Rita Hayworth: From American Love Goddess to the Face of Alzheimer's

Rita Hayworth: From American Love Goddess to the Face of Alzheimer's is a tribute to an actress who epitomized glamour and beauty during the 20th century. Shy, retiring, and insecure in private life, she exploded onto the silver screen as a captivating beauty who mesmerized film audiences with her tantalizing performances. This tribute follows her life and career from early childhood through five marriages and an impressive film career during which she appeared in 61 films over a period of 37 years. Born into a family of Spanish dancers, she became her father's dance partner at age 13, made her screen debut at age 17, and survived a studio makeover that attempted to deny her Hispanic heritage. With the advent of World War II, she gained recognition as Fred Astaire's dance partner and American GI's most popular pin-up girl. This tribute considers how each of her films was reviewed by critics at the time of their release and how they are viewed in contemporary 21st century. Hailed by the press in the 1940s as the "love goddess," Rita Hayworth sought to find happiness against overwhelming odds. The book gives attention to analyzing film noir and Rita Hayworth's femme fatale roles regarding homosexuality and women's liberation. It also recognizes the significant roles that two gay choreographers played in creating Rita Hayworth's iconic image. Finally, bringing understanding and compassion to Rita Hayworth's struggle with Alzheimer's disease will bring support for finding a cure and offering hope to today's victims and their families.

Author: Arthur Wilhelm
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 10/30/2017
Pages: 382
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.12lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.79d
ISBN13: 9781979301176
ISBN10: 1979301174
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Rich & Famous

About the Author
Arthur Wilhelm grew up in North Carolina and graduated from Catawba College. He earned an MA in English from Emory University and an ED.S in Language Arts and a Ph.D. in English from Georgia State University. In addition, he has studied at the University of Besançon (Doubs), France, and the Alliance Française de Paris. He is the author of a dissertation entitled Maurice-Edgar Coindreau: America's Literary Ambassador to France as well as several articles about Southern writers, most notably William Faulkner, and their critical reception in France. In 1990, he was honored at a White House reception as the National Endowment for the Humanities Georgia Teacher-Scholar for 1990-91. After retiring from thirty-five years teaching in the Atlanta area, he moved to Palm Springs, California, where he continued to teach for ten years at Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage. He currently lives in Palm Springs with his partner, also a retired educator.

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