The life and work of the famous Mexican actress Katie Jurado. First Oscar-winning Latin American actress, film star of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and Hollywood star.
A fatal beauty with a strong character and innate talent, she did not retreat before any difficulties. Secretly from her parents, having signed her first contract, Katie made her debut on the Mexican scene, and a few years later she burst into Hollywood with lightning speed.
Katie Jurado has long been the only Mexican actress to win an Oscar. In 2003, Salma Hayek was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, and later, in 2007, another Mexican actress, Adriana Barrasa, received the award.
Biography
No one remembers Maria Cristina Jurado Garcia, who was born in Guadalajara on January 16, 1924. But the name of Katie Jurado, the famous diva of Mexican and American art cinema, is known to many.
Maria Garcia was born in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, in a wealthy family. Luis Jurado Ochoa's father was a lawyer, and Vicenta's mother Estela García de la Garza worked as the host of the largest Latin American radio station, XEW. The actress's family ties are curious: her uncle Belisario de Jesús Garcia was a musician, author of popular Mexican songs, and the actress's cousin Emilio Portes Gil served as President of Mexico from 1928 to 1930.
In 1927, the family of the future actress moved to the capital. There, the girl attended a prestigious school at the monastery of St. Teresa and language courses, planning to follow in her father's footsteps and get a law degree. But soon her fatal appearance attracted the attention of filmmakers …
The work of Katie Jurado
Carier start
Maria Garcia began her career as an actress in secret from her parents, who did not approve of her daughter's interest in cinema. In 1940, at the age of sixteen, the girl married Victor Velazquez. The marriage freed her from parental care and gave her freedom of choice.
Three years later, Katie Jurado got her first role in the Mexican film Thou shalt not kill. The striking appearance of the young girl was noticed immediately. Success was not long in coming: at the beginning of her career, Maria Garcia had a chance to play on the same stage with such brilliant actors as Carmen Montejo, Maria Elena Marquez and David Silva.
To support a family and two children, the future actress had to work as a radio journalist and commentator on bullfighting and bullfighting. The last profession became life-changing for the girl: American directors Bud Butetcher and John Wayne attended one of the shows. The beauty was invited to Hollywood to shoot the film "Matador and the Lady".
At the age of 27, Katie Jurado embarks on a career in Hollywood. For the opportunity to develop as an actress, the girl had to move to the United States. Excess ballast was left in Mexico, among other things, and the spouse.
Maria Garcia did not know a word of English, but her desire to get a role in Hollywood was so strong that she learned the script by ear, copying the pronunciation.
In subsequent years, the actress starred with Grace Kelly, Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando and Anthony Quinn.
Glory years
The golden years of the actress's career fell on the sixties:
1952 - The actress won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film High Noon, directed by Fred Zinnemann.
1953 - Katie is nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film "Broken Spear" by Edward Dmitrik. Jurado became the first Latin American actress to receive this award.
1955 - the actress made her debut in European cinema in the film "Trapeze" directed by Carol Reid.
1968 - Elvis Presley himself starred in Peter Tewkesbury's Stay Away Joe.
Last years of career
In 1981, the son of the actress Victor died. He was only 35 years old. Maria Garcia fell into depression and practically did not act in films for more than ten years.
In her last active years, the actress starred in television series in Mexico, and in 2002, Katie played in the Mexican film "The Secret of Hope" by Leopold Labor. This work was the last in her career as an actress. The picture was released after Katie's death.
Personal life of the actress
The former husband of the actress, the famous actor Ernest Borgain, gave a vivid and biting description of this femme fatale: "Beautiful, but a tigress."
Her fame and devilish beauty did not leave indifferent many Hollywood stars of that time. The actress's list of love conquests includes such names as Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Tyrone Power, Sammy Davis, Bert Lancaster, John Wayne, Anthony Quinn and even Elvis Presley, with whom the actress worked on the film "Stay Away Joe."
The actress has been married twice. The first marriage turned out to be fragile: the couple divorced after three years. From this marriage, the woman had two children: Victor Hugo and Sandra.
The second time Katie married the famous actor Ernest Borgain. The couple met while filming Vera Cruz. They lived together for four years. The actress herself comments on this relationship as follows: "Our dates were the most romantic in the world, but after years my insecurity and jealousy destroyed our love and turned the marriage into a real hell."
After her divorce in 1963, the woman fell into deep depression and even tried to commit suicide.
Maria Cristina Jurado Garcia died on July 5, 2002 at the age of 78 in her hometown of Cuernavaca, Mexico.
