Selected excerpts from “Vilma Banky – Hungarian Rhapsody” by Charles K. Stumpf (From The World of Yesterday: August, 1979; No. 23)
**Note: I cannot guarantee the accuracy of all statements in the following excerpts. This is mainly for entertainment purposes.

“The golden-haired, violet-eyed beauty was born on January 09, 1903 (this is incorrect; 1898) in the small village of Nagydorg (misspelled), Hungary, near the Danube River and not far from Budapest. The landscape of her childhood was bounded on a sloping hilly horizon by purple vineyards. Vilma and her sister played peacefully in the shade of her father’s broad orchards with their younger brother, Gyula. By day, young Vilma studied her lessons diligently. She was taught languages, embroidery, and various household arts. Her mother Katalin, wanted her to have all of the accomplishments of the Hungarian education system provided. Her father, Johann Konsics Banky, was a bureau chief under the old Franz Josef Austro – Hungarian Empire. On Sunday afternoons he took the family to garden restaurants just outside of town where they heard concerts, while gypsies wandered lazily about the town. The family enjoyed an established social position in the official set at the capital.”

“Vilma had never known care during her early childhood until war cast its darkening shadow over the peaceful countryside. Then the old order changed drastically and chaos followed. By this time Vilma had blossomed into full womanhood. Her features were finely moulded [molded] and she possessed both a blonde loveliness and ethereal quality. Pictorially exquisite and ever graceful, she carried herself with a regal bearing.”

“She was, however, introduced to a motion picture director who was so impressed with her beauty, that he immediately cast her in a film IM LETZTEN AUGENBLICK made in 1920. The next year she was given the leading role in GALATEA opposite Ivan Petrovitch, the acclaimed 'Valentino of Europe.' During the next five years she worked in thirteen films made in her native land, as well as in Germany and Austria. In addition to being a famous beauty, she gained recognition as being a capable actress.”

“In the summer of 1924, Samuel Goldwyn was traveling through Europe and saw a portrait of her. He inquired of the young beauty, and learning that she was an established actress, was eager to sign her to a contract for American films.”

“She sailed for America in March of 1925, determined to be a success and eager to learn to speak perfect English.”

Of her performance in THE DARK ANGEL – “[The movie] was given a New York premiere on October 11, 1925 and reviews at the time noted … “She has hair which is not bobbed but light, and soft eyes that are expressive, and a set of good looks such as one rarely views … Her acting is sincere and earnest, and her tears seem very real …” Variety noted: “Interest naturally centers about Miss Banky, who has been touted to the heavens by Samuel Goldwyn as the greatest ever … Funniest of all is that (she) is as good as Goldwyn claimed … Her acting here is as sure and professional as if she had been used to American studios for years.” (Of course, the reviews are accurate!)”

“In real life Valentino had just separated from his wife, Natacha Rambova. Gossip columnists insisted he was eager for a real new romance; it was only natural that his latest co-star should be linked romantically with his name in blazing headlines across the land. They did like each other, it is true. But as Adela Rogers St. Johns wrote in September 1929 … “Vilma Banky, with her broken English and her slow smile, just happened to be as wise as she was lovely. She looked at Rudy and saw the fever back of his black eyes, saw the agony of his wildness, and very sweetly she brought him out of his pose of the adoring lover – and made of him – a friend. Rudy needed a woman friend just then. Vilma was gentle with him; she let him weep his grief out and tried to soothe and sympathize with him.”

“Banky was known around Hollywood, and elsewhere as 'The Hungarian Rhapsody' and 'The Most Lovely Woman on the Screen.'”

“There was no questioning the magic of the perfect blending of the looks and talents of Banky and Colman on the silver screen. Next Goldwyn capitalized on the popular appeal of the Latin type lover screenhero by casting Colman as a swashbuckling gypsy “Montero” in ONE [THE] NIGHT OF LOVE. Banky was the virginal and flaxen-haired princess Marie. The lavish costume drama was directed by George Fitzmaurice, with exotic sets by Carl Oscar Borg. One of the visual highlights of the film was a lavish wedding feast for the Princess, for which Vilma was decked out in a magnificent bridal gown made of peach-colored chiffon, with fox and pearl trim. The gown reportedly weighed fifty pounds – quite a burden for the fragile actress. The film was released on January 24, 1927.”

“Prior to the release of THIS IS HEAVEN Goldwyn had given the film his typical ballyhoo with huge ads proclaiming: “The Screen’s Most Beautiful Actress as Manhattan’s prettiest waitress – in a Mad, Merry Romance of New York! Vilma Banky’s voice is heard for the first time in THIS IS HEAVEN.” He further declared: “Her slight Continental accent is a decided asset to the dramatic effect…” The consensus of the critiques, however, was that Banky’s ‘slight Continental accent’ made her virtually unintelligible. In defense of the actress, the New York Times critic said “…Whether she is silent – or talking – Miss Banky is always radiant.”

Of Rod and Vilma: “The couple lived happily in an unostentatious home, minus a swimming pool, in the Foothill Road area of Beverly Hills. They enjoyed forty-two years of wedded bliss until Mr. LaRocque passed away on October 15, 1969. Miss Banky has not made a public appearance since.”

“Miss Banky and her actor husband never appeared together on the screen. However, after her retirement from films, they toured in a stage production of Cherries Are Ripe (1930). In later years LaRocque became a real estate broker s pecializing in handling ranch properties. Thanks to wise investments the LaRocque’s were considered one of the film colony’s wealthiest couples.”