Becoming Rita Hayworth - Jan 2009 - 50 mins

Rita Hayworth's vibrant personality and character burst off the screen in this biography documenting her hugely successful career, but giving the lie to her basically sad and unhappy life, which was dominated by men who apparently wanted to use her as a money-making machine. First her controlling father; her first husband, Edward Judson; Columbia head, Harry Cohn and others. She had five husbands, all who gave her various levels of grief - namely the afore-mentioned Judson, then Orson Welles, followed by Prince Ali Khan, the singer Dick Haymes and lastly James Hill. Rita appeared in more than thirty films in small roles or bit parts - some not even credited - before winning larger roles and the start of her ‘proper' career.
In spite of the fact that several albums have been issued claiming to be sung by Rita, in films her singing voice was always dubbed - Anita Kert Ellis ("Gilda"); Jo Ann Greer ("Zip", "Bewitched", "Miss Sadie Thompson", "Affair in Trinidad"); Martha Meers ("Tonight and Every Night", "Cover Girl "); Nan Wynn ("The Strawberry Blonde", "My Gal Sal", "You Were Never Lovelier"). She died, as most know, from a long drawn-out case of Alzheimer's which appears to have begun some twenty years before her ultimate death on 14 May 1987 at 68. The documentary has quotes and comments from the likes of Eli Wallach, Terry Moore, Ann Miller and others and includes many shots from her films, and publicity stills and newspaper shots, and is a fascinating and informative watch for anyone who is interested in old-time movie queens - well, actually for anyone!!