Vilma Bánky was a Hungarian-American silent film actress, although the early part of her acting career began in Budapest, spreading to France, Austria, and Germany. Bánky was best known for her roles in The Eagle and The Son of the Sheik with Rudolph Valentino and several romantic teamings with Ronald Colman.
Early life
Bánky was born on 9 January 1901 to János Bánky Koncsics and his wife, Katalin Ulbert in Nagydorog, Austria-Hungary. Her father was a bureau chief in Franz Joseph's Austro-Hungarian Empire. Shortly after her birth, her father, a police sergeant was transferred to Budapest, and the family relocated. She had two siblings – an older brother, Gyula and a younger sister, Gizella. After graduation from secondary school, Bánky took courses to work as a stenographer, but was offered a role in a film. Her first film appearance was in the now lost film, Im Letzten Augenblick, directed by Carl Boese in Germany in 1919. On a trip to Budapest in 1925, Hollywood film producerSamuel Goldwyn discovered and signed her to a contract. Both her mother and father were vehemently against Bánky's acting career as was her fiancé; nonetheless, she left for the United States in March 1925, arriving to a great deal of fanfare.
Career
She was hailed as "The Hungarian Rhapsody" and was an immediate hit with American audiences. The New York Times remarked in its review of her first American film, The Dark Angel, that she "is a young person of rare beauty... so exquisite that one is not in the least surprised that she is never forgotten by Hillary Trent". She appeared opposite silent great Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle and The Son of the Sheik. 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 Rod La Rocque and simply be his wife. By 1928, she had begun announcing her intention to retire in a few years. Of her 24 films, eight exist in their entirety, and three exist in fragments.
Post-acting career
Her post-Hollywood years were spent selling real estate with her husband and playing golf, her favorite sport. In 1981, Bánky established an educational fund, the Banky–La Rocque Foundation.
She married actor Rod La Rocque in 1927; they remained married until his death in 1969. They had no children. Bánky died on 18 March 1991, from cardiopulmonary failure, aged 90, but notice of her death was not made public until the following year. She was reportedly upset that no one had come to visit her in her last years, and directed her lawyer to make no mention of her death. Her ashes were scattered at sea where her husband's had been consigned. For her contributions to the film industry, Bánky received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Her star is located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.
She is mentioned in Stephen Sondheim's early musical Saturday Night. Her name is also brought up in the Gloria Swanson vehicle "Sunset Boulevard" along with that of her husband, Rod La Rocque. In the 1971 filmThey Might Be Giants, a psychiatric patient who believes he is Rudolph Valentino is told "my best to Vilma Bánky".
