by Alfredo Galindo
Before Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem reached Hollywood mainstream, as early as the 30s, the worldwide market started noticing the power of the Spanish speaking in and out of the US. Film studios started working in productions shot back-to-back such as “Dracula”, which American version directed by Tod Browning was shot at Universal studios by day while the Spanish speaking crew directed by George Melford arrived at night as seen in the comedy series “Y llegaron de noche” (“They came by night”), premiering this October 4th and streaming on VIX starring Eugenio Derbez (“CODA.”) Here is our list of the top five Spanish actor of the 1930’s.
5) CARLOS VILLARÍAS
Born in Cordoba, Spain, on July, 1892, Villarías had the luck after starring with his countrymen and consolidated Latin Lover Hollywood Latin Lover star Antonio Moreno on films such as “El Hombre Malo” (Roberto E. Guzmán, 1930.) Villarias got the lead in the aforementioned Spanish version of “Dracula” in 1931 (on the role played by Eugenio Derbez in the series) to finish the decade. Finally he worked with another spooky lead in “Nostradamus” (Juan Bustillo Oro, 1937) before turning in the 40s to Mexican films and supporting roles in comedy classics such as “Que hombre tan simpático” (Fernando Soler, 1943) and “Gran Hotel” (Miguel M. Delgado, 1944), alongside filmlegend Cantinflas, among others.
4) ROSITA MORENO
Born on March, 1907, in Madrid, Spain, and daughter of great Spaniard actor Francisco (Paco) Moreno, she made her film debut alongside his father as the female lead of “Amor audaz” )Louis J. Gasnier, 1930), before starring with stars such as Cary Grant in “Ladies should listen” (Frank Tuttle, 1934) and Tango legend Carlos Gardel in Argentina with his box office hits “El dia que me quieras” and “Tango Bar”, both directed by John Reinhardt, before ending his film career in the mid40s with the film “A Medal for Benny” ((Irving Pichel, 1945), alongside Mexican film star and Hollywood Latin Lover Arturo de Córdova.
3) CONCHITA MONTENEGRO
Born in San Sebastian, Spain, in 1911, as María de la Concepción Andrés Picado, Montenegro was a model, dancer and film actress who became the first Spaniard woman to become a star in Hollywood both in Spanish and English speaking roles after her film debut with 1927´s “Sortilegio”, directed by Agustín de Figueroa, she was the leading lady of Mexican Hollywood star Ramon Novarro on his directorial film debut ”Sevilla de mis amores” in 1930 and musicals such as “Caravane” (Erik Charell, 1934, alongside Charles Boyer, before she ended her film career in the mid 40s starring in probably her most notorious role ”Lola Montes” (Antonio Román, 1944).
2) MARÍA ALBA
Born on March, 1910, in Barcelona, Spain, as María Casajuana Martínez, signed by Fox Studios se was named “Duchess of Alba” and after starring alongside film star Lionel Barrymore in 1928 with “Road House”, directed by Richard Rosson in the role of María she was known from then on as María Alba in 25 films like “Mr. Robinson Crusoe” (A. Edward Sutherland, 1932), starring Douglas Fairbanks and streaming on MGMPlus, probably her most notorious role, before ending her film career in the mid 30s with “Great God Gold”, directed by Arthur Lubin and streaming on Prime Video.
1)ANTONIO MORENO
Born as Antonio Garrido Monteagudo in Madrid on September 26, 1887, Antonio Moreno became a serious rival to Rudolph Valentino as the suave, smoldering “Latin Lover” type having his most prominent screen roles in the 20s opposite most of the legendary movie quuens of his era from the Gish sisters to Greta Garbo to Gloria Swanson and Mary Pickford before making history in Mexico as the director of the film Mexican talkie, “Santa”, in 1932, starrring Mexican Hollywood star Lupita Tovar, and as an actor having a successful film career later on in supporting roles on such 50s classics such as the cult classic “Creature from the Black Lagoon” (Jack Arnold, 1954) and the epic western “The Searchers” (John Ford, 1956), starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles and Natalie Wood.