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 Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of dancers. Her father, Eduardo Cansino Reina, was a dancer as was his father before him. He emigrated from Spain in 1913. Rita's American mother, Volga Margaret (Hayworth), who was of mostly Irish descent, met Eduardo in 1916 and were married the following year. Rita, herself, studied as a dancer in order to follow in her family's footsteps. She joined her family on stage when she was eight years old when her family was filmed in a movie called La Fiesta (1926). It was her first film appearance, albeit an uncredited one. Sotted by Fox studio head Winfield R. Sheehan, she signed her first studio contract, and make her film debut at age sixteen, in Dante's Inferno (1935), followed by Cruz Diablo (1934). She continued to play small bit parts in several films under the name of "Rita Cansino". Fox dropped her after five small roles, but expert, exploitative promotion by her first husband Edward Judson soon brought Rita a new contract at Columbia Pictures, where studio head Harry Cohn changed her surname to Hayworth and approved raising her hairline by electrolysis. She played the second female lead, Judy McPherson, in Only Angels Have Wings (1939). After thirteen minor roles, Columbia lent her to Warner Bros. for her first big success, The Strawberry Blonde (1941); her splendid dancing with Fred Astaire in You'll Never Get Rich (1941) made her a star. This was the film that exuded the warmth and seductive vitality that was to make her famous. Her natural, raw beauty was showcased later that year in Blood and Sand (1941), filmed in Technicolor.Rita was probably the second most popular actress after Betty Grable. In You'll Never Get Rich (1941) with Fred Astaire, was probably the film that moviegoers felt close to Rita. Her dancing, for which she had studied all her life, was astounding. After the hit Gilda (1946) (her dancing had made the film and it had made her), her career was on the skids. Although she was still making movies, they never approached her earlier success. The drought began between The Lady from Shanghai (1947) and Champagne Safari (1954). Then after Salome (1953), she was not seen again until Pal Joey (1957). Part of the reasons for the downward spiral was television, but also Rita had been replaced by a new star at Columbia, Kim Novak.Rita, herself, said, "Men fell in love with Gilda, but they wake up with me". In person, Rita was shy, quiet and unassuming; only when the cameras rolled did she turn on the explosive sexual charisma that in Gilda (1946) made her a superstar. To Rita, though, domestic bliss was a more important, if elusive, goal, and in 1949 she interrupted her career for marriage - unfortunately an unhappy one almost from the start - to the playboy Prince Aly Khan. Her films after her divorce from Khan include perhaps her best straight acting performances, Miss Sadie Thompson (1953) and They Came to Cordura (1959).After a few, rather forgettable films in the 1960s, her career was essentially over. Her final film was The Wrath of God (1972). Her career was really never the same after Gilda (1946). Perhaps Gene Ringgold said it best when he remarked, "Rita Hayworth is not an actress of great depth. She was a dancer, a glamorous personality, and a sex symbol. These qualities are such that they can carry her no further professionally." Perhaps he was right but Hayworth fans would vehemently disagree with him.Beginning in 1960 (age 42), early onset of Alzheimer's disease (undiagnosed until 1980) limited Rita's ability. The last few roles in her 60-film career were increasingly small. With 20 years of symptoms, Rita was cared for by her daughter, Yasmin Khan, until Rita's death at age 68 on May 14, 1987, in New York City.
Bio:
Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of dancers. Her father, Eduardo Cansino Reina, was a dancer as was his father before him. He emigrated from Spain in 1913. Rita's American mother, Volga Margaret (Hayworth), who was of mostly Irish descent, met Eduardo in 1916 and were married the following year. Rita, herself, studied as a dancer in order to follow in her family's footsteps. She joined her family on stage when she was eight years old when her family was filmed in a movie called La Fiesta (1926). It was her first film appearance, albeit an uncredited one. Sotted by Fox studio head Winfield R. Sheehan, she signed her first studio contract, and make her film debut at age sixteen, in Dante's Inferno (1935), followed by Cruz Diablo (1934). She continued to play small bit parts in several films under the name of "Rita Cansino". Fox dropped her after five small roles, but expert, exploitative promotion by her first husband Edward Judson soon brought Rita a new contract at Columbia Pictures, where studio head Harry Cohn changed her surname to Hayworth and approved raising her hairline by electrolysis. She played the second female lead, Judy McPherson, in Only Angels Have Wings (1939). After thirteen minor roles, Columbia lent her to Warner Bros. for her first big success, The Strawberry Blonde (1941); her splendid dancing with Fred Astaire in You'll Never Get Rich (1941) made her a star. This was the film that exuded the warmth and seductive vitality that was to make her famous. Her natural, raw beauty was showcased later that year in Blood and Sand (1941), filmed in Technicolor.Rita was probably the second most popular actress after Betty Grable. In You'll Never Get Rich (1941) with Fred Astaire, was probably the film that moviegoers felt close to Rita. Her dancing, for which she had studied all her life, was astounding. After the hit Gilda (1946) (her dancing had made the film and it had made her), her career was on the skids. Although she was still making movies, they never approached her earlier success. The drought began between The Lady from Shanghai (1947) and Champagne Safari (1954). Then after Salome (1953), she was not seen again until Pal Joey (1957). Part of the reasons for the downward spiral was television, but also Rita had been replaced by a new star at Columbia, Kim Novak.Rita, herself, said, "Men fell in love with Gilda, but they wake up with me". In person, Rita was shy, quiet and unassuming; only when the cameras rolled did she turn on the explosive sexual charisma that in Gilda (1946) made her a superstar. To Rita, though, domestic bliss was a more important, if elusive, goal, and in 1949 she interrupted her career for marriage - unfortunately an unhappy one almost from the start - to the playboy Prince Aly Khan. Her films after her divorce from Khan include perhaps her best straight acting performances, Miss Sadie Thompson (1953) and They Came to Cordura (1959).After a few, rather forgettable films in the 1960s, her career was essentially over. Her final film was The Wrath of God (1972). Her career was really never the same after Gilda (1946). Perhaps Gene Ringgold said it best when he remarked, "Rita Hayworth is not an actress of great depth. She was a dancer, a glamorous personality, and a sex symbol. These qualities are such that they can carry her no further professionally." Perhaps he was right but Hayworth fans would vehemently disagree with him.Beginning in 1960 (age 42), early onset of Alzheimer's disease (undiagnosed until 1980) limited Rita's ability. The last few roles in her 60-film career were increasingly small. With 20 years of symptoms, Rita was cared for by her daughter, Yasmin Khan, until Rita's death at age 68 on May 14, 1987, in New York City.
Tivia:
On May 27, 1949, she married Prince Aly Khan. Many people forget that Rita, not Grace Kelly, was the first movie star to become a princess.Along with Veronica Lake, Julie London and Lauren Bacall, she was one of four inspirations that helped create the character Jessica Rabbit.When she died, it was her former Paddy O'Day (1936) co-star Jane Withers who delivered the eulogy at her funeral.Director Rouben Mamoulian said of her to "Vogue", "On the screen, if an actor can move, he needs little else for a successful career. Hayworth moved better than anyone else I have ever seen in film. The camera responded to her movement as it did to Garbo's intelligence and Chaplin's mime.".Knocked out two of Glenn Ford's teeth during their fight in Gilda (1946).Her dancer father, Eduardo Cansino, himself the son of a dancer, came to New York from Spain in 1913 with sister Elisa. He had Andalusian ancestry.Pregnant 26-year-old Rita Hayworth entered St. John's Hospital, in Santa Monica, California, on Friday, December 15, 1944. It had been selected because this hospital was known for the privacy it afforded celebrities. Two days later, she gave birth to her first child by Cesarean section, a healthy 7-pound (3.175 kilogram) girl who was named Rebecca Welles. The child's father was her second, and later ex-husband, Orson Welles, and the child's godfather was Frank Sinatra who was a good friend of the couple.She was the producers' first choice for Casablanca (1942), but they couldn't get her and were fortunate to settle for Ingrid Bergman.In the early 1940s, she replaced Jean Arthur as the top female star at Columbia Pictures. Coincidentally, the two stars share the same birthday (October 17).Some legends say the Margarita cocktail was named for her when she was dancing under her real name in a Tijuana, Mexico nightclub.Both she and last husband, James Hill, died of complications from Alzheimer's disease.One of the few actresses to have danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in the movies, other actresses that have also done this includes Judy Garland, Cyd Charisse, Vera-Ellen, Debbie Reynolds and Leslie Caron.She was the first bombshell to appear on one of the posters in The Shawshank Redemption (1994). (The other two were Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch).Mother, showgirl Volga Hayworth (sometimes spelled Haworth), met Eduardo on Broadway in 1916; they married 1917.Cousin of Ginger Rogers and niece of actor Vinton Hayworth.Publicist Henry Rogers, hired by Eddie Judson to promote his wife, said of him, "It seemed to me that Eddie would have sold his wife to the highest bidder if it would have advanced her career.".Monsignor Peter Healey, who delivered the funeral Mass for Rita Hayworth in 1987, noted that he had received calls from many people across the country who remembered Miss Hayworth's sweetness and graciousness. ''Rita, in her suffering, continued to bring beauty and love to the world,'' he said. He read a passage from ''The Prophet'' by Khalil Gibran in which Miss Hayworth had underlined the words ''I am in the heart of God.''.Under of the influence of second husband Orson Welles, Rita began to read classic literature. While pregnant in 1944, she was very impressed by Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" and named her firstborn daughter Rebecca after the novel's heroine.Fred Astaire recalled how gifted and quick she was in learning the most advanced routines-often learning the steps in the morning, mulling over them during lunch, and after lunch performing the dance without a single mistake.The famous red hair was not her natural color (which was black). When she was signed, studio heads decided that her hairline was too low on her forehead, and she underwent years of painful electrolysis to make it higher.Charlton Heston wrote about Rita Hayworth's brief marriage to James Hill. Heston and his wife Lydia joined the couple for dinner in a restaurant in Spain with the director George Marshall and Rex Harrison, Hayworth's co-star in "The Happy Thieves." Heston wrote in his memoir that the occasion "turned into the single most embarrassing evening of my life", describing how Hill heaped "obscene abuse" on Hayworth until she was "reduced to a helpless flood of tears, her face buried in her hands". Heston writes how they all sat stunned, witnesses to a "marital massacre" and though he was "strongly tempted to slug him" (Hill), he instead simply took his wife Lydia home when she stood up, almost in tears. Heston wrote, "I'm ashamed of walking away from Miss Hayworth's humiliation. I never saw her again.".In December 1949, pregnant 31-year-old Rita Hayworth was living in Switzerland with her third husband, Aly Salomone Khan, When she was due to give birth, they planned to have a police escort to the Montchoisi Clinic in Lausanne but Rita went into labor at 3:00 AM on Wednesday, December 28th and Aly panicked and drove her to the clinic. Rita was in labor for seven hours and gave birth to a 5.5-pound (2.49-kilogram) girl who was named Yasmin Aga Khan Yasmin Khan.The annual Rita Hayworth charity gala, managed by daughter Princess Yasmin Khan, raised US$1.8 million in 1999 (US$2.76 million in 2018 dollars) alone for the Alzheimer's Association. Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer's, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than 5.5 million Americans may have Alzheimer's.Became the first public face for Alzheimer's. During the 1960s she began forgetting her lines. The people around her thought it was due to drinking. Looking back it is believed she was in the early stages of Alzheimer's.The Maria Vargas character (played by Ava Gardner) in the 1954 Joseph L. Mankiewicz film The Barefoot Contessa (1954)) was based on her.Her own singing voice is heard in the introductions to her songs (otherwise dubbed by Jo Ann Greer) in Pal Joey (1957).The famous Bob Landry photo of Rita in "Life", 11 August 1941, p. 33, made her the number 2 soldier pin-up of World War II.Her first (uncredited) appearance on film was with the dancing Cansino family in a Vitaphone short La Fiesta (1926).Rita Hayworth's cook, Dorothy Holmes, stated that "Rita Hayworth's best friend was Dinah Shore, the singer. I loved Dinah, because she had a lovely disposition. Dinah Shore would send a limousine over to Rita's house and she would be chauffeured to Dinah's personal racquet club or golf club, wherever Dinah would share a few friendly drinks.".In 1977, Rita Hayworth went to England and later to Italy where she accepted The Rudolph Valentino Award in Bari. Margo Hammond wrote in "Variety" magazine, "After a dramatic entrance up the center aisle of the opera house amid flashing spotlights, strains of Richard Strauss's 'Thus Spake Zarathustra' and thunderous applause, a dazed Rita accepted the award telling the audience: 'This is the happiest moment of my life.' ".She appeared in five movies with classic leading actor Glenn Ford: Affair in Trinidad (1952), The Lady in Question (1940), The Loves of Carmen (1948), The Money Trap (1965) and Gilda (1946).Columbia Pictures chief Harry Cohn only began taking interest in Hayworth as star material after she began undergoing painful electrolysis treatments (at the urging of husband Eddie Judson), which drastically altered her hairline and appearance.The choreographer Jack Cole said this of Rita Hayworth: "Rita was a lonely person, you always felt that about her. She'd sit around with the girls during rehearsals, but mostly by herself, not stand-offish, just lonely. But always a lady." He also said, that "She's a Spanish teenager really who's hardly ever grown up. Unless she got somebody around to say 'Don't do this! Don't do that/Eat! Don't eat/If you're bored go to bed, get plastered,' she's like a teenage girl who does whatever amuses her. I like Rita Hayworth, she's a very nice lady. One of the few nice ones in movies to work with.".The image of her face was glued onto an A-bomb which was dropped on the Bikini Atoll during a test in 1946.Subject of The White Stripes song "Take, Take, Take" from the album "Get Behind Me Satan".According to the book "Debrett Goes to Hollywood" by Charles Kidd, Rita was descended on her mother's side from an Allyn Haworth, whose family was reputed to be descended from the town of Haworth in West Yorkshire. Haworth is also famous as the home of the Bronte sisters.Her mother's ancestry was Irish, with small amounts of English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Bohemian Czech, Dutch, and German.Alzheimer's disease had been largely forgotten by the medical community since its discovery in 1906. Medical historian Barron H. Lerner wrote that when Rita Hayworth's diagnosis was made public in 1981, she became "the first public face of Alzheimer's, helping to ensure that future patients did not go undiagnosed." In July 1981, Hayworth's health had deteriorated to the point that a judge in Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that she should be placed under the care of her daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan. Her daughter took Rita back to New York City where she lived in the San Remo Apartments at 145-146 Central Park West in Manhattan. Until she became bedridden, Rita spent a good deal of time seated in an armchair, gazing straight ahead. As time went by, Rita was silent most of the time but occasionally, she would utter one or two, odd enigmatic sentences, e.g., one time she said "He used to do that. He told me how to do that" but nobody knew what it meant. In February 1987, she fell into a semi coma and died three months later on Thursday, May 14, 1987 at age 68. Rita's remains were flown to Los Angeles, California and a funeral Mass for her was held on Monday, May 18, 1987, at the Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd located at 505 North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills. Pallbearers Glenn Ford, Ricardo Montalban, Cesar Romero, Tony Franciosa, Don Ameche, Hermes Pan and agent Budd Burton Moss, walked before the white lily- and tulip-draped wooden casket to the altar. Rita's daughters, Rebecca Welles and Yasmin Khan walked behind the coffin. Fred Astaire, who starred with Rita in two musicals, was absent and unable to take his place as a pallbearer due to ill health; he died 39 days after Rita's death. More than 500 mourners, including film greats, fans, relatives and friends, crowded into the church to hear Rita Hayworth eulogized as a "sweet, kind, gentle lady" who was actually shy away from the cameras. This recollection of Miss Hayworth, was given by Jane Withers, a child actress in the 1930s and a friend of Miss Hayworth. Internment was at Holy Cross Cemetery, located at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City. Rita's grave is immediately to the right (east) of the Grotto, beneath the white statue of a praying angel, grave #15. Her headstone includes her daughter's Yasmin Khan Princess Yasmin Aga Khan's sentiment: "To yesterday's companionship and tomorrow's reunion.".It was James Hill, her fifth husband, who recognised her true talent as a comedienne. He tried to encourage her to do more comedy, but she felt that it was too late and instead began to resent him for pushing her into more work.In 1946, an expedition into the wilderness of Canada's unexplored Headless Valley came across an abandoned trapper's shack. In it the expedition found three things: a candle, a can of beans, and a picture of Rita.On May 15, 1987, President Ronald Reagan issued the following statement on the death of Rita Hayworth: "Rita Hayworth was one of our country's most beloved stars. Glamorous and talented, she gave us many wonderful moments on stage and screen and delighted audiences from the time she was a young girl. In her later years, Rita became known for her struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Her courage and candor, and that of her family, were a great public service in bringing worldwide attention to a disease which we all hope will soon be cured. Nancy and I are saddened by Rita's death. She was a friend who we will miss. We extend our deep sympathy to her family.".In 1962, she left the leading role in the three-act Broadway stage comedy "Step on the Crack", after three weeks of rehearsal because she realized the play still needed a great deal of rewriting. The play opened in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City on October 17th and closed the next day after one performance.Jane Withers said the 1935 film "'Paddy O'Day' is one of my favorite movies ... [When making 'Paddy O'Day'] I visited the 'Charlie Chan in Egypt' set next door to me. And on the set was a [16-year-old] beautiful girl who was dancing ballroom with her partner in a film. I was only eight but I felt so strongly about this girl - she was just dynamite. I asked to meet her, her name was Rita Cansino. She was painfully shy. She said 'I just love to dance and I'm just thrilled to be in the movies.' I said,'Have you ever acted?' and she said, 'Oh no, I've never acted, I'm a dancer.' I said, 'You don't need to learn acting, it just has to be in your heart.'" Just before filming started Jane held Rita's hand and prayed with her and that small kind gesture resulted in a lifelong friendship. Withers gave the eulogy at Hayworth's funeral in 1987 and she recalled during the eulogy that Rita Hayworth suffered from stage fright early in her career. Ms. Withers also said "she always had so much enthusiasm in her dancing that when I found out how shy she was, I was startled.Was named #19 Actress, The American Film Institutes 50 Greatest Screen Legends.Was portrayed by Lynda Carter in Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess (1983).In 1977, Rita Hayworth accepted The National Screen Heritage Award at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Prior to the ceremony, Gene Kelly went to Rita's suite but nobody saw him come down.During World War II, Rita made a single USO tour in 1942 and managed to visit six military camps giving thousands of autographs before coming back from Texas, where she was reported to have nervous breakdown that was full fledged due to over enthusiasm. She also appeared on a number of radio shows with Bob Hope and Armed Forces Radio Service programs like "Command Performance" (at least five shows), "GI Journal" and "Mail Call." Rita also worked at the Hollywood Canteen which operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945, as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servicemen, usually on their way overseas. Even though the majority of visitors were U.S servicemen, the canteen was open to servicemen of allied countries as well as women in all branches of service. A serviceman's ticket for admission was his uniform, and everything at the canteen was free of charge. Rita was one of the most beautiful and regular volunteers who donated their services at the Hollywood Canteen by serving food and dancing with the servicemen. She also became active in collecting scrap metal, as well as promoting war bonds for the war effort. For Rita Hayworth, just like the other starlets in performing for the U.S. soldiers in different capacities, the task were at times overwhelming making them to be fatigued and break down.Rita Hayworth checked into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, in April 1977 to treat her excessive drinking and improve her mental health. Her friend, Mac Krim, stated that she successfully continued to avoid alcohol after she came home, but based on her behavior caused by the Alzheimer's disease, people still often assumed she was drunk.In World War II, YANK magazine was published weekly by the U.S. Army for all branches of the U.S. military. The writers were enlisted men and they wrote stories about World War II and sketched cartoons poking fun at service life like G.I Joe and Sad Sack. As a "morale booster," one of the most popular parts of the magazine were photos of a pin-up girl usually clad in a bathing suit or some form of seductive attire. Rita Hayworth's picture appeared in the 7 July 1944 edition of the magazine.Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars" in film history (#54). (1995) |
| Name: |
Rita Hayworth |
Type: |
Actress,Producer,Soundtrack (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
|
Business scope: |
Actress,Producer,Soundtrack |
| Products for sale: |
Actress,Producer,Soundtrack |
| Model rank: |
1827 |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 03:47:13 |
| Height: |
5' 6' (1.68 m) |
| Biography: |
Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of dancers. Her father, Eduardo Cansino Reina, was a dancer as was his father before him. He emigrated from Spain in 1913. Rita\'s American moth |
| Trivia: |
On May 27, 1949, she married Prince Aly Khan. Many people forget that Rita, not Grace Kelly, was the first movie star to become a princess.Along with Veronica Lake, Julie London and Lauren Bacall, she was one of four inspirations that helped create the character Jessica Rabbit.When she died, it was her former Paddy O'Day (1936) co-star Jane Withers who delivered the eulogy at her funeral.Director Rouben Mamoulian said of her to "Vogue", "On the screen, if an actor can move, he needs little else for a successful career. Hayworth moved better than anyone else I have ever seen in film. The camera responded to her movement as it did to Garbo's intelligence and Chaplin's mime.".Knocked out two of Glenn Ford's teeth during their fight in Gilda (1946).Her dancer father, Eduardo Cansino, himself the son of a dancer, came to New York from Spain in 1913 with sister Elisa. He had Andalusian ancestry.Pregnant 26-year-old Rita Hayworth entered St. John's Hospital, in Santa Monica, California, on Friday, December 15, 1944. It had been selected because this hospital was known for the privacy it afforded celebrities. Two days later, she gave birth to her first child by Cesarean section, a healthy 7-pound (3.175 kilogram) girl who was named Rebecca Welles. The child's father was her second, and later ex-husband, Orson Welles, and the child's godfather was Frank Sinatra who was a good friend of the couple.She was the producers' first choice for Casablanca (1942), but they couldn't get her and were fortunate to settle for Ingrid Bergman.In the early 1940s, she replaced Jean Arthur as the top female star at Columbia Pictures. Coincidentally, the two stars share the same birthday (October 17).Some legends say the Margarita cocktail was named for her when she was dancing under her real name in a Tijuana, Mexico nightclub.Both she and last husband, James Hill, died of complications from Alzheimer's disease.One of the few actresses to have danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in the movies, other actresses that have also done this includes Judy Garland, Cyd Charisse, Vera-Ellen, Debbie Reynolds and Leslie Caron.She was the first bombshell to appear on one of the posters in The Shawshank Redemption (1994). (The other two were Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch).Mother, showgirl Volga Hayworth (sometimes spelled Haworth), met Eduardo on Broadway in 1916; they married 1917.Cousin of Ginger Rogers and niece of actor Vinton Hayworth.Publicist Henry Rogers, hired by Eddie Judson to promote his wife, said of him, "It seemed to me that Eddie would have sold his wife to the highest bidder if it would have advanced her career.".Monsignor Peter Healey, who delivered the funeral Mass for Rita Hayworth in 1987, noted that he had received calls from many people across the country who remembered Miss Hayworth's sweetness and graciousness. ''Rita, in her suffering, continued to bring beauty and love to the world,'' he said. He read a passage from ''The Prophet'' by Khalil Gibran in which Miss Hayworth had underlined the words ''I am in the heart of God.''.Under of the influence of second husband Orson Welles, Rita began to read classic literature. While pregnant in 1944, she was very impressed by Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" and named her firstborn daughter Rebecca after the novel's heroine.Fred Astaire recalled how gifted and quick she was in learning the most advanced routines-often learning the steps in the morning, mulling over them during lunch, and after lunch performing the dance without a single mistake.The famous red hair was not her natural color (which was black). When she was signed, studio heads decided that her hairline was too low on her forehead, and she underwent years of painful electrolysis to make it higher.Charlton Heston wrote about Rita Hayworth's brief marriage to James Hill. Heston and his wife Lydia joined the couple for dinner in a restaurant in Spain with the director George Marshall and Rex Harrison, Hayworth's co-star in "The Happy Thieves." Heston wrote in his memoir that the occasion "turned into the single most embarrassing evening of my life", describing how Hill heaped "obscene abuse" on Hayworth until she was "reduced to a helpless flood of tears, her face buried in her hands". Heston writes how they all sat stunned, witnesses to a "marital massacre" and though he was "strongly tempted to slug him" (Hill), he instead simply took his wife Lydia home when she stood up, almost in tears. Heston wrote, "I'm ashamed of walking away from Miss Hayworth's humiliation. I never saw her again.".In December 1949, pregnant 31-year-old Rita Hayworth was living in Switzerland with her third husband, Aly Salomone Khan, When she was due to give birth, they planned to have a police escort to the Montchoisi Clinic in Lausanne but Rita went into labor at 3:00 AM on Wednesday, December 28th and Aly panicked and drove her to the clinic. Rita was in labor for seven hours and gave birth to a 5.5-pound (2.49-kilogram) girl who was named Yasmin Aga Khan Yasmin Khan.The annual Rita Hayworth charity gala, managed by daughter Princess Yasmin Khan, raised US$1.8 million in 1999 (US$2.76 million in 2018 dollars) alone for the Alzheimer's Association. Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer's, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than 5.5 million Americans may have Alzheimer's.Became the first public face for Alzheimer's. During the 1960s she began forgetting her lines. The people around her thought it was due to drinking. Looking back it is believed she was in the early stages of Alzheimer's.The Maria Vargas character (played by Ava Gardner) in the 1954 Joseph L. Mankiewicz film The Barefoot Contessa (1954)) was based on her.Her own singing voice is heard in the introductions to her songs (otherwise dubbed by Jo Ann Greer) in Pal Joey (1957).The famous Bob Landry photo of Rita in "Life", 11 August 1941, p. 33, made her the number 2 soldier pin-up of World War II.Her first (uncredited) appearance on film was with the dancing Cansino family in a Vitaphone short La Fiesta (1926).Rita Hayworth's cook, Dorothy Holmes, stated that "Rita Hayworth's best friend was Dinah Shore, the singer. I loved Dinah, because she had a lovely disposition. Dinah Shore would send a limousine over to Rita's house and she would be chauffeured to Dinah's personal racquet club or golf club, wherever Dinah would share a few friendly drinks.".In 1977, Rita Hayworth went to England and later to Italy where she accepted The Rudolph Valentino Award in Bari. Margo Hammond wrote in "Variety" magazine, "After a dramatic entrance up the center aisle of the opera house amid flashing spotlights, strains of Richard Strauss's 'Thus Spake Zarathustra' and thunderous applause, a dazed Rita accepted the award telling the audience: 'This is the happiest moment of my life.' ".She appeared in five movies with classic leading actor Glenn Ford: Affair in Trinidad (1952), The Lady in Question (1940), The Loves of Carmen (1948), The Money Trap (1965) and Gilda (1946).Columbia Pictures chief Harry Cohn only began taking interest in Hayworth as star material after she began undergoing painful electrolysis treatments (at the urging of husband Eddie Judson), which drastically altered her hairline and appearance.The choreographer Jack Cole said this of Rita Hayworth: "Rita was a lonely person, you always felt that about her. She'd sit around with the girls during rehearsals, but mostly by herself, not stand-offish, just lonely. But always a lady." He also said, that "She's a Spanish teenager really who's hardly ever grown up. Unless she got somebody around to say 'Don't do this! Don't do that/Eat! Don't eat/If you're bored go to bed, get plastered,' she's like a teenage girl who does whatever amuses her. I like Rita Hayworth, she's a very nice lady. One of the few nice ones in movies to work with.".The image of her face was glued onto an A-bomb which was dropped on the Bikini Atoll during a test in 1946.Subject of The White Stripes song "Take, Take, Take" from the album "Get Behind Me Satan".According to the book "Debrett Goes to Hollywood" by Charles Kidd, Rita was descended on her mother's side from an Allyn Haworth, whose family was reputed to be descended from the town of Haworth in West Yorkshire. Haworth is also famous as the home of the Bronte sisters.Her mother's ancestry was Irish, with small amounts of English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Bohemian Czech, Dutch, and German.Alzheimer's disease had been largely forgotten by the medical community since its discovery in 1906. Medical historian Barron H. Lerner wrote that when Rita Hayworth's diagnosis was made public in 1981, she became "the first public face of Alzheimer's, helping to ensure that future patients did not go undiagnosed." In July 1981, Hayworth's health had deteriorated to the point that a judge in Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that she should be placed under the care of her daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan. Her daughter took Rita back to New York City where she lived in the San Remo Apartments at 145-146 Central Park West in Manhattan. Until she became bedridden, Rita spent a good deal of time seated in an armchair, gazing straight ahead. As time went by, Rita was silent most of the time but occasionally, she would utter one or two, odd enigmatic sentences, e.g., one time she said "He used to do that. He told me how to do that" but nobody knew what it meant. In February 1987, she fell into a semi coma and died three months later on Thursday, May 14, 1987 at age 68. Rita's remains were flown to Los Angeles, California and a funeral Mass for her was held on Monday, May 18, 1987, at the Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd located at 505 North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills. Pallbearers Glenn Ford, Ricardo Montalban, Cesar Romero, Tony Franciosa, Don Ameche, Hermes Pan and agent Budd Burton Moss, walked before the white lily- and tulip-draped wooden casket to the altar. Rita's daughters, Rebecca Welles and Yasmin Khan walked behind the coffin. Fred Astaire, who starred with Rita in two musicals, was absent and unable to take his place as a pallbearer due to ill health; he died 39 days after Rita's death. More than 500 mourners, including film greats, fans, relatives and friends, crowded into the church to hear Rita Hayworth eulogized as a "sweet, kind, gentle lady" who was actually shy away from the cameras. This recollection of Miss Hayworth, was given by Jane Withers, a child actress in the 1930s and a friend of Miss Hayworth. Internment was at Holy Cross Cemetery, located at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City. Rita's grave is immediately to the right (east) of the Grotto, beneath the white statue of a praying angel, grave #15. Her headstone includes her daughter's Yasmin Khan Princess Yasmin Aga Khan's sentiment: "To yesterday's companionship and tomorrow's reunion.".It was James Hill, her fifth husband, who recognised her true talent as a comedienne. He tried to encourage her to do more comedy, but she felt that it was too late and instead began to resent him for pushing her into more work.In 1946, an expedition into the wilderness of Canada's unexplored Headless Valley came across an abandoned trapper's shack. In it the expedition found three things: a candle, a can of beans, and a picture of Rita.On May 15, 1987, President Ronald Reagan issued the following statement on the death of Rita Hayworth: "Rita Hayworth was one of our country's most beloved stars. Glamorous and talented, she gave us many wonderful moments on stage and screen and delighted audiences from the time she was a young girl. In her later years, Rita became known for her struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Her courage and candor, and that of her family, were a great public service in bringing worldwide attention to a disease which we all hope will soon be cured. Nancy and I are saddened by Rita's death. She was a friend who we will miss. We extend our deep sympathy to her family.".In 1962, she left the leading role in the three-act Broadway stage comedy "Step on the Crack", after three weeks of rehearsal because she realized the play still needed a great deal of rewriting. The play opened in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City on October 17th and closed the next day after one performance.Jane Withers said the 1935 film "'Paddy O'Day' is one of my favorite movies ... [When making 'Paddy O'Day'] I visited the 'Charlie Chan in Egypt' set next door to me. And on the set was a [16-year-old] beautiful girl who was dancing ballroom with her partner in a film. I was only eight but I felt so strongly about this girl - she was just dynamite. I asked to meet her, her name was Rita Cansino. She was painfully shy. She said 'I just love to dance and I'm just thrilled to be in the movies.' I said,'Have you ever acted?' and she said, 'Oh no, I've never acted, I'm a dancer.' I said, 'You don't need to learn acting, it just has to be in your heart.'" Just before filming started Jane held Rita's hand and prayed with her and that small kind gesture resulted in a lifelong friendship. Withers gave the eulogy at Hayworth's funeral in 1987 and she recalled during the eulogy that Rita Hayworth suffered from stage fright early in her career. Ms. Withers also said "she always had so much enthusiasm in her dancing that when I found out how shy she was, I was startled.Was named #19 Actress, The American Film Institutes 50 Greatest Screen Legends.Was portrayed by Lynda Carter in Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess (1983).In 1977, Rita Hayworth accepted The National Screen Heritage Award at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Prior to the ceremony, Gene Kelly went to Rita's suite but nobody saw him come down.During World War II, Rita made a single USO tour in 1942 and managed to visit six military camps giving thousands of autographs before coming back from Texas, where she was reported to have nervous breakdown that was full fledged due to over enthusiasm. She also appeared on a number of radio shows with Bob Hope and Armed Forces Radio Service programs like "Command Performance" (at least five shows), "GI Journal" and "Mail Call." Rita also worked at the Hollywood Canteen which operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945, as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servicemen, usually on their way overseas. Even though the majority of visitors were U.S servicemen, the canteen was open to servicemen of allied countries as well as women in all branches of service. A serviceman's ticket for admission was his uniform, and everything at the canteen was free of charge. Rita was one of the most beautiful and regular volunteers who donated their services at the Hollywood Canteen by serving food and dancing with the servicemen. She also became active in collecting scrap metal, as well as promoting war bonds for the war effort. For Rita Hayworth, just like the other starlets in performing for the U.S. soldiers in different capacities, the task were at times overwhelming making them to be fatigued and break down.Rita Hayworth checked into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, in April 1977 to treat her excessive drinking and improve her mental health. Her friend, Mac Krim, stated that she successfully continued to avoid alcohol after she came home, but based on her behavior caused by the Alzheimer's disease, people still often assumed she was drunk.In World War II, YANK magazine was published weekly by the U.S. Army for all branches of the U.S. military. The writers were enlisted men and they wrote stories about World War II and sketched cartoons poking fun at service life like G.I Joe and Sad Sack. As a "morale booster," one of the most popular parts of the magazine were photos of a pin-up girl usually clad in a bathing suit or some form of seductive attire. Rita Hayworth's picture appeared in the 7 July 1944 edition of the magazine.Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars" in film history (#54). (1995) |
| Trademarks: |
Seductive deep voice |
| Quotes: |
[To writer Virginia Van Upp] Every man I have ever known has fallen in love with Gilda and awakened with me.
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I haven't had everything from life. I've had too much.
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[when asked what had held up her dress in Gilda (1946)] Two things.
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I never really thought of myself as a sex goddess; I felt I was more a comedian who could dance.
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[1974, when asked what she thought when she looks at herself after waking up in the morning] Darling, I don't wake up 'til the afternoon. |
| Salaries: |
The Naked Zoo (1970) - 50,000
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Affair in Trinidad (1952) - $252,000 plus 25% of the net profits
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You'll Never Get Rich (1941) - $6,500 per week
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Old Louisiana (1937) - $200
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| Job title: |
Actress,Producer,Soundtrack |
| Others works: |
More FBI celebrity crime files.
(1943) Magazine ad: Max Factor Hollywood pan-cake makeup
(1934-35) According to the book "The Complete Films of Rita Hayworth", she appeared in two short subjects produced by Fox, including one in Spanish. The t |
| Spouse: |
James Hill (February 2, 1958 - September 7, 1961) (divorced)Dick Haymes (September 24, 1953 - December 12, 1955) (divorced)Prince Aly Khan (May 27, 1949 - January 26, 1953) (divorced, 1 child)Orson Well |
| Children: |
Rebecca WellesYasmin Khan |
| Parents: |
Volga Margaret Hayworth
Eduardo Cansino |
| Relatives: |
Vernon Cansino (Sibling)
Eduardo Cansino Jr. (Sibling)
Elisa Cansino (Aunt or Uncle)
Vinton Hayworth (Aunt or Uncle)
Andrew Ali Aga Khan Embiricos (Grandchild)
Marc McKerrow ( |
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