The time Spanky Lovepump changed his name to Rudolph Valentino

Spanky Lovepump was despondent and exhausted.

He’d returned to his tiny LA apartment after a day spent in another in a string of ‘heavy’ roles that seemed to be defining his acting career.

All he wanted, all he dreamed of, was to see his name – ‘Spanky Lovepump’ – across the top of a Movie billposter, but that dream had never felt so far away.

“As Spanky Lovepump, directors never took me seriously,” recalled that Silent screen heartthrob in a 1926 Wogan interview that took place just before his untimely death.

“It was always – ‘hey, you’re a good-looking guy, but Spanky Lovepump? It’s just not a star name’ – which was difficult for me.”

Spanky came from a long line of Lovepumps, a proud family who’d emigrated from Scotland.

“I didn’t want to reject that name. I love my family and I loved being a Lovepump.”

However, it was a family tragedy that was to change his mind.

“It was my Grandma, she was dying and we knew we didn’t have long left.

“I went to visit her and, you know, we were talking and I was telling her about my acting and she just went ‘Spanky, in here,’ and she put her hand on my chest, ‘in here, you will always be a Lovepump. Always,’ and she smiled at me.

“That beautiful smile, I knew what she meant. She meant I should change my name because whatever I changed it to, I would never be anything but Spanky Lovepump inside.”

Spanky tried a number of names – Barry Hotpants, Sexpot McDongle, Willy Banjo, Panty Sexface, Fancy Loveman, Big Balls McGeedy, Rumpy Fandango – before finally settling on Rudolph Valentino.

“That changed everything for me, I got the lead in The Sheik and my career just took off,” laughed the heartthrob.

“But I always remember, no matter how big I see my name on posters and billboards,” he said, becoming serious again

“Behind that name is a Lovepump, always a Spanky Lovepump.”