Rita Hayworth

Margarita Carmen Cansino
1918 - 1987
American born New York City

Nickname The Love Goddess . Height 5' 6" (1.68 m) . Spanish dancer Eduardo Cansino's daughter Margarita trained as a dancer from early childhood. At age 12, mature-looking Rita joined Eduardo's stage act, in which she was spotted three years later by Fox studio head Winfield R. Sheehan, leading to her first studio contract and film debut at age 16 in Dante's Inferno (1935). Fox dropped her after five small roles, but expert, exploitative promotion by first husband Edward Judson soon brought Rita a new contract at Columbia Pictures, where studio head Harry Cohn changed her name to Hayworth and approved raising her hairline by electrolysis. After 13 mainly minor roles, Columbia lent her to Warner Bros. for her first big success, The Strawberry Blonde (1941); her splendid dancing with Fred Astaire in You'll Never Get Rich (1941) made her a star.In person Rita was shy, quiet and unassuming; only when the cameras rolled did she turn on the explosive sexual charisma that in Gilda (1946) made her a superstar. To Rita, though, domestic bliss was a more important, if elusive, goal, and in 1949 she interrupted her career for marriage--unfortunately an unhappy one almost from the start--to playboy Prince Aly Khan. Her films after her divorce from Khan include perhaps her best straight acting performances, Miss Sadie Thompson (1953) and They Came to Cordura (1959). From 1960 (age 42), early onset of Alzheimer's disease (undiagnosed until 1980) limited Rita's powers; the last few roles in her 60-film career were increasingly small. Almost helpless by 1981, Rita was cared for by daughter Yasmin Khan until her death at age 68. Spouse James Hill (2 February 1958 - September 1961) (divorced), Dick Haymes (24 September 1953 - 12 December 1955) (divorced), Prince Aly Khan (27 May 1949 - 26 January 1953) (divorced) 1 child, Orson Welles (7 September 1943 - 1 December 1948) (divorced) 1 child, Edward C. Judson (29 May 1937 - 24 May 1943) (divorced).

The Wrath of God (1972), The Naked Zoo (1971) , Road to Salina (1970) , Bastardi, I (1968) , Avventuriero, L' (1967) , Poppies Are Also Flowers (1966) , The Money Trap (1965) , Circus World (1964) , The Happy Thieves (1962) , The Story on Page One (1959) , They Came to Cordura (1959) , Separate Tables (1958) , Pal Joey (1957) , Fire Down Below (1957) , Miss Sadie Thompson (1953) , Salome (1953) , Affair in Trinidad (1952) , The Loves of Carmen (1948) , The Lady from Shanghai (1947) , Down to Earth (1947) , Gilda (1946) , Tonight and Every Night (1945) , Cover Girl (1944) , You Were Never Lovelier (1942) , Tales of Manhattan (1942) , My Gal Sal (1942) , You'll Never Get Rich (1941) , Blood and Sand (1941) , Affectionately Yours (1941) , The Strawberry Blonde (1941) , Angels Over Broadway (1940) , The Lady in Question (1940) , Susan and God (1940) , Blondie on a Budget (1940) , Music in My Heart (1940) , Only Angels Have Wings (1939) , The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939) , Homicide Bureau (1939) , The Renegade Ranger (1938) , Juvenile Court (1938) , Convicted (1938) , There's Always a Woman (1938) , Special Inspector (1938) , Who Killed Gail Preston? (1938) , The Shadow (1937) , Paid to Dance (1937) , Life Begins with Love (1937) , The Game That Kills (1937) , Girls Can Play (1937) , Criminals of the Air (1937) , Trouble in Texas (1937) , Hit the Saddle (1937) , Old Louisiana (1937) , Rebellion (1936) , Meet Nero Wolfe (1936) , Dancing Pirate (1936) , Human Cargo (1936) , Professional Soldier (1935) , Paddy O'Day (1935) , Piernas de seda (1935) , Dante's Inferno (1935) , Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935) , Under the Pampas Moon (1935) , In Caliente (1935) , Cruz Diablo (1934) , Anna Case in La Fiesta (1926)