AllMovie

Mae Murray hid her blonde tresses under a black wig to play the Spanish heroine of Valencia. A singer-dancer in a smoky cabaret, Valencia proves fascinating to young sailor Felipe (Lloyd Hughes). After spending the night with the sailor, our heroine discovers that she is also the object of adoration for Don Fernando (Roy D'Arcy), the new provincial governor. To save Felipe from punishment by the despotic Don Fernando, she laughs at the lad's marriage proposal and sends him on his way. When the governor finds out that Valencia is still in love with Felipe, he threatens to have the boy killed -- unless she accedes to his sexual demands. Sadly, Valencia agrees to the arrangement. As she bids Felipe goodbye, Valencia bursts into tears, whereupon Don Fernando finally relents and allows her to rejoin her true love. Trimmed from 9 reels to 6 before its release, Valencia proved a huge box-office success despite its short running time; as a bonus, its theme song (unheard in the film itself) became one of the biggest musical hits of 1926.