Rain Bow Academy

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Saturday, 16 March 2013

Rita Hayworth: American Exotic

Posted on 19:20 by Unknown

Film historian David Shipman had this to say about Rita Hayworth in his masterful "The Great Movies Stars: The Golden Years":
"The appellation 'The Love Goddess' has been used about a dozen stars, but mostly about Rita Hayworth. Whatever other girls had - and sexy, desirable girls were never in short supply in films - Rita had more of. She was ravishing in black and white, and breathtaking when (very sensibly) they put her into Technicolor: auburn-haired, brown-eyed, and with the proverbial peaches-and-cream complexion. It wasn't just physical allure. Naturally it's preferable when a woman on the seducing end attractive - provocation was an early Hayworth specialty - but she did have that special star luster. One fan-mag-writer in 1963 considered her 'an interesting interval - if not an especially dynamic one - between Jean Harlow and Marilyn Monroe,' but her appeal was really somewhat more subtle than either. She was once described as 'the intellectual's glamour girl,' presumably implying that a lot of people liked her who weren't expected to."
Lately, I've just been thinking that she is one of the most beautiful women ever to to grace the screen.

Complex, Talented and Tragic
Rita's story is well known. Born Margarita Carmen Cansino, she followed in her dancing father's footsteps and was eventually noticed by the head of Fox studios, who put her under contract. Cast mostly as a foreign exotic, she was eventually dropped by Fox. Her first husband wrangled a deal with Columbia and there Harry Cohn saw a diamond in the rough in this B-film actress. Her name was changed, her hair-color changed from dark to red. A painful process of electrolysis to raise her low hairline completed the picture and a unique love goddess was made. The American beauties could never match the sex, mystery and allure of the European goddesses such as Garbo and Dietrich. While Hayworth projected all-American health, she also had that air of European sophistication. Film historian John Kobal called her an American Exotic.
Margarita and Rita
It seems Rita Hayworth knew very little happiness. Her second marriage to Orson Welles ended sadly. Her next romance, a scandalous one with Prince Aly Khan, for whom she left Hollywood. After than marriage ended, she returned to Hollywood, but her heart was no longer in it. 2 other disastrous and abusive marriages followed (to singer Dick Haymes and director James Hill). Harry Cohn continually made her life miserable at Columbia and, unbelievable though it seems, this great beauty was shy and insecure and relied heavily on alcohol to get her through the day. In her 50s she fell victim to Alzheimer's Disease. Because it was so misunderstood in those days, she was often accused of being drunk and/or crazy (her daughter, Yasmin Khan, cared for her mother with great compassion and is the president of Alzheimer's International).

Her Legacy
While she might have been sad behind the camera, Rita Hayworth left us with unforgettable images and breathtaking performances. Some on my favorites:
Gilda

Beautiful beyond belief, Rita famously said of the men in her life "every man I knew went to bed with Gilda and woke up with me."

Cover Girl

As Rusty Parker, she was the girl next door who just looked better than any girl who ever lived next door.

Pin Up Girl Extraordinaire

This photo of Rita on the cover of Life Magazine elevated her to the top of the heap (with Betty Grable) as WWII G.I.'s favorite pin-up girl.

Dancer
Rita's great friend, choreographer Jack Cole, said that Rita was only confident when she was dancing. Here are a few of her best moments.


Rita, you kicked ass.

To view more gorgeous photos of Rita, check out My Movie Dream Book right HERE.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook
Posted in Rita Hayworth | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Remembering Natalie Wood: You Don't Know What You've Got 'Till It's Gone
    For no particular reason, I have been thinking of Natalie Wood a lot lately and missing her.  She was ever present in my life as a pre-teen,...
  • The Tattooed Police Horse: It's All About the Hair!
    This is my contribution to the Hoseathon hosted by " My Love of Old Hollywood . " Giddyup over here and check out the rest of the...
  • Giving Them The Slip: When Passion Meets Fashion
    This is my contribution to The Hollywood Revue's Fashion in Film Blogathon. Click HERE for more fashion, more fun and more fabulosity!...
  • True Classics Movie Limerick Contest: My Inner Poet Says: Sunset Boulevard
    This is my entry in  True Classics Limerick Contest .  Click HERE and check out all of the  fun and  fabulous entries! Sunset Boulevard A J...
  • Stars Who Scare Me! A Halloween Tribute
    I love the stars, I really  do, but there are those few who have always scared me. There is something about them that starts the negative vi...
  • Marlene Dietrich - In Her Own Words
    "A Personal Biography" A review of the new book "Marlene" by Charlotte Chandler.  I approached "Marlene" by ...
  • ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS... (movie-wise, that is)
    In the spirit of the season, here are some Christmas wishes for some movie-folks who might need a helping hand from Santa.   Santa, do your ...
  • And The Oscar Goes To... Some Criminally Overlooked Categories
    My popcorn and Dom Perignon are at the ready and my tiara is on straight! As I settle in for a long night of red carpets, longer speeches, h...
  • The Working Woman's Guide to Film Fashion
    This is my contribution to the Hollywood Revue's Fashion in Film Blogathon. For the complete line-up,  click here . I can't wait to ...
  • Clara Bow and Gilbert Roland: Brief Romance, Lasting Tenderness
    I am hoping that someday a movie will be made about the life of Clara Bow. Not a trashy version based on scandals, but an insightful depicti...

Categories

  • "Love Affair." Irene Dunne
  • 2011 CiMBA Nominations
  • 2014 calendar
  • 7 x 7 Award
  • A Song in the Dark
  • A Touch of Class
  • Abbott and Costello
  • Academy Awards
  • Actors in Drag
  • Aging Stars
  • Amazon.com
  • Ann Dvorak
  • Ann Sheridan
  • Anna Karenina
  • Auction
  • Audrey Hepburn
  • Barbara Stanwyck
  • Barbra Streisand
  • Basil Rathbone
  • Baz Luhrmann
  • Ben Model
  • Bette Davis
  • Big Night
  • Billie Dove
  • Billy Wilder
  • Bing Crosby
  • Bitches and Blaggards
  • Blazing Saddles
  • Blue Jasmine
  • Bob Hope
  • Burt Lancaster
  • Buster Keaton
  • Carey Mulligan
  • Carole Lombard
  • Cary Grant
  • Castle on the Hudson
  • Cate Blanchett
  • Chaplin the Musical
  • Charles Boyer
  • Charlie Chaplin
  • Cher
  • Chicago
  • Christina Rice
  • Christmas
  • City for Conquest
  • Clara Bow
  • Clark Gable
  • Classic Film Six Degrees of Separation
  • Classic Film Stars
  • Classic Films
  • Clifton Webb
  • CMBA Blogathon
  • Colleen Moore
  • Constance Talmadge
  • Contrance Talmadge
  • Dana Andrews
  • Dark Ladies of Warners
  • Debbie Reynolds
  • Doris Day
  • Dorothy Lamour
  • Double Indemnity
  • Douglas Fairbanks
  • Dueling Divas Blogothon
  • Edna Purviance
  • Elizabeth Taylor
  • Elvia Presley
  • Erich Von Stroheim
  • Errol Flynn
  • Eva Marie Saint
  • Exotic Actors
  • Exotic Actresses
  • favorite movie scenes
  • Film Fashion
  • Food
  • Frank Sinatra
  • From Scarface to Scarlett
  • Gail Patrick
  • Gals with guns
  • Gary Cooper
  • Gaslight
  • Gene Kelly
  • Gene Tierney
  • George Sanders
  • Georges Melies
  • Ghosts
  • Gilbert Roland
  • Glenn Close
  • Gloria Swanson
  • Gossip
  • Grace Kelly
  • Greta Garbo
  • Guilty Pleasures
  • Haiku
  • Halloween
  • Hayley Mills
  • Helen Morgan
  • Her Sister From Paris
  • Holiday (1930)
  • How To Steal a Million
  • Hugo
  • Humphrey Bogart
  • Ingrid Bergman
  • Irene Dunne
  • Isn't it Romantic?
  • Jack Palance
  • James Cagney
  • James Mason
  • James Stewart
  • Jane Greer
  • Jane Russell
  • Jean Hagen
  • Jean Harlow
  • Jeanette MacDonald
  • Jeanne Eagles
  • Joan Blondell
  • Joan Crawford
  • Joan Fontaine
  • John Barrymore
  • John Garfield
  • John Gilbert
  • John Kobal
  • Journalism
  • Jude Law
  • Judith Anderson
  • Judy Garland
  • July 4th
  • Katharine Hepburn
  • Kay Francis
  • Keira Knightley
  • Kendra Bean
  • Kiki
  • Kim Novak
  • Lana Turner
  • Laurence Olivier
  • Leave Her to Heaven
  • Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Liebster Award
  • Lina Lamont
  • Lita Grey
  • Lizabeth Scott
  • Loretta Young
  • Louise Brooks
  • Love Me Tonight
  • Mabel Normand
  • Mae Murray
  • Mae West
  • Maggie Smith
  • Manhattan
  • Marilyn Miller
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • Marjorie Morningstar
  • Marlene Dietrich
  • Marlon Brando
  • Martin Scorsese
  • Mary Astor
  • Mary Miles Minter
  • Mary Pickford
  • Maurice Chevalier
  • Mediums
  • men who smoke
  • Michael Douglas
  • Michael G. Ankerich
  • Miriam Cooper
  • Miriam Hopkins
  • Movie Book I Love
  • Movie Books I Love
  • Movie Crushes
  • Movie Musicals
  • Movie Snob
  • movie star mad libs
  • My Favorite Movie Books
  • My Movie Dream Book
  • Myrna Loy
  • Nancy Carroll
  • Natalie Wood
  • New Years 2013
  • New York City
  • Norma Desmond
  • Norma Talmadge
  • Obsessions
  • Olive Thomas
  • On the Waterfront
  • Orson Welles
  • Pamela Franklin
  • Paramount
  • Paris
  • Paulette Goddard
  • Peter O'Toole
  • Photoplay Magazine
  • Picture Snatcher
  • Platinum Blonde
  • Pola Negri
  • Portrait Photographers
  • Pre-Code Films
  • Psychics
  • Queen Kelly
  • Rear Window
  • recycled Hollywood costumes
  • Richard Widmark
  • Rita Hayworth
  • Robert Preston
  • Robert Redford
  • Roberto Rossellini
  • Robin Hood
  • Ronald Colman
  • Roscoe Arbuckle
  • Rudolph Valentino
  • Scandal
  • Sex and the City
  • Sexy Stars
  • Shirley Jones
  • Silent Films
  • Singing in the Rain
  • Spirits
  • Stars portraying stars
  • Stars who died young
  • Strong Women in film
  • Sunset Boulevard
  • Susan Hayward
  • Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise
  • Sweet Blogger
  • Take Her For a Ride
  • TCM Tour
  • Thaksgiving
  • The Apartment
  • The Artist
  • The Godfather
  • The Great Gatsby
  • The Kid
  • The New York Hat
  • The Norma Desmond Chronicles
  • The Philadelphia Story
  • The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
  • The Producers
  • The Public Enemy
  • The Roaring Twenties
  • The Tattooed Police Horse
  • The Wizard of Oz
  • Theda Bara
  • These Amazing Shadows
  • Three on a Match
  • Tony Randall
  • Twentieth Century
  • Valentines Day
  • Vertigo
  • Vivien Leigh
  • Walt Disney
  • Warren William
  • westerns
  • William Desmond Taylor
  • William Holden
  • William Wyler
  • Woody Allen
  • Ziegfeld

Blog Archive

  • ▼  2013 (41)
    • ►  December (2)
    • ►  November (3)
    • ►  October (3)
    • ►  September (4)
    • ►  August (4)
    • ►  July (3)
    • ►  June (4)
    • ►  May (4)
    • ►  April (5)
    • ▼  March (4)
      • Giving Them The Slip: When Passion Meets Fashion
      • Rita Hayworth: American Exotic
      • Scandal! Charlie Chaplin - Part 1
      • Castle on the Hudson: I'll Do Anything To Get Outt...
    • ►  February (3)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2012 (56)
    • ►  December (3)
    • ►  November (5)
    • ►  October (5)
    • ►  September (4)
    • ►  August (4)
    • ►  July (5)
    • ►  June (3)
    • ►  May (5)
    • ►  April (5)
    • ►  March (7)
    • ►  February (5)
    • ►  January (5)
  • ►  2011 (90)
    • ►  December (7)
    • ►  November (7)
    • ►  October (9)
    • ►  September (7)
    • ►  August (9)
    • ►  July (6)
    • ►  June (7)
    • ►  May (10)
    • ►  April (11)
    • ►  March (7)
    • ►  February (4)
    • ►  January (6)
  • ►  2010 (23)
    • ►  December (5)
    • ►  November (4)
    • ►  October (5)
    • ►  September (5)
    • ►  August (4)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile