Hi!
Today marks the birthday of a very special Latina who is often
overlooked. I'm talking of Miss Lupe Velez. If you can't place the
name, she was one of the first Latina Divas of Hollywood in the 1920s
through the 1940s. You can see her in my banner I just made.
Lupe was the Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek, and Eva Longoria all rolled
into one of her day. She was smart, funny, talented and a real
beauty. She really could sing, she could dance, and she could act up
a storm. She started her career in two reelers with Laurel an dHardy
before being cast with "the" swashbuckler of the day, Douglas
Fairbanks in The Gaucho. After this movie, Lupe worked steady in
dramas for about 5 years. Then, she started comedies. Her career took
off and she starred in a string of movies known as "The Mexican
Spitfire" series. These movies were hugely popular, but by the time
the 8th and final one came out, Lupe's popularity was wanning. You
see, Lupe came out of a failed marriage with "Tarzan" Johnny
Weismuller. There were always rumors of Lupe's escapades with the
leading men of her movies. She and Johnny were married for 5 stormy
years. After all this, Lupe went back to Mexico (she was born in
Mexico) to regroup and she did Nana. The film was not the commercial
success Lupe had hoped for, but she garnered the best reviews of her
career. Lupe came to Hollywood to make Ladies Day and she found out
that she was pregnant. At this time, she was seeing man who many
called a leech from the start and he dumped her basically when she
went to him. Unfortunately, Lupe, so full of life and vitality, took
her life one December night. Such a sad end for such a true talent.

*Side note here.....there is a wild story(that I will not repeat now,
but you can look it up if you want to know)about the night Lupe died.
From what I have been able to piece together, this story is not true.
From what I've been able to find, this story started with a movie by
Andy Warhol and the story has stuck. For most people who even
remember Lupe, this is the only reason they do and believe me, She
doesn't deserve that.