Rita Hayworth – American Royalty

Rita Hayworth – American Royalty

The pin-up photo of Rita Hayworth hung above the bunks of World War II American soldiers, airmen and sailors, and airmen all over the world. She was called “The Love Goddess,” and Fred Astaire declared her his best dance partner. In the 1940s, Rita Hayworth was one of the most popular movie stars of her time.

At the height of her fame, she married two of the most famous men in the world. First, she accepted a proposal from the brilliant Orson Welles. They seemed like the ultimate Hollywood glamour/power couple. After that marriage failed, “The Love Goddess was wooed and pursued by one of the world’s wealthiest and most famous princes: the fabled Aly Khan.

The marriage of Hollywood’s sexiest movie star and the handsome, glamorous Muslim playboy, socialite, womanizer, racehorse owner, and jockey was a source of endless fascination. It ended unhappily, with offers of bribes, threats of kidnapping, and back-and-forth rancor in newspapers worldwide.

Rita Hayworth returned to film, but her career evaporated in a haze of alcoholism and strange personality swings. The latter was finally diagnosed as the little-known malady called Alzheimer’s Disease.

In this multimedia presentation, we will celebrate the terrific talent of Rita Hayworth as seen in her classic movies. We will also explore the strange, unexpected, and often sad story of the private life of the glamorous “Love Goddess,” the remarkable Rita Hayworth.