The Sheik is a 1921 silent movie. It was directed by George Melford. It stars Rudolph Valentino. The movie was based on the book "The Sheik" by Edith Maude Hull. The movie is about a British lady who is captured by an Arab chieftain (a sheik). She is held in his camp, and grows to love him. "The Sheik" made Valentino a superstar. Reviews were mixed. Some critics liked the movie. Some did not. Women loved it. Most men did not like it. They either walked out or stayed away.