel (1925). She appeared opposite silent great Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (1925) and The Son of the Sheik (1926). Valentino reportedly was fascinated by Vilma, and he chose her as the leading lady in the films. She also appeared opposite Ronald Colman in a series of love stories, including The Dark Angel and The Winning of Barbara Worth. It commonly is believed that her thick Hungarian accent cut her career short with the advent of sound; however, she began losing interest in films and wanted to settle down with actor Rod La Rocque and simply be his wife. By 1928, she had begun announcing her intention to retire in a few years. Her post-Hollywood years were spent selling real estate with her husband and playing golf, her favorite sport. Her husband Rod La Rocque died in 1969, they had no children. Bánky died on March 18, 1991, from cardiopulmonary failure, aged 90, but notice of her death was not made public until the following year. Her ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.