The 'Queen of Technicolor' celebrates 100 years in 2012

Was eight years old most of what he believed and was not part of the Spanish nobility as it created the legend, but the second daughter of a family well-off always dreamed of being actress in a small town in the South of Dominican Republic, which eventually produced 20 years to reach stardom and Hollywood at your feet become the "Queen of Technicolor".

Maria Montez, the star of "Arabian Nights", 1942 ("thousand and one nights") by director John Rawlins, and the series of films that follow this film to "Sweat", 1945 ("the Queen of the Nile"), is remembered in these months when preparing the celebration of the centenary of his birth, occurred on June 6, 1912.

"Next to the undisputed reputation of Mary there was confusion regarding certain aspects of his life as his place of birth: some believed that it was Spanish or Mexican and until they had studied in a convent in the Canary Islands", said to u000athe press Margarita Vicens de Morales, the author of "María Montez, his life", the most complete biography of actress ever written up to the time

The work covers the stage of the life of Maria Africa Gracia Vidal, María Montez, after his place of origin and those that occur in Hollywood and Europe until his physical disappearance, which took place in Paris in 1951.

"The book denies both claims with documentary evidence: María Montez was born in Barahona (Dominican Republic) and lived in that city until he accepted the marriage proposal of William McFeeters, representative in the city of the First National City Bank of New York, in 1932, at the age of 20 years", said the author.

Vicens began research into the life of Montez in 1976, in order to "reach the authenticity of the facts", due to the contradiction in the data which until then were known about the most famous Dominican of the Hollywood of u000a1940s.

Part of the results of this work were published in a series of articles in the newspaper Listín Diario, process culminating in 1992 with the publication of the first edition of the book "María Montez, his life".

As well as aspects of the life of the "Queen of Technicolor" unpublished (called by the well that seemed to appear in films shot with the then novel technique), the work brings together a total of 369 pictures of Montez, many of which are presented to relatives and friends and other unpublished as appearing at the opening of the new Church of Barahona and welcome the new parish priest Fray Joaquin Andújar Mary dating from 1926, when Maria was just 14 years old, said Vicens.

The author explains that you as the majority of the artists of his time, Montez was proposed to make more attractive version of his life in the eyes of the spectators, and among other things it was eight years u000ayounger than she really was, what was confirmed in the oficialía of Barahona and had eight years of difference with the book of proceedings of the institution.

"I.e. who was born in 1920, and not in 1912 as really happened according to his birth certificate, document that appears in the book." "This explains in part that there were no uniformity among various sources as for the version of his life before becoming a star", said Vicens.

The second daughter of Isidoro grace Spanish and Dominican Teresa Vidal, born June 6, 1912, expressed early on a great vocation for cinema. He regularly attended the only room that existed in his native town and practiced English learning on a Victrola, the children of Americans who administered an ingenuity of Barahona sugar, and used to provide the movie "Fan Magazines" magazine.

After some years of marriage and residence in Republic u000aDominican and Puerto Rico, Maria Montez arrives in New York, United States, in July 1939, determined to become an actress, who achieved in Hollywood the following year.

With "Arabian Nigths" (1942), the Dominican actress conquers stardom and was enshrined as a star that enjoys the admiration of most of the spectators. But it was in Italy, with the film "Il cane di Venezia" of John Brahm, in 1950, in which the "Siren of Hollywood", as it was also called, confirms his extraordinary capacity for action.

Between 42 and 50, Montez filmed "The Exile" (1947) ("the fall of a Kingdom") of the famous Max Ophuls, "the best managers for those who acted throughout his career", according to Vicens, and which shared roles with the renowned actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

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MONTEZ highlights in the cinema of Europe
on his arrival in Europe, Montez appeared in the movie ' Hans Le u000aMarin', 1948, director FranÁois Villiers brother of her second husband, Jean Pierre Aumont. "The latter is his co-star in this film in which Lilli Palmer also operates the well-known star of then," said Margarita Vicens.

Researcher added serving then with luminaries of the era such as Erich Von Stroheim, Arletty, Pierre Brasseur and Marcel Dalio, in the film ' Portrait d 'an Assassin' (1949), director Bernand Roland, film with 'Il Ladro di Venezia' summary of the best performances of his life artistic.

Montez, said Vicens, was a major star which had and still has a legion of fans who were dazzled by her stunning beauty and a number of physical characteristics that favoured it to look better than any other films filmed in color, "with features not found in any other star in no time so far".

But u000athe actress also "strove through his entire career to play roles that revealed their true artistic qualities, which motivated his departure from the Universal Pictures and his character 'Escapist' films to prove in Europe".

The author said that before the proximity of the first Centenary of his birth, was expected that their compatriots will reflect on the significance of its success, recognizing its great tenacity to achieve stardom, her stunning beauty and her particular talent, which acted with great power of conviction, despite his short life that lasted less than four decades.

The Government has appointed a Commission to pay tribute to the actress, who chairs the Minister of culture, José Rafael Lantigua, and comprising among others Morales Vicens.

Programming provides for the creation of a Museum in Barahona dedicated to his memory, but on grounds that still not have been acquired, the projection of a u000aFilm Festival with all of his films, and the display of the costumes (originals and replicas) that used the "Queen of Technicolor".

Recently, Film Festival, Funglode was dedicated to the Dominican star, the UASD held a meeting about his life and is preparing a film on the actress.

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