Rita Hayworth

Rita was chosen for the role of Coral in Dead Reckoning (1947) as the part was written for her, but she turned it down to do The Lady From Shanghai (1948) with her enstranged husband Orson Welles.

Rita was intended to play Delilah in Samson And Delilah (1949), but Columbia wouldn't loan her out to 20th Century Fox.

Rita was considered for the role of Brigid O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon (1941).

Rita replaced Jean Arthur as Columbia Pictures' top star, and also had the same birthday as her, October 17.

Rita was featured twice on the cover of Time Magazine, on November 10, 1941, and September 1, 1989.

Rita's first film appearance was when she was 8 years old, appearing with her family in Anna Case in La Fiesta (1926).

Rita appeared in magazine and newspaper ads for Maybelline in 1941.

Rita did a magazine ad for Max Factor in 1943.

Rita was given the Sour Apple award at the Golden Apple awards for Least Cooperative actress twice, in 1948 and 1952.

Rita has a Motion Picture star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame at 1645 Vine Street.

Rita was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Drama for Circus World (1964).

Rita liked horses and thoroughbred racing; she was a member of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and her filly Double Rose won several races in France including one in which she placed 2nd in the 1949 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Rita co-starred twice with Fred Astaire in You'll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942).

Rita had electrolysis done in 1937 to raise her hairline.

Rita was named the 19th Greatest Female Lead Actor by the American Film Institute on June 16, 1999.

Rita received the National Screen Heritage award in 1977.

Rita was married five times; to: Edward C. Judson (1937-1943), Orson Welles (1943-1948, one daughter Rebecca Welles), Prince Aly Khan (1949-1953, one daughter Princess Yasmin Aga Khan), Dick Haymes (1953-1955), and James Hill (1958-1961).

Rita's face was painted on the first atomic bomb to be exploded after World War Two at Bikini Atoll in July 1946.

Rita was featured on the cover of Life Magazine 5 times; on July 15, 1940, August 11, 1941, January 18, 1943, November 10, 1947, and February 19, 1971.

Rita was Warner Brothers' first choice for Casablanca (1942) but was unavailable and Ingrid Bergman was cast in her place.

Rita accidentally knocked out two of her co-star Glenn Ford's teeth in filming their fight scene for Gilda (1946).

Rita started her own film production company, Beckworth Corporation, in 1947, and continued with it until 1954, when she dissolved it under the advice of her husband.

Her nickname was The Love Goddess.

Her height was 5'6".

Rita is one of the bombshells shown in The Shawshank Redemption (1994), based on Steven King's novella, "Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption."