Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Carmen Cansino, the daughter of Eduardo Cansino (Sr.) and Volga Haworth (sic) in Brooklyn, New York. She was trained as a dancer from childhood, and was on stage by the age of six as a member of The Cansinos, a famous family of Roma Gitano Spanish dancers working in vaudeville. At age sixteen Rita attracted the attention of film producers as part of "The Dancing Cansinos" and was signed by Fox Studios in 1935. After her option was not renewed by Fox, Rita freelanced at minor film studios before signing with Columbia Pictures in 1937.
Rita's metamorphosis began after a name change from Rita Cansino to Rita Hayworth and extensive painful electrolysis to raise her hairline. After two more years of minor roles she gave an impressive performance in Howard Hawks' Only Angels Have Wings (1939) as part of an ensemble cast headed by Cary Grant . Her sensitive portrayal of a disillusioned wife sparked the interest of other studios. Between assignments at Columbia Pictures she was borrowed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer for George Cukor's Susan and God (1940) with Joan Crawford and Warner Brothers for Raoul Walsh's The Strawberry Blonde (1941) with James Cagney.
While on loan to Fox Studios for Rouben Mamoulian's Blood and Sand (1941) starring Tyrone Power, Rita achieved stardom with her sizzling performance as the amoral and seductive Doña Sol des Muire. This Technicolor film forever branded her as one of Hollywood's most beautiful redheads. Ironically, Carole Landis was the original choice for the role but was replaced by Rita Hayworth prior to filming because she refused to dye her blonde hair red. Fox then borrowed Rita from Columbia and dyed her raven hair auburn which soon became Hayworth's best remembered feature. Her stardom was solidified when she made the cover of Time Magazine as Fred Astaire's new dancing partner in You'll Never Get Rich (1941).
The "love goddess" image was cemented with Bob Landry's 1941 Life magazine photograph of her (kneeling on a bed in a silk and lace nightgown), which caused a sensation and became (at over five million copies) one of the most requested wartime pinups. During World War II she ranked with Betty Grable, Dorothy Lamour, Hedy Lamarr, and Lana Turner as the pinup girls most popular with servicemen. Rita would also become Columbia's biggest star of the 1940s, under the watchful eye of studio chief Harry Cohn, who recognized her value. After she made Tales of Manhattan (1942) at Twentieth Century Fox opposite Charles Boyer, Cohn would not allow Hayworth to be loaned out to other studios.
Hayworth's well-known films include the musicals that made her famous: You'll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942) (both with Fred Astaire, who wrote in his autobiography that Rita "danced with trained perfection and individuality"), My Gal Sal (1942) with Victor Mature, and her best known musical, Cover Girl (1944) with Gene Kelly. Although her singing voice was dubbed in her movies, Rita was one of Hollywood's best dancers, imbued with power, precision, tremendous enthusiasm, and an unearthly grace. Cohn continued to effectively showcase Hayworth's talents in Technicolor films: Tonight and Every Night (1945) with Lee Bowman, and Down to Earth (1947), with Larry Parks. Her erotic appeal was most notable in Gilda (1946), a black-and-white film noir directed by Charles Vidor, which encountered some difficulty with censors. This role — in which Hayworth in black satin performed a legendary one-glove striptease — made her into a cultural icon as the ultimate femme fatale. Alluding to her bombshell status, in 1946 her likeness was placed on the first nuclear bomb to be tested after World War II at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, as part of Operation Crossroads.
Hayworth performed one of her best remembered dance routines, the samba from 1945's Tonight and Every Night, while pregnant with her first child, Rebecca Welles. Hayworth was also the first dancer to partner both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly on film - the others being Judy Garland, Cyd Charisse, Vera Ellen, and Leslie Caron.
Hayworth gave one of her most acclaimed performances in Orson Welles' The Lady from Shanghai (1948), though it failed at the box office. The failure was in part attributed to the fact that director/co-star Welles had Hayworth's famous red locks cut off and the rest dyed blonde for her role. This was done without Harry Cohn's knowledge or approval who was furious over the change. Her next film, The Loves of Carmen (1948) with Glenn Ford, was the first film co-produced by Columbia and Rita's own production company, The Beckworth Corporation (named for her daughter Rebecca). It was Columbia's biggest moneymaker for that year. She received a percentage of the profits from this and all of her subsequent films until 1955, when Hayworth dissolved Beckworth to pay off debts she owed to Columbia.
Rita left her film career in 1948 to marry Prince Aly Khan, the heir to the Aga Khan III, leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims. The couple moved to Europe, causing a media frenzy. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, in writing and directing 1954's The Barefoot Contessa, was said to have based his title character, Maria Vargas (played on film by Ava Gardner), on Hayworth's life and her marriage to Khan.
After the marriage collapsed in 1951, Hayworth returned to America with great fanfare to film a string of hit films: Affair in Trinidad (1952) with favorite costar Glenn Ford, Salome (1953) with Charles Laughton and Stewart Granger, and Miss Sadie Thompson (1953) with Jose Ferrer and Aldo Ray, for which her performance won critical acclaim. Then she was off the big screen for another four years, due mainly to a tumultuous marriage to singer Dick Haymes. In 1957, after making Fire Down Below with Robert Mitchum and Jack Lemmon, and her last musical Pal Joey with Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak, Rita finally left Columbia. She got good reviews for her acting in such films as Separate Tables (1958) with Burt Lancaster and The Story on Page One (1960) with Anthony Franciosa, and continued working throughout the 1960s. Hayworth made her last film, The Wrath of God , in 1972.
After about 1960, Hayworth suffered from extremely early onset of Alzheimer's disease, which was not diagnosed until 1980. She continued to act in films until the early-1970s and made a well-publicized appearance on The Carol Burnett Show near the end of her career. In 1977, Hayworth was the recipient of the National Screen Heritage Award (see above photo). Lynda Carter starred in a 1983 biopic of her life. She lived in an apartment at the San Remo in New York City.
Following her death from Alzheimer's in 1987 at age 68, she was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California; location: Grotto, Lot 196, Grave 6 (right of main sidewalk, near the curb). Her marker includes the inscription ""To yesterday's companionship and tomorrow's reunion."
One of the major fundraisers for the Alzheimer's Association is the annual Rita Hayworth Gala, which is held in New York City and Chicago. Hayworth’s daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, has been the hostess for these events, which since 1985 have raised more than $42 million for the Association.
The Shorty Georges
Rita Hayworth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got word of the Shorty George
Seems that it's a kind of jig
Named for someone about so big
He rambles around the town
Preambles around the town
Then stops on a crowded street
Watch him go! - and he can -
Like a real- nach'-l man
High Stepper is Shorty George
Black pepper is Shorty George
He dances to pay the rent
And to see that you're solid sent
Mister can you spare a penny?
Lady can you spare a dime?
He makes, I don't know how many
'Cause he's dancin' all the time.
Popa's dressed up mighty sporty
Momma's snooz-in' in the shade
But while mommas's catchin' "forty"
Shorty sees the rent is paid
Get hip to the Shorty George
Hop, skip to the "Shorty George"
Directions are short and sweet
Beat your feet till your feet is beat
So catch-on to "Shorty George"
And latch onto "Shorty George"
Good people I'm tellin' you
"Shorty George" is the dance to do.
In Rita Hayworth's song "The Shorty Georges," the singer introduces us to a new kind of jig that has been recently popularized, called the Shorty George. The song tells us that it's named after someone who is about as big as the dance itself. The Shorty George is characterized by a rambling and meandering movement around town, followed by an intense and energetic display of high stepping and footwork when the dancer stops in a crowded street. The song also emphasizes that dancing is an important source of income for the dancer, as he dances to pay rent and make a living.
But beyond the dance itself, "The Shorty Georges" is also a commentary on social class and the struggles of everyday people to make ends meet. The song mentions that the dancers are often in need of spare change, as they make a living through their craft. In contrast, the singer mentions that "Papa's dressed up mighty sporty and Mama's snoozin' in the shade", likely highlighting the disparities between the rich and the poor, and between those who work hard to make ends meet and those who have the privilege to just relax.
Overall, "The Shorty Georges" is a catchy and upbeat tune that speaks to the heart of human struggle and resilience. It tells us that even in the face of hardship, people can come together to make music and dance, and that there is a joy and beauty to be found in the rhythms of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Just heard of the Shorty George
I was just informed of this dance called the Shorty George
Got word of the Shorty George
I received news regarding the Shorty George dance
Seems that it's a kind of jig
Apparently, it is a type of dance
Named for someone about so big
The dance is called after a person who is relatively small in stature
He rambles around the town
He moves aimlessly around the city
Preambles around the town
He walks around the town leisurely
Then stops on a crowded street
He halts on a busy street
'N beats his feet till his feet is beat
And then he dances till he becomes exhausted
Watch him go! - and he can -
Observe him dance, and he can dance really well
Like a real- nach'-l man
Like a professional dancer
High Stepper is Shorty George
Shorty George is a fancy and skilled dancer
Black pepper is Shorty George
Shorty George is a lively and enthusiastic dancer
He dances to pay the rent
He dances to earn money to pay his rent
And to see that you're solid sent
Also to ensure that you're moving soundly with the rhythm
Mister can you spare a penny?
Sir, can you please give me some money?
Lady can you spare a dime?
Madam, can you spare me some money?
He makes, I don't know how many
I do not know how much he earns
'Cause he's dancin' all the time.
Because he dances all the time
Popa's dressed up mighty sporty
His father is attired in posh clothing
Momma's snooz-in' in the shade
His mom is dozing in the shade
But while mommas's catchin' "forty"
Whilst his mother is napping
Shorty sees the rent is paid
Shorty ensures that his rent is paid
Get hip to the Shorty George
Become aware of the Shorty George dance
Hop, skip to the "Shorty George"
Jump and skip to the Shorty George dance
Directions are short and sweet
Instructions are simple and easy to follow
Beat your feet till your feet is beat
Dance with your feet until you're exhausted
So catch-on to "Shorty George"
So learn how to dance the Shorty George
And latch onto "Shorty George"
And hold on to the Shorty George dance
Good people I'm tellin' you
Listen closely, people
"Shorty George" is the dance to do.
Shorty George is the recommended dance to perform
Contributed by Madelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@OdesaFilmStudio
Bravo!
@Shericheema2
Jony,by. C
@alwaysblake148
Over a million views attest not only to Astaire's talent but to the enduring magic of Rita Hayworth. She is perfection on screen.
@torontoash45
Exactly one of a kind
@lsherique
what is the name of the dance in the video
@bettiblanchard873
Fred always said she was his favorite partner and learned the steps faster than anyone else.
@michaelterrell5061
@@lsherique It is called the Shorty George.
@rebeccadeatherage1237
Best dancing ever both felt the music and went on a special ride..glad preserved for posterity. Keep swing you cool cats. Okie in okc
@Rodrasroom
I can see why Rita is Fred’s favorite partner. She is on his level of precision and execution while also having the time of her life. The joy and beauty exuding from her is awesome!
@SaraMKay
What about Ginger, though?