Old Hollywood
Cinema
1900-1979
Nostalgia is a seductive liar - George Wildman Ball
Rita Hayworth & Fred Astaire on the set of You Were Never Lovelier (1941) (photo by John Florea) “I guess the only jewels in my life are the pictures I made with Fred Astaire. They’re the only pictures I can watch today, Fred and me dancing, without laughing hysterically.” -Rita Hayworth Astaire, who wrote in his autobigraphy that Hayworth “danced with trained perfection and individuality”, is on record as considering her his favorite of all his dance partners.

Rita Hayworth & Fred Astaire on the set of You Were Never Lovelier (1941) (photo by John Florea)

“I guess the only jewels in my life are the pictures I made with Fred Astaire. They’re the only pictures I can watch today, Fred and me dancing, without laughing hysterically.”

-Rita Hayworth

Astaire, who wrote in his autobigraphy that Hayworth “danced with trained perfection and individuality”, is on record as considering her his favorite of all his dance partners.

“After all, a girl is…well, a girl. It’s nice to be told you’re successful at it.” -Rita Hayworth (via)

“After all, a girl is…well, a girl. It’s nice to be told you’re successful at it.”

-Rita Hayworth (via)

Rita Hayworth posing for publicity stills for Salome (1953, dir. William Dieterle) “Why should I mind? I like having my picture taken and being a glamorous person. Sometimes when I find myself getting impatient, I just remember the times I cried my eyes out because nobody wanted to take my picture at the Trocadero.”

Rita Hayworth posing for publicity stills for Salome (1953, dir. William Dieterle)

“Why should I mind? I like having my picture taken and being a glamorous person. Sometimes when I find myself getting impatient, I just remember the times I cried my eyes out because nobody wanted to take my picture at the Trocadero.”

Rita Hayworth & Everett Sloane in The Lady from Shanghai (1947, dir. Orson Welles) (scene here) “You’d be foolish to fire that gun. With these mirrors, it’s difficult to tell - you are aiming at me, aren’t you? I’m aiming at you, lover. Of course, killing you is killing myself. It’s the same thing. But you know, I’m pretty tired of both of us.”

Rita Hayworth & Everett Sloane in The Lady from Shanghai (1947, dir. Orson Welles) (scene here)

“You’d be foolish to fire that gun. With these mirrors, it’s difficult to tell - you are aiming at me, aren’t you? I’m aiming at you, lover. Of course, killing you is killing myself. It’s the same thing. But you know, I’m pretty tired of both of us.”

“The fact is I am terribly shy. Or maybe introverted is a better word. But introverted, shy, whatever, it stays with you whether you’re a star or not. I think people become actors and actresses to overcome just that. You can become so many people.”  -Rita Hayworth (photo by Philippe Halsman, 1943)

“The fact is I am terribly shy. Or maybe introverted is a better word. But introverted, shy, whatever, it stays with you whether you’re a star or not. I think people become actors and actresses to overcome just that. You can become so many people.” 

-Rita Hayworth (photo by Philippe Halsman, 1943)

Rita Hayworth & Orson Welles in publicity still for The Lady From Shanghai (1947, dir. Orson Welles) (via) Q. What was the Hollywood reaction generally to [The Lady From Shanghai]? Welles: Friends avoided me. Whenever it was mentioned, people would clear their throats and change the subject very quickly out of consideration for my feelings. I only found out that it was considered a good picture when I got to Europe. The first nice thing I ever heard about it from an American was from Truman Capote. One night in Sicily, he quoted whole pages of dialogue word for word. Q. I guess that’s called being ahead of your time. Welles: It’s called being in trouble. -excerpted from This Is Orson Welles

Rita Hayworth & Orson Welles in publicity still for The Lady From Shanghai (1947, dir. Orson Welles) (via)

Q. What was the Hollywood reaction generally to [The Lady From Shanghai]?

Welles: Friends avoided me. Whenever it was mentioned, people would clear their throats and change the subject very quickly out of consideration for my feelings. I only found out that it was considered a good picture when I got to Europe. The first nice thing I ever heard about it from an American was from Truman Capote. One night in Sicily, he quoted whole pages of dialogue word for word.

Q. I guess that’s called being ahead of your time.

Welles: It’s called being in trouble.

-excerpted from This Is Orson Welles