Rita Hayworth

📷 Wikimedia Commons — domaine public — Columbia Pictures, photograph by Ned Scott — 1947

1918 — 1987

États-Unis

Performing ArtsVisual ArtsCulture20th CenturyGolden Age of Hollywood, World War II, Cold War

Rita Hayworth (1918-1987) was an American actress and dancer, considered one of the greatest Hollywood stars of the 1940s. A glamour icon, she is best known for her role in Gilda (1946).

Key Facts

Born Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York
Signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1937 and became one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood
Her role in Gilda (1946) made her a global icon of glamour and allure
Her pin-up photo was attached to the atomic bomb dropped on Bikini Atoll in 1946, a symbol of the pop culture of the era
Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the 1980s, she helped raise public awareness of the illness

Works & Achievements

Gilda (1946)

Film noir directed by Charles Vidor, considered Rita Hayworth's masterpiece. The glove striptease scene became legendary in cinema history and defined the image of the Hollywood femme fatale.

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Psychological thriller directed by her husband Orson Welles, in which Rita Hayworth appears with short blonde hair, breaking away from her usual image. A cult classic of American film noir.

Cover Girl (1944)

Musical comedy in which Rita Hayworth dances alongside Gene Kelly. The film showcased the full range of her talents as a dancer and cemented her status as a top-tier Hollywood star.

Affair in Trinidad (1952)

Spy film in which Rita Hayworth attempted to recapture the success of Gilda. Though less critically acclaimed, it remains emblematic of the second half of her career.

Pal Joey (1957)

Musical comedy alongside Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak. One of her last major commercial successes, it shows an artist seeking to transition toward more mature roles.

Anecdotes

Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Carmen Cansino, the daughter of a Spanish flamenco dancer. To meet Hollywood's demands — which deemed her "too Hispanic" — the studios subjected her to painful electrolysis to raise her hairline and dyed her hair red, effectively erasing part of her heritage.

During World War II, Rita Hayworth was the favorite pin-up of American soldiers. A photo of her in a negligee, published in Life Magazine in 1941, was taped onto the atomic bomb dropped on Bikini Atoll in 1946 during nuclear testing — a gesture that deeply shocked her.

Her role in Gilda (1946) remains one of the most iconic in American cinema. The scene in which she slowly removes her glove while singing 'Put the Blame on Mame' is considered one of the most sensual moments in Hollywood history, while still staying within the limits imposed by the Hays Code.

Rita Hayworth was married five times, most notably to Orson Welles (1943–1947) and Prince Aly Khan (1949–1951), who made her a princess. Her union with the Ismaili royal family made front pages around the world and came to symbolize the American dream at its peak.

Late in life, Rita Hayworth became one of the first celebrities to publicly suffer from Alzheimer's disease, diagnosed in 1980. Her daughter Yasmin Khan campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of the then little-known illness, helping to break a major medical and social taboo.

Primary Sources

Life Magazine — photograph of Rita Hayworth (August 1941)

The photograph of Rita Hayworth in a satin negligee, published in August 1941, instantly became the most reproduced image of the war, distributed by the millions to American soldiers on every front.

Rita Hayworth's statement on the Bikini atomic bomb (1946)

Rita Hayworth publicly expressed her outrage when she learned that her photograph had been affixed to the atomic bomb used in the Bikini tests: 'I was not consulted and I am horrified.'

Interview in Photoplay Magazine (1947)

In this interview, Rita Hayworth confided: 'Men go to sleep with Gilda and wake up with me. It's not me they love — it's a character I played.'

Testimony of Yasmin Khan before the United States Congress (1983)

Rita Hayworth's daughter testified before the U.S. Senate to secure funding for Alzheimer's disease research, describing her mother's final years as a silent struggle against an illness still poorly understood by the general public.

Key Places

Brooklyn, New York

Birthplace of Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17, 1918. It was in this working-class New York neighborhood that the future star grew up, immersed in the artistic world of her family.

Columbia Pictures Studios, Hollywood

The studio that signed Rita Hayworth in 1937 and turned her into an international star. It was here that Gilda and The Lady from Shanghai were filmed, under the controversial leadership of studio boss Harry Cohn.

Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands

Site of the 1946 American nuclear tests, where a bomb nicknamed 'Gilda' bore a photo of Rita Hayworth. This event symbolizes the unsettling connection between American popular culture and the atomic age.

Cannes, France

The French Riviera resort town where Rita Hayworth frequently stayed during the 1940s and 1950s, particularly during her affair and subsequent marriage to Prince Aly Khan.

New York City, Manhattan

Rita Hayworth spent her final years in Manhattan, where she died on May 14, 1987. The city bore witness to her gradual public decline due to Alzheimer's disease.