Ricardo Cortez | WatchedThis

Ricardo Cortez

Ricardo Cortez

Acting

Biography

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).

Filmography Movies

Acting

Poster for Tomorrow We Live
MOVIE

Tomorrow We Live

4.9(0.0K)
Tomorrow We Live
The Ghost, Alexander Caesar Martin
Poster for The Phantom of Crestwood
MOVIE

The Phantom of Crestwood

6.0(0.0K)
The Phantom of Crestwood
Gary Curtis
Poster for The Walking Dead
MOVIE

The Walking Dead

6.3(0.1K)
The Walking Dead
Nolan
Poster for Charlie Chan in Reno
MOVIE

Charlie Chan in Reno

6.5(0.0K)
Charlie Chan in Reno
Dr. Ainsley
Poster for Hollywood
MOVIE

Hollywood

9.0(0.0K)
Hollywood
Ricardo Cortez
Poster for White Shoulders
MOVIE

White Shoulders

10.0(0.0K)
White Shoulders
Lawrence Marchmont
Poster for The Maltese Falcon
MOVIE

The Maltese Falcon

6.4(0.1K)
The Maltese Falcon
Sam Spade
Poster for The Locket
MOVIE

The Locket

6.4(0.0K)
The Locket
Drew Bonner
Poster for Blackmail
MOVIE

Blackmail

4.2(0.0K)
Blackmail
Ziggy Cranston
Poster for Bunco Squad
MOVIE

Bunco Squad

6.1(0.0K)
Bunco Squad
Tony Weldon / Anthony Wells

Production

Poster for City of Chance
MOVIE

City of Chance

5.6(0.0K)
City of Chance
Director
Poster for Girl in 313
MOVIE

Girl in 313

5.6(0.0K)
Girl in 313
Director
Poster for Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
MOVIE

Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence

6.6(0.0K)
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
Director
Poster for Inside Story
MOVIE

Inside Story

9.0(0.0K)
Inside Story
Director
Poster for The Escape
MOVIE

The Escape

6.3(0.0K)
The Escape
Director
Poster for Chasing Danger
MOVIE

Chasing Danger

8.0(0.0K)
Chasing Danger
Director
Poster for Free, Blonde and 21
MOVIE

Free, Blonde and 21

8.5(0.0K)
Free, Blonde and 21
Director

Gallery

Ricardo Cortez portrait
Ricardo Cortez portrait