Vilma Bánky, a talented actress, began her illustrious career in the film industry by appearing in a series of Hungarian, Austrian, and French movies between the years 1920 and 1925. It was during this period that Samuel Goldwyn, a prominent Hollywood producer, recognized her immense potential and signed her to a Hollywood contract in Budapest. Under the stage name "The Hungarian Rhapsody", Bánky made a name for herself in Hollywood, quickly becoming Goldwyn's biggest moneymaker in the mid to late 1920s. Her on-screen chemistry with co-star Ronald Colman was particularly noteworthy, with their collaborations yielding some of the highest-grossing films of the era.
Bánky's most iconic roles, however, were those she shared with the dashing Rudolph Valentino. In the 1925 film "The Eagle", she played the role of a Russian aristocrat's daughter, showcasing her impressive range as an actress. The following year, she starred alongside Valentino once more in "The Son of the Sheik", where she portrayed an alluring Arab dancer. Her first foray into the world of talking movies came in 1929 with the film "This Is Heaven".
In the early 1930s, Bánky took her talents on the road, embarking on a U.S. tour with her husband, Rod La Rocque, in the production "Cherries Are Ripe". The following year, the couple made their way to Germany, where Bánky would shoot her final film.
