Renee Torres ( Osterman; March 17, 1911 – December 27, 1998) was a Mexican-born

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

actress and the younger sister of Hollywood star

Raquel Torres Raquel Torres (born Paula Marie Osterman or Wilhelmina von Osterman; November 11, 1908 – August 10, 1987) was a Mexican-born American film actress. Her sister was actress Renee Torres. Early life Torres was born in Hermosillo to a German e ...

. Half-

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and half-Mexican, she appeared in a number of 1930s films, including '' The Devil on Horseback'' (1936), ''Captain Blood'' (1937), and ''God's Country and the Woman'' (1937).

Negligent driver

On July 11, 1930, Torres had a traffic accident in which she was charged with hit and run driving and named in a $1,752 damage suit. The plaintiffs charged she had been driving in a reckless manner. She explained to the presiding judge that she left the scene because she had been driving while wearing a pair of beach pajamas. She demonstrated this to him by removing her long coat and walking forward, clad in the pajamas. Torres did not go to jail.

Personal life

Torres was married at least four times. She wed for the second time on January 16, 1937, to studio publicity man Erman Pessis (born March 20, 1913 — died November 16, 2008). She gave her age on that occasion as 25, which would correspond to a 1911 year of birth, and mentioned a previous union. They were married in Beverly Hills, California. Renee left Pessis in April 1938 and sued him for divorce in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

the same month. She claimed that the Hollywood press agent was familiar with other women and at one time had bound her hands behind her back and thrown her on the floor in the presence of other people. The divorce was granted on May 18, 1938. The legal dispute over the settlement amount continued until 1945. Originally Miss Torres asked for an amount of $2,000. Pessis contended he owed her a mere $75. Torres' last marriage was to film actor Edward Ashley in 1943 in

Acapulco, Mexico Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

. The couple returned to Acapulco in 1947 when Ashley was filming ''Tarzan And The Mermaids''. She and Ashley lived in Ocean Hills in Oceanside, California and preceded him in death there on December 27, 1998 at the age of 87.

Sources

* ''

Fresno Bee ''The Fresno Bee'' is a daily newspaper serving Fresno, California, and surrounding counties in that U.S. state's central San Joaquin Valley. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and ranks fourth in circulation among the company's newspapers. I ...

'', July 19, 1938, p. 4A. * ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'', "Renee Torres Made Bride Of Studio Publicity Man", January 17, 1937, p. 5. * ''Los Angeles Times'', "Mate's Kissing Proclivities Win Renee Torres Divorce", May 19, 1938, p. 3. * ''Los Angeles Times'', "Actress and Ex-Mate Disagree-$1200 Worth", October 19, 1945, p. 2. * ''The News Herald'', Women's Daily Feature Page, February 21, 1932, p. 5. * ''

Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the declin ...

'', "Was She Going Too Fast?", August 2, 1930, p. B3. * ''Oakland Tribune'', "Film Actress Glides Off After Auto Crash to Hide Her Beach Attire", August 14, 1930, p. D13. * '' Woodland Daily Democrat'', "Another for John?", Thursday, July 18, 1935, p. 2.

External links

*
1994 interview with Renee Torres Ashley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torres, Renee 1911 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from California American actresses of Mexican descent American film actresses American people of German descent People from Greater Los Angeles Place of birth missing Mexican emigrants to the United States