Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth, 1946

Introduction

"I ask that whatever you write about Rita, please be gentle and kind - because that's the kind of lady she is." - Glenn Ford

Rita Hayworth had talent, ambition, and smarts—and she had stardom. In the 1940s and 50s, she captivated audiences worldwide, epitomizing glamour and allure on the silver screen. Yet, behind the dazzling facade lay a woman grappling with the weight of fame and the complexities of her own identity. What came with it all, and even well before it, was much pressure, which at times proved difficult to cope with. As Rita said, "I haven't had everything from life. I've had too much."

For Rita, it was all particularly challenging. Friends described her as "shy, reserved, and closemouthed. An intensely private individual. Vulnerable and sincere. A most unlikely candidate to cope with the mega-stardom she attained."

But while coping didn't come easy and was not always done well, cope she did, all while becoming one of the most memorable actresses in film history. 

Early Years