biography
Born Maria Guadalupe Velez de Villalobos near Mexico City on July 18, 1908, the early life of gorgeous Lupe Velez is somewhat of
a mystery. Some biographers claim she was the daughter of a prostitute, while others claim that her mother was a singer and her
father was an Army officer who was killed during the waning days of the Mexican Revolution. Velez's mother and siblings relocated
to Texas in the early 1920s only to soon return to Mexico City, where Velez took a job as a shop girl. And avid student of dance
and song, Velez soon made her way onstage in musical shows in her native country. At the age of 18, she left Mexico City for Hollywood
in search of a big break into silent films. She was quickly discovered by producer Hal Roach, who recognized her comedic gifts and
used her in several comedy shorts starring Charley Chase and Laurel and Hardy. Her breakthrough role came in 1927 when she was cast
in a starring role opposite Douglas Fairbanks in the United Artists adventure The Gaucho (1928; with Joan Barclay). Her next
film was the drama Stand and Deliver (1928; with Rod La Rocque and Warner Oland). That same year, Velez was selected by the
Western Association Of Motion Picture Advertisers as one of its WAMPAS baby stars, along with other actresses such as Lina Basquette,
Sue Carol, June Collyer, and Sally Eilers.   LEFT: Campy behind-the-scenes shot of Lupe Velez from the late 1920s. CENTER: Stylish mid 1930s photo. LEFT: With husband Johnny WeissmullerVelez's career survived the transition to sound rather nicely, but she often scandalized Hollywood with romantic exploits with her costars, including Gary Cooper and Gilbert Roland. In 1933, she married Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller, but their frequent rifts made headlines and did nothing for Velez's career, which began a slow decline. Her sexually energized pre-Code roles had made her a star, but when the Hays Production Code was enforced in 1934, dramatic roles for Velez vanished, so she returned to comedy in B movies. Possessing a gift for song, Velez also acted on the Broadway stage in several musicals during the early 1930s and again in the late 1930s. By 1939, her marriage to Weissmuller had ended, and her career had few bright spots until she was cast in the RKO comedy The Girl from Mexico (1939; with Leon Errol and Donald Woods). Velez's performance was so stellar and well-received that RKO built a series around the film called Mexican Spitfire, which included eight films. |
the films of lupe velezHell Harbor (1930)
From the United Artists drama Hell HarborThe Squaw Man (1931)
With Warner Baxter in the Cecil B. DeMille drama The Squaw Man, released by MGMResurrection (1931)
Velez as the tragic Katusha in the Universal drama ResurrectionThe Half-Naked Truth (1932)
With Eugene Pallette and Lee Tracy in the RKO comedy The Half-Naked TruthHollywood Party (1934)
With Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel in the MGM all-star comedy Hollywood PartyHigh Flyers (1937)
From the RKO comedy High Flyers with Bert Wheeler, Paul Harvey, and Robert Woolsey. This was Wheeler and Woolsey's last team effort, as Robert Woolsey was terminally ill during the filming of this movieThe Girl from Mexico (1939)
With Leon Errol in the RKO comedy The Girl from Mexico, which inspired the Mexican Spitfire seriesMexican Spitfire Out West (1940)
From the RKO comedy Mexican Spitfire Out West with Elizabeth Risdon and Leon Errol. This film is the third in the Mexican Spitfire seriesHonolulu Lu (1941) 
From the Columbia comedy Honolulu Lu. LEFT: With Bruce Bennett and Forrest Tucker. RIGHT: With Leo CarrilloLadies' Day (1943)
From the RKO comedy Ladies' Day with Eddie Albertlater yearsWith the release of Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event (1943; with Leon Errol and Hugh Beaumont), the Mexican Spitfire series fizzled. At this point, Velez's career stalled; she made just one more film, Nana (1944) in her native Mexico. In the fall of 1944, Velez discovered she was pregnant, possibly by Gary Cooper or aspiring Austrian actor Harald Maresch, who she claimed refused to marry her. Most likely bipolar and despondent over her career and personal situation, Velez committed suicide on December 13, 1944, at age 36. She was survived by her mother. |
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This page premiered February 27, 2008.
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