RC
Photo of Ricardo Cortez

Ricardo Cortez

Actor, Director
Born September 17, 1900Died April 28, 1977 (76 years)
Ricardo Cortez (September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American film actor who began his career during the silent film era.

Born Jacob Krantz in New York City into a Jewish family, he worked on Wall Street in a broker's office and as a boxer before his looks got him into the film business. Hollywood executives changed his name to Cortez to appeal to film-goers as a "Latin lover" to compete with such highly popular actors of the era as Rudolph Valentino, Ramon Novarro and Antonio Moreno. When rumour began to circulate that Cortez was not actually Spanish, the studios tried to pass him off as a different type of Latin, French, before they finally admitted his (supposedly) Viennese origin.

Cortez appeared in over 100 films. He played opposite Joan Crawford in Montana Moon in 1930, played Sam Spade in the original The Maltese Falcon in 1931, co-starred with Charles Farrell and Bette Davis in The Big Shakedown and Wonder Bar (with Al Jolson and Dolores del Río) in 1934. He also played Perry Mason in the 1936 film The Case of the Black Cat. Although he began his career playing romantic leads with actresses like Greta Garbo, when sound cinema arrived, his powerful delivery and New York accent made him an ideal villain and conman, and he switched from sex symbol to character actor.

Cortez was married to silent film actress Alma Rubens until her death of pneumonia in 1931.

When he retired from the film business, Cortez went to work as a stockbroker for Solomon Brothers on New York's Wall Street. He died in New York City in 1977 and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx.

He was the older brother of noted cinematographer Stanley Cortez (born Stanislaus Krantz).
Movies & Shows on Plex
  • Bonanza
Known For
  • The Maltese Falcon
  • The Walking Dead
  • Thirteen Women
  • Midnight Mary
  • The Phantom of Crestwood
  • Charlie Chan in Reno
  • Mr. Moto's Last Warning
  • Mandalay
  • The Locket
  • Ten Cents a Dance
  • Torrent
  • Special Agent
  • Illicit
  • The Big Shakedown
  • Flesh
  • Shadow of Doubt
  • Is My Face Red?
  • Postal Inspector
  • Frisco Kid
  • I Killed That Man
  • Tomorrow We Live
  • Behind Office Doors

Filmography

1959
Bonanza (TV Series) · as Don Xavier Losaro
1958
The Last Hurrah · as Sam Weinberg
1950
The Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast
1950
Bunco Squad · as Tony Weldon / Anthony Wells
1948
Mystery in Mexico · as John Norcross
1947
Blackmail · as Ziggy Cranston
1946
The Locket · as Drew Bonner
1946
The Inner Circle · as Duke York
1944
Make Your Own Bed · as Wilson / Fritz Alden
1942
Tomorrow We Live · as The Ghost, Alexander Caesar Martin
1942
Rubber Racketeers · as Gilin
1942
Who Is Hope Schuyler? · as Anthony Pearce
1941
I Killed That Man · as Roger Phillips
1941
World Premiere · as Mark Saunders
1941
A Shot in the Dark · as Phillip Richards
1940
Romance of the Rio Grande · as Ricardo De Vega
1940
Murder Over New York · as George Kirby
1939
Charlie Chan in Reno · as Dr. Ainsley
1938
1937
West of Shanghai · as Gordon Creed
1937
The Californian · as Ramon Escobar
1936
Talk of the Devil · as Ray Allen
1936
The Case of the Black Cat · as Perry Mason
1936
Postal Inspector · as Inspector Bill Davis
1936
The Walking Dead · as Nolan
1936
Man Hunt · as Frank Kingman
1936
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan · as George Lambert
1935
Frisco Kid · as Paul Morra
1935
Special Agent · as Alexander Carston
1935
Shadow of Doubt · as Sim
1935
The White Cockatoo · as Jim Sundean
1934
I Am a Thief · as Pierre Londais
1934
The Firebird · as Herman Brandt
1934
A Lost Lady · as Ellinger
1934
Hat, Coat, and Glove · as Robert Mitchell
1934
The Man with Two Faces · as Ben Weston
1934
Wonder Bar · as Harry
1934
Mandalay · as Tony Evans
1934
The Big Shakedown · as Dutch Barnes
1933
The House on 56th Street · as Bill Blaine
1933
Torch Singer · as Tony Cummings
1933
Midnight Mary · as Leo
1933
Broadway Bad · as Craig Cutting
1932
Flesh · as Nicky
1932
The Phantom of Crestwood · as Gary Curtis
1932
Thirteen Women · as Police Sergeant Barry Clive
1932
Is My Face Red? · as William Poster
1932
1932
No One Man · as Bill Hanaway
1931
Men of Chance · as Johnny Silk
1931
Bad Company · as Goldie Gorio
1931
Transgression · as Don Arturo De Borgus
1931
The Maltese Falcon · as Sam Spade
1931
Big Business Girl · as Robert J. Clayton
1931
Behind Office Doors · as Ronnie Wales
1931
Ten Cents a Dance · as Bradley Carlton
1931
Illicit · as Price Baines
1930
Her Man · as Johnnie
1930
Montana Moon · as Jeff
1929
The Lost Zeppelin · as Tom Armstrong
1929
The Phantom in the House · as Paul Wallis
1929
The Younger Generation · as Morris Goldfish
1927
1927
Mockery · as Dimitri
1926
The Sorrows of Satan · as Geoffrey Tempest
1926
Torrent · as Don Rafael Brull
1925
Not So Long Ago · as Billy Ballard
1925
The Pony Express · as Jack Weston
1925
The Swan · as Dr. Walter, The Tutor
1924
A Society Scandal · as Harrison Peters
1923
The Call of the Canyon · as Larry Morrison

Take Plex everywhere

Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.
See the full list of supported devices