María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García (16 January 1924 – 5 July 2002), known professionally as Katy Jurado, was a Mexican actress. Jurado began her acting career in Mexico during the
Golden Age of Mexican cinema
The Golden Age of Mexican cinema ( es, Época de Oro del Cine Mexicano) is a period in the history of the Cinema of Mexico between 1930 and 1969 when the Mexican film industry reached high levels of production, quality and economic success of its ...
. In 1951, she was recruited by American filmmakers in Mexico and began her Hollywood career during the
Golden Age of Hollywood
Golden means made of, or relating to gold.
Golden may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
*Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall
*Golden Cap, Dorset
*Golden Square, Soho, London
*Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...
. She acted in popular Western films of the 1950s and 1960s. Her talent for playing a variety of characters helped pave the way for Mexican actresses in American cinema.
She was the first Latin American actress nominated for an
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
, as Best Supporting Actress for her work in ''
Broken Lance
''Broken Lance'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Sol C. Siegel. The film stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Richard Widmark, and Katy Jurado.
Shot in Technicolor and CinemaScope, the fil ...
'' (1954), and was the first to win a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, for her performance in ''
High Noon
''High Noon'' is a 1952 American Western film produced by Stanley Kramer from a screenplay by Carl Foreman, directed by Fred Zinnemann, and starring Gary Cooper. The plot, which occurs in real time, centers on a town marshal whose sense of ...
'' (1952).
Life and career
1924–1951: Childhood and Mexican films
María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García, known from early childhood as "Katy", was born on 16 January 1924, in
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
Mexico, the daughter of Luis Jurado Ochoa, a lawyer, and Vicenta García, a singer. Jurado's younger brothers were Luis Raúl and Óscar Sergio.
Her mother was a singer who worked for the Mexican radio station
XEW (the oldest radio station in Latin America). Her mother was sister of Mexican musician Belisario de Jesús García, author of popular Mexican songs such as "Las Cuatro Milpas". Jurado's cousin
Emilio Portes Gil
Emilio Cándido Portes Gil (; 3 October 1890 – 10 December 1978) was President of Mexico from 1928 to 1930, one of three to serve out the six-year term of President-elect General Álvaro Obregón, who had been assassinated in 1928. Since the ...
was President of Mexico (1928–1930).
Jurado studied at a school run by nuns in the
Guadalupe Inn
Guadalupe Inn is a colonia in Mexico City.
Location
Colonia Florida is located in the Álvaro Obregón borough, in southern Mexico City.
The neighborhood is bordered by:
*Barranca del Muerto to the north, across which is San José Insurgentes ...
neighborhood of Mexico City, and later studied to be a bilingual secretary. As a teenager, she was invited to work as an actress by producers and filmmakers, among them
Emilio Fernández
Emilio "El Indio" Fernández Romo (; 26 March 1904 – 6 October 1986) was a Mexican film director, actor and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific film directors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. He is best kn ...
, who offered her a role in his first movie ''The Isle of Passion'' (1941). Although her godfather was Mexican actor
Pedro Armendáriz
Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings (May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was a Mexican film actor who made films in both Mexico and the United States. With Dolores del Río and María Félix, he was one of the best-known Latin American movie stars ...
, her parents never gave their consent.
Another filmmaker interested in her was Mauricio de la Serna, who offered her a role in the film ''No matarás'' (1943).
She signed the contract without authorization from her parents, and when they found out, they threatened to send her to a boarding school in Monterrey. Around this time, she met the aspiring actor Víctor Velázquez and married him soon afterward. Her marriage was largely motivated by the desire to continue a career as an actress and to escape the yoke of her parents. Velazquez was the father of her children, Victor Hugo and Sandra. The marriage ended in 1943, shortly after Jurado began her film career.
''No matarás'' was the first in a series of Mexican films in which Jurado exploited her exotic beauty. She specialized in playing wicked and seductive women.
Jurado said:
She appeared in 16 more films over the next seven years in what film historians have named the
Golden Age of Mexican cinema
The Golden Age of Mexican cinema ( es, Época de Oro del Cine Mexicano) is a period in the history of the Cinema of Mexico between 1930 and 1969 when the Mexican film industry reached high levels of production, quality and economic success of its ...
. She acted with acclaimed Mexican film stars such as
Pedro Infante
Pedro Infante Cruz (; 18 November 1917 – 15 April 1957) was a Mexican ranchera music singer and actor, whose career spanned the golden age of Mexican cinema. His popularity spread across Latin America.
Infante was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa ...
,
Sara Montiel
María Antonia Abad Fernández MML (10 March 1928 – 8 April 2013), known professionally as Sara Montiel, also Sarita Montiel, was a Spanish actress and singer, who also held Mexican citizenship since 1951. She began her career in the 1940s an ...
,
Pedro Armendáriz
Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings (May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was a Mexican film actor who made films in both Mexico and the United States. With Dolores del Río and María Félix, he was one of the best-known Latin American movie stars ...
and others. In 1953, she starred in
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians, and directors to be one of the greatest and m ...
's film ''
El Bruto
''The Brute'' ( es, El Bruto) is a 1953 Mexican drama film directed by Luis Buñuel and starring Pedro Armendáriz and Katy Jurado.
Plot
Impoverished tenants are being evicted from their block of flats by their elderly landlord, Cabrera, who wa ...
'', for which she received an
Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actress
The Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actress (Spanish: Premio Ariel a Mejor Coactuación Femenina) is an award presented by the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas (AMACC) in Mexico. It is given in honor of an actor who has deliv ...
, Mexico's equivalent of an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
.
1951–1968: Success in Hollywood
![Kelly-Cooper-Jurado](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Kelly-Cooper-Jurado.jpg)
In addition to acting, Jurado worked as a movie columnist, radio reporter and bullfight critic to support her family.
She was on assignment when filmmaker
Budd Boetticher
Oscar "Budd" Boetticher Jr. ( ; July 29, 1916 – November 29, 2001) was an American film director. He is best remembered for a series of low-budget Westerns he made in the late 1950s starring Randolph Scott.
Early life
Boetticher was born in ...
and actor
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
spotted her at a bullfight. Neither knew she was an actress. However, Boetticher, who was also a professional bullfighter, cast Jurado in his 1951 film ''
Bullfighter and the Lady
''Bullfighter and the Lady'' is a 1951 drama romance sport film directed and written by Budd Boetticher starring Robert Stack, Joy Page and Gilbert Roland. Filmed on location in Mexico, the film focused on the realities of the dangerous sport o ...
'', opposite
Gilbert Roland
Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice no ...
, as the wife of an aging matador. She had rudimentary English language skills and memorized and delivered her lines phonetically. Despite this handicap, her strong performance brought her to the attention of Hollywood producer
Stanley Kramer
Stanley Earl Kramer (September 29, 1913February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous "message picture, message films" (he would call his movies ''heavy dramas'') and a libera ...
, who cast her in the classic Western ''
High Noon
''High Noon'' is a 1952 American Western film produced by Stanley Kramer from a screenplay by Carl Foreman, directed by Fred Zinnemann, and starring Gary Cooper. The plot, which occurs in real time, centers on a town marshal whose sense of ...
'' (1952), starring
Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
and
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956.
Kelly ...
. Jurado learned to speak English for the role, studying and taking classes two hours per day for two months. She played saloon owner Helen Ramírez, former love of reluctant hero Cooper's Will Kane. She earned a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for Best Supporting Actress and gained notice in the American movie industry.
![Heston-Jurado-Arrowhead](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Heston-Jurado-Arrowhead.jpg)
In 1953, she had a role in ''
Arrowhead
An arrowhead or point is the usually sharpened and hardened tip of an arrow, which contributes a majority of the projectile mass and is responsible for impacting and penetrating a target, as well as to fulfill some special purposes such as sign ...
'' with
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist.
As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
and
Jack Palance
Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...
, playing an evil
Comanche
The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...
woman, the love interest of Heston's character. The next year in 1954, Jurado was chosen to play
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...
's Comanche wife in the film ''
Broken Lance
''Broken Lance'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Sol C. Siegel. The film stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Richard Widmark, and Katy Jurado.
Shot in Technicolor and CinemaScope, the fil ...
'', directed by
Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 – July 1, 1999) was an American film director. He was known for his 1940s films noir, noir films and received an Academy Award for Best Director, Oscar nomination for Best Director for ''Crossfire (film), Cros ...
. The role was intended for
Dolores del Río
María de los Dolores Asúnsolo y López Negrete (3 August 1904 – 11 April 1983), known professionally as Dolores del Río (), was a Mexican actress. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is regarded as the first major female Latin Am ...
, but the U.S. government, accusing del Rio of being a communist sympathizer at the height of the
McCarthy era
McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner.
The term origina ...
, refused permission for her to work in the United States. Jurado was selected for the role despite the resistance of the studio because of her youth.
After viewing footage of her scenes, studio executives were impressed. Her performance garnered an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination. Jurado was the first Latin American actress to compete for the Oscar.
In the same year, Jurado appeared with
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...
in the
Henry Hathaway
Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films.
Backgro ...
film ''
The Racers
''The Racers'' is a 1955 film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Kirk Douglas and Bella Darvi. The film is based on the book by Hans Ruesch entitled ''The Racer'', based on the life of Rudolf Caracciola.Automobile Quarterly 2005 "In 1953, 2 ...
''. In 1955, Jurado filmed ''
Trial
In law, a trial is a coming together of Party (law), parties to a :wikt:dispute, dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence (law), evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to Adjudication, adjudicate claims or d ...
'', directed by
Mark Robson Mark Robson may refer to:
* Mark Robson (film director) (1913–1978), Canadian-American film director and producer
* Mark Robson (American writer), Scottish-American writer and expert in United States coins and stamps
* Mark Robson (footballer)
...
, with
Glenn Ford
Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as ...
. It was a drama about a Mexican boy accused of raping a white girl, with Jurado playing the mother of the accused. For this role, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In the same year, she traveled to Italy for the filming of ''
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...
'', directed by
Carol Reed
Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for ''Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), ''The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded the ...
, with
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...
and
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...
.
In 1956, Jurado appeared on Broadway in the play ''
The Best House in Naples
''Filumena Marturano'' (, ), sometime performed in English as ''The Best House in Naples'', is a play written in 1946 by Italian playwright, actor and poet Eduardo De Filippo. It is the basis for the 1950 Spanish language Argentine musical film ' ...
'' (1956), by
Eduardo de Filippo
Eduardo De Filippo (; 24 May 1900 – 31 October 1984), also known simply as ''Eduardo'', was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan works ''Filumena Marturano'' and '' Napoli Milionaria''. Consid ...
.
![One-Eyed Jacks 1961 (13)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/One-Eyed_Jacks_1961_%2813%29.jpg)
As Jurado's Hollywood career continued, she specialized more in Western films. She participated in ''
Man from Del Rio
''Man from Del Rio'' is a 1956 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Harry Horner and written by Richard Carr. The film stars Anthony Quinn, Katy Jurado, Peter Whitney, Douglas Fowley, John Larch, Whit Bissell and Douglas Spencer. ...
'' (1956), opposite
Anthony Quinn
Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...
, and ''
Dragoon Wells Massacre
''Dragoon Wells Massacre'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope DeLuxe Color Western film directed by Harold D. Schuster starring Barry Sullivan, Dennis O'Keefe, Mona Freeman and Katy Jurado. The supporting cast features Sebastian Cabot, Jack Elam an ...
'' (1957) with
Barry Sullivan Barry Sullivan may refer to:
*Barry Sullivan (American actor) (1912–1994), US film and Broadway actor
*Barry Sullivan (stage actor) (1821–1891), Irish born stage actor active in Britain and Australia
*Barry Sullivan (lawyer), Chicago lawyer and ...
. In 1957, she debuted on television with a guest appearance in an episode of ''
Playhouse 90
''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology series, anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology dr ...
''. In 1959, she acted in an episode of ''
The Rifleman
''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show wa ...
'', written and directed by
Sam Peckinpah
David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institute ...
. In 1958, she acted in ''
The Badlanders
''The Badlanders'' is a 1958 American western caper film directed by Delmer Daves and starring Alan Ladd and Ernest Borgnine.''Variety'' film review; July 16, 1958, p. 6.'' Harrison's Reports'' film review; July 19, 1958, p. 114. Based on the ...
'', with
Alan Ladd
Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...
and
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...
, with whom Jurado was in a relationship. In 1959,
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
, with whom Jurado maintained a close friendship, invited her to participate in ''
One-Eyed Jacks
''One-Eyed Jacks'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by and starring Marlon Brando, his only directorial credit. Brando portrays the lead character Rio, and Karl Malden plays his partner, "Dad" Longworth. The supporting cast features Pin ...
'', his first film as director. After marrying Borgnine, they founded their own production company called Sanvio Corp. The couple traveled to Italy, where they partnered with the producer
Dino de Laurentiis
Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. He ...
in ''
Barabbas
Barabbas (; ) was, according to the New Testament, a prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast.
Biblical account
According to all four canoni ...
'' (where both acted with Anthony Quinn), and ''I braganti Italiani'', directed by
Mario Camerini
Mario Camerini (6 February 1895 – 4 February 1981) was an Italian film director and screenwriter.
The cousin of Augusto Genina, he made the most well-known films in Italy during the 1930s, most of them comedies starring Vittorio De Sica. H ...
.
In 1961, Jurado returned to Mexico and filmed ''Y dios la llamó Tierra'' (1961) and ''
La Bandida
''La Bandida'' ("The Bandida") is a 1963 Mexican film. It stars María Félix.
Cast
* María Félix as María Mendoza 'La Bandida'
* Pedro Armendáriz as Roberto Herrera
* Ignacio Lopez Tarso as Anselmo
* Emilio Fernandez as Epigmenio Go ...
'' (1963).
In 1962 she appeared as the historical character
La Tules in an episode of ''
Death Valley Days
''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...
''.
Her stormy marriage with Borgnine ended in 1963. Depressed, Jurado returned to Mexico and established her residence in the city of Cuernavaca.
In 1965, Jurado returned to Hollywood for the film ''
Smoky'', directed by
George Sherman
George Sherman (July 14, 1908 – March 15, 1991) was an American film director and producer of low-budget Western films. One obituary said his "credits rival in number those of anyone in the entertainment industry."
Biography
George Sherma ...
, starring
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (born F. E. Parker Jr.;Weaver, Tom.Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers p. 148 (McFarland 2012). August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010),(March 18, 2010Daniel Boone Actor Fess Parker Dies at 85" ''CBS ...
. In 1966, she played the mother of
George Maharis
George Maharis (born September 1, 1928) is an American actor who portrayed Buz Murdock in the first three seasons of the TV series '' Route 66''. Maharis also recorded numerous pop music albums at the height of his fame, and later starred in t ...
's character in ''
A Covenant with Death
''A Covenant with Death'' is a 1967 American legal drama film directed by Lamont Johnson (in his feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus and Saul Levitt, based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Stephen Becker. The ...
''. In 1968, she appeared in the film ''
Stay Away, Joe
''Stay Away, Joe'' is a 1968 American comedy western film with musical interludes, set in modern times and starring Elvis Presley, Burgess Meredith, Katy Jurado and Joan Blondell. Directed by Peter Tewksbury, the film is based on the 1953 satiri ...
'' in the role of the half-
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
stepmother of
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
's character.
1970–2002: Later years
In the next years Jurado alternated her work between Hollywood and Mexico. In 1970, she filmed ''
The Bridge in the Jungle
''The Bridge in the Jungle'' is a 1971 American adventure film written and directed by Pancho Kohner. The film stars John Huston, Katy Jurado, Elizabeth Guadalupe Chauvet, José Ángel Espinosa 'Ferrusquilla', Enrique Lucero and Jorge Martínez ...
''. In 1973, she appeared in ''
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jaso ...
'', directed by
Sam Peckinpah
David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institute ...
.
Jurado received one of her better dramatic roles in the third of the three short stories comprising the Mexican film ''
Fé, Esperanza y Caridad
''Fe, Esperanza y Caridad'' (English: Faith, Hope and Charity) is a Mexican film comprising three short stories. It was made in 1974.
Synopsis
The film compiles three stories, each named for part of the main title. The first, "Fe" (Faith), is ...
'' (1973). Directed by
Jorge Fons
Jorge Fons Pérez (23 April 1939 – 22 September 2022) was a Mexican film director.
He belonged to the first generation of film directors of the UNAM. His short film, ''Caridad'' (1973), is still considered one of the best films in Mexican ci ...
, Jurado was cast as a lower-class woman who suffers a series of bureaucratic abuses as she tries to claim the remains of her dead husband. For this performance, she won the
Ariel Award for Best Actress
The Ariel Award for Best Actress (Spanish: Premio Ariel a Mejor Actriz) is an award presented by the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas (AMACC) in Mexico. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding pe ...
, her second
Silver Ariel
The Ariel Award ( es, Premio Ariel) is an award that recognizes the best of Mexican cinema. Given annually, since 1946, by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC), the award recognizes artistical and technical excel ...
Award of the Mexican Cinema.
In 1973, Jurado starred on Broadway again in the
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...
play ''
The Red Devil Battery Sign
''The Red Devil Battery Sign'' is a three-act play by American writer Tennessee Williams. He copyrighted the text in 1975 for its premiere in Boston, but revised the play in 1979; that later version was published by New Directions in 1988.
Syno ...
'', with Anthony Quinn and
Claire Bloom
Patricia Claire Bloom (born 15 February 1931) is an English actress. She is known for leading roles in plays such as ''A Streetcar Named Desire,'' ''A Doll's House'', and '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', and has starred in nearly sixty film ...
.
In 1974, Jurado appeared in the American film ''
Once Upon a Scoundrel
''Once Upon a Scoundrel'' is a 1974 American-Mexican comedy film directed by George Schaefer and starring Zero Mostel, Katy Jurado and A Martinez.Roberts p.511
Plot
Cast
* Zero Mostel as Carlos del Refugio
* Katy Jurado as Aunt Delfina
* A ...
'' (1974). In 1975, she participated in the film ''
Los albañiles'', again directed by Jorge Fons. The film was awarded the
Golden Bear
The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin.
History
The winn ...
of the
Berlinale 1975. In 1976, she played the role of Chuchupe in the film ''Pantaleón y Las Visitadoras'', an adaptation of the novel ''
Captain Pantoja and the Special Service
''Captain Pantoja and the Special Service'' ( es, Pantaleón y las visitadoras; 1973) is a relatively short comedic novel by acclaimed Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa.
The story takes place in the Peruvian department of Amazonas, where troo ...
'' by
Mario Vargas Llosa
Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquess of Vargas Llosa (born 28 March 1936), more commonly known as Mario Vargas Llosa (, ), is a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist and former politician, who also holds Spanish citizenship. Vargas Ll ...
, who also directed the film. In 1978, she played a small role in the film ''
The Children of Sanchez''. Jurado also appeared on television frequently in the 1970s.
In 1980, Jurado filmed ''
La Seducción'', directed by
Arturo Ripstein
Arturo Ripstein y Rosen (born December 13, 1943) is a Mexican film director and screenwriter. Considered the "Godfather of independent Mexican cinema", Ripstein's work is generally characterized by "somber, slow-paced, macabre melodramas tackling ...
, for which she was nominated for another Ariel Award for Best Actress.
Her son Victor Hugo died tragically in an accident on a highway near Monterrey in 1981. This tragedy plunged her into a deep depression that she could never overcome and led her to abandon her acting career for a few years. She later said:
In 1984, John Huston convinced her to resume her career as an actress. She acted in Huston's film ''
Under the Volcano
''Under the Volcano'' is a novel by English writer Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957) published in 1947. The novel tells the story of Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British consul in the Mexican city of Quauhnahuac, on the Day of the Dead in November ...
''. In the same year, she co-starred in the short-lived television series ''
a.k.a. Pablo
''a.k.a. Pablo'' is an American sitcom television series starring Paul Rodriguez that aired on ABC from March 6 to April 10, 1984. It was executive produced by Norman Lear.
Synopsis
The series focuses on struggling Hispanic stand-up comic Paul ...
'', a sitcom with
Paul Rodriguez.
In the 1990s, Jurado appeared in two Mexican telenovelas. In 1992, she was honored with the
Golden Boot Award
Golden means made of, or relating to gold.
Golden may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
*Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall
*Golden Cap, Dorset
*Golden Square, Soho, London
*Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...
for her notable contribution to the
Western genre
The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...
. In 1998, she completed a Spanish-language film for director
Arturo Ripstein
Arturo Ripstein y Rosen (born December 13, 1943) is a Mexican film director and screenwriter. Considered the "Godfather of independent Mexican cinema", Ripstein's work is generally characterized by "somber, slow-paced, macabre melodramas tackling ...
titled ''
El Evangelio de las Maravillas
''El evangelio de las maravillas'' ("The Gospel of the Marvels") is a 1998 Mexican drama film directed by Arturo Ripstein. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot
"La Nueva Jerusalem" is a small c ...
''. She won her second
Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actress
The Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actress (Spanish: Premio Ariel a Mejor Coactuación Femenina) is an award presented by the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas (AMACC) in Mexico. It is given in honor of an actor who has deliv ...
for this role.
Jurado had a cameo in the film ''
The Hi-Lo Country
''The Hi-Lo Country'' is a 1998 American Western film directed by Stephen Frears, starring Billy Crudup, Penélope Cruz, Woody Harrelson, Cole Hauser, Sam Elliott, Patricia Arquette, Enrique Castillo, and Katy Jurado. It is set in post-World War ...
'' (1998) by
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is an English director and producer of film and television often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply drawn characters. He's received numerous accola ...
, who called her his "lucky charm" for his first Western.
In 2002, she made her final film appearance in ''
Un secreto de Esperanza''. The film was released posthumously.
Personal life
![Katy Jurado in a publicity photo for Arrowhead (1953)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Katy_Jurado_in_a_publicity_photo_for_Arrowhead_%281953%29.jpg)
Jurado's first husband was the Mexican actor Victor Velázquez, who was the stepfather of the popular Mexican actresses
Tere
Tere may refer to:
* Abigail Tere-Apisah (born 1992), Papua New Guinea tennis player
* Tere A. Zubizarreta
* Tere Glassie (born 1977), Australian rugby league football player
* Tere Marichal (born 1956)
* Tere O'Connor (born 1958), American danc ...
and
Lorena Velázquez
Lorena Velázquez (; born December 15, 1937) is a Mexican actress and former beauty pageant titleholder.
Biography
Born María de la Concepción Lorena Villar in Mexico City, Velázquez debuted in 1955. She competed in Miss Mexico in 1958 and p ...
. With Velázquez she had two children, Víctor Hugo (d. 1981) and Sandra.
Early in her career in Hollywood, Jurado had affairs with the filmmaker
Budd Boetticher
Oscar "Budd" Boetticher Jr. ( ; July 29, 1916 – November 29, 2001) was an American film director. He is best remembered for a series of low-budget Westerns he made in the late 1950s starring Randolph Scott.
Early life
Boetticher was born in ...
and actor
Tyrone Power
Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include '' Jesse James'', ...
.
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
was smitten with Jurado after seeing her in ''High Noon''.
They met when Brando was in Mexico filming ''
Viva Zapata!
''Viva Zapata!'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, using Edgcomb Pinchon's 1941 book ''Zapata the Unconquerable'' as a guide. The cast includes Jean Pe ...
'' (1952). He was involved at the time with
Movita Castaneda
Maria Luisa "Movita" Castaneda (April 12, 1916 – February 12, 2015) was an American actress best known for having been the second wife of actor Marlon Brando. In films, she played exotic women/singers, such as in ''Flying Down to Rio'' (1933 ...
, and was having a parallel relationship with
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...
. Brando told
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best ...
that he was attracted to "her enigmatic eyes, black as hell, pointing at you like fiery arrows".
Jurado commented:
However, their first date became the beginning of an extended affair that lasted many years and peaked at the time they worked together on ''
One-Eyed Jacks
''One-Eyed Jacks'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by and starring Marlon Brando, his only directorial credit. Brando portrays the lead character Rio, and Karl Malden plays his partner, "Dad" Longworth. The supporting cast features Pin ...
'' (1960), a film directed by Brando.
During the filming of the movie ''
Vera Cruz'' (1954) in Mexico, Jurado met the American actor
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...
, who became her second husband on 31 December 1959.
Although initially their relationship was harmonious, the situation became complicated over the course of their marriage. The temperament of both led to numerous violent confrontations, some of which were documented by the newspapers of the time. Jurado claimed to have suffered physical violence from Borgnine during their marriage.
Jurado and Borgnine divorced in 1963.
Jurado had a romantic relationship with the Western novelist
Louis L'Amour
Louis Dearborn L'Amour (; né LaMoore; March 22, 1908 – June 10, 1988) was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels (though he called his work "frontier stories"); however, he also wrote hi ...
. She said: "I have love letters that he wrote me until the last day of his life."
Jurado claimed to have been one of the people to find the body of Mexican actress
Miroslava Stern
Miroslava Šternová Beková (26 February – 9 March 1955), known professionally as Miroslava Stern, was a Czechoslovak-Mexican actress.
Biography
Born Miroslava Šternová Beková in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Miroslava moved to Mexico as a c ...
after her suicide. According to Jurado, the picture that Stern had between her hands was of
Cantinflas
Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes (12 August 1911 – 20 April 1993), known by the stage name Cantinflas (), was a Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is considered to have been the most widely-accomplished Mexican comedian and is cele ...
, but artistic manager Fanny Schatz exchanged the photo for one of the Spanish bullfighter
Luis Miguel Dominguín.
Death
Toward the end of her life, Jurado suffered from heart and lung ailments. She died of kidney failure and pulmonary disease on 5 July 2002 at the age of 78 at her home in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She was buried in Cuernavaca at the Panteón de la Paz cemetery.
Legacy
![Star of Katy Jurado in the Hollywood Walk of Fame](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Star_of_Katy_Jurado_in_the_Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame.jpg)
Jurado has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
at 7065 Hollywood Boulevard for her contributions to motion pictures.
In 1953, Jurado was captured in a portrait by Mexican artist
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...
.
In 1998, Mexican singer-songwriter,
Juan Gabriel
Alberto Aguilera Valadez (; January 7, 1950 – August 28, 2016), known professionally as Juan Gabriel (), was a Mexican singer, songwriter and actor. Colloquially nicknamed as Juanga () and El Divo de Juárez, Juan Gabriel was known for his f ...
, composed a song for her titled, "Que rechula es Katy (What a beauty is Katy)".
She was honored with a
Google Doodle
A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
on 16 January 2018.
Filmography
References
Citations
Works cited
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jurado, Katy
1924 births
2002 deaths
20th Century Studios contract players
20th-century American actresses
Actresses from Guadalajara, Jalisco
American actresses of Mexican descent
American film actresses
American television actresses
Ariel Award winners
Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners
Deaths from kidney failure
Golden Age of Mexican cinema
Golden Ariel Award winners
Hispanic and Latino American actresses
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
Mexican emigrants to the United States
Mexican film actresses
Mexican stage actresses
Mexican telenovela actresses
Mexican television actresses
Western (genre) film actresses