Dolores Del Río was a Mexican star actress who is considered a pioneer and an emblematic figure for the realization of the golden age of Mexican cinema. She is the first major Mexican actress to appear in Hollywood productions, giving her international appeal. She is one of the most famous women of the 20th century and one of the most beautiful faces to ever grace the silver screen. Read everything you need to know about the Mexican icon and her role in rolling out Mexican actors around the world.
the biography
The stellar actress was born on August 3, 1904, with the birth name Lolita Dolores Martínez Asunsolo López Negrette in a wealthy mansion in the city of Durango, Mexico. As in those days, the wealthy educated their services in Catholic schools and Dolores Del Río was no exception.
She attended the French College of Saint Joseph (St Joseph’s Covent) in Mexico City and was introduced to the King and Queen of Spain in 1919. She continued her studies in Madrid and Paris. She made her film debut in 1925 with the film titled Joanna but would knock on the door to fame with the film What Price Glory in 1926. Over the years she has acted in many films working with some of the greatest Hollywood actors of the time.
5 things to know about Dolores Del Río
Parents and family life
As mentioned earlier, Del Río came from a wealthy home. His parents were aristocrats in Mexico before the Mexican Revolution of 1916. His father was Jesus Leonardo Asunsolo Jacques, son of a wealthy farmer and himself was director of the Bank of Durango. His mother, Antonia Lopez Negrete, belonged to one of the richest families in the country. His lineage goes back to Spain. Being so rich, they lived generous lives but had to leave the country during the Revolution, thus losing all their wealth.
Talent Discovery
Unlike some who strive to discover their talents, it can be said in the case of Dolores Del Río that her talent discovered her. Director Edwin Carewe spotted her performing (a dance tango) at an event his family had organized for family and friends. Initially, her interest was in dancing, but the director convinced her to try acting as befitted her beauty. He said he saw an up-and-coming movie star and offered her a role in his next film called Joanna (1925).
Determined to pursue her dreams and become a movie star, she decided to move to the United States, to Hollywood, to be more precise alongside her husband, Jaime Martínez del Río y Viñent (otherwise known as Jaime del Río, in abbreviated).
Achievements
To be considered the first Mexican movie star to gain international recognition and pave the way for a generation of other Latin American actors in Hollywood is a very remarkable achievement. His association with Mexican director Emilio Fernandez would also be responsible for creating what is known as the golden era of Mexican cinema with films such as Maria Candelaria (1944), The Abandoned (1945) and Bugambillia (1945) .
Del Río’s acting career has seen her become the first in many ways that entertainment in Mexico, and by extension, the Latino world is concerned. She was a trailblazer in her career and paved the way for other Latin American actresses to succeed in foreign film industries. In fact, her work in Hollywood laid the foundation on which stars such as Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o and Jennifer Lopez found success.
His recognitions and awards are numerous and include a statue built in his honor in Hollywood.
Challenges
Despite her success on the international stage, Dolores Del Río has experienced setbacks due to cultural discrimination. This was associated with her Hispanic accent, which began to take notice when the film industry gradually transitioned from the era of silent films to that of “talking” films in 1928. This was a game-changer for her, the roles being designed with clichéd ideas of Hollywood minorities in mind.
Del Río was aware of her unique position in American cinema and tried to balance the limited possibilities of Latin American actors like herself without offending her Mexican audience. In fact, the Mexican government banned one of its films from being shown in Mexican cinemas based on the thesis that it was contrary to the culture of the country.
These, among other things, guided her in her decision to return to Mexico in 1943, which turned out to be a greater good in her career, as it gave her more opportunities for excellence.
Private life
Dolores Del Río married her first husband Jaime del Rio, a lawyer much older than her in 1921. After 19 years of marriage, they divorced in 1928 but Del Río kept her name long after their separation.
She had a relationship with Cedric Gibbonset after dating for nine months, the couple married in August 1930. They divorced after ten years of marriage in 1941. Del Río attempted to move on with the filmmaker although met Ossen Welles the same year, but the relationship did not last. She is also known to have had relationships with some of Hollywood’s top actors.
She then had her third marriage to Lewis A. Riley in 1959, which lasted until his disappearance on April 11, 1983. Lewis was said to be by her side until her last moment.
Bonus Fact – Death
In her later years, Dolores Del Río succumbed to a number of chronic illnesses. Suffering from arthritis, she was first diagnosed with osteomyelitis in 1978 before another diagnosis three years later revealed that hepatitis B had passed on to hepatitis B (which later escalated in cirrhosis in 1982).
She died a year later at the age of 78 (April 11, 1983) and results showed it was due to liver failure. His body was cremated and returned to his home country of Mexico for burial.