Rita Hayworth: Hollywood's Iconic Starlet's Story of Triumph and Tragedy
At the age of 16, Hayworth's breakthrough arrived when she was offered acontract by a Fox Film Company employee. In 1935, she made her debut in "Under the Pampas Moon." Her filmography expanded to include titles like "Dante's Inferno," "Charlie Chan in Egypt," "Meet Nero Wolfe," "Gilda," "Tales of Manhattan," and "Human Cargo." "Gilda" catapulted her into stardom, solidifying her status as a Hollywood icon.
However, beneath the glitz of her career, Hayworth's personal life was marred by tragedy. Her journey was fraught with challenges, from a deprived childhood to tumultuous relationships as an adult, compounded by serious health issues. Here's a closer look at the life of this iconic Hollywood starlet.
Rita Hayworth, originally Margarita Carmen Cansino, was born on Oct. 17, 1918, in New York. Her family, deeply rooted in show business, enthusiastically envisioned her carrying forward the family legacy. Her father, Eduardo Cansino, was a professional dancer, and her mother, Volga, had been part of the Ziegfeld Follies. Hayworth had little choice but to embrace dancing, and by the age of 12, she was already a seasoned dancer.
Despite her initial reluctance, as revealed in the book "Rita: The Life of Rita Hayworth," she didn't dare defy her father's wishes and began taking dance lessons. Her girlhood revolved around relentless rehearsals, devoid of the normalcy of a typical childhood. The unwavering pressure from her family left her feeling unsupported and devoid of affection.
Rita Hayworth's early life was marred by abuse, primarily at the hands of her father, as detailed in The Chicago Tribune. Reports suggest that the abuse may have occurred during their work-related trips. Barbara Leaming, Hayworth's biographer and author of "If This Was Happiness," proposed that these traumatic experiences may have contributed to Hayworth's shyness and reticence throughout her life.
Her mother attempted to shield her from her father's abuse whenever possible, even sleeping beside her to protect her. However, these efforts were ineffective during their travels, leaving a lasting mark on Hayworth's psyche.
In 1937, Rita Hayworth married Eddie Judson, an ex-car salesman, as reported by Vanity Fair. Despite the significant age difference, Hayworth entered the marriage for love, while Judson saw it as an investment. This union subjected Hayworth to unkind treatment and relentless pressure to secure more work and exposure.
Judson went to extreme lengths, subjecting Hayworth to uncomfortable electrolysis procedures in an attempt to make her appear "less Latin." According to The New York Times, he resorted to threats, including physical harm and disfigurement, to assert control. He even pressured her to become intimately involved with influential men who could advance her career, including an attempt to manipulate her into seducing Columbia's head honcho, Harry Cohn. However, Hayworth resisted, leading to Cohn's subsequent mistreatment of her.
Hayworth's romantic life was characterized by tumultuous marriages. After divorcing Judson, she married actor/director Orson Welles. Despite being attracted to her, Welles proved emotionally unavailable and unfaithful, frequently engaging with other actresses and sex workers.
Following the end of her marriage with Welles, Hayworth was courted by Prince Aly Khan, a prominent royal figure. He pursued her while still married and eventually married her in a lavish ceremony. However, the marriage was short-lived, culminating in separation in 1951. Subsequently, Hayworth married singer Dick Haymes, who mismanaged her finances.
Despite her talent and potential, Hayworth was not taken seriously in Hollywood. Smithsonian Magazine revealed that her ethnicity and public image were subject to scrutiny and alteration. She distanced herself from her Hispanic roots to fit the Hollywood mold, undergoing various beauty treatments and adopting a new name. Despite these changes, her genuine personality shone through when she danced on stage, where she remained unstoppable.
However, Hayworth's public image was frequently sexualized and misrepresented to cater to audiences and fans.
Hayworth took a brief hiatus from Hollywood due to the intense public scrutiny she faced while married to Orson Welles. During their collaboration on a film, Welles permitted negative portrayals of Hayworth, depicting her as deceitful and dishonest on screen. This portrayal left Hayworth distraught, leading her to step away from Hollywood temporarily. During this period, she met Prince Aly Khan and married him on the French Riviera. Welles, though acknowledging Khan's charm, deemed the marriage detrimental to Hayworth.
Despite a legion of admirers, Rita Hayworth grappled with loneliness for a significant portion of her life, as reported by Closer Weekly. She often felt misunderstood, as expressed to Kirk Douglas, one of her former lovers. Her marriages, fraught with disappointment, left her emotionally empty. Glenn Ford, a close friend and rumored lover, served as a confidant for Hayworth, providing the support she desperately needed.
In the late 1970s, news outlets reported that Rita Hayworth was battling alcoholism and had been admitted to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, as noted by the Los Angeles Times. However, her alcoholism was a misdiagnosis. In reality, she was suffering from Alzheimer's, with symptoms dating back to the 1960s. Her memory deteriorated, making it challenging to remember her lines while filming. Her makeup artist, Lynn del Kail, recalled the difficulties in helping her deliver lines.
In her final years, Rita Hayworth relied on her daughter, Yasmin Aga Khan Jeffries, who moved her to New York to care for her, as recounted by Vanity Fair. Hayworth's Alzheimer's remained undiagnosed for years, attributed to alcoholism. She exhibited erratic behavior and struggled to connect with others, ultimately leading to her diagnosis in 1980. Her daughter, Yasmin, provided invaluable support during this trying period, putting her burgeoning singing career on hold to offer comfort and care.
Rita Hayworth's life was a tumultuous journey filled with challenges, trauma, and heartbreak. Despite her enduring allure on the silver screen, her personal life was marked by adversity and pain. Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities that lie beneath the surface of fame and glamour.
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