Shadows of stardom: Latina actresses in the 1930's Hollywood produced Spanish language films

Shadows of Stardom: Latina Actresses in the 1930's Hollywood Produced Spanish Language Films focuses on the actresses and Latina representation in the Spanish language films Hollywood produced in the 1930's. This project explores the unexpected opportunity that the short-lived production of Spanish language films created for Latina actresses struggling to overcome marginalized, stereotyped roles offered them by mainstream English language films of the era and the impact the films and actresses may have had on early Latina moviegoers, fan culture and consumption in Los Angeles. ❧ In 1928, as the movies were learning to talk, the Hollywood film industry became fearful of losing its dominance in international markets. Among the studios' responses to the challenge of sound was producing multiple-language films. Originally intended to be shown outside the United States, the Spanish language films also found an audience at home, particularly with immigrants in Los Angeles, exemplifying one of the earlier moments of globalization. ❧ These films and their female stars have largely been forgotten as most scholars have written off as aesthetically worthless. Yet, an appraisal of some of these films begins to tell a different story. The predominant screen role models for Latinas during this period had been primarily Anglo actresses while Latina roles have largely followed stereotypes. Two exceptions were Dolores Del Rio who was at the height of her Hollywood career and Lupe Velez who was set up somewhat in opposition to Del Rio. There is more to this story. ❧ These Hollywood produced Spanish language films used Mexican, Spanish and Latin American actresses in a positive context. They were the stars and heroines of the films. This study argues for their inclusion in the Hollywood story which in turn will expand this area of film scholarship. ❧ This dissertation is an historical reconstruction of the Hollywood Spanish language film experiment starting with an overview and covering the business practices of the studios, publicity and fan culture, the actresses and the films themselves. The project is woven together with primary sources, archival materials and textual analysis of the films. The goal of this project, which intersects the fields of film history, Latino/a Studies and Visual Culture, is to ""reanimate"" these actresses and bring them out of the shadows.