Mrs E.M Hull had written a sequel to the ‘Sheik’. This was suggested to Valentino when his next film came up for discussion. Although he had disliked the ‘Sheik’ he read the new novel: ‘The Sons of the Sheik’ with interest. It had possibilities and opportunities for good acting. He liked the idea of a dual role father and son, which he felt would be exciting to play.

Also he could have the services of George Fitzmaurice as Director something that he had been trying to get over along period of time but without success for a long period of time. The proposed leading lady was again Vilma Benky,  whose blonde beauty and slim figure would be suited to the role of Yasmine the dancing girl. Valentino gave his consent and of February 15th 1926 production began the completed scenario contained only one character that of Ahmed, the other son having been deleted. As usual Valentino took great pains to bring realism to the two parts.

The makeup department did a wonderful job and he was thrilled by the fact that he could wonder through the studio unrecognised. Agnes Ayres paid Valentino a great compliment by  consenting to play her original role as the wife of the old Sheik.

Part of the filming was done in the Yuma Desert where huge wind machines assimilated the sand storms of the Desert, and where Valentino felt at one with nature. His love of the desert was intense. Something within him responded as he galloped over the vast sand dunes which stretched far away to the horizon.

‘The Son of the Sheik’ was finished on June the 4th and had a premiere in Los Angeles. It was a glittering occasion attended by film stars, directors, and most of the Hollywood set. Upon entering the foyer Valentino stopped in amazement. He was confronted by a floral tribute eight feet high by ten feet wide. Red Gladioli formed the back ground with the name Valentino in white Carnations this enormous set piece had been sent by Pola Negri. When Valentino found he had been trapped by the manager of the theatre into giving a little speech, he responded amid wild enthusiasm this personal appearance was so successful that United Artists decided to send him on a tour of The Larger American Cities.

It was arranged that Valentino and his manager George Ullman should work their way round to New York in time for the departure of his brother Alberto and his family. Everything went well until they arrived in Chicago, where George Ullman was handed a newspaper, the editorial of which dealt a blow at Valentino from which he never recovered. It hung like a cloud over him and blotted out all of the sunshine until the day of his passing.

Had it not been for that malicious article written by a man who was too cowardly to face Valentino, he might have sought medical advice much earlier when the first symptoms of his illness began to appear. When requested by George Ullman to see a Doctor, Valentino remarked it would look as if he was seeking a means to back out of his challenge, for he did challenge the author of the article to face him.

The article appeared in the Chicago Tribune, and ran as follows :

‘Pink Powder Puffs, A new public ballroom was opened on the north side a few days ago a truly handsome place and apparently well run. The pleasant impression lasts until one steps into the mens washroom and finds there on the wall a contraption of glass tubes and levers and a slot for a insertion of a coin. The glass tubes contain a fluffy pink solid and beneath reads an amazing legend wich runs something like this: ‘Insert coin hold personal puff beneath the tube then pull the lever. In a men’s washroom. Why didn’t someone quietly drown Rudolph Guglielmo, alias Valentino years ago’

This vile article written by a man who remained anonymous ran into a longer article.  What motive the writer had was never established. Why the installation of powder machine should be connected with a man who had won a place in the hearts of all film goers men and women all over the world and was held in esteem by men of the highest integrity, remains a mystery.

As a professional dancer Valentino had partnered first class artists and been booked to appear in fashionable and reputable establishments. He had voluntarily given up dancing and had become a film master more by accident than design. Each attempt to become a farmer had been blocked by circumstance beyond his control. Most successful men achieve fame and fortune only after prolonged series of attempts in other directions.

Valentino immediately wrote a letter in reply to the editorial. Sending for a reporter of the “Chicago Herald- Examiner”, a rival newspaper of “The Chicago Tribune”, he asked him to print it.

‘TO THE MAN (?) WHO WROTE THE EDITORIAL HEADED “PINK POWDER PUFFS” IN SUNDAYS TRIBUNE!.
‘The above mentioned editorial is at least the second scurrilous personal attack you have made upon me my race and my fathers name. You slur my Italian ancestry, you cast ridicule upon my Italian name, you cast doubt upon my manhood. I call you in return, a contemptible coward and to prove which of us is a better man, I challenge you to a personal test. This is not a challenge to a dual in the generally accepted sense that would be illegal but in Illinois boxing is legal, so is wrestling. I therefore defy you to meet me in the boxing or wrestling arena to prove, in typically American fashion, ‘For I am an American citizen’ which of us is more of a man.

I prefer this test of honour to be private so I may give you the beating you deserve, and because I want to make it absolutely plain that this challenge is not for purposes of publicity. I am handing copies of this to the Newspapers simply because I doubt that anyone so cowardly to write about me as you have would respond to a defy unless forced by the press to do so. I do not know who you are or how big you are but this challenge stands if you are as big as Jack Dempsey.

I will meet you immediately or give you a reasonable time in which to prepare, for I assume your muscles must be flabby and weak, judging by your cowardly mentality, and that you will have to replace the vitriol in your veins for red blood-if there be a place in such a body as yours for red blood and manly muscle. I want to make it plain I hold no grievance against The Chicago Tribune although it seems a mistake to let a cowardly writer use its columns as this ‘Man’ does. My fight is personal-with the poison pen writer of editorials that stoop to racial and personal prejudice. The Tribune through miss mae tines, has treated me and my work kindly and at times favourably I welcome criticism of my work as an actor-but I will resent with every muscle of my body attacks on my manhood and ancestry.

Hoping I will have an opportunity to demonstrate to you that the wrist under a slave bracelet may snap a real fist into your sagging jaw and that I may teach you respect of a man even though he happens to prefer to keep his face clean, I remain with

Utter Contempt Rudolph Valentino
P.S I will return to Chicago within ten days. You may send your answer to me in New York, care of United Artists Corp. 729 7th Ave.'

This was front page stuff, and editors both sides of the Atlantic, splashed it across their respective newspapers. The challenge also became a controversial interest amongst the sporting columnists who took sides and bets as to the ability of Valentino to beat his opponent should he turn out to be a boxer.

Arriving in New York Valentino and George Ullman went to the Ambassador Hotel, where they intended to stay until they returned to Chicago.

It was not long before George Ullman received a call from Buck O’Neal the boxing expert on the New York evening journal, who asked if he could try out Valentino, confident of Valentino’s ability and without consulting him George Ullman arranged for a bout to be held on the roof of the hotel.

The contest was watched by a group of very interested spectators. Afterwards Buck O’Neal remarked: ‘Don’t make any mistake! That boy has a punch like a mules kick, I would sure hate to have him sore at me’.

Everyday he was besieged by reporters, friends and dealers. Requests for personal appearances, and invitations to public and private receptions poured into his rooms at the hotel. Valentino had resumed his friendship with Jean Acker and it was his first wife he now turned for companionship and chose to accompany him on numerous occasions. When they could get away they drove out into the country.

To people in sympathy and with perfect understanding Valentino remarked of Jean: ‘I never had any woman friend as kind as Jean, she is an understanding heart’. Returning to Chicago where he was to make an appearance at the Roosevelt Theatre- Valentino waited for the result of his challenge to the anonymous writer of ‘The Pink Powder Puff’. When after two weeks no reply had been received he handed the following statement to the press: ‘It is evident you cannot make a coward fight anymore that you can draw blood out of a turnip.

The heroic silence of the writer who chose to attack me without provocation in the Chicago Tribune leaves no doubt as to the total absence of manliness in his whole make-up. I feel I have been vindicated because I consider his silence as a tacit retraction and an admission which I am forced to accept even though it is not entirely to my liking.

The newspaper men and women who it has been my privilege to know briefly or for longer time have been so absolutely fair and so loyal to their profession and their publications, that I need hardly say how conspicuous is this exception to the newspaper profession

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