The Sheik (1921) | Directed by George Melford - Full Movie

A charming Arabian sheik becomes infatuated with an adventurous, modern-thinking Englishwoman and abducts her to his home in the Saharan desert.Show more

The Sheik is a 1921 American silent romantic drama film produced by Famous Players-Lasky, directed by George Melford, starring Rudolph Valentino and Agnes Ayres, and featuring Adolphe Menjou. It was based on the bestselling 1919 romance novel of the same name by Edith Maude Hull and was adapted for the screen by Monte M. Katterjohn. The film was a box-office hit and helped propel Valentino to stardom.

In the 1926 sequel The Son of the Sheik, Valentino played both the Sheik and his son, while Ayres reprised her role. A third film in the series, She's a Sheik, was produced in 1927 by Paramount and starred Bebe Daniels in a comedic role reversal of the original film.

Directed by: George Melford
Written by: Monte M. Katterjohn (adaptation)
Based on: The Sheik by Edith Maude Hull
Produced by: Fred Qrimby
Starring: Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres
Cinematography: William Marshall
Music by: Irving Berlin (1970s reissue)
Production company: Famous Players-Lasky
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release date: November 20, 1921 (US)
Running time: 80 minutes
Country: United States
Languages: Silent film, English intertitles
Budget: under $200,000
Box office: $1.5 million (US/Canada)