Rita Hayworth was a Hollywood Goddess

Love Goddess Rita Hayworth

Dark Victory: A Film That Changed Everything

One of the first truly prominent roles that Rita had come in the form of a part in the film Dark Victory. This film came out in 1939, with Rita starring opposite Humphrey Bogart, who played her love interest. This was a very important film for her career. It was a big hit and brought her a lot of attention. It also made her first million-dollar salary. It also marked the beginning of her six-year relationship with Bogart. Although the relationship ended when Rita met and fell in love with Orson Welles, Dark Victory was the film that kick-started her stardom.

To the Ends of the Earth: From Latina to Blonde and Back Again

Rita’s Latina heritage was something that played a big part in her career, although not always in a positive way. In an industry obsessed with blondes like Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, and Dorothy Lamour, Rita’s dark hair and olive skin weren’t always welcome. This was especially the case in the 1940s when Hollywood was very much a white man’s world. As a result, Rita often had to bleach her hair to get the roles she wanted. However, she would often go back to her natural color as soon as the part was done. This aspect of her career was especially apparent early on in her career. When she was trying to break into Hollywood, she had to bleach her hair to be noticed by anyone. Even so, she has often been turned away on account of her skin color.

Orson Welles, Marriage, and Citizen Kane

Although it wasn’t the start of their relationship, Rita and Orson Welles met on the set of the film Citizen Kane in 1941. They began a casual affair soon after, and Welles married Rita on August 16, 1943. This marriage is perhaps most notable for the fact that it ended just nine months later when the two divorced in May 1944. Although many would assume that one of them was to blame, the two were actually on good terms. Rita herself indicated that there was no animosity between them, and Welles himself said that it was just a mistake. However, the divorce became somewhat of a scandal because Rita was pregnant when they got married. She had a baby boy, whom she named Michael, nine months after the wedding. However, it was never clear who the father was, as both Orson Welles and her first husband, Eduardo Cansino, were suspected of being the father. In any case, she put the baby up for adoption and the whole episode was kept quiet.

The End of an Era

Rita’s career began to wind down in the 1950s. She continued to star in films but with less success than before. Her last major film was The band Wagon in 1953. Although she did a few other roles afterward, they were very minor parts and nothing compared to what she had done before. After this, she focused more on raising her two children and operating her own production company. Although she retired from acting in the early 1960s, she remained a popular cultural figure for many years after. Her name and image were often used in conjunction with advertisements and other cultural references, and she continued to be an icon of Hollywood glamour. She passed away in 1987 after a long battle with pneumonia.

Conclusion

Rita Hayworth truly was one of the great sex symbols of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She was a hugely successful actress, and her image and name were used in many advertisements and cultural references. Although her career began in the 1940s, she remained a popular cultural figure for many years after her retirement. There is no doubt that Rita Hayworth was one of the great sex symbols of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Her image and name were used in many advertisements and cultural references, and she was a hugely successful actress.