The Latin lover From Valentino to Travolta our hearts still skip By Angela Baldassarre Some may want to blame Casanova, or even Romeo, but the emotional destruction caused by Latin lovers have thrust women in such a swirl of frenzy that we've yet to recover. These men - Italian, French and Latino - are the focus of an entertaining new book by Victoria Thomas titled Hollywood's Latin Lovers: Latino, Italian and French Men Who Make the Screen Smolder. And indeed they do. In her book, writer Thomas dissects the men our mothers warned us about: that dark-eyed, dark-haired she-magnet so comfortable in his abundant masculinity that made women's hearts skip throughout the centuryÉ as well as those of a few men. Thomas describes the rise of these men in Hollywood films through stereotypical and derogatory portrayals to roles that represent a broad range of characters. (Thomas refers to "Latin" as all people of Latin heritage such as Hispanic, Latino, French, Italian and Portuguese.) Her book begins with an ode to that embodiment of Latin Lover, Rudolph Valentino. Born Rodolfo Alfonzo Rafaelo Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla in Caltanisetta, Italy, Valentino had a middle-class upbringing and enjoyed almost immediate success when he moved to New York in 1910 as a dancer. After meeting actress Alice Terry, Valentino became an instant hit starring in 14 major films in seven years. He was the noble seducer who would magnetize women with his eyes. Before his death from peritonitis at the age of 31 in 1926, Valentino would marry actress Jean Acker (a lesbian who would leave him six hours later), and set designer Natacha Rambova (who would play domination games with him). Valentino's passing would give way to other turbanned Latin hunks such as self-professed homosexual Ramon Novarro, Spanish-born Antonio Moreno, a Juarez toreador's son Gilbert Roland, born Luis Antonio Damasco de Alonso, and that daintily gay caballero, Cesar Romero. As the century moved into the 1950s, the Latin Lovers became less androgynous and very suave in their romanticism. Who could resist the deeply devout catholic and husband Ricardo Montalban who brought sophistication to the large screens before donning the white suit on Fantasy Island? Or Fernando Lamas, the boxer and swimmer from Argentina who wed no less than four women - including actresses Arlene Dahl, Esther Williams - and had a long-lasting affair with Lana Turner? One of the most revealing chapters in Hollywood's Latin Lovers is that dedicated to Cuban-born Desi Arnaz whose social pedigree outshone that of his red-haired famous bride, Lucille Ball. A terrific dancer and musician whose noble bloodline flows from as far back as the 17th century - Arnaz Drive in Beverly Hills is named after his great-grandfather, Don Manuel II, who was mayor of Santiago in 1869 - Arnaz made few films, but his imprint on the small screen as the quintessential suave Latin performer remains unprecedented. As to the French, Thomas thrusts them together in one chapter referring to Alain Delon as the bad boy of French cinema; Maurice Chevalier as being too French to be true; Charles Boyer a serious lover who took his own life after his wife of 42 years would die; Louis Jordan who complained that his good looks got in his way; and existential punk Jean-Paul Belmondo. Entire chapters are dedicated to Mexican-born Anthony Quinn and Italy's favorite son, Marcello Mastroianni before we reach the "new wave." Considering that actors in the 1970s were forced to downplay their sexuality along with ethnicity, many rebelled often going the opposite way. Sylvester Stallone - born in a charity ward in Hell's Kitchen - and John Travolta exuded their animal magnetism through excess instead of romanticism redefining the Latin lover as a low-life "greaser". While their masculinity was complex, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Raul Julia and Jimmy Smits were elevated beyond clichŽ by intelligence and restraint. Today only Antonio Banderas fulfills the fantasy as the Latin Lover at his most classic, embracing the many cross-gender roles crossing his path. Ultimately Hollywood's Latin Lovers is an immensely interesting read about many of the biz's most fascinating men, all snuggled between terrific photographs. Hollywood's Latin Lovers is published by Angel City Press.