RC
Ricardo Cortez
Actor, Director
Died 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).
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).
Known For
Filmography
| 1959 | |
| 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 | Mr. Moto's Last Warning · as Fabian |
| 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 |
| 1935 | 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 Darcy |
| 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 | Symphony of Six Million · as Felix |
| 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 | Midstream · as James Stanwood |
| 1929 | The Younger Generation · as Morris Goldfish |
| 1927 | The Private Life of Helen of Troy · as Paris |
| 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 |