Golden Age of Hollywood
Rita Hayworth, Gilda
Rita Hayworth’s performance in Gilda helped make her a household name – one that is still synonymous with beauty, to this day.
Gee… wonder why???
She and Glenn Ford were wonderful in this excellent film – I could watch it several times a month and never get tired of it.
You can buy Gilda on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Rita Hayworth, Gilda
Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford, The Loves of Carmen
One of my favorite actresses (for as long as I can remember knowing what an actress even was!) has always been Rita Hayworth. So many people – UNDERSTANDABLY – associate the name Rita Hayworth with beauty. They’ll usually even picture her in her role as Gilda. For me, I guess the relationship I have with her image is a little different. Obviously, I associate the name with great beauty (I’m not blind after all!) but I associate it first and foremost with her wonderful, wonderful talent.
My first Rita Hayworth movie was actually Miss Sadie Thompson and while, obviously, beautiful, the main thing that stands out to you in that particular film is her acting. She does as great a job in this role as any actress has ever done in any role.
Yes… ANY role.
My second Rita Hayworth film was The Loves of Carmen (the promotional photos in this post are from that film). Her beauty and talent kind of fight it out in this particular movie!
My third film was You Were Never Lovelier (her perfect musical with Fred Astaire). At the time (I was just a teenager without all of the Old Hollywood knowledge I currently sit on), I had no idea she could also dance, so I was blown away. I thought, “Gorgeous, wonderful actress, and an excellent dancer…. wow!”
She still wows me, each and every time I watch and rewatch her films.
Like Marilyn, Ava, and Lana… Rita is so much more than just a beautiful face. She was an actress and dancer who just happened to be extraordinarily beautiful.
You can find The Loves of Carmen (link to the dvd) on Amazon or watch it on Amazon Prime.
Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford, The Loves of Carmen
Rita Hayworth, Miss Sadie Thompson
As if we Rita Hayworth fans needed the reminder, the actress served notice in Miss Sadie Thompson (1953, directed by Curtis Bernhardt) that she was much more than just a beautiful face. She was a very, very good actress and this role allowed her to show off her talent as well as her beauty.
If you’ve never seen this one, as a huge Rita Hayworth fan, I very much wish you’d check it out. She’s mesmerizing – the entire cast is outstanding, but she (as always) stands out.
You can buy the movie on dvd or blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch on Prime.
She seemed to relish playing the role so much that I think she totally understood the opportunity she had been given as an actress. And, boy, did she ever come through!
Rita Hayworth, The Loves of Carmen
One of my favorite actresses of ALL time is Rita Hayworth. Love her, love her, love her. She was so much more than just a beautiful face – she was an exceptionally talented actress AND dancer. She was equally wonderful in dramatic roles, lighthearted comedy, and colorful musicals. I’ve seen all of her films and, while some are better than others, every single one was good and worth watching more than once.
Not many stars have a filmography like that!
The Loves of Carmen (1948, written by Charles Vidor) isn’t one of my absolute favorite Rita films, but it is good. She’s great in the role as Carmen… someone you don’t particularly like but you simply can’t look away. It’s funny, she’s the bad girl and Glenn Ford is the good guy… and yet, his character annoys me more than her character does! I mean…. she’s supposed to be bad – we expect that. But for him to be such a simpleton is unforgivable!
I normally love Glenn Ford in every single role, but I honestly don’t care for him in this role. He seems out of place, somehow. Whenever I watch the film, I always wonder if he FELT out of place in the role of if, perhaps, he wasn’t any fonder of his character than I was.
Either way, the film is definitely worth watching (obviously, since I’ve seen it four times, I strongly feel it’s worth watching). Rita is mesmerizing and the film is a visual masterpiece.
Rita Hayworth, Salome (1953)
Rita Hayworth has been one of my absolute favorite actresses since I first saw her on television as a child. They were playing her film, “Blood and Sand” and I was hooked – even though she was the bad girl in the movie. Didn’t bother me – I loved her!
Not long after Blood and Sand I saw Salome and grew to love her even more. There was just something about her – she commanded scenes, often without even saying a word. What’s amazing to me is the fact that it wasn’t just her beauty that separated her. If we’re honest, there were actresses as lovely as Rita – many even co-starred with her.
Yet she had a certain something – a certain magic only given to a particular number of stars. When you watch her in Gilda, you’re fairly certain she had her portion of magic as well as enough for six others!
Like most people, I’ve been feeling anxious over the news (sometimes it seems like there’s never any good news, doesn’t it?!). It’s times like this that I choose to escape into the world of Old Hollywood, Classic Television, and Old Radio. Whether it’s reading a biography or watching a movie, an episode of a classic show, or listening to a great old radio episode – I’m awfully grateful that my “oldies” always take me on a mini-vacation… far away from the madness around us.
Sure, it’s there when I return, but I feel stronger and more able to cope with the craziness without it making me crazy, too!
(Continued Below Rita Hayworth being Rita Hayworth!)
Rita Hayworth, Salome
I hope these three gorgeous photos of Rita Hayworth from the 1953 film Salome (Amazon Link) lift your spirits if they need lifted and put a smile on your face. If that happens, it will have made my day.
Rita Hayworth as Princess Salome
Movie Description: After she is banished from Rome, Jewish Princess Salome (Rita Hayworth) returns to her Roman-ruled native land of Galilee where prophet John the Baptist (Alan Badel) preaches against Salome’s parents, King Herod (Charles Laughton) and Queen Herodias (Judith Anderson).
Rita Hayworth
It’d be tough to beat a picture of Rita Hayworth for the first Picture of the Day of 2020… especially this picture of Rita!
Rita Hayworth, Music in My Heart Publicity Photo
Rita Hayworth and recording artist Tony Martin star Music in My Heart (Amazon DVD link), a musical comedy featuring the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful music of Andre Kostelanetz and his orchestra.
This is one of those films that is a definite feast for the eyes AND ears.
Rita Hayworth, Music in My Heart (1940)
Rita Hayworth and musicals waltz beautifully together. While she is known (let’s face it, for obvious reasons) as an icon of great beauty, she was also an uncommonly talented actress as well as dancer.
In fact, Fred Astaire once said she was his favorite dancing partner and he danced with the best dancers in the business.
Including himself!
If you only know Rita Hayworth from the wonderful film-noir Gilda, I hope you’ll venture out and see her musicals (You Were Never Lovelier, Cover Girl, Music in My Heart…). She really was extraordinary.
Rita Hayworth
There’s a certain kind of magic in Rita Hayworth Gilda promo pics and.. given that I have a headache to end all headaches today!… I could use a little of Rita’s magic.
I think I feel better already…
You can buy Gilda on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Rita Hayworth, Salome (1953)
Salome was the last film produced by Rita Hayworth’s production company (The Beckworth Company). She later said that her dance “Dance of the Seven Veils” in this film was “… the most demanding of my entire career,” and that it required “endless takes and retakes.”
Having seen the magnificent results, it was time well spent and effort that certainly paid off. While Rita is celebrated as one of the great beauties and as a wonderful actress (and she certainly was both of these things), she deserves just as much attention for her dancing talent – it was extraordinary.
Salome also stars Stewart Granger, Charles Laughton, Judith Anderson, and Cedric Hardwicke.
The beauty above is Silent Film star Mildred Davis. She was a frequent co-star (and longtime wife) of legendary actor Harold Lloyd. She’s one of my favorite silent film actresses and one I can’t understand not being a household name!
There’s nothing quite like watching a movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Whether it’s a Musical, Western, Comedy, Romance, Film Noir, or Drama – if it’s on, I’m not too far away… with popcorn and raspberry tea in hand and a couple of cats nearby.
Below are a few Old Hollywood movie reviews I’ve done on the blog. There are, as you’d imagine, a lot more to come. – Joi (“Joy”)
We’re in the Money (Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell)
The Naked Spur (James Stewart, Janet Leigh)
The Prince and the Showgirl (Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier)
The White Sister (Helen Hayes, Clark Gable)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar)
Rio Bravo (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan)
El Dorado (John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt, Michele Carey)
Rio Grande (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara)
Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein (What is it With Me and These Movies??)
The Stooge (Jerry Lewis’ favorite Lewis and Martin Movie… for good reason.)
Critic’s Choice (Hilarious movie starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball)
To Please a Lady (Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck team up in a fast track movie)
Grand Hotel (Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore)
Hearts Divided (Marion Davies, Dick Powell)
The Quiet Man (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald)
More Old Hollywood Movie Reviews
Find out just how much I (truly) Love Lucy in the Lucille Ball category. I’m warning you, I call it an obsession for a very good reason…
Another personal absolute favorite of mine is Barbara Stanwyck. Not only was she beautiful and outrageously talented, she was exceptionally bright, charismatic, and colorful. This growing collection of Barbara Stanwyck Quotes will give you an idea of just how colorful she was!
