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Dolores del R铆o by Studio Publicity from
Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Dolores del R铆o
Maria de Los Dolores As煤nsolo y Lopez Negrete famous known as Dolores del Rio was a prominent Mexican actress. She was born on 3 august 1904 and died on 11 April 1983.
Her acting career run for over 50 years and was the first female Mexican actor to crossover and become a Hollywood star. She was considered the most important female figure in the golden age of Mexican cinema and one of the most beautiful actresses of her era.
Here are the top 10 Intriguing Facts about Dolores del R铆o.
1. Dolores del Rio’s lineage was wealthy
Dolores del R铆o in the 1938 film “International Settlement” by 20th Century Fox from
Delores was born in Victoria de Durango, Mexico. She was the daughter of Jes煤s Leonardo As煤nsolo Jacques. He was the son of a famous rich farmer and director of the bank of Durango.
Her mother Antonia L贸pez Negrete also came from the richest family in the country. Antonia (Dolores’s mother) had some Spanish roots as well.
2. Dolores del Rio’s family was full of celebrities
Dolores’s parents were members of the Mexican aristocracy that existed during the time of dictator Porfirio Diaz. Her maternal relatives were famed personalities. The filmmaker Julio Bracho, actors Ram贸n Novarro, and Andrea Palma were her cousins.
On her paternal side, she was a cousin to Mexican sculptor Ignacio As煤nsolo and social activist and model Maria As煤nsolo. This is evidence that Dolores came from an artist’s family.
3. Dolores’s dancing passion was sparked during her college years
Dolores del R铆o and Fred Astaire in Flying Down to Rio (1933) by Unknown author from
Dolores attended the college of Francis de Saint which was run by a French nun in Mexico. While studying here she developed a strong taste for dance that was started when her mother took her to see Russian dancer Ana Pavlova’s performance.
She confirmed she wanted to be a dancer when she watched the performance of Antonia Merce La Argentina in Mexico. She then persuaded her mother to allow her to join a dance class by the notable Felipita Lopez. But she suffered some insecurity and felt as though she didn’t fit in the class.
4. Dolores del Rio’s first portrait was to boost her self esteem
Dolores del R铆o by Warner Brothers from
When Dolores attended her first dance class, she felt like an ugly ducky among her fellow dance mates. This led to her mother commissioning the renowned painter Alfredo Ramos Martinez to paint Dolores. The portrait helped Dolores overcome her insecurities.
5. Her marriage to Martinez del Rio gave Dolores her “Rio” stage name
Dolores met her husband Martinez del Rio at the age of 17 at a dance party for the benefit of the local hospital. He was also from a wealthy family. He had spent most of his life in England. After only two months of courting, they finally married on 11 April 1921. It was from him that she inherited her stage name Rio.
The honeymoon lasted for two years as they traveled through Europe. While still on their honeymoon they stopped in Spain where Dolores danced for the kings of Spain and they were fascinated with her performance. The king thanked her and the queen gifted her with a photograph. They later divorced in the year 1928 after a brief separation.
6. Dolores was married to Cedric Gibbons for a decade
After her divorce from Martinez del Rio, she later married Cedric Gibbons after nine months of dating. The duo tied the knot on August 1930. The marriage lasted ten years and they divorced in 1941.
She tried to move on with filmmaker Ossen Welles that same year though their relationship was short-lived. She was also believed to have had affairs with top Hollywood actors.
7. Delores last husband was Lewis A. Riley
Dolores got married to Lewis A. Riley in the year 1959. This was the final marriage of Dolores and it lasted till her demise on April 11, 1983. Her husband Lewis was by her side during her last moments.
8. She had a miscarriage that ruined her childbearing life
After returning to Mexico from the long honeymoon in her first marriage, Dolores realized she was expecting her first child. But due to complications, she went through a miscarriage. This complication prevented them from having any children in her entire life.
9. Dolores鈥檚 acting was thanks to a wedding dance she performed
Dolores was discovered by film director Edwin Carewe. He happened to be in Mexico attending a wedding of actor Bert Lytell and Clare Windsor. The filmmaker was captivated by the performance of Dolores’s tango dance at the wedding.
Dolores’s interest was dancing but the film director managed to convince her to also try acting as it fit her personality. He even offered Dolores a role in his film titled Joanna which was scheduled to premiere in 1925. Carewe was confident that Dolores was a movie star in the making.
10. She had a successful acting career
Dolores del Rio and Joseph Cotten in Journey into Fear (1943) promotional photo by RKO Radio Pictures from
Dolores was recognized as the first female Mexican star to achieve international recognition. This paved the way for other generations of Latino actors in Hollywood, a notable achievement.
Her good relationship with Mexican film director, Emilio Fernandez is also responsible for creating what was known as the golden era of Mexican cinema. It resulted in films such as Maria Candaleria (1944), The Abandoned (1945), and Bugambilia (1945).
Dolores’s acting career led her to become the first in many aspects of the Mexican and Latin film industry. She was a trendsetter in her career and set a foundation on which star actresses after her found success. Her recognition and awards are many including a statue built in honor of her in Hollywood.
Check out these extra facts.
Dolores faced a language barrier
Her success did come with a lot of challenges like the language barrier on the international scene. Dolores experienced a lot of setbacks as a result of cultural discrimination.
Also, her Hispanic accent brought some troubles as the film industry was transitioning from silent films to speaking films in 1928. This in some way
changed her role and Hollywood’s idea of ethnic minority representation was where she was designated.
changed her role and Hollywood’s idea of ethnic minority representation was where she was designated.
Dolores was well informed about her unique position in American cinema. She did her best to balance the limited opportunity for Latino actors like herself while still maintaining a good relationship with the Mexican audience.
She died of liver failure
Dolores suffered several ailments such as arthritis and hepatitis B, though she died at the age of 78 as a result of a failed liver. Her body was cremated and sent back to her home country, Mexico.
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