Photograph was edited for publication purposes.; Title supplied by cataloger. Rita Hayworth (Margarita Carmen Cansino 1918-1987) was a film actress and dancer who performed publicly for the first time at the age of six with her father, dancer Eduardo Cansino, Sr. By the age of 8 she was featured in her first film for Warner Bros., and by age 16 was working with Dolores del Rio. The first performances of her career were under her birth name, Margarita Carmen Cansino, and Rita Cansino. In 1936, Harry Cohn, studio head for Columbia and her then-husband, Edward C. Judson began working on her physical transformation, which would be dramatic and prove to be fruitful. Rita had electrolysis to raise her hairline, changed her hair color to dark red, and changed her name to Rita Hayworth, taking on her mother's maiden name. The transformation complete, the exotic foreigner had now become a classic "American" pin-up. As Rita Cansino, she made fourteen pictures. As Rita Hayworth, she made fifty-one, and became one of the eras top stars, winning critical acclaim for many of her films. She was featured on the cover of Life magazine five times. Her personal life proved to be tumultuous from the beginning. She married five times, with all unions ending in divorce: Edward Charles Homgren Judson (1937-1942), Orson Welles (1943-1948), Prince Aly Khan (1949-1953), Dick Haymes (1953-1955) and James Hill (1958-1961); she had two daughters, Rebecca Welles (1944) and Yasmin Aga Khan (1949). Sadly, Hayworth struggled with alcohol throughout her life and had difficulty coping with the ups and downs of the business and with her personal life, causing her once stellar career to spiral downward. Unfortunately her alcoholism hid symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (discovered in 1980), which went undiagnosed for approximately 20 years. In February 1987, Hayworth lapsed into a semi coma. She died a few months later on May 14, 1987 from Alzheimer's disease, and was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City. Pictured are (left to right) Rita Hayworth, Lupita Ferrer, Hal Bartlett, Dolores del Rio and King Vidor. The stellar group was gathered at veteran producer Bartlett's moat-surrounded Bel Air home for a cocktail party. Bartlett's soon-to-be released film "The Children of Sanchez" will star Dolores del Rio along with his wife Lupita Ferrer. Rita Hayworth was vying for a role in his next production. Photograph dated April 5, 1978.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;19 x 23 cm. on sheet 21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Del Rio, Dolores,--1905-1983 Hayworth, Rita,--1918-1987 Vidor, King,--1894-1982 Ferrer, Lupita Bartlett, Hall Bartlett, Hall--Homes and haunts Motion picture producers and directors--United States Motion picture actors and actresses--United States Motion picture actors and actresses--Mexico Cocktail parties--California--Los Angeles Dwellings--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Bel Air (Los Angeles, Calif.) Los Angeles Herald-Examiner photographs Herald-Examiner Collection photographs Group portraits
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