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Dolores del Rio, 1904-1983
Born Chihuahua, México
A luminous beauty and a gifted actress, Dolores del Rio rocketed to Hollywood stardom within a year of her arrival from Mexico in 1925. After minor roles in several films, del Rio established herself as a major box-office draw with her performance as a French barmaid in the World War I drama What Price Glory? -- one of the top films of 1926. Although the American movie industry counted her among its first "Latin" stars, del Rio resisted Hollywood's efforts to typecast her as a south-of-the-border siren during her silent film career. With the introduction of sound pictures, however, del Rio's accent made it easier to consign her to stereotypical roles. In 1942 she returned to Mexico and embarked on a rewarding new career in Spanish-language cinema that would earn her four Silver Ariels, the Mexican film industry's highest award.
Benjamin Strauss, c 1927 |