Ricardo Cortez
| Ricardo Cortez | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Jacob Krantz 19 September 1900 New York City, New York |
| Died | 28 April 1977 (aged 76) New York City, New York |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1917–1960 |
| Spouse | Alma Rubens (1926–1931) |
Jacob Krantz (September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977), known by his stage name Ricardo Cortez, was an American film actor who began his career during the silent era.[1]
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[edit] Life and career
Born to a Jewish family in New York City[2] (Vienna has been incorrectly cited as his birthplace),[2] Krantz was an amateur boxer and worked on Wall Street prior to entering the film business. Hollywood executives changed his name from Krantz to Cortez in order to capitalize on the popularity of his Latin contemporaries (Rudolph Valentino, Ramon Novarro and Antonio Moreno, among others.) When rumor began to circulate that Cortez was not actually Spanish, the studios attempted to pass him off as French before finally "admitting" to his supposedly Viennese origin.
Cortez appeared in over 100 films. Although he began his career playing romantic leads, when sound cinema arrived, his powerful delivery and New York accent made him an ideal heavy, and he switched from sex symbol to character actor. He played opposite Joan Crawford in Montana Moon (1930), played Sam Spade in the original, pre-code version of The Maltese Falcon (1931), co-starred with Charles Farrell and Bette Davis in The Big Shakedown, and with Al Jolson and Dolores del Río in Wonder Bar (1934). In 1936, Cortez replaced Warren William as Perry Mason in The Case of the Black Cat.
Cortez was married to silent film actress Alma Rubens until her death from pneumonia in 1931.
When he retired from the film business, Cortez went to work as a stockbroker for Salomon Brothers on Wall Street in New York City. He died in New York City in 1977, and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx.
Cortez was the older brother of noted cinematographer Stanley Cortez (born Stanislaus Krantz).
[edit] Partial filmography
- The Gentleman from America (1923) (uncredited)
- The Call of the Canyon (1923)
- Feet of Clay (1924)
- The City That Never Sleeps (1924)
- Torrent (1926)
- The Sorrows of Satan (1926)
- The Eagle of the Sea (1926)
- Mockery (1927)
- The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927)
- Montana Moon (1930)
- Ten Cents a Dance (1931)
- The Maltese Falcon (1931)
- Bad Company (1931)
- Thirteen Women (1932)
- Symphony of Six Million (1932)
- The Phantom of Crestwood (1932)
- Flesh (1932)
- Men of Chance (1932)
- Midnight Mary (1933)
- Torch Singer (1933)
- The House on 56th Street (1933)
- The Big Shakedown (1934)
- I Am a Thief (1934)
- Mandalay (1934)
- Wonder Bar (1934)
- A Lost Lady (1934)
- Special Agent (1935)
- Frisco Kid (1935)
- The Walking Dead (1936)
- The Case of the Black Cat (1936)
- Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939)
- Murder Over New York (1940)
- I Killed That Man (1941)
- Tomorrow We Live (1942)
- Rubber Racketeers (1942)
- The Locket (1946)
- The Last Hurrah (1958)
[edit] References
- ^ Obituary Variety, May 4, 1977.
- ^ a b Letter of the Departement of Health, City of New York, 8. Oktober 2000. mentioned in: Rudolf Ulrich (Hrsg.): Österreicher in Hollywood. Neuauflage, Verlag Filmarchiv Austria, Wien 2004, ISBN 3901932291, p. 597
3. Birth Certificate from Ancestry.com: Jake Krantz 19 Sep 1900 13602 Births Reported in 1901. Borough of Manhattan.
[edit] External links
- Ricardo Cortez at the Internet Movie Database
- Ricardo Cortez at Find a Grave
- “Hollywood Unmasked: Latin Lover is Kosher Butcher’s Son,” Robert J. Avrech, BigHollywood.com, July 14, 2009.
