Latinos in Hollywood Chair: Alycia D. Enciso
Curator: Ginette R. Rondeau
Writer: John D. Trausch MA
Archivist: Luis Reyes

“Latinos In Hollywood” is a lavish pictorial exhibit highlighting the history, achievements and participation of Latinos in the Hollywood film industry from its early beginnings to the present. This will be dramatically illustrated through the progression of over 130 rare still photographs in it’s collection; not only of actors and extras, but also the behind the scenes personnel, such as producers, writers, choreographers and directors. Olvera Street has been very proud to share this exhibit with all of our visitors at El Pueblo Gallery and the Pico House in the past years. We hope you will enjoy it!

1920’s

Antonio Moreno, a star of silent films in the 1920s, was Hollywood’s first Latino heartthrob and starred as a Latin lover for Greta Garbo, Gloria Swanson and Clara Bow, “The ‘It’ Girl.” His performance caused him to be dubbed “The ‘It’ Man.”

Born in Madrid, Spain in 1887, Moreno moved to the U.S. at the age of 14 and worked on more than 153 films from 1912 to 1959. 

His thick Spanish accent proved to be an impediment when movies were made with sound.  He made up for it by recording Spanish-language versions of American films, taking lesser accented roles in Hollywood, and traveling to Mexico and Cuba to star and direct.  He directed the first Mexican “talkies” (films with sound), including “Santa” (1932) and “Revolucion” (1933) where he co-directed with Miguel Contreras Torres.

Moreno starred in more than 150 films through the 1950s. including Notorious (1946), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), The Searchers (1956) and It (1927).