31 Days of Oscar: Blood and Sand (1941). An oil painting that looks like it came to life.

This post is part of the 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon, hosted by Once Upon a Screen, Outspoken and Freckled and Paula’s Cinema Club. It runs Feb. 1 – Mar. 3, in conjunction with Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar. Please click on envelope on the side bar to learn more.

Blood and Sand (1941). is a Technicolor film produced by 20th Century Fox, directed by Rouben Mamoulian. Cast: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Rita Hayworth, and Alla Nazimova. It is based on the Spanish 1909 novel Blood and Sand by Vicente Blasco Ibanez.

The film won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. The following breathtaking scenes are what in my opinion helped win the award:

The scenes where Juan's with his group of friends/matadors are sitting in the church while Juan is praying at the altar.

The powerful scene of Nacional laying in bed under a crucifix dying.

Dona Sol, dancing a very sexy dance with matador Manolo, in the Cantina.

Juan turning from the bull as he drags his cape behind him...

The bullfighting scenes are beautifully done...

Also, the last scene in the church..(Don't want to give the ending away)

It was also nominated for Best Art Direction (Richard Day, Joseph C. Wright and Thomas Little).

There are two earlier versions of Blood and Sand: A 1922 version produced by Paramount Pictures, and starring Rudolph Valentino and a 1916 version filmed by Blasco Ibanez, with the help of Max Andre.

This is a story about a young boy Juan Gallardo, who wants to become a bullfighter and follow in his dead father's footsteps.

As a young boy, Juan lying in bed looking up at his fathers poster.

Late one night, Juan, sneaks out of his room to go to the Cantina, wanting to go listen to the bullfighters stories of bravery. He gets into an argument and breaks a bottle of wine over critic Natalio Curro's head, after he talks about his father's lack of talent in the bullring.

Running away with an inch of his life, he swims across the river, dressed only his underwear, to try his skills fighting a bull under the night sky. With his childhood sweetheart Carmen, looking on from her balcony window. Her father steps in and ends the bull fight, but.. complements him on his style.

After causing trouble at the Cantina and with Carmen's father.. Juan, decides he must leave the village but, before he goes.. he promises Carmen, he will return and marry her.

Juan and his friends steal a horse and travel to Madrid, to follow their dreams of becoming a famous bullfighters. Along the way, the horse dies and Juan stops a train, with his bull fighting skills. They ride the train the rest of the way to Madrid.

Ten years later, Juan Gallardo now a matador, returns to Seville by train. Because, he and his friends can not read, they ask a fellow passenger, to read a newspaper article, about the up and coming matadors. It is not very flattering article, so the fellow passenger changes the story, so it sounds as if he received a good review.

Juan, uses his winnings to buy his mother a beautiful home. Now, she no longer has to work as a scrub-woman. He sets up his sister Encarnacion and her fiance Antonio, in their own business. He hires ex-bullfighter Garabato, who has become a beggar, as his manager. He hires a band to serenade his childhood love Carmen and presents her with a beautiful wedding dress. He then shows her the newspaper article and she reads it the way it was written. Angry, he vows that he is going to make the critic Curro eat his words.

Over the next two years, Juan becomes Spain's most famous matador. Even, the critic Curro, brags that he was the one who discovered Juan's talent. While Juan stands before his closet filled with beautiful matador costumes, being dressed by his friend Garabato. Nacional, comes in with a warning about the bulls they are to fight that day in the bull ring. Alone, with his friend Garabato, he admits to being afraid.

Later, Carmen, comes in to wish him luck and to tell him he looks like a king, but.. she is too scared to stay and watch the bullfight.

Next, we see the brave matadors with their capes and the bull, enter the arena...

Man killer Dona Sol de Muira, is sitting in the audience and Juan, blinded by Dona Sol's, beauty, she finds it easy to seduce him.

The next evening, Juan dines at Dona Sol's house and her flavor of the month Captain Pierre Lauren, realizes that he has been replaced and returns her ring.

After, Juan falls asleep on Dona Sol's patio. He wakes alone and decides to leave, but as he walks through her elaborate home, he opens a door, as luck would have it.. it's Dona Sol's bedroom, where she lays sleeping...

The next morning, with a guilty conscience Juan, gives Carmen a necklace and tells her that she is "the only true one in the world", while wearing Dona Sols ring.

Carmen, defends her husband against his family, but.. decides to leave him after she visits Dona to discuss her husband and sees Juan kissing her. Juan, follows his wife home only to find her necklace laying there on the bed.

Juan falls into a deep depression and begins drinking. Garabato, goes to work for Manolo and Don Jose, quits as his manager. Nacional, is the only one who sticks by his friend. Even though, he says that Dona Sol has stolen his killer instinct and at Juan's next bull fight, his mistake in the ring causes Nacional's death.

Dona Sol, also, looses interest in Juan and accepts the offer to dance a passionate Flamenco, with the new up and coming matador Manolo de Palma. Juan, angrily throws away her ring, realizing that he has lost her too.

He goes home to find his mother scrubbing floors of the house that they have been evicted from. Juan, then goes to Carmen to beg for forgiveness, she still loves him and takes him back. He tells her he must have one final bull fight to prove to himself.. that he is still a great matador. Will he prove himself or like his father before him.. die in the bull ring?

Gene Kelly Centennial Blogathon

This is my contribution to the week-long Gene Kelly Centennial Blogathon, sponsored by the Classic Movie Blog Association. Please stop by other blogs(located on the sidebar) and read the many wonderful tributes celebrating Gene Kelly's 100th birthday.

Cover Girl (1944). Musical. Cast: Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. Directed by Charles Vidor, and was one of the most beloved musicals of the war years.

The film has 8 dance/songs written by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin, including: "Long Ago (and Far Away)". The film won the 1944 Academy Award for best musical scoring.It was also nominated for four other awards; Best Art Direction (Lionel Banks, Cary Odell, Fay Babcock), Best Cinematography, Best Original Song for "Long Ago (and Far Away)" and Best Sound, Recording (John Livadary).

The film begins when, Maxine Martin enters a contest to be a Vanity magazine cover girl. Rusty Parker, another dancer at Danny Maguire's Brooklyn nightclub, also enters the contest. The two women are interviewed by Cornelia Jackson, who works for the magazine.

When Jackson shows interest in Rusty, Maxine ruins her chances by telling her that Jackson is looking for a model with over the top personality. When Rusty takes her advice and puts on a huge act, Jackson thinks she is nuts. Jackson believes that Maxine, is the better candidate for the cover.

Coudair insists on going to Danny's club to see her in her "natural environment." When they get to the club they watch the girls dance number where Rusty, reminds Coudair of his long lost love, Maribelle Hicks.

After her performance, Rusty joins Danny and Genius, at Joe's oyster bar, where they enjoy their Friday night ritual looking for a pearl to bring them luck. When they return to their apartment, Rusty finds a telegram from Coudair, inviting her to his office the next day. Thinking that Coudair's offer will end their close friendship, Genius tears up the telegram. When Rusty is alone she runs back downstairs to put the pieces back together.

Rusty makes her appointment with Coudair and when he learns that Maribelle Hicks was her grandmother, he gives her the magazine's cover. Coudair brings Broadway theater owner Noel Wheaton to meet Rusty to offer her a job. At first Rusty turns him down. Coudair joins forces with Wheaton to lure Rusty to Broadway and sends Rusty an invitation to Vanity 's 50th anniversary dinner.

Mean while Danny arrives at the Coudair mansion only find to find the house empty except for Coudair who insist that Danny free Rusty from her contract.

The next day, Rusty is late for rehearsal, and Danny gives her song to Maxine to perform. Rusty hurt rushes out of the club, headed for Broadway. Will Rusty give up fame and fortune for love?

What makes this a milestone film for Gene Kelly, are the two musical numbers: Put Me to the Test. Along with the Alter Ego. Kelly, said the alter ego number was one of the hardest dance numbers he ever performed in his career. With the amazing technicolor cinematography, Cover Girl, will forever be one of my favorite musicals.

FUN FACTS:

Columbia Pictures gave Gene Kelly almost complete control over the making of this film, and many of his ideas contributed to its lasting success. He removed several of the sound stage walls so that he, Rita Hayworth, and Phil Silvers could dance along an entire street in one take. He also used trick photography so that he could dance with himself in one sequence.

Rita Hayworth's singing voice was dubbed by Martha Mears.

Lauren Bacall had been wanted by Columbia to appear in this film as Harper's Bazaar cover girl (as she had appeared on Harper's Bazaar cover in March 1943), but instead filmed To Have and Have Not at Warner Bros. and became a star.

During the middle of shooting Rita Hayworth eloped with Orson Welles. Coincidentally the film's wedding scene was shot that day. Share this Several Conover Cover Girl models appear in this film.

"MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin and E.Y. Harburg
Sung and Danced by Gene Kelly, Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Martha Mears); Phil Silvers.




"ALTER-EGO DANCE"
Music by Jerome Kern
Danced by Gene Kelly.

Kelly was born in the Highland Park neighborhood of Pittsburgh. He was the third son of Harriet Catherine and James Patrick Joseph Kelly, a phonograph salesman.

At the age of eight, Kelly was enrolled by his mother in dance classes, along with his older brother James, feeling like sissy's, they both dropped out

Kelly returned to dance after becoming an sportsman and able to take care of himself. He attended St. Raphael Elementary School in the Morningside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from Peabody High School in 1929 at the age of sixteen. He enrolled in Pennsylvania State College to study journalism but the economic crash changed his plans and he had to find employment to help support his family.

This is when he put together dance routines with his younger brother Fred, to earn prize money in local talent contests, they also performed in local nightclubs. In 1931, Kelly enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh to study economics where he joined the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity.While at Pitt, Kelly became involved in the university's Cap and Gown Club, which staged original, comedic musical productions.

Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, with his graduation from Pitt in 1933, he remained active with the Cap and Gown Club, serving as its director from 1934 to 1938, while at the same time enrolling in the University of Pittsburgh Law School. Also during this period, Kelly's family started a dance studio in Pittsburgh. In 1932, the dance studio was renamed, The Gene Kelly Studio of the Dance. A second location was opened in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1933. Kelly, served as a teacher at the studio during both his undergraduate and law student years at Pitt.

In 1931, he was asked by the Rodef Shalom synagogue in Pittsburgh to teach dance and to stage the annual Kermess. This venture lasted for seven years until he decided to pursue his career as a dance teacher and full-time entertainer and dropped out of law school.  In 1937, he moved to New York City to follow his dream of becoming a successful choreographer and actor. He did perform one time with his brother(1954), Fred Kelly in the movie:

Deep in My Heart(1954). Biographical musical about the life of operetta composer Sigmund Romberg, who wrote the music for The Student Prince, The Desert Song, and The New Moon. Leonard Spigelglass adapted the film from Elliott Arnold's 1949 biography of the same name. Stanley Donen directed and Eugene Loring choreographed.

The film, which takes its title from "Deep in My Heart, Dear," a song from "The Student Prince," which has  cameos by: Cyd Charisse, Rosemary Clooney, Vic Damone, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly and his brother Fred Kelly (their only on-screen performance together), Tony Martin, Ann Miller, James Mitchell, Jane Powell, and the ballerina Tamara Toumanova. Robert Easton and Russ Tamblyn both make uncredited appearances.

 

Some highlights of Fred Kelly's career: Winner of three Donaldson awards, which were the precursor of the Tony Awards: one for acting, one for comedy and one for dance (presented by Antoinette Perry, for whom the Tony awards are named).

Directed The Ice Capades. Introduced the mambo to the New York City dance scene. Invented the cha-cha. Taught a young man named John Travolta to dance in Oradell, NJ.

In the movie Meet Me in St. Louis, the song “The Boy Next Door” was based on Fred and his wife, Dottie, who was his childhood sweetheart. They lived next door to each other in Pittsburgh. Fred produced, directed, or was otherwise involved with the first television drama series, soap opera, cooking show, and talk show - a true television pioneer.

The Money Trap (1965).

The Money Trap (1965). Film Noir. Cast: Glenn Ford, Elke Sommer and Rita Hayworth. Directed by Burt Kennedy.

When a burglar is reported shot and killed at the home of a doctor and during the investigation, Cop Joe Baron, gets to know the dead burglar's alcoholic wife, Rosalie and they begin a romantic affair.

It is not long before Baron, learns that the doctor, Horace Van Tilden, is the head of an illegal drug ring. He and his partner, Pete Delanos, conspire to rob Van Tilden's safe. The doctor, meantime, worried about Rosalie ratting him out, pushes her to her death.

While stealing a million dollars and two bags of heroin from the safe, the cops are surprised by Van Tilden and Delanos is shot. Baron, wants to make a deal with the doctor, if he will get help for seriously wounded Delanos.

But..after his partner dies, Baron kills the doctor. Wounded himself, he makes it home to Lisa, he knows that  his fellow officers are on their way to put him behind bars.

Rita Hayworth

In this film Rita Hayworth, gives a wonderful performance as the widow of the dead burglar. She looks a little beat up as her character should, but.. she's still a beautiful woman with true chemistry with Ford. This is a must see movie for all Rita Hayworth fans.

 

Elke Sommers

Argentina Brunetti (August 31, 1907 – December 20, 2005) was an actress and writer. Brunetti, began her show business career at the age of three with a walk on role in the opera, Cavalleria Rusticana and followed Mimi Aguglia, her famous mother's footsteps in the theater performing supporting roles on stages throughout Europe and South America.

 In 1937, she was placed under contract to MGM pictures and began dubbing the voices of Jeanette MacDonald and Norma Shearer in Italian. Next she became a narrator for the Voice of America, interviewing American movie stars for broadcast in Italy. At the same time she had her movie debut in the classic, It's a Wonderful Life (1946), as Mrs. Martini.

Throughout her career she has also written and performed in daily radio shows, became a member of the 'Hollywood Foreign Press Association', writing articles on Hollywood personalities, authored books, written music and acted in over 57 television programs and 68 movies in which she mainly played multi-ethnic roles.

She hosted a weekly weblog on the Internet, called Argentina Brunetti's Hollywood Stories, which her son plans to continue running, and has written a biographical novel called In Sicilian Company. She continued to act well into her 90s, most notably as a relative from the Old World who visits and stays with the Barone family on Everybody Loves Raymond.

She moved to Rome in 2004 to be with her family. She died there from natural causes on December 20, 2005, at the age of 98.

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt(1939).

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt(1939). Cast: Warren William, Ida Lupino, Rita Hayworth and Virginia Weidler. Directed by Peter Godfrey.

Ex-jewel thief Michael Lanyard, AKA The Lone Wolf, is taken by force to see Spiro, the leader of an espionage ring, who offers to pay him $10,000 to steal the plans for the new anti-aircraft gun. Lanyard, turns down the job and quickly leaves, but not before Spiro steals his cigarettes.

The following day, the War Department safe is robbed and Lanyard's half-smoked cigarettes are found at the scene of the crime. Inspector Thomas, suspects the former jewel thief of the crime and goes looking for him. After talking with the inspector, Lanyard leaves for a cocktail party with Val Carson, the senator's daughter.

Soon after arriving at the bar, Lanyard is lured to Spiro's house, where he is informed that the spies made off with only half of the plans and that they want him to get the remaining plans. Lanyard goes to the inventors house, where he finds the real plans in the safe.

Lanyard, turns the real plans over to Val's father and goes to Spiro's house to get the rest of the plans. Karen, tries to buy the secret plans from Lanyard. Lanyard's daughter Patricia, playing detective, hides in her car. While trailing Spiro, Lanyard is recaptured, but is saved by Patricia, who creates a diversion by stealing the plans. Will the police arrive in time to arrest the spies.

This is the first film I've seen of The Lone Wolf series. Ida Lupino, is very charming who plays a woman who keeps hoping the Wolf will marry her.. Rita Hayworth, as always makes a wonderful femme fatale.

Warren William (December 2, 1894 – September 24, 1948), was nicknamed the "king of Pre-Code". After moving from Broadway to Hollywood in 1931, he reached his peak as a leading man in early 1930s pre-Production Code films. He was a contract player at the Warner Bros. studio and was known for playing heartless types, including the Sam Spade character in the second filming of, The Maltese Falcon, called Satan Met a Lady (1936).

He also played roles, such as, Imitation of Life, in which he played Claudette Colbert's love interest. He also performed as her love interest in the film, Cleopatra. And he was the swashbuckle in, The Man in the Iron Mask(1939).

William was the first to play Erle Stanley a fictional defense attorney Perry Mason on the big screen and starred in four, Perry Mason mysteries. He also played Raffles-like reformed jewel thief in the, The Lone Wolf, beginning with, The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939) with Ida Lupino and Rita Hayworth and he starred as detective Philo Vance in two films in that series, 1934's The Dragon Murder Case and 1939's The Gracie Allen Murder Case.

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Rita Hayworth

The lovely Rita and her cocker spaniel enjoying the warm weather

Beep beep'm beep beep yeah!

Rita Hayworth, posing with her 1941 Lincoln Continental.

Rita in the Pink.

Rita, loved to collect cars and here are a few of her favorites.

This picture looks like it was taken on the set of  The Loves of Carmen ( 1948).

I would like to know the story behind this picture.

During the 1950s, it was still possible to order a chassis from a manufacturer and have it sent to a coach builder to be fitted with a custom body. One of only two known to have been built by Ghia, this coupe was purchased by Ali Khan for the actress Rita Hayworth. This coupe was reliable, easy to drive, and simple to maintain.

Video: Ali Khan bought Rita Hayworth this 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe, that was custom built by Carrozzeria Ghia. There are only two of them in the world.

Happy Thankgiving from Rita and all of us here at N and CF.

Happy Birthday: Rita Hayworth!

Rita Hayworth, one of the great beauties of her era, was also a very talented actress, dancer, and comedian. She started her performing career partnered with her father, in a dancing team called, "The Dancing Cansinos". At that time Hayworth, was not of legal age to work in the California's nightclubs and bars, so.. she and her father traveled across the border to the city of Tijuana, Mexico, a popular tourist spot of the 1930s.

It was at the Caliente Club where Hayworth was first spotted by the head of the Fox Film Corporation, Winfield Sheehan. Hayworth, found herself in Hollywood making a screen test for Fox. Sheehan, signed Hayworth to a six-month contract.

There Hayworth, performed very small roles in five pictures. By the end of her six-month contract, Zanuck decided not to renew her contract. Judson, found a place for her in lead roles with Columbia Pictures. Studio head Harry Cohn, signed her to a long-term contract.

Cohn, thought Hayworth looked too Mediterranean, which caused Hayworth to be cast into Hispanic roles. She decided to undergo electrolysis to broaden her forehead and accentuate her widow's peak. When Hayworth returned to Columbia, she was a redhead.

In 1939, Howard Hawks wanted Hayworth, for a small but important role in the film, Only Angels Have Wings, where she played the wife of disgraced flier Richard Barthelmess and one of Cary Grant's old flames.

Fun Fact:
When Rita Hayworth couldn't play her drunk scene well enough, Hawks told Cary Grant to throw a bucket of water on her head, dry her hair, and to only say his lines.



Cohn, next put Hayworth in the films:

Music in My Heart (1940). This has to be one of the most underrated of Rita's films. A musical, which gives Rita's fans a chance to watch her dance. A wonderful 'boy meets girl' story, which begins when their cabs crash into each other, changing both their lives.

The Lady in Question(1940). This film is full of drama and smiles. The story begins when, Brian Aheme, a bicycle shop owner who wants to become a juror in a court case of Natalie Roguin. Andre Moestan, manages to talk the jury into setting her free. Andre, gives her a job in his bicycle shop and lets her live above his shop. Pierre Moestan, the son of Andre, falls in love with Natalie. It is great seeing a young Rita just starting out in her Hollywood career.

Video: movie in full:

Angels Over Broadway(1940). Drama, in which a hustler, a showgirl, and an alcoholic playwright try to help an embezzler win back the money he stole.

Video: Full movie.

Rita Hayworth, is wonderful in her part and was later, loaned out to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to perform in the films:

Susan and God(1940), with Joan Crawford. Rita Hayworth, has a small role as a young actress who married producer Nigel Bruce for her career. You just know that she was going to be a huge star from her performance in this film.

On loan to Warner Brothers, Hayworth performed as the second female lead in, The Strawberry Blonde (1941), opposite James Cagney and Olivia de Havilland.

Ann Sheridan, was originally cast as Virginia Brush, but had a salary dispute with Warner Brothers. The studio borrowed Rita Hayworth from Columbia.



Jack L. Warner, liked her work so much in this film that he used her in another romantic comedy, Affectionately Yours(1941).

For me the best part of this fluffy film, is the love triangle, which at times it's hard to follow.

Her success in the film led to an even more important role in one of my favorite films, Blood and Sand (1941), with Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell. Rita Hayworth, performance as Dona Sol, launched her career as sex symbol. Her dance scene with Anthony Quinn, for me is one of the sexest dances on film.

She returned to Columbia Pictures and was cast in the musical, You'll Never Get Rich (1941), with Fred Astaire in one of the highest-budgeted films Columbia had ever made. Astaire, plays a dance director who becomes attracted to dancer Hayworth, but is drafted into the Army. All of their dances are sensational. The 'big number' is the finale, the "Wedding Cake Walk". There is a dance number at the start of the film called "Boogie Barcarolle." The other number is Astaire and Hayworth's dress rehearsal "So Near and Yet So Far," a beautiful dance which showcases Hayworth in a sheer black gown.

Their follow-up film, Rita's Favorite of her own films, You Were Never Lovelier(1942), is full of romantic complications and more beautiful dance numbers, performed by Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, and Xavier Cugat and his orchestra. The story is about, an American dancer who runs out of money while on vacation, in Buenos Aires and tries to get a job with hotel owner, Adolph Menjou. He soon meets Menjou's beautiful daughter Hayworth and compares her to the inside of a refrigerator. Trying to speed things along, Menjou starts sending his daughter orchids. Hayworth, believes that Astaire sent her the orchids and they fall in love. As a team, They only did two films together. This film includes the title song "I'm Old Fashioned", one of the most romantic dance numbers ever performed.

Hayworth, was the first dancer to partner with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly on film.



In 1942, Hayworth performed in two other pictures:

Tales of Manhattan. This movie leads us through many ups and downs all based around a tuxedo which seems to be jinxed. Charles Boyer, is drawn to beautiful Rita Hayworth. Thomas Mitchell, as the husband with a few ulterior motives of his own. The movie composed of 5 unrelated short stories.

In the film, My Gal Sal. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck originally wanted Carole Landis to play Sally Elliot, but she refused to dye her hair red and insisted she'd play it as a blonde. She was put in a secondary role and Rita Hayworth, borrowed from Columbia, since Alice Faye, expecting her first daughter, could not take the part.

Rita Hayworth's dancing partner in the number, "On The Gay White Way" is choreographer Hermes Pan.

The plot is fluffy and charming and you will love Rita Hayworth and Victor Mature, in this Gay 90s film..



It was during this period that Hayworth posed for a famous pin-up in Life Magazine, which showed her in a negligee perched seductively on her bed. When the U.S. joined World War II in December 1941, Hayworth, became one of the top two pin-up girls of the war years, the other being Betty Grable.

In 1944, she made one of her best-known films the musical, Cover Girl (1944), with Gene Kelly. The film established her as Columbia's top star of the 1940s.

A wonderful story about a girl named Rusty Parker, who dreams of being on Broadway which means she would have to leave the small theater where she works with Danny and Genius. Every Friday night, they go to a local bar where they order oysters so they can look for a pearl. Rusty, learns that fame is not all that it is cracked up to be. The movie showcases the amazing talents of Rita and Gene Kelly.

During the middle of shooting Rita Hayworth eloped with Orson Welles. Coincidentally the film's wedding scene was shot that day.



Cohn, continued to showcase Hayworth's talents in films:

Tonight and Every Night (1945). Rita, was pregnant during production. So the musical numbers were filmed first, before the pregnancy began to show. As filming progressed, they did everything they could to hide her growing belly with muffs, furniture and purses.

The movie is set during the air attacks on London about a theater that never missed a performance. Many musical numbers are mixed in with the story involving Rita being romanced by Eagle Squadron RAF, Lee Bowman. Even though she's warned by her best friend Janet Blair, that Bowman's a wolf in Eagle Squadron uniform. Dancer Marc Platt, is also interested in her.


Video: Movie in full:

Her sex appeal was most notable in the film noir. Gilda (1946), with Glenn Ford, this film found some difficulty with censors, because Hayworth, performed a one-glove striptease. Hayworth's, performance is stunning and unforgettable. Put the Blame on Mame, is one of film history's more memorable scenes. Also, look out for the famous "hair-toss" scene.

Down to Earth (1947). This comedy/fantasy story begins when, performer/producer Larry Parks, begins planning a musical comedy that is a satire of the Greek Gods. A Greek Muse, is not to happy that liberties are being taken with her relations so she comes down and lands the dancing lead to straighten things out. Rita Hayworth, is at the height of her screen fame when this film was made.

She delivered one of her most famous performances in, The Lady from Shanghai (1947). Its failure at the box office was blamed on Hayworth's famous red hair cut off and dyed blonde for her role. This was done without Cohn's knowledge or approval and he was furious over the change.

Her next film, The Loves of Carmen (1948), again with Glenn Ford, was the first film co-produced by Columbia and Hayworth's own production company, The Beckworth Corporation (named for her daughter Rebecca).

Video: Dance scene.