Prot-a-gonist* Inner Beauty | Dolores del Rio, 1904-1983
“When I returned to Mexico, I joined with people eager to create the Mexican cinema.
We were full of dreams and had no money whatsoever, but we were able to achieve
something and open markets for our films all over the world.”
Dolores Del Rio
Dolores del Río in Bird of Paradise, 1932
“Del Río represented the highest erotic ideal with her
performance in the film Bird of Paradise.”
Orson Welles
Throughout the filming of Citizen Kane, 1941, del Río was often at the difficult Welles’ side,
soothing him when he banged his head against the wall and dealing with his insomnia as
he abused Dexedrine. They acted together in the movie Journey into Fear, 1943
anyone else in it, and after reading the part I became equally enthusiastic. I wear no
glamorous gowns in the film. My main costume is a battered raincoat.”
“The secret of youth is work, keep busy, and never be bored.
Boredom is the only thing that ages you.”
Dolores Del Rio, 1960
“Personally, I buy only what suits me. In the daytime I dress very simply, but
after 7 p.m. I dress dramatically. I usually wear a tiny nose veil on a cocktail hat.
Men love it, and it seems to suit my face and personality.”
“Hollywood, what a place it is! It is so far away from the rest of the world, so narrow.
No one thinks of anything but motion pictures or talks of anything else.”
Dietrich once called del Rio
“The most beautiful woman in Hollywood.”