Puerto Rican actor, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno is one of the rare performers who’s been awarded an “EGOT” — an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. She won an Oscar for West Side Story (1961), a Grammy for The Electric Company (1973), a Tony for The Ritz (1975), and Emmys for The Muppet Show (1977) and The Rockford Files (1978). Most of her work has been done outside of frock flicks, but her Oscar and a couple important roles were in historical costume classics, so let’s take a look at the girl who decided to go for it!
Tina in The Toast of New Orleans (1950)
Zelda Zanders in Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Queli in Cattle Town (1952)
Bridget Fitzgibbon in Fort Vengeance (1953)
Honey Bear in The Yellow Tomahawk (1954)
Cantina Singer in Garden of Evil (1954)
Julia in Untamed (1955)
Ula in Seven Cities of Gold (1955)
Tuptim in The King and I (1956)
Huguette in The Vagabond King (1956)
Hetty Hutter in The Deerslayer (1957)
Lola Montez in Tales of Wells Fargo (1959)
Tina in “The Samaritan,” Trackdown (1959)
Chulita in Zorro (1960)
Anita in West Side Story (1961)
Sisa in Cry of Battle (1963)
Various roles in The Electric Company (1971-77)
Valentina in West Side Story (2021)
What’s your favorite of Rita Moreno’s movie & TV roles?
She struggled with being typecast as the sexy Latina and yet for West Side Story (and looks like maybe The King and I as well?), she still had to wear makeup to darken her skin because she didn’t look Latina enough.
Despite all the challenges she faced, Rita Moreno is a tour de force and I love that she rewore her 1962 Oscars dress in 2020.
Moreno had some lovely moments in the second “WSS”; she was the best thing about it.
Rita really deserved better! Glad she’s getting her due!
Yet they still say history doesn’t repeat itself!😄
Even though my mother wants obsessed with The King and I (because she had a well-founded thing for Yul Brynner) I feel really really stupid for not placing Rita in that movie…..
I loved the Electric Company! “HEEEY YOUUU GUUUYS!” She starred alongside another favorite of mine, Morgan Freeman. :)
They were an essential part of my youth :)
WAIT, WHAT!?! Morgan Freeman was in Electric Company?
“And…what about Naomi?” has stuck with me for decades. For a long time I thought of Morgan Freeman as that guy from The Electric Company!
I think you’ll enjoy this article on her dress in West Side Story, from Tom and Lorenzo: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/09/one-iconic-look-rita-morenos-purple-dress-in-west-side-story-1961-costume-analysis-movies-fashion/
I would like to make some insightful and enlightened point about Ms. Moreno’s repeated typecasting, but the ‘peasant blouse’ is one of my favourite things to see on a lovely lady and who could possibly wear it better than the lovely Rita?
…
I’m not saying there HAS to be an article on why this particular article of clothing is deeply, deeply implausible in many, many historical periods (Possibly even with many, many examples of it’s use and misuse through the cinematic ages) but there COULD be.
I would, of course, read this article with respectful attention and without needing to stop even once to fan myself like a respectable dowager at a New Orleans hen night, for I am an Adult. Fully grown. A gentleman & a scholar. A man of SCIENCE.
(One of these descriptions is less accurate than the others).
You. Are. Awesome. :)
Not historical, but she was amazing in The Ritz!
OMG! I just got my copy of The Toast of New Orleans in the mail! It’s one of several older movies that I had to order on DVD (along with Tea with Mussolini; Bell, Book, and Candle; and Staircase) in the past year because they weren’t available on streaming. I’m going to have a watch party with my friends. I didn’t know Rita Moreno was in it; so now I’m even more excited to see it. I think I’m the only person on planet earth that can’t stand West Side Story! Back to Rita Moreno, she is so beautiful and talented. Thanks for this list her Frock Flicks! GREAT WCW choice!
Okay I’m going to be pedantic and say there are some time periods and geographical locations where the camisa (what you’re calling a “peasant blouse”) is actually appropriate. Peak was the mid 19th century in Mexico and other central and south american countries but it’s survived as part of folk dress, sometimes in a shorter, more blouse-like length. Makes sense a Latina in the Wild West would be wearing one. Look at the women in paintings by José Agustín Arrieta for examples.