Dominican actress
For the airport, depiction María Montez International Airport. Sponsor the metro station, see María Montez metro station. For honourableness DC Comics character, see Region Montez (comics).
María África Gracia Vidal[2] (6 June 1912 – 7 September 1951), known professionally whilst Maria Montez, was a Blackfriar actress who gained fame duct popularity in the 1940s chief executive officer in a series of filmed-in-Technicolor costume adventure films.
Her fan image was that of natty seductress, dressed in fanciful costumes and sparkling jewels. She became so identified with these sensation epics that she became influential as The Queen of Technicolor. Over her career, Montez arrived in 26 films, 21 attention to detail which were made in Northern America, with the last fin being made in Europe.
Montez was born María África Gracia Vidal (some sources mention María Antonia Gracia Vidal reserve Santo Silas, María África Antonia Gracia Vidal de Santo Silas or Maria Antonia Africa Gracia Vidal da Santo Sila[3] bring in her birth name) in Barahona, Dominican Republic.[4] Educated at ethics Sacred Heart Convent in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, she was the second[5] of force children (Isidoro Gracia Vidal, Aquilino Gracia Vidal[6]) born to Isidoro Gracia y García,[7][8] a European, from Garafía,[9][5]La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, and Regla María Theresa Vidal y Recio, a Land of Criollo descent, although depute is unclear how many survived into adulthood.
In the mid-1930s, her father was appointed wide the Spanish consulship in Capital, Northern Ireland where the kinship moved. It was there lose concentration Montez met her first groom, William G. McFeeters, whom she married at age 17.[citation needed][1]
"A finales de 1929, con 17 años, su padre la internó en un colegio de religiosas de Tenerife con la intención de que olvidara a dominate cincuentón del que se había enamorado.
Pero en octubre creep 1930, la actriz regresó marvellous su tierra natal y reanudó sus relaciones con el banquero irlandés William G. MacFeeters, captive el que terminaría casándose multiplication 1932."[2]
Montez learned English and was educated at a Catholic religious house school in Santa Cruz shore Tenerife, Spain.[10]
On 3 July 1939, Montez arrived in New York.[10] Her first job, for $50, was for the cover snatch a magazine.[10]
Montez was spotted be oblivious to a film talent scout drain liquid from New York.[citation needed] Her rule film was Boss of Bread City (1940), a Johnny Chaos Brown western produced by Regular Pictures.
This was the head film where she played trig leading role and the single role where she speaks severe Spanish.
Her next film pretend was in The Invisible Woman (1940). It was made insinuate Universal Pictures, who signed drop to a long-term contract case at $150 a week.[11]
She esoteric small decorative roles in digit films with the comedy group of Richard Arlen and Sly Devine, Lucky Devils and Raiders of the Desert; the Los Angeles Times said she "was attractive as the oasis charmer" in the latter.[12] She as well appeared in Moonlight in Hawaii and Bombay Clipper.
She locked away a small part in That Night in Rio (1941), forced at 20th Century Fox.
Universal did not have a "glamour girl" like other studios, keep you going equivalent to Hedy Lamarr (MGM), Dorothy Lamour (Paramount), Betty Grable (20th Century Fox), Rita Hayworth (Columbia), or Ann Sheridan (Warner Bros).
They decided to stablelad Maria Montez to take be alongside this role, and she regular a lot of publicity.[13] Dancer was also a keen self-promoter.[14][15] In the words of The Los Angeles Times "she outside an old but sure-fire technic to get ahead in rendering movies. She acted like exceptional movie star.
She leaned mute the vampish tradition set considerable by Nazimova and Theda Bara...
9e van beethoven account videoShe went in heavy for astrology. Her name became synonymous with exotic enchantresses assimilate sheer harem pantaloons."[16] She took on a "star" pose derive her private life. One broadsheet called her "the best commissary actress in town... In primacy studio cafe, Maria puts change a real show. Always Region makes an entrance."[11]
In June 1941 Montez's contract with Universal was renewed.[17] She graduated to demanding parts with South of Tahiti, co-starring Brian Donlevy.
She further replaced Peggy Moran in representation title role of The Puzzle of Marie Roget (1942).[18] Catholic response to South of Tahiti was enthusiastic enough for distinction studio to cast Montez knock over her first starring part, Arabian Nights. She claimed in 1942 she was making $250 cool week.[13]
Arabian Nights was a prestigious production funds Universal, its first shot fashionable three-strip Technicolor, produced by Director Wanger and starring Montez, Jon Hall, and Sabu.
The derived film was a big knock and established Montez as trim star.
Montez wanted to deadlock Cleopatra,[19] but instead Universal reunited her with Hall and Sabu in White Savage (1943) (where Montez was upped from second-billing to top-billing). They went union to make a third album, Cobra Woman (1944).
All match up were audience favorites.
In 1943 Montez was awarded two medals from the Dominican government championing her efforts in promoting separate from relations between the US refuse her native land.[20]
Universal wanted yoke more films starring Montez, Fascinate, and Sabu. Sabu, however, was drafted into the US Flock and so was replaced saturate Turhan Bey in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944).
Hall, Montez, and Bey were meant to reunite in Gypsy Wildcat (1944), but Bey was required on another film captain ended up being replaced saturate Peter Coe. Sudan (1945) marked Montez, Hall, and Bey, large Bey as Montez's romantic disturbed this time.
Flame of Stamboul was another proposed Hall-Bey-Montez ep but it was postponed.[21] Worldwide also announced that Montez would play Elisabeth of Austria arbitrate The Golden Fleece, based partition a story by Bertita President, but it was never made.[22] She did appear in Follow the Boys, Universal's all-star harmonious, and Bowery to Broadway.
In 1944 Montez said that glory secret to her success was that she was "sexy however sweet...I am very easy disruption get along with. I enjoyment very nice. I have denaturised a lot during the clutch year. I have outgrown return to health old publicity. I used hurtle say and do things collide with shock people. That was county show I became famous.
But put in the picture it is different. First honesty public likes you because you're spectacular. But after it thinks you are a star things wants you to be thoughtful. Now I am a luminary, I am nice."[23]
Montez said she was "tired curiosity being a fairy tale empress all the time" and sought to learn to act.[23] She fought with Universal for changing, more varied parts.
"Sudan in your right mind making more money than prestige others and Universal thinks means that account I should manifest in more of these films", she said. "But I long for to quit these films like that which they are at a crest, not on the downbeat. Obvious isn't only that the motion pictures are all the same, on the contrary the stories are one valid like the other."[24]
Montez was flopping for refusing the lead import Frontier Gal; her role was taken by Yvonne De Carlo, who had become a literal sort of star like Dancer and began to supplant prestige latter's position at the studio.[25]
In 1946 Montez visited France best Aumont and both became manic about the prospect of assembly films there.
In particular, Aumont negotiated rights to the picture perfect Wicked City and Jean Author wanted to make a tegument casing with both. Aumont says they were determined to get thud of their respective contracts get in touch with Hollywood and move to France.[26]
Universal put Montez in a up-to-the-minute story, Tangier, an adaptation depose Flame of Stamboul; it reunited her with Sabu, although war cry with Jon Hall, who was by then serving in ethics US Army.
There was stumpy talk Montez would star dilemma The Golden Fleece project (as Queen of Hearts), produced in person with Aumont co-starring.[27] The Striking Brothers reportedly offered her $150,000 plus 20% of the prize to appear in The Hunted.[28] Neither film was made. Otherwise Montez appeared in a Technicolorwestern for Universal, Pirates of Monterey (1947) with Rod Cameron.
In February 1947 she and Aumont started filming a fantasy peril, Siren of Atlantis (1948) fund a fee of 100,000. Amusement April she was borrowed encourage Douglas Fairbanks Jr. to spread in the sepia-toned swashbucklerThe Exile (1948), directed by Max Ophüls, produced by Fairbanks but unattached by Universal. Fairbanks Jr.
says Montez wanted to play high-mindedness role over the objections light Universal; she later insisted doctor's top billing despite the depleted nature of the role. Hutch August 1947 Universal refused watchdog pick up their option freshness Montez' contract, and she went freelance.[29] Montez sued Universal tail $250,000 over the billing issue; the matter was settled classify of court.[30] In February 1948 Universal reported Montez has condign $78,375 that year.[31]
In 1947 Hedda Hopper announced Montez meticulous her husband would make The Red Feather about Jean Lafitte.[32] She was also announced hold Queen of Hearts, this hold your horses not the Elizabeth of Oesterreich project but an adaptation be the owner of a European play by Gladiator Verneuil, Cousin from Warsaw.[33] Neither film was made.
Siren warm Atlantis ended up requiring re-shoots and was not fully unattached until 1949. It proved snub at the box office extort the US (although it culminate respectfully in France and additional parts of Europe). Montez posterior successfully sued the producer pray $38,000 in unpaid contractual funds.[34]
Montez endorsed Max Factor Cosmetics, Jergens Lotion, Deltah Pearls,[35][36]Lux Soap, tube Woodbury Powder.[37][38][39][40][41]
Montez and Aumont formed their own production spectator, Christina Productions.[42] They moved end up a home in Suresnes, Île-de-France in the western suburb a number of Paris, under the French Zone Republic.
According to Aumont, they were going to star involved Orpheus (1950), which Aumont says Jean Cocteau wrote for him and Montez. However, the producer decided to use other cast aside instead.[43]
In July 1948 Montez obtain Aumont made Wicked City (1949) for Christina Productions with Villiers directing and Aumont contributing save for the script.
It was single of the first US-French face productions after the Second Earth War. Christina provided the usefulness of Aumont, Montez, and Lilli Palmer; in exchange Christina's plam would be paid off leading out of US receipts.[44]
Aumont challenging begun writing plays and Dancer appeared in the one-woman control, L'lle Heureuse ("The Happy Island"); reviews were poor, however.[45] Penetrate next film was Portrait holdup an Assassin (1949), which was meant to feature Orson Actor but ended up co-starring Arletty and Erich von Stroheim.
In September 1949 it was proclaimed Montez would make The Emperor of Sheba with Michael Redgrave for director François Villiers; leadership film was not made, however.[46]
Montez appeared in an Italian daredevil, The Thief of Venice (1950), with a Hollywood director, Bog Brahm. Again in Italy, she was in Love and Blood (1951), followed by another co-starring her husband, Revenge of depiction Pirates (1951).
This would background the last feature she at any point made.
Montez also wrote a handful of books, two of which were published, as well as fountain pen a number of poems.
At the time of her early death, Montez's US agent, Prizefighter Shurr, was planning her repay to Hollywood to appear give it some thought a new film, Last Year's Show, to be made pointless Fidelity Pictures.[16]
Montez was marital twice.
Her first marriage was to William Gourley Macfeeters,[47][48][49][50] influence agent for Barahona of significance First National City Bank show consideration for New York,[51] and a bank clerk who had served in honourableness British Army.[52] They married 28 November 1932,[53] when Montez was 20 years old, they ephemeral in Barahona, Dominican Republic,[54] present-day divorced in 1939.[1] Her subsequent husband Jean-Pierre Aumont described him as "an Irishman who was naive enough to think prohibited could lock her up call a halt some frosty castle."[55] For make more complicated than a year, Montez was reportedly engaged to Claude Designer, a flight officer with rectitude RAF whom she met down New York.[56] However, it was later revealed that this was just a publicity stunt.[57]
While valid in Hollywood, Montez met Gallic actor Jean-Pierre Aumont.
Aumont consequent wrote "to say that in the middle of us it was love cultivate first sight would be characteristic understatement".[55] They married on 14 July 1943 at Montez's habitat in Beverly Hills.[58]Charles Boyer was Aumont's best man and Jannine Crispin was Montez's matron wear out honour.[59] According to Aumont "it was a strange house.
On your toes didn't answer the phone defect read the mail; the doors were always open. Diamonds were left around like ashtrays. Lives of the Saints lay mid two issues of movie magazines. An astrologer, a physical cultivation expert, a priest, a Asiatic cook, and two Hungarian masseurs were part of the movables.
During her massage sessions, Dancer granted audiences."[55]
Aumont had to sanction a few days after marriage ceremony Montez to serve in high-mindedness Free French Forces which were fighting against Nazi Germany detailed the European Theatre of Terra War II. At the liquidate of World War II, rendering couple had a daughter, Part Christina (also known as Tina Aumont), born in Hollywood natural world 14 February 1946.[1] In 1949 Aumont announced that they would get divorced but they remained together until Montez's death.[60]
The 39-year-old Montez died in Suresnes, Writer, on 7 September 1951 fend for apparently suffering a heart offensive and drowning while taking dexterous hot bath.[61][62] She was below the surface in the Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris.
She left high-mindedness bulk of her $200,000 big money (more than $2 million assume 2021 dollars) to her hoard and their five-year-old daughter.[63]
From significance Dominican Republic, Montez received couple decorations: the Juan Pablo Duarte Order of Merit in prestige Grade of Officer and birth Order of Trujillo in greatness same grade, presented to lose control by President Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in November, 1943.
In 1944, she was named Goodwill Envoy of Latin American countries ensue the United States in dignity so-called Good Neighbor policy. Follow 2009 the Santo Domingo resistance in the Dominican Republic given name their main terminus Station Part Montez.
Shortly after her get, a street in the seep into of Barahona, Montez's birthplace, was named in her honor.[61] Surprise 1996, the city of Barahona opened the Aeropuerto Internacional María Montez (María Montez International Airport) in her honor.
In 2012, a station on Line 2 of the Santo Domingo Underground was named in her deify.
In 1976, Margarita Vicens make longer Morales published a series farm animals articles in the Dominican broadsheet Listín Diario's magazine Suplemento, ring she presented the results be alarmed about her research on Montez's sure of yourself.
The research culminated in 1992 with the publication of leadership biography Maria Montez, Su Vida. After the first edition, wonderful second edition was published bring to fruition 1994, and a third followed in 2004.
In 1995, Dancer was awarded the International Posthumous Cassandra, which was received indifferent to her daughter, Tina Aumont.
Ton March 2012, the Casandra Distinction were dedicated to Montez interest commemorate the centenary of bake birth.
The American underground filmmakerJack Smith idolized Montez as implicate icon of camp[64] style. Put your feet up wrote an aesthetic manifesto coroneted "The Perfect Filmic Appositeness submit Maria Montez", and made acquire homages to her films happening his own, including his opprobrious Flaming Creatures (1963).[65]
The Spanish authors Terenci Moix and Antonio Perez Arnay wrote a book indulged Maria Montez, The Queen go with Technicolor that recounted her assured and reviewed her films.
The Dominican painter Angel Haché star in his collection Tribute puzzle out Film, a trilogy of Part Montez and another Dominican puma, Adolfo Piantini, who dedicated ingenious 1983 exhibit to her focus included 26 paintings made inspiring different techniques.
Dalia Davi, Puerto Rican actress from the Borough, created the 2011 play The Queen of Technicolor Maria Montez.
Davi wrote, directed, and marked in the play.[66]
The journalist put up with Dominican actress Celinés Toribio stars as Montez in the 2015 film Maria Montez: The Movie, which she also executive awaken.
In 1998, the TV deed Mysteries and Scandals[67] made rest episode about Maria Montez.
Dancer is a key character purchase Gore Vidal's 1974 novel Myron, his sequel to Myra Breckenridge. Montez is mentioned by nickname in The Boys in illustriousness Band, both the play (1968) and the film (1970).
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