Lupita Tovar
Encyclopedia
Lupita Tovar is a Mexican
actress, best known for her starring role in the 1931 Spanish language
version of Dracula
, filmed in Los Angeles
by Universal Pictures
at night using the same sets as the Bela Lugosi
version, but with a different cast and director.
Born as Guadalupe Tovar , in Matías Romero
, Oaxaca, Mexico
, Tovar was discovered by documentary film
maker Robert Flaherty of Fox Film studios while acting in a school play in Mexico City
, Mexico
. She came to Hollywood in 1929 and a perusal of her lessons at the time reflects how serious she was in her attitude. Her weekly schedule included guitar, two hours four days, Spanish dances, one hour three days, dramatics, one-half hour two days, and English, one hour every day. Her accent was considered an asset in talking motion pictures. Lupita's English improved significantly in just seven months from the time she arrived in Hollywood in January 1929. At first she could not say good morning in English. Her improvement owed much to her frequenting talkies, and learning new words and how to say them by reading voraciously.
In 1930, she was mentioned for leads in two talkies starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and Richard Barthelmess
. Fairbanks put off the filming of what became The Exile. After his death, the film was made in 1947 by his son, Douglas, Jr., directed by Max Ophuls
. Tovar starred opposite Antonio Moreno
in La voluntad del muerto
, the Spanish language version of The Cat Creeps
(1930) based on the John Willard
mystery play The Cat and the Canary; The Cat Creeps and La Voluntad del muerto were remakes of The Cat and the Canary
(1927). Casting was done in July 1930 with the film being released later the same year.
The Spanish version was directed by George Melford
and, like the Spanish-language version of Dracula, was filmed at night using the same sets as those used for filming the English-language version during the day. After Dracula, Tovar starred in Santa
, Mexico's first talkie, which was such a hit that the Mexican government issued a postage stamp
featuring Tovar as Santa. A year later, Melford directed Tovar in another Universal picture, East of Borneo
(1931).
executive Paul Kohner
. The couple had two children. Their daughter, Susan Kohner
, is a retired actress. Their grandsons, Chris
and Paul Weitz
, are successful film directors.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
actress, best known for her starring role in the 1931 Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
version of Dracula
Dracula (Spanish-language version)
Drácula is a 1931 American Spanish-language horror film directed by George Melford. It is an adaptation of the 1897 novel of the same name by Bram Stoker and was filmed during the night on the same sets that were being used for the 1931 English-language film of the same name...
, filmed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
at night using the same sets as the Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
version, but with a different cast and director.
Born as Guadalupe Tovar , in Matías Romero
Matías Romero
Matías Romero is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 1,459.54 km².It is part of the Juchitán District in the west of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region....
, Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca, Mexico, may refer to:*The state of Oaxaca, one of the 32 component federal entities of the United Mexican States*Oaxaca, Oaxaca, capital city of that state...
, Tovar was discovered by documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
maker Robert Flaherty of Fox Film studios while acting in a school play in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. She came to Hollywood in 1929 and a perusal of her lessons at the time reflects how serious she was in her attitude. Her weekly schedule included guitar, two hours four days, Spanish dances, one hour three days, dramatics, one-half hour two days, and English, one hour every day. Her accent was considered an asset in talking motion pictures. Lupita's English improved significantly in just seven months from the time she arrived in Hollywood in January 1929. At first she could not say good morning in English. Her improvement owed much to her frequenting talkies, and learning new words and how to say them by reading voraciously.
In 1930, she was mentioned for leads in two talkies starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and Richard Barthelmess
Richard Barthelmess
Richard Semler "Dick" Barthelmess was an Oscar-nominated silent film star.-Early life:Barthelmess was educated at Hudson River Military Academy at Nyack and Trinity College at Hartford, Connecticut...
. Fairbanks put off the filming of what became The Exile. After his death, the film was made in 1947 by his son, Douglas, Jr., directed by Max Ophuls
Max Ophüls
Maximillian Oppenheimer — known as Max Ophüls — was an influential German-born film director who worked in Germany , France , the United States , and France again...
. Tovar starred opposite Antonio Moreno
Antonio Moreno
Antonio "Tony" Moreno was a notable Spanish-born American actor and film director of the silent film era and through the 1950s.- Biography :...
in La voluntad del muerto
La Voluntad del muerto
La Voluntad del muerto is a 1930 Spanish-language remake of the 1927 silent film The Cat and the Canary and a Spanish-language version of The Cat Creeps which is now considered a lost film....
, the Spanish language version of The Cat Creeps
The Cat Creeps
The Cat Creeps is a crime/mystery film, and a sound remake of The Cat and the Canary . It is one of the many lost films of the early talkie film era....
(1930) based on the John Willard
John Willard
John Willard, born no later than 1672, was one of the people executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, during the Salem witch trials of 1692. He was hanged on Gallows Hill on August 19. At the time of the first allegations of witchcraft Willard was serving as a constable in the village of...
mystery play The Cat and the Canary; The Cat Creeps and La Voluntad del muerto were remakes of The Cat and the Canary
The Cat and the Canary (1927 film)
The Cat and the Canary is an American silent horror film adaptation of John Willard's 1922 black comedy play of the same name. Directed by German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni, the film stars Laura La Plante as Annabelle West, Forrest Stanley as Charles "Charlie" Wilder, and Creighton Hale as...
(1927). Casting was done in July 1930 with the film being released later the same year.
The Spanish version was directed by George Melford
George Melford
George H. Melford was an American stage and film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.-Career:...
and, like the Spanish-language version of Dracula, was filmed at night using the same sets as those used for filming the English-language version during the day. After Dracula, Tovar starred in Santa
Santa (film)
Santa is the first Mexican narrative sound film. It was directed by Antonio Moreno and starred Lupita Tovar, based on the novel of the same name by Federico Gamboa. In 1994, the Mexican magazine Somos published their list of "The 100 best movies of the cinema of Mexico" in its 100th edition and...
, Mexico's first talkie, which was such a hit that the Mexican government issued a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
featuring Tovar as Santa. A year later, Melford directed Tovar in another Universal picture, East of Borneo
East of Borneo
East of Borneo is an adventure film directed by George Melford, co-written by Edwin H. Knopf and Dale Van Every, starring Rose Hobart, Charles Bickford, Georges Renavent, Lupita Tovar, and Noble Johnson, and released by Universal Studios....
(1931).
Family
In 1932, while in Paris to film a movie, Tovar met and became engaged to Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
executive Paul Kohner
Paul Kohner
Paul Kohner . The native of Bohemia in Austria-Hungary came to Hollywood in 1920 after having been a news reporter in Prague...
. The couple had two children. Their daughter, Susan Kohner
Susan Kohner
Susan Kohner is an American actress.-Early life and career:Born as Susanna Kohner in Los Angeles, Kohner is the daughter of Mexican actress Lupita Tovar and Jewish film producer Paul Kohner who was born in Bohemia part of Austria-Hungary...
, is a retired actress. Their grandsons, Chris
Chris Weitz
Christopher John "Chris" Weitz is an American producer, writer, director and actor. He is best known for his work with his brother, Paul Weitz, on the comedy films American Pie and About a Boy, as well as directing the film adaptation of the novel The Golden Compass and the film adaptation of New...
and Paul Weitz
Paul Weitz (filmmaker)
Paul John Weitz is an American film producer, screenwriter, actor, and film director.-Personal life:Weitz was born in New York City, New York, the son of the actress Susan Kohner and novelist/fashion designer John Weitz, and the grandson of producer Paul Kohner and Mexican actress Lupita...
, are successful film directors.