Rita Hayworth was one of the most alluring and glamorous stars in the world during the 1940s and 50s, in a career which spanned thirty-seven years. Five of her major films are now available as a five-disc set with introductions by other Hollywood luminaries: Martin Scorsese, Baz Luhrmann and Patricia Clarkson. Four of the five films featured in this collection are accompanied by their own special features, and each one was a major box office success for Hayworth. Cover Girl (1944), Tonight And Every Night (1945), Gilda (1946) and Miss Sadie Thompson (1953) contain her most dazzling performances of the numerous films she starred in during the 1940s and 50s. The first two films were notable as lavish color productions at a studio not typically known for them during that time.
During her career heyday in the 1940s the first three mentioned films were all solid box office hits in a row – making her the top star at Columbia Studios and a top ten star of the World War Two era. During that time Betty Grable was the only star whose “pinups” were more popular among GI’s than Hayworth’s. She was also among Hollywood’s most talented dancers, paired with other gifted and iconic dancers such as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. In fact, Hayworth and Kelly were a dance couple powerhouse in Cover Girl and the story featured both them to great advantage, being one of the most memorable films for both stars.
The first film in the collection is Cover Girl (1944) and it is one of the most gorgeously filmed musicals of that decade. The basic plot has Hayworth’s character moving up in life from her more humble, vaudeville hoofing roots to become a glossy, high fashion model on the best magazine covers. Cover Girl may be considered the peak of Hayworth’s dancing/musical performances during her long tenure at Columbia Pictures. Following that, her next prestige production in Tonight And Every Night (1945) which provides great entertainment value with Hayworth portraying a showgirl in World War Two London, who undergoes various romantic complications while persevering during the blitz.
This Rita Hayworth collection would scarcely be complete without her signature performance as the quintessential femme fatale of Gilda (1946) one of Hollywood’s most sensational melodramas of the era. The film was a huge box office success and also made a top star of her love interest Glen Ford. In fact, Gilda proved to be the ultimate love triangle/exotic nightclub noir in a decade which had many imitators, but none of them would be iconic as Gilda has become today. This film also encapsulates the titillating black & white glamour that Hollywood filmmakers used to excel at.
The most outstanding aspects of Hayworth’s tempestuous performance in Gilda are her lively black glove striptease in the “Put The Blame On Mame” number (about as racy as things got in a 1940s movie!) and the more cooly sensual “Amado Mio” which was her second big number in the picture. The other two films in this collection are Salome and Miss Sadie Thompson (both from 1953 and both are also in color). The 1950s was a crowded decade for bloated, garish ‘biblical epics’ of dubious merit which nonetheless proved to be box office sensations, and Salome was no exception. Of course, Hayworth had the title role in this cheesy new testament schlock fest which still qualified to be entertaining – but torn to shreds by the critics.
In any case, the film had a solid supporting cast including her co-star Stewart Granger and accomplished character actors Charles Laughton and Judith Anderson, who unfortunately had to labor through a poor, stilted script – which led to inferior performances for all concerned. At the time, Columbia’s overheated publicity mill bragged that much of the film was shot in authentic ‘Holy Land’ locations – – although they could have saved themselves the bother and extra production costs by shooting it on the outskirts of Palm Springs and nobody would have been the wiser! However, the color, costumes, and Hayworth’s enticing “Dance Of The Seven Veils” and some unintentional hilarity still make the movie worth watching.
Even some of the reviews of Salome are amusing. One critic of the day asserted that the story was “a gross perversion of the bible” and a “clumsy attempt to eke sex out of religion.” Comments like these elicit giggles and guffaws, but Salome is very tame by today’s standards. To wrap up the collection, Miss Sadie Thompson may be the story most relevant to contemporary viewers when reflecting on the “culture wars” which have created such a fuss among self-appointed moralists and talking heads. This classic, tropical tale of sex and salvation was previously filmed twice. Based on the short story by Somerset Maugham, it had been filmed with two other lustrous stars of Hollywood’s classic Golden Age: Gloria Swanson and Joan Crawford. Rita Hayworth’s portrayal is generally considered to be the best version, the strongest interpretation of the role.
The endless conflicts between hedonism and so-called “religious values” are brought to the fore when a stuffed-shirt minister collides with a woman with a supposedly shady past on a remote Pacific island. Miss Sadie Thompson stands out as a sobering tale of sin and redemption, with a heavy dose of hypocrisy and double-standards in the brew. This story can immediately bring to mind any of the present-day religious scandals that provide endless fodder for the voracious television, radio and online media that bombards us. Yet, the theme and content of Sadie is still quite subdued when imagining how the material could be handled (without 1950s era censorship) if remade in our jaded times. With that being said, this film collection is definitely recommended for those who are already enthusiastic fans of Rita Hayworth and those developing a serious interest in her and the era in which she lived and worked. Future articles will include costars, directors and other artists Hayworth collaborated with to create some of Hollywood’s most memorable motion pictures.
