Rita Moreno in West Side Story, then and now.
It is no coincidence that when we first think of Rita Moreno, we envisage her unforgettable performance as Anita singing and dancing “America” in the original version of West Side Story (1961) for her life story turned out like a blueprint for the ‘American dream.
Having had to face down rampant racism, sexism, and even sexual abuse, she never gave up and struggled up the showbiz ladder to stardom, winning the EGOT, (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards), the ‘Grand Slam’ of performance awards. From her humble beginnings, Moreno rose to stand among distinguished artists like Whoopi Goldberg, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Brooks, who are also among the few Egot winners.
Rita Moreno at 18
Rosa ‘Rita’ Dolores Alverio Marcano was born in the small town of Humacao in Puerto Rico on December 11th,1951. Her mother Rosa María Marcano, was a seamstress and her father, Francisco José ‘Paco’ Alverio, a farmer. Not long after, her parents divorced, leaving her brother behind with the father, her mother took her to New York hoping to give her a better life. She was not to see her brother again till 2021. They arrived in New York on a freezing February day on a boat called the SS Carabobo, which literally means ‘Stupid Face’. Is it an omen, she wondered? Being a young child, Moreno was fascinated by the sight of the statue of liberty, thinking it must be the President of the United State holding a giant ice-cream cone. Already, she was expressing the bright sense of humour that has coloured all her life and has probably been a factor that kept her going, despite the many drawbacks.
Now, at 90 years old, Moreno is still as lovely as ever, maintaining her lithe figure and amazing energy which truly belies her age. As always, she is very funny and overflowing with vitality. She has a disarming ability to laugh at herself and her situation at all times. This personality shines through and it is painful to think, that despite her overwhelming talent, she had to fight so hard to make it in the prejudiced and sexist Hollywood of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, when young Latin actresses were perceived as only worthy of minor ethnic roles, or worse, mere arm-candy for well-known male actors, their talents and versatility going to waste and ignored. Moreno had to make do with being cast as a native American, in The Deerslayer (1957) or Tupti, an Asian in The King and I (1956), and usually having to don thick skin-darkening make-up for the roles.
Rita Moreno as Valentina in Stephen's Spielberg's West Side Story
When President Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts in 2009, he said: - [Rita Moreno has proved that]: “In America, no matter what you look like, where you come from or what your last name is, you can make it if you try.”
And try she did! Her mother wisely took her to dancing lessons, and still a child of only 11, she was already beginning to dance her way to stardom. By her early teens, she was also dubbing films into Spanish and, by 16, she was working in nightclubs and had become her family’s main breadwinner. No mean feat, but versatility and resilience are Moreno’s second names. She can sing, she can dance, she can act… and she looks good, what more could you ask for? She obtained her first MGM contract at the age of 18, by dolling herself up to look as much like Elizabeth Taylor as she could. Louis B Meyer apparently gasped: “A Latin Elizabeth Taylor!” and signed her on the spot without a screen test or an audition.
But things were still not easy. While she was still a teenager she was raped by her agent, but, realizing that, as a Latina, her options were limited, she was pragmatic enough to keep him on, regardless, as she knew he would get her the work she needed. At that time, Latinas were seen as illiterate sex objects which Rita found deeply hurtful.
Many top people could be unspeakably crude and unpleasant. Harry Cohen, who ran a huge whisky distillery, simply announced upon meeting her at a huge event:- “You know I would like to fuck you!” These were not one-offs. On one occasion she was rescued in tears, from one such event, by a pair of Mexican gardeners: “The first gentlemen she had met that evening.” 
Rita Moreno with Bill Cosby, Morgan Freeman, Judy Gaubart and others in The Electric Company.
From the start, despite initially struggling with a feeling of inferiority, due to her early experiences as an immigrant in New York, Rita Moreno was clearly a trailblazer, opening doors not only for herself but for all Latinas and Latinos in the America of the 1940s, 1950s and even the 1960s and beyond.
One of her first movie breaks was playing Zelda Zander, the extravagant OTT actress in ‘Singing in the Rain’ (1952), but real fame finally reached her when she was cast as Anita in the 1961 version of West Side Story. Anita is a central character in this musical. She is the person that takes the viewer “… through the experience of being a Puerto Rican Immigrant in America at that time.” Moreno won a well-deserved Oscar for the role at the 34th Academy Awards. Her performance is magnetic and powerful. She proved herself not only a singer and dancer, but an actor with real talent. Despite that, all the offers she got after it were for Latinas in gangs. She turned a lot of them down and barely worked in decent roles for 7 years: -
“The Conchitas and Lolitas in westerns. I was always barefoot. It was humiliating, embarrassing stuff. But I did it because there was nothing else. After West Side Story, it was pretty much the same thing. A lot of gang stories!”
Rita Moreno as Tupti in the King and I (1956)
She fatefully met Marlon Brando on the set of ‘Desirée’(1954). They began an intense affair that lasted the best part of 8 years during which her personal life was in turmoil a lot of the time.
With Marlon Brando on the set of Desirée where Moreno met him
Brando was the single greatest movie star of his generation, having smouldered his way through Elia Kazan’s ‘A Streetcar named Desire’ (1951) and ‘On the Waterfront (1954). He was a notorious womanizer, and not faithful at all, so for Moreno, the relationship was toxic. It was Brando who suggested she get some therapy. Her therapist then wisely pointed out that Brando was pure poison to her and she must not see him anymore. As she says now: -
“[Brando} was the daddy I could not please. [you know what it is like] to be obsessed by someone, you cannot breathe without him… [well] that’s how Marlon felt about himself!”
But she admits he was the “lust of her life”, unforgettable... like a Greek God and was one of the “funniest people I ever knew”. The relationship led to her getting pregnant. Marlon arranged an abortion but it was botched and she nearly died. She could have been one of the many who died in back-alley abortions at the time. Moreno fell into a depression when Brando fell in love with Tarita Teriipaia while working on Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). She took an overdose and was rescued. After that experience, she said to herself: “I’m going to live, I’m not going to quit, I’m not going to give up.” It was part of the process of exorcising Brando from her life.
Fortunately, she met cardiologist Leonard ‘Lenny’ Gordon, who was a caring, sweet and very funny man as well. He became her husband and they had one daughter, Fernanda. They stayed together till he died. When they met, he had no idea she was THE Rita Moreno and was astonished to find that out.
Rita Moreno with James Garner and Gayle Hunnicut in Marlowe
Moreno never limited herself to movies. She continued to work in theatre and television, making a name for herself in TV series such as ‘The Electric Company’. This was a comedy variety show that taught basic phonetics and grammar through sketches, cartoons and songs. In it, she co-starred with actors like a young Morgan Freeman, Mel Brooks, Judy Graubart and Bill Cosby. She even won a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance in the Muppet show (1977) : - “I had never been so happy at home and in my career. Hey, you guys, grown- ups doing children’s stuff and playing around.”
Years after the affair with Brando had ended, she found herself co-starring with him on ‘The Night of the Following Day’(1969). It was an emotional ride for her, and the content of one scene opened up old wounds and she flew at Brando with powerful unscripted dialogue. The director kept filming and loved every minute… authenticity all the way through!
Rita Moreno with Marlon Brando in 'The Night of the Following Day' 1969
More recently, it is her charm, bouncy personality and talent as a comedy actress that has brought her back into the limelight with TV programmes, such as playing Dori in ‘Happily Divorced’, and then Lydia in ‘One Day at a Time’ which only ended in 2020. But is Rita Moreno going to hang up her dancing shoes? No way! She is not ready to stop yet!
West Side Story ( 2021) by Stephen Spielberg
She may be 90 years old, but Stephen Spielberg enlisted her to be executive producer on his new version of a ‘West Side Story’ (2021). With writer, Tony Kushner, they also created the character of Valentina for Moreno in this new version, with Ariana DeBose playing Anita.
This documentary, largely focussing on informal chats with Rita Moreno herself, is a delightful biopic that never ceases to entertain, amuse and fascinate.
‘RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT’ (2021)
Director: Mariem Pérez Riera / Production: Michael Kantor/ Mariam Perez Riera / & IIlia Velez / Music: Kathryn Bostic /DOP: Pedro Juan Lopez /Editor: Kevin Klauber/ Sound: Arjun Dmeyere.
The Film is available on Digital Download from December 6th 2021.
