Rita Hayworth

Life-Size Rita Hayworth Standup Cardboard Cutout

October 18, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

I’ve bellyached and bemoaned so long that maybe… just maybe… we’ll start seeing more collectibles, gift ideas, books, etc. for ALL our Golden Age of Hollywood favorites as opposed to just Marilyn, James, John Wayne, and Audrey.

Not that I don’t love them muchly, because I do. But let’s not forget Lucille (not just as Lucy), Ava, Rita, Barbara, Hattie, Veronica, Lana, Angie, Maureen, Joan Crawford, Joan Blondell, Joan Fontaine, Lauren, Bogie, Elizabeth, Bette, Claudette, Helen, Yvonne, James Stewart, Dorothy, Ginger, Fred, Jerry, Dean, Ray, Butterfly, Jane Wyman, Olivia… you get the idea.

There are far too many wonderful stars to settle for just four!

I just saw this glorious Rita Hayworth Standup Cardboard Cutout on Amazon and I had to come blog about it instantly.

Can you tell she’s one of my absolute favorites?

Printed on heavy duty cardboard
Can be mounted on wall or door or can be displayed standing with the included easel
Shipped folded and is easily assembled
Stands 68 inches tall and is 27 inches wide

I only hope we’ll start seeing more of all the stars we love so much. I’ll just keep bemoaning and bellyaching until we do.

Count on it!

“Got Rita?” Perfect Coffee Mug for Rita Hayworth Fans

June 12, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

Okay, how cute is this?! Fans of Rita Hayworth can let the world know it with this Got Rita Coffee Mug, available on Amazon. It’d make a great gift idea for fans of the glamorous redhead, too.

Speaking of Rita, I’m about halfway through with the Rita Hayworth Posters page.

I’m having to redo a lot of the pages on Hollywood Yesterday and, since it’s an especially big website, it’s taking a while. Not complaining, mind you… nowhere I’d rather be than sipping coffee while spending time with Rita, Barbara, Lucille, James, Jimmy, Marilyn, Joan, Bette, Ava, Dorothy, Audrey, Glenn, Dean, Jerry, Judy….

I also found the great-looking Gilda Stainless Steel Water Bottle (below) on Amazon…. love it!

Gilda Review: One of My All-Time Favorite Movies (With Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford – How Could it NOT Be?)

December 18, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Like Lana Turner and Marilyn Monroe, a lot of people tend to think of Rita Hayworth as simply beautiful and iconic. While she’s both (to be sure), there’s more to her than “greets the eye.” Rita Hayworth was an great actress and an exceptional performer. The same is, of course true of the aforementioned ladies as well.

Rita Hayworth could more than hold her own on the dance floor and she brought life, charisma, and depth to every role she ever stepped into. She could convey more with a facial expression than a lot of actors/actresses get across with a five minute dialogue purge.

Can you tell she’s one of my all-time favorite actresses?

It seems that every actor and actress has a “defining role.” While this may not seem terribly fair, it is what it is. Many stars have several roles that can, and should, serve as sort of a defining compilation, but it’s generally one specific role that comes to mind when you see their name. When it comes to Rita Hayworth, her defining role is a knock out – Gilda.

Gilda is a cinematic dream come true for me, personally, as it has not only one of my top three favorite actresses but also one of my top three favorite actors, Glenn Ford.

Don’t you just love it when your favorites team up for a movie? Feels kind of like a kiss on the cheek from God, Himself.

Make no mistake about it, though, even 10 favorite stars in a movie won’t save it if the movie doesn’t live up to the moment. Fortunately, Gilda does. In fact, it’d be one of my favorite movies even if the lead characters didn’t score so much as a blip on my radar. The movie is simply a lot of fun to watch and provides a few unexpected twists and turns to keep you completely and utterly hooked.

The clothes, the lighting, the music, the dancing, the redhead… they all go together to create cinematic magic.

While the entire cast is outstanding, the casting of the movie’s leads was a stroke of genius. The chemistry between Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford is absolutely palpable. Each time I watch Gilda, I mentally give a standing ovation to the individual responsible for bringing these two together. It’s that special, magical kind of chemistry that is almost impossible to define – yet, when it happens, it lights up the screen and you feel the fire deep in your soul.

The chemistry between Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford in Gilda (along with the chemistry between James Stewart and Lana Turner in Ziegfeld Girl – two more of my personal favorites) is one of the most magical pairings of all time as far as I’m concerned.

You can direct scenes, you can choreograph dances, and you can create moments with lighting and music…. however you cannot manufacture (or even account for) chemistry. It’s either there or it isn’t. While a great movie can overcome lukewarm chemistry between its leads, red hot chemistry can take a great movie and make it… well… a legend.

I believe this chemistry is partly (perhaps even largely) to credit for Gilda achieving the legendary status it has.

If you aren’t as immersed in old movies as some of us are or if you’re just getting into them, I wholeheartedly recommend Gilda. If you are new to the greatest genre of entertainment in the world (can you tell I’m not just immersed but buried?), I want to warn you about one brief little scene in particular. You’ll know it when you see it. The last thing I want to do is give anything away, so I’ll just say one code word: BOAT. Something happens in a particular scene involving a BOAT that serves to remind the viewer of the period of time in which this wonderful movie was made. Effects departments now, upon watching this scene, probably wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Do me a favor, when you see this scene, simply say “1946” – the year in which the movie was made.

This will remind you not to hold the moment against the movie, Glenn, or Rita. Especially not Rita.

When you watch old movies like it’s your job, you just kind of shrug off these moments and accept them for what they are – signs of the times.

Rita Hayworth made Gilda the iconic legend it is and in many ways you can say the movie returned the favor.

Gilda Movie Posters on Amazon

Rita Hayworth: So Much More than Just a Ridiculously Beautiful Face

October 17, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

One of the most talented and beautiful (downright obnoxiously beautiful) actresses of all time, Rita Hayworth, was born on this date in 1918. She’s been one of my favorite actresses since I first saw her in the wonderful movie Gilda. That was many, many years ago and she has never slipped from her top tier positioning. There’s just something extra special about this star that makes her shine brighter than most.

I recently re-watched Gilda a few days ago, in honor of her upcoming birthday. I do believe I love the movie (as well as Rita and Glenn Ford) more and more each time I see it. I have a post ready to go that’s devoted to this wonderful movie and hope to have it published sometime this week.

Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York. Her father, Eduardo (who had emigrated from Spain five years before Rita was born) was a dancer, as was his own father.

Rita is said to have been very quiet and reserved – almost shy – but was able to turn on the charisma when she took the stage or as soon as the cameras started rolling.

While her name is synonymous with beauty (for good reason), as a Rita Hayworth fan, I’m kind of frustrated that more people aren’t able to speak of her acting talent or dancing abilities. Oddly enough, a lot of people have never seen even one of her films, let alone all of them. If I were to suggest a Rita Hayworth movie to someone who’d never seen her in anything other than photographs, I’d suggest Gilda or You Were Never Lovelier (Co-Starring Fred Astaire). Then, after seeing one of these, my next suggestion?

See the rest… ALL the rest!

Continued Below…

While Rita Hayworth led an exciting and colorful life, she unfortunately died from Alzheimer’s Disease in 1987 at the age of 68. She was diagnosed with the disease in 1980, but had experienced symptoms for at least 20 years. In her last years, she was lovingly cared for by one of her greatest joys, her daughter Yasmin Khan (fathered by her third ex, Prince Aly Khan).

Rita Hayworth & Fred Astaire “The Shorty George” from the movie You Were Never Lovelier:

Also See:

Rita Hayworth Quotes
Gilda Movie Poster

Rita Hayworth Quotes

September 26, 2016 By Joi 1 Comment

“After all, a girl is – well, a girl. It’s nice to be told you’re successful at it.” – Rita Hayworth

“Every man I have ever known has fallen in love with Gilda and awakened with me.” – Rita Hayworth

“(about her marriage to Edward Judson] “I married him for love; he married me for an investment. My husband was always finding fault with me. He was extremely jealous and quarrelsome. I never had any fun. I was never permitted to make any decisions. From the first he told me I couldn’t do anything for myself. My personality crawled deeper and deeper into a shell.” – Rita Hayworth

“All I wanted was just what everybody else wants, you know, to be loved.” – Rita Hayworth

“What surprises me in life are not the marriages that fail, but the marriages that succeed.” – Rita Hayworth

“We are all tied to our destiny and there is no way we can liberate ourselves.” – Rita Hayworth

“I can’t take his genius any more.” (when asked why she divorced Orson Wells) – Rita Hayworth

“I rode on horseback, though I was terrified of them. That was when I was doing westerns. They were something else again. And I did them because that was work, that was my job. So I don’t start from the top.” – Rita Hayworth

“I was never sick during The Lady from Shanghai (1947). Poor Orsie (Orson Welles) was the one who was sick; Harry Cohn made him sick.” – Rita Hayworth

“I couldn’t get used to the New York weather. On one occasion, I was laid up for a week because I caught a severe cold rushing from the dance studio, still soaked with perspiration, back to the hotel for voice lessons.” – Rita Hayworth

“Movies were much better in the days I was doing them.” – Rita Hayworth

“I guess the only jewels of my life were the pictures I made with Fred Astaire.” – Rita Hayworth

“I never really thought of myself as a sex goddess; I felt I was more a comedian who could dance.” – Rita Hayworth

“Whatever you write about me, don’t make it sad.” – Rita Hayworth

GORGEOUS Rita Hayworth Poster

April 21, 2016 By Joi Leave a Comment

I’ve always griped and complained that there are FAR too few Rita Hayworth collectibles, art prints, posters, etc. We’re lucky that we can find Marilyn, Audrey, and James all over the place – but others remain pretty elusive – Rita, include.

Fortunately, I’ve noticed more Rita merchandise coming out and I love it. Hopefully some of the other elusive stars will follow suit.

The uncommonly gorgeous Rita Hayworth 1943 by Karl Black Art Print is available on Amazon and I’m (as you’d expect) doing a happy dance. I mean, how beautiful is this???

Printed on Heavy Giclee stock GLOSS paper
Printed using 12 Color Giclee Inkjet Printer – Highest Quality
PACKED TO ARRIVE IN PERFECT CONDITION
Paper Size: 19×13 – Image Size: 18×12
This image AVAILABLE in other Formats

Click here to take a closer look at this beautiful print.

Hollywood Actress Vintage Paper Dolls

October 25, 2012 By Joi Leave a Comment

Okay, I have to admit, I want each of these like a little girl would want a new doll. These Golden Age of Hollywood Paper Dolls are absolute collectors editions and outrageously fun gift ideas – whether they’re for you or someone else. We all know who mine would be for.

Hollywood Movie Star Paper Dolls: 24 Great Actresses with Costumes from Their Films (Dover Celebrity Paper Dolls) – A star-studded cast of 24 film legends from the ’40s to the ’60s includes Rita Hayworth, Audrey Hepburn, Barbra Streisand, Julie Andrews, Natalie Wood, and many other silver screen luminaries, plus 96 perfectly accurate costumes from their best movies. Captions identify the film and year of each outfit plus brief bios are included for each actress.

Glamorous Movie Stars of the 1950s Paper Dolls (Dover Celebrity Paper Dolls) – Eight actresses of the 1950s appear here in paper doll form, each with 3 dazzling costumes from some of her most memorable screen roles. This fun-filled collection features Doris Day, Ava Gardner, Susan Hayward, Jane Russell, Audrey Hepburn, Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, and Elizabeth Taylor. 8 dolls, 24 costumes. Introduction. Notes.

Marilyn Monroe Paper Dolls (Dover Celebrity Paper Dolls)
This incredibly lifelike Marilyn Monroe paper doll comes with 31 accurate costumes from 24 films. Full-color designs on heavy stock, ready to be cut, recall Marilyn in The Asphalt Jungle, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, All About Eve, Niagara, River of No Return, and other red-hot roles. 1 doll, 16 plates of outfits.

October 3, 2005 By Joi Leave a Comment

“All I wanted was just what everybody else wants, you know, to be loved.” – Rita Hayworth

In person Rita Hayworth was very shy and quiet, yet in front of the camera she turned on the charisma, such as in Gilda, that made her a star. All she really wanted from life was a loving family and domestic happiness. She, more than once, married the wrong man and never quite found what she was looking for. Unfortunately this was pretty much the norm in Hollywood (some would argue that it’s still true today).

She enjoyed a great deal of success in her life, however, and obviously enjoyed it immensely.

At the age of 42, she began experiencing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, although it wasn’t diagnosed until years later. Toward the end of her life, she was nearly helpless and had to be cared for by one of the brightest lights in her life: her beloved daughter Yasmin Khan.

Rita Hayworth passed away at the age of 68.

Rita Hayworth: A Few Fast Facts

September 22, 2005 By Joi Leave a Comment

A few fast facts about one of Hollywood Yesterday’s favorite actresses, the beautiful Rita Hayworth:

Hair Color: Naturally, Dark Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Ethnicity: Hispanic

Height: 5’6″

Weight: Between 114 and 129 lbs

Religion: Roman Catholic

Collected: Perfumes

Father: Eduardo Cansino (dancer)

Mother: Volga Hayworth (Ziegfeld Follies showgirl)

Brother: Vernon (younger)

Brother: Eduardo, Jr. (younger)

Her Husbands (In order!):

Edward C. Judson (married – May 29, 1937, divorced – May 22,1942)

Orson Welles (married – Sept. 7, 1943, divorced – Dec. 1, 1948) *

Prince Aly Khan (married – May 27, 1949, divorced – Jan. 27, 1953)

Dick Haymes (married – Sept. 24, 1953, divorced – Dec. 23, 1955)

James Hill (married Feb. 2, 1958, divorced – Sept. 1961)

Her Children:

Rebecca Welles (December 17, 1944)

Yasmin Khan (December 28, 1949

* Although they fought more often than not, Rita would, later in life, refer to Orson Welles as “the great love of my life.”

Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess Was Actually Pretty Shy

September 11, 2005 By Joi Leave a Comment

Margarita Carmen Dolores Cansino was born on October 17, 1918 in New York City, New York. Her mother was of Irish descent, her father – Spanish. She would later shorten her first name to Rita and use her mother’s maiden name, Hayworth as her own.

As a child, and later as an adult, Rita was extremely shy. The only time she really came out of her shell was when she was dancing (or, later, acting).

Along with her dad, she danced as part of “The Cansinos” – and was apparently unusually talented, even as a pint-sized beauty. I have read so many varied accounts about the relationship between Rita and her dad: Some say he was overly-domineering, basically “pushing” her into entertainment. Others say she called her own shots and he was a kindly man who allowed her to make her own mind up. Me? I think it was closer to the first than the second. I believe it was his presence that accounted for her shyness and insecurities – she never seemed to think she was good enough for him.

It was while performing with Eduardo at The Caliente Club that she caught the eye of a vice-president at Fox Film Corporation. He invited Rita to join him and his dinner companion, columnist Louella Parsons. Louella would later refer to Rita as a “Painfully shy” girl who “couldn’t look strangers in the eye” and whose voice was so low it could hardly be heard. Sheehan (which is why he was the vp instead of Parsons!) saw the remarkable beauty and potential star quality in Rita and set her up with a screen test. After several such tests, she was signed to a contract and began taking acting and diction lessons.