Rita Hayworth 15th Star To Play Carmen On The Screen

Chronicle (Levin), 7 October 1948, Page 9

Rita Hayworth 15th Star To Play Carmen On The Screen

(SPECIAL— FROM LFS. M. MURPHY) WELLINGTON, Sep|:emb,er 25, I Rita Hayworth has b.ecomo the 15th Caimen on tho soreen : dating baek from early three-reel silents to ihe pr.esent> T.ho Hayworth joortrayal in Columbia's technicolour "The .Lowe.s of Carmen, " is the most elaborate to date. The m&le le.ad is in the capable hands of Glenn Ford. .

Ot the earher Carmens, the most famous were opera's Geraldine Farrar, the driginal "Vampire" Th.eda Bara, Pola Negri in a German version, and Doloresi Dei Rio in a Mexican version — all silents. In 1910 Madame Lepanto played Carmen for Pathe, and Mlle. Pilar-Morin for the Edison company. An early Spanish version has no screen credits extant. In 1913 tw.o three-reelers presented Marion Leonard and Marguerite Snow as the gipsjy hoyden. Edna • Purviance in 1916 played Carmen to Charlie Chaplin's burlesque "Don Jose." In 1928, the last silent version had Raquel Meller locationing at Ronda, Spain, where Merimee placed his novel. Britain produced the first sound version in 1931, with Marguerite Namara as Carmen, and titled "Gipsy Blood," the same title P.ola Negri used. Imperio Argentina played a Mexican Carmen in 1940. Most recent Carmen, prior to Miss Hayworth, was Viviane Romance in a French version last year.