HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Margo (born María Marguerita Guadalupe Teresa Estela Bolado Castilla y O'Donnell, May 10, 1917 – July 17, 1985) was a Mexican-American actress and dancer. She appeared in many American film, stage, and television productions, including ''
Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamaser ...
'' (1937), ''
The Leopard Man ''The Leopard Man'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, and starring Dennis O'Keefe, Jean Brooks, and Margo. Based on the book ''Black Alibi'' by Cornell Woolrich, it follows a series of violent murders in a small Ne ...
'' (1943), ''
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 ...
'' (1952), and ''
I'll Cry Tomorrow ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'' (1955) is a biopic that tells the story of Lillian Roth, a Broadway star who rebels against the pressure of her domineering mother and struggles with alcoholism after the death of her fiancé. It stars Susan Hayward, Richard ...
'' (1955). She married actor Eddie Albert in 1945 and was later known as Margo Albert.


Early life and career

Margo was born into a musically talented family in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
in 1917. As a child, she trained as a dancer with Eduardo Cansino, the father of
Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...
."Margo Is Dead at 68; Film and Stage Actress"
obituary, digital archives of ''The New York Times'', July 18, 1985. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
At the age of nine, she began dancing professionally with her uncle
Xavier Cugat Xavier Cugat (; 1 January 1900 – 27 October 1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City ...
and his band in performances at Mexican nightclubs.Price, Victoria. ''Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography'', Open Road Media, 2014.

/ref> Margo travelled to the United States as a child, living in New York City with her aunt, singer Carmen Castillo. While accompanying her uncle's band during a performance at the
Waldorf Astoria The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze ...
in New York City, Margo was noticed by producer and director
Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...
and screenwriter
Charles MacArthur Charles Gordon MacArthur (November 5, 1895 – April 21, 1956) was an American playwright, screenwriter and 1935 winner of the Academy Award for Best Story. Life and career MacArthur was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the sixth of seven chi ...
, who cast the 17-year-old performer as the lead in their film ''
Crime Without Passion ''Crime Without Passion'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur and starring Claude Rains. It is the first of four pictures written, produced and directed by Hecht and MacArthur for Paramount Pictures. Sixty to ...
''. Margo also played the character of Miriamne Esdras both on stage and in the 1936 film version of '' Winterset'', which one critic called a "cinemagoer's must." Other notable roles in the 1930s include parts in the 1937 film ''
Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamaser ...
'' and Broadway productions of
Maxwell Anderson James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist. Background Anderson was born on December 15, 1888, in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to ...
's ''Masque of Kings'' (1937) and
Sidney Kingsley Sidney Kingsley (22 October 1906 – 20 March 1995) was an American dramatist. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play '' Men in White'' in 1934. Life and career Kingsley was born Sidney Kirschner in New York. He studied at ...
's ''The World We Make'' (1939).


Blacklisting

While Margo continued to act in films until the 1960s, her career was curtailed by the television blacklist that began in 1950, with the targeting of
Gypsy Rose Lee Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick, January 8, 1911 – April 26, 1970) was an American burlesque entertainer, stripper and vedette famous for her striptease act. Also an actress, author, and playwright, her 1957 memoir was adapted in ...
,
Jean Muir Jean Elizabeth Muir ( ; 17 July 1928 – 28 May 1995) was a British fashion designer. Early life and career Jean Muir was born in London, the daughter of Cyril Muir, a draper's floor superintendent, and his wife, Phyllis Coy. Her father ...
,
Hazel Scott Hazel Dorothy Scott (June 11, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was a Trinidad-born American jazz and classical pianist and singer. She was an outspoken critic of racial discrimination and segregation. She used her influence to improve the representat ...
, and
Ireene Wicker Ireene Wicker (born Irene Seaton, November 24, 1905 – November 17, 1987) was an American singer and actress, best known to young radio listeners in the 1930s and 1940s as “The Singing Lady”, which was the title of her radio program. She a ...
. Margo was known for her progressive political views, but she was not a member of the Communist Party. In 1950, her name and that of her husband were published in ''
Red Channels ''Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television'' was an anti-Communist document published in the United States at the start of the 1950s. Issued by the right-wing journal ''Counterattack'' on June 22, 1950, the pamphle ...
'', an anti-Communist pamphlet that purported to expose Communist influence within the entertainment industry. ''Red Channels'' labeled her a communist because of her support for the
Hollywood Ten The Hollywood blacklist was an entertainment industry blacklist, broader than just Hollywood, put in effect in the mid-20th century in the United States during the early years of the Cold War. The blacklist involved the practice of denying empl ...
, her advocacy for peace, and her support for refugees. In 1964, she played the role of Selena in the ''Rawhide'' episode "A Man called Mushy". Albert's son spoke of his parents' blacklisting in an interview published in December 1972, crediting Albert's service during World War II with ultimately saving his career. Eddie Albert's film career survived the blacklist, but Margo was blacklisted by the major Hollywood studios.


Arts activism and engagement

In the years after the blacklist, Margo pursued her advocacy for arts and education. In 1970, along with Frank Lopez, a trade union activist, Margo founded
Plaza de la Raza The Plaza de la Raza (Place of the People) is a multidisciplinary cultural arts and educational center located in Lincoln Park in East Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1970 by actress Margo Albert and trade union activist Frank S. Lóp ...
(Place of the People) in East Los Angeles. A cultural center for arts and education, Plaza de la Raza remains in operation today, providing year-round programming in arts education. Her work with Plaza de la Raza included serving as the artistic director and as chairwoman of the board. Albert's commitment to the arts extended beyond her work in East Los Angeles: she served as a steering committee member on the
President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) was an advisory committee to the White House on cultural issues. It worked directly with the Administration and the three primary cultural agencies: the National Endowment for the Art ...
and was a member of the board of the National Council of the
National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
.


Personal life and death

Margo was married twice. In 1937, she wed actor
Francis Lederer Francis Lederer (November 6, 1899 Prague – May 25, 2000) was an Austro-Hungarian Empire-born American film and stage actor with a successful career, first in Europe, then in the United States. His original name was Franz (Czech František) Le ...
, but they divorced in 1940. In December 1945, three years after she became a naturalized citizen of the United States, she married actor
Eddie Albert Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...
. Albert and she had two children, a son (actor
Edward Albert Edward Laurence Albert (February 20, 1951 – September 22, 2006) was an American actor. The son of actor Eddie Albert and Mexican actress Margo, he starred opposite Goldie Hawn in ''Butterflies Are Free'' (1972), a role for which he won a ...
) and an adopted daughter (Maria Carmen Zucht, who served as her father's business manager). The couple remained together for 40 years, until 1985, when she died from brain cancer at age 68 in their home in
Pacific Palisades, California Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. Pacific Palisades was formally founded in 1921 by a Methodist organization, and in the years that followed be ...
. Her gravesite is in
Westwood Memorial Park Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. The cemetery was ...
in Los Angeles.


Stage work

* September 25, 1935 – March 1936: ''Winterset'' * February 8, 1937 – April 24, 1937: ''The Masque of Kings'' * November 20, 1939 – January 27, 1940: ''The World We Make'' * February 4, 1941 – February 23, 1941: ''Tanyard Street'' * December 6, 1944 – October 27, 1945: ''A Bell for Adano''


Filmography

This filmography of theatrical features is believed to be complete. *1934: ''
Crime Without Passion ''Crime Without Passion'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur and starring Claude Rains. It is the first of four pictures written, produced and directed by Hecht and MacArthur for Paramount Pictures. Sixty to ...
'' *1935: ''
Rumba The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba. ...
'' *1936: ''
The Robin Hood of El Dorado ''Robin Hood of El Dorado'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman for MGM. It stars Warner Baxter as real-life Mexican folk hero Joaquin Murrieta and Ann Loring as his love interest, with Bruce Cabot as Bill Warren and ...
'' *1936: '' Winterset'' *1937: ''
Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamaser ...
'' *1939: '' El Milagro de la calle mayor'' *1939: ''
Miracle on Main Street ''Miracle on Main Street'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Steve Sekely and written by Frederick J. Jackson. The film stars Margo, Walter Abel, William Collier Sr., Jane Darwell, Lyle Talbot and Wynne Gibson. The film was released on D ...
'' *1943: ''
The Leopard Man ''The Leopard Man'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, and starring Dennis O'Keefe, Jean Brooks, and Margo. Based on the book ''Black Alibi'' by Cornell Woolrich, it follows a series of violent murders in a small Ne ...
'' *1943: '' Behind the Rising Sun'' *1943: ''
Gangway for Tomorrow Broadly speaking, a gangway is a passageway through which to enter or leave. Gangway may refer specifically refer to: Passageways * Gangway (nautical), a passage between the quarterdeck and the forecastle of a ship, and by extension, a passage th ...
'' *1952: ''
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 ...
'' as Soldadera *1955: ''
I'll Cry Tomorrow ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'' (1955) is a biopic that tells the story of Lillian Roth, a Broadway star who rebels against the pressure of her domineering mother and struggles with alcoholism after the death of her fiancé. It stars Susan Hayward, Richard ...
'' as Selma *1957: ''
Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...
'' as Mrs. John Darro *1958: ''
From Hell to Texas ''From Hell to Texas'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Don Murray and Diane Varsi. Plot Ruthless cattle baron Hunter Boyd orders his riders to capture a former ranch-hand, Tod Lohman, suspected of murder ...
'' as Mrs. Bradley *1962: ''
Who's Got the Action? ''Who's Got the Action?'' is a 1962 American comedy film directed by Daniel Mann from a screenplay by Jack Rose, based on the novel ''Four Horse Players Are Missing'' by Alexander Rose. It stars Dean Martin and Lana Turner, with Eddie Albert, Wa ...
'' as Roza *1970: ''
Diary of a Mad Housewife ''Diary of a Mad Housewife'' is a 1970 American comedy-drama film about a frustrated wife portrayed by Carrie Snodgress. Snodgress was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won a Golden Globe award in the same category. The film wa ...
'' as Valma


See also

* List of women identified as communists in ''Red Channels''


References


External links

* * *
Margo Albert family information
{{DEFAULTSORT:Margo 1917 births 1985 deaths Mexican film actresses Actresses from Mexico City Mexican emigrants to the United States People from Pacific Palisades, California Deaths from brain cancer in the United States Deaths from cancer in California Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Mexican people of Irish descent Hollywood blacklist American film actresses 20th-century American actresses Naturalized citizens of the United States