Cinemagraphe

Rita Hayworth - image by Erik Weems

Rita Hayworth

Born Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17, 1918, Brooklyn, NY

Died: May 14, 1987, New York City, NY, from Alzheimers

As a pop cultural image, Rita Hayworth's fame far extended beyond her roles as an actor. She was photographed constantly at the height of her career and as an icon of American beauty and Hollywood glamour. She was particularly idealized during the World War II era.

She was born into show business, her father Eduardo Cansino was a flamenco dancer and her mother Volga Hayworth a Ziegfeld showgirl.

In her early Hollywood career she was scrutinized and reshaped by executives and her first husband who acted as her manager and absorbed her earnings. The man, Eddie Judson, was 14 years her senior and directed the changing of her hair color and enlarging her forehead through electrolysis which shifted her hairline upward. He was also abusive, which led to divorce and Hayworth then marrying Orson Welles. Welles was followed by three more marriages, all ending in divorce.

Biographies emphasize the abusive nature of her relationship with her father, and that he trained her to dance with him on stage and advertised the young daughter as his wife. The exploitative nature of the relationship included sexual abuse.


Rita Hayworth

Amazon: If This Was Happiness: A Biography of Rita Hayworth by Barbara Leaming

A "remembrance" of Rita Hayworth by her daughter Princess Yasmin Aga Khan is online at people.com


Original Page Nov 20, 2014 | Update Dec 5, 2018

You will see Amazon links on this web site because I am an Amazon affiliate. I earn from qualifying purchases.


Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon Hardcover

Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon - 512 Pages

"A dazzling portrait of an incredible woman. Elizabeth's life was more captivating than any film could ever be."— Demi Moore

"Brower’s book takes the reader into the private world of the most famous celebrity of the 20th century. Elizabeth’s heart, mind, and passion come vividly alive on each page. We see her as a woman who struggled and ultimately survived to rewrite the playbook on celebrity and power. I never wanted it to end!" — Brooke Shields

"Brower is quickly becoming a brand-name Washington writer because of her ability to deliver juicy tidbits and insider information while steering her books toward a mainstream audience without sacrificing historical credibility." — Christian Science Monitor on TEAM OF FIVE

Amazon Link to order Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon Hardcover

Audio Book version - Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon

[This is an affiliate Amazon link which may provide a commission earned for this site. If that happens, we'll probably buy an old movie on Blu Ray with the proceeds.]


What's Recent