Rita Moreno

In this New York Times bestselling memoir, West Side Story star Rita Moreno shares her remarkable journey from a young girl with simple beginnings in Puerto Rico to Hollywood legend—one of the few performers, and the only Hispanic, to win an Oscar, Grammy, Tony and two Emmys. Born Rosita Dolores Alverio in the idyll of Puerto Rico, Moreno, at age five, embarked on a harrowing sea voyage with her mother and wound up in the harsh barrios of the Bronx, where she discovered dancing, singing, and acting as ways to escape a tumultuous childhood. Making her Broadway debut by age thirteen—and moving on to Hollywood in its Golden Age just a few years later—she worked alongside such stars as Gary Cooper, Yul Brynner, and Ann Miller. When discovered by Louis B. Mayer of MGM, the wizard himself declared: “She looks like a Spanish Elizabeth Taylor.” Cast by Gene Kelly as Zelda Zanders in Singin’ in the Rain and then on to her Oscar-winning performance in West Side Story, she catapulted to fame—yet found herself repeatedly typecast as the “utility ethnic,” a role she found almost impossible to elude. Here, for the first time, Rita reflects on her struggles to break through Hollywood’s racial and sexual barriers. She explores the wounded little girl behind the glamorous façade—and what it took to find her place in the world. She talks candidly about her relationship with Elvis Presley, her encounters with Howard Hughes, and the passionate romance with Marlon Brando that nearly killed her. And she shares the illusiveness of a “perfect” marriage and the incomparable joys of motherhood. Infused with Rita Moreno’s quick wit and deep insight, this memoir is the dazzling portrait of a stage and screen star who longed to become who she really is—and triumphed.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 When I came to America, I was sick. I was dying from fear almost, like the baby bird I once picked up that died in my hand. I did not know what was wrong with me, but I thought the same mysterious force that killed the bird was attacking me. #2 I was five years old when I was admitted to the hospital with chicken pox. I had never seen a dead body, or a sick person, and I was terrified. I did not understand the rules about removing contagious people from the tenements. #3 I have always played a part. I was a smoldering sexy spitfire for so many years, and I had to be a different person for every role. I was Rita Moreno, the Hispanic heroine with all four gleaming prizes. But inside, who was I.

Help your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography about EGOT-winning actor, singer, and dancer, Rita Moreno. Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers—as well as fans of all ages! This Little Golden Book about Rita Moreno—Puerto Rican-born star of West Side Story and the first Latina to win an Oscar—is an inspiring read-aloud for young children, as well as their parents and grandparents who are fans. Look for more Little Golden Book biographies: • Betty White • Carol Burnett • Lucille Ball • Harry Belafonte • Julie Andrews • Dwayne Johnson

A penetrating analysis of the construction of Latina/o stardom in U.S. film, television, and celebrity culture since the 1920s

Explores the ways Hollywood represents race, gender, class, and nationality at the intersection of aesthetics and ideology and its productive tensions

Presents innovative scholarship on Latina/o visibility in contemporary mainstream media Latina/os have seen increased visibility in the media in the past several years, especially in feature-length films, network television programs, and various digital platforms. The Gender of Latinidad: Uses and Abuses of Hybridity explores Latina/o visibility—analyzing presence, production, and interpretation throughout various media. An important contribution to the emerging field of Latina/o Media Studies, this unique volume brings together political economy and cultural studies to consider the limitations of cultural politics and explore current issues relevant to Latina/o cultural inclusion. Author Angharad N. Valdivia addresses the concept of hybridity and applies it to contemporary Latinidad, in which hybrid Latina/os lead hybrid lives and consume hybrid media. The text explores strategies for gendered visibility in a range of popular culture media, using the concept of hybridity to connect Latina/o Studies to Feminist Media Studies, Gender Studies, and Ethnic Studies. Throughout the text, the author discusses the inclusion Latina/o scholars and audiences seek and considers if such inclusion is even achievable. Offering intersectional exploration of Latinidad in mainstream media, this volume: Explores the trope of the spitfire in the context of popular media Brings Disney Studies into Latina/o Studies Discusses the dynamic inclusion of Latinidad in awards ceremonies Assesses the implicit utopias of Latina/o representation Presents the only major academic treatment of Charo Presenting an original perspective on Latina/os in media, The Gender of Latinidad: Uses and Abuses of Hybridity is an ideal text for students and scholars in areas including Gender Studies, Ethnic Studies, and general Media and Feminist Media Studies.