© Copyright Harutyunyan 2024

sunfilm-logo
Home/Ricardo Cortez
Ricardo Cortez‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1900-09-17

Popularity

star2.3

Ricardo Cortez

New York City, New York, USA

Ricardo Cortez

New York City, New York, USA

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1900-09-17

Popularity

star2.3

Biography

Ricardo Cortez (September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American film actor who began his career during the silent film era. Born Jacob Krantz in New York City into a Jewish family, he worked on Wall Street in a broker's office and as a boxer before his looks got him into the film business. Hollywood executives changed his name to Cortez to appeal to film-goers as a "Latin lover" to compete with such highly popular actors of the era as Rudolph Valentino, Ramon Novarro and Antonio Moreno. When rumour began to circulate that Cortez was not actually Spanish, the studios tried to pass him off as a different type of Latin, French, before they finally admitted his (supposedly) Viennese origin. Cortez appeared in over 100 films. He played opposite Joan Crawford in Montana Moon in 1930, played Sam Spade in the original The Maltese Falcon in 1931, co-starred with Charles Farrell and Bette Davis in The Big Shakedown and Wonder Bar (with Al Jolson and Dolores del Río) in 1934. He also played Perry Mason in the 1936 film The Case of the Black Cat. Although he began his career playing romantic leads with actresses like Greta Garbo, when sound cinema arrived, his powerful delivery and New York accent made him an ideal villain and conman, and he switched from sex symbol to character actor. Cortez was married to silent film actress Alma Rubens until her death of pneumonia in 1931. When he retired from the film business, Cortez went to work as a stockbroker for Solomon Brothers on New York's Wall Street. He died in New York City in 1977 and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx. He was the older brother of noted cinematographer Stanley Cortez (born Stanislaus Krantz).

Movie Credits

Tomorrow We Live

Tomorrow We Live‌
star4.3
calendar 1942

The Phantom of Crestwood

The Phantom of Crestwood‌
star6.0
calendar 1932

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead‌
star6.2
calendar 1936

Charlie Chan in Reno

Charlie Chan in Reno‌
star6.2
calendar 1939

Hollywood

Hollywood‌
star7.0
calendar 1923

White Shoulders

White Shoulders‌
star0.0
calendar 1931

The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon‌
star6.4
calendar 1931

The Locket

The Locket‌
star6.4
calendar 1946

Blackmail

Blackmail‌
star4.0
calendar 1947

Bunco Squad

Bunco Squad‌
star5.9
calendar 1950

Murder Over New York

Murder Over New York‌
star6.0
calendar 1940

In the Name of Love

In the Name of Love‌
star0.0
calendar 1925

Mr. Moto's Last Warning

Mr. Moto's Last Warning‌
star5.8
calendar 1939

The House on 56th Street

The House on 56th Street‌
star5.2
calendar 1933

Midnight Mary

Midnight Mary‌
star6.8
calendar 1933

Torch Singer

Torch Singer‌
star5.2
calendar 1933

The Inner Circle

The Inner Circle‌
star5.2
calendar 1946

Special Agent

Special Agent‌
star6.3
calendar 1935

The Man with Two Faces

The Man with Two Faces‌
star6.5
calendar 1934

Thirteen Women

Thirteen Women‌
star6.3
calendar 1932

The Last Hurrah

The Last Hurrah‌
star7.1
calendar 1958

Make Your Own Bed

Make Your Own Bed‌
star5.8
calendar 1944

Mockery

Mockery‌
star6.7
calendar 1927

Bad Company

Bad Company‌
star4.6
calendar 1931

The Big Shakedown

The Big Shakedown‌
star5.6
calendar 1934

Symphony of Six Million

Symphony of Six Million‌
star5.4
calendar 1932

The Murder of Dr. Harrigan

The Murder of Dr. Harrigan‌
star5.6
calendar 1936

Ten Cents a Dance

Ten Cents a Dance‌
star6.8
calendar 1931

Illicit

Illicit‌
star5.8
calendar 1931

Transgression

Transgression‌
star4.0
calendar 1931

Montana Moon

Montana Moon‌
star4.6
calendar 1930

Big Business Girl

Big Business Girl‌
star5.5
calendar 1931

I Killed That Man

I Killed That Man‌
star5.7
calendar 1941

Flesh

Flesh‌
star5.6
calendar 1932

Torrent

Torrent‌
star6.9
calendar 1926

Wonder Bar

Wonder Bar‌
star6.2
calendar 1934

Behind Office Doors

Behind Office Doors‌
star5.1
calendar 1931

Her Man

Her Man‌
star5.3
calendar 1930

The Case of the Black Cat

The Case of the Black Cat‌
star6.6
calendar 1936

The Gentleman from America

The Gentleman from America‌
star0.0
calendar 1923

Frisco Kid

Frisco Kid‌
star6.8
calendar 1935

I Am a Thief

I Am a Thief‌
star6.0
calendar 1934

Postal Inspector

Postal Inspector‌
star6.3
calendar 1936

Hat, Coat and Glove

Hat, Coat and Glove‌
star5.5
calendar 1934

The Bedroom Window

The Bedroom Window‌
star0.0
calendar 1924

The Phantom in the House

The Phantom in the House‌
star4.6
calendar 1929

The Younger Generation

The Younger Generation‌
star6.2
calendar 1929

City Girl

City Girl‌
star6.0
calendar 1938

Is My Face Red?

Is My Face Red?‌
star5.0
calendar 1932

Men of Chance

Men of Chance‌
star5.8
calendar 1931

The Sorrows of Satan

The Sorrows of Satan‌
star6.7
calendar 1926

No One Man

No One Man‌
star6.0
calendar 1932

West of Shanghai

West of Shanghai‌
star5.4
calendar 1937

The White Cockatoo

The White Cockatoo‌
star5.3
calendar 1935

Mystery in Mexico

Mystery in Mexico‌
star5.8
calendar 1948

Shadow of Doubt

Shadow of Doubt‌
star6.2
calendar 1935

Romance of the Rio Grande

Romance of the Rio Grande‌
star4.0
calendar 1941

A Lost Lady

A Lost Lady‌
star6.1
calendar 1934

The Firebird

The Firebird‌
star5.5
calendar 1934

The Lost Zeppelin

The Lost Zeppelin‌
star4.8
calendar 1929

The Californian

The Californian‌
star0.0
calendar 1937

Her Husband Lies

Her Husband Lies‌
star6.0
calendar 1937

Broadway Bad

Broadway Bad‌
star5.0
calendar 1933

The Private Life of Helen of Troy

The Private Life of Helen of Troy‌
star1.0
calendar 1927

Mandalay

Mandalay‌
star5.9
calendar 1934

The Spaniard

The Spaniard‌
star0.0
calendar 1925

The Eagle of the Sea

The Eagle of the Sea‌
star0.0
calendar 1926

The Swan

The Swan‌
star6.0
calendar 1925

Feet of Clay

Feet of Clay‌
star0.0
calendar 1924

Woman of Destiny

Woman of Destiny‌
star0.0
calendar 1928

Reckless Living

Reckless Living‌
star3.0
calendar 1931

The Pony Express

The Pony Express‌
star5.9
calendar 1925

Excess Baggage

Excess Baggage‌
star0.0
calendar 1928

Hollywood Newsreel

Hollywood Newsreel‌
star4.0
calendar 1934

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood‌
star6.0
calendar 1960

Man Hunt

Man Hunt‌
star0.0
calendar 1936

Rubber Racketeers

Rubber Racketeers‌
star4.3
calendar 1942

Breakdowns of 1936

Breakdowns of 1936‌
star0.0
calendar 1936

A Shot in the Dark

A Shot in the Dark‌
star5.2
calendar 1941

Screen Snapshots (Series 10, No. 8)

Screen Snapshots (Series 10, No. 8)‌
star6.0
calendar 1931

Children of Jazz

Children of Jazz‌
star0.0
calendar 1923

Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown

Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown‌
star8.0
calendar 1986

Manhattan Moon

Manhattan Moon‌
star0.0
calendar 1935

New York

New York‌
star0.0
calendar 1927

Breakdowns of 1937

Breakdowns of 1937‌
star6.0
calendar 1937

New Orleans

New Orleans‌
star0.0
calendar 1929

Complicated Women

Complicated Women‌
star6.7
calendar 2003

The Next Corner

The Next Corner‌
star0.0
calendar 1924

Who Is Hope Schuyler?

Who Is Hope Schuyler?‌
star4.0
calendar 1942

Talk of the Devil

Talk of the Devil‌
star0.0
calendar 1936

Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs

Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs‌
star1.0
calendar 1936

The Call of the Canyon

The Call of the Canyon‌
star0.0
calendar 1923

The Cat's Pajamas

The Cat's Pajamas‌
star0.0
calendar 1926

This Woman

This Woman‌
star0.0
calendar 1924

Midstream

Midstream‌
star0.0
calendar 1929

World Premiere

World Premiere‌
star5.0
calendar 1941

Not So Long Ago

Not So Long Ago‌
star0.0
calendar 1925

A Society Scandal

A Society Scandal‌
star0.0
calendar 1924

Big Executive

Big Executive‌
star0.0
calendar 1933

Argentine Love

Argentine Love‌
star0.0
calendar 1924

Volcano

Volcano‌
star0.0
calendar 1926

Tv Credits

This Is Your Life

This Is Your Life‌
star6.4
calendar 1952