Big screen stars: Hispanics & Hollywood – Charting the changing image of Latino movie stars – DVD Hispanic Hollywood: Then and Now

“A new DVD from Passport International Entertainment, Hispanic Hollywood: Then and Now, traces the changing image of Latino performers from silent films to today. The documentary’s release coincides with the current heated political discussions about immigration.

It begins with a terrific section on the silent movie era, when being or seeming Hispanic was desirable. Latin Lovers were in vogue, whether Italian (Rudolph Valentino), Austrian (Ricardo Cortez), Mexican (Ramon Novarro), or Spanish (Antonio Moreno). Latinos were often portrayed positively, beginning with Douglas Fairbanks Sr.’s rousing success as the first of many Zorro s. Several Hispanic actresses thrived, although only the beautiful Dolores Del Rio, Novarro’s cousin, is remembered.”

Comments are closed.