Short Biography

"The Great American Love Goddess," Margarita Carmen Cansino, better known as Rita Hayworth, was born in Brooklyn, New York, to the Spanish-born flamenco dancer Eduardo Cansino and Irish/English Ziegfeld girl Volga Hayworth.

At the age of 13, Rita became a professional dancer with her father`s dancing act "The Dancing Cansinos,"
performing in nightclubs in California and Tijuana, Mexico, where she was finally discovered by Fox producer Winfield Sheehan. From 1935 on,
she appeared as Rita Cansino in several films, including "Dante`s Inferno" (1935) and "Charlie Chan in Egypt" (1935).

Then in 1937, at her new studio Columbia and on the advice of her first husband, Edward Judson (who became her manager), she changed her name and dyed her hair auburn, cultivating a sophisticated glamour that first registered in "Only Angels Have Wings" (1939), "The Strawberry Blonde" (1941), and "Blood and Sand" (1941). The musicals "You`ll Never Get Rich" (1941) and "You Were Never Lovelier" (1942), both with Fred Astaire, "My Gal Sal" (1942), with Victor Mature, and "Cover Girl" (1944), with Gene Kelly, made her a musical star and a favourite pinup girl of American servicemen during WWII.
The "love goddess" image was cemented with Bob Landry`s 1941 Life magazine photograph of Hayworth kneeling on her own bed in a silk and lace nightgown, which caused a sensation and became (at over five million copies) one of the most requested wartime pinups.

The worldly eroticism of Hayworth`s performance rose to its peak in "Gilda" (1946), directed by Charles Vidor, with her doing her famous glove-striptease to "Put the Blame on Mame" (dubbed by Anita Ellis).

She shocked audiences getting a short blonde hairdo for "The Lady from Shanghai" (1947), directed by her second husband, Orson Welles, with whom she had her daughter Rebecca.

In 1948 Hayworth left her film career to marry Prince Aly Khan, the son of the Aga Khan, the leader of the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam. The couple moved to France and had one daughter, Yasmin.

After returning to America with great fanfare she starred in a string of hit films: "Affair in Trinidad" (1952), "Salome" (1953) and "Miss Sadie Thompson" (1953).

Then she was off the big screen for another four years, due mainly to a tumultuous marriage to singer Dick Haymes.

Her later films included "Fire Down Below" (1957), "Pal Joey" (1957), "Separate Tables" (1958), "They Came To Cordura" (1959), "The Money Trap" (1966), and "The Wrath of God" (1972).

From 1958 to 1961 she was married to the producer James Hill.

After about 1960, Rita suffered from extremely early onset of Alzheimer`s disease, which was not diagnosed until 1981. From then on Rita`s daughter Yasmin took care of her mother and moved her into an appartment in Manhattan, New York City, where she died on May 14th in 1987.

Following her death from Alzheimer`s disease at age 68, she was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Her marker includes the inscription "To yesterday`s companionship and tomorrow`s reunion."

Miscellaneous Information

Distinctive Features

her natural elegance and grace

her beautiful hands

her long legs

her sultry eyes

her shining smile

her glamorous red hair

Measurements

Bust: 36" .  Waist: C-"  Hips: 36" (Shoe size: 7)

Friends and Family

Jane Hopkins [Friend]

Gene Kelly [Friend]

Gloria and Phillip Luchenbill [Friend]

Jane Withers [Friend]

Fred Astaire [Friend]

Glenn Ford [Friend] (favourite co-star, best friend and neighbour)

Lola and Jackson Leighter [Friend] (Jackson Leighter filmed her honeymoon with Aly Khan known as "Champagne Safari")

Richard Cansino (aka Richard Hayworth, nephew, voice actor in anime and video games)

Vernon Cansino [Brother]

Eduardo Cansino jr. [Brother] (nickname "Sonny")

Volga Cansino [Mother] (Ziegfeld girl, maiden name Hayworth)

Eduardo Cansino [Father] (Famous dancer during the 20s and 30s)

Ann Miller [Friend]

Hermes Pan [Friend] ((choreographer and life long friend))

Charles Vidor [Associate] (Rita`s favorite director)

Pets

Doberman Dog [1940]

dachshunds Dog

cocker spaniel Dog

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