 "What excited us was the idea of Valentino as the first personality created by the mass media instrument in its infancy, and the inconsistency between his own life and his screen persona," Chartoff said.Winkler and Chartoff commissioned writer Mardik Martin to begin researching Valentino's life and develop a screenplay.Both Winkler and Chartoff were admirers of Ken Russell's films, and sought him to direct the project.