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Ricardo Cortez (born Jacob Kranze or Jacob Krantz; September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American actor and film director. He was also credited as Jack Crane early in his acting career.


Early years

Ricardo Cortez was born Jacob Krantz in New York City to Morris and Sarah (Lefkovitz) Krantz. Along with his brother Stanley Cortez (born Stanislaus Krantz), he was raised in a Jewish family in New York City.Letter of the Department of Health, City of New York, 8 October 2000. mentioned in: Rudolf Ulrich (Hrsg.): ''Österreicher in Hollywood.'' Neuauflage, Verlag Filmarchiv Austria, Wien 2004, , p. 597 (
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
has been incorrectly cited as his birthplace.)Cortez' obituary in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' cites Vienna as his birthplace, and the book ''A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940'' describes him as "Jacob Kranze, Viennese émigré".
He attended DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City. Prior to entering the film business, he was an amateur boxer and worked on
Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...
as a runner.


Career


Acting

Hollywood executives changed his name from Krantz to Cortez to capitalize on his handsome Latin-like features and the popularity of the
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...
era's " Latin lovers" such as
Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred ...
, Ramon Novarro and Antonio Moreno. When it began to circulate that Cortez was not actually Latin, the studios attempted to pass him off as French before a final
Viennese Viennese may refer to: * Vienna, the capital of Austria * Viennese people, List of people from Vienna * Viennese German, the German dialect spoken in Vienna * Music of Vienna, musical styles in the city * Viennese Waltz, genre of ballroom dance * ...
origin story was promoted. Cortez appeared in over 100 films. He began his career playing romantic leads, and when sound cinema arrived, his strong delivery and New York accent made him an ideal heavy. While his main focus was character acting, he occasionally was able to play leading men. He played opposite Joan Crawford in '' Montana Moon'' (1930), and was the first actor to portray Sam Spade in the original pre-code version of '' The Maltese Falcon'' (1931); the latter film was later overshaded by the 1941 remake with Humphrey Bogart in the lead. He co-starred with Charles Farrell and
Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...
in '' The Big Shakedown'' (1934), and with Al Jolson and Dolores del Río in '' Wonder Bar'' (1934). In 1936, Cortez replaced Warren William as Perry Mason in '' The Case of the Black Cat''.


Directing

Cortez directed seven films for
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...
from 1938 through 1940, all of them "program pictures made on a shoestring for the express purpose of filling the bottom half of the mandatory double bill ..." His first film as director was '' Inside Story'', which was assigned to Cortez in the spring of 1938 but was not released until 1939. He also directed '' Chasing Danger'', '' The Escape'' (1939), '' Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence'' (1939), '' City of Chance'' (1940), '' Free, Blonde and 21'' (1940), and '' Girl in 313'' (1940).


Personal life

Cortez married silent film actress Alma Rubens on February 8, 1926. They had previously married on January 30, but it was invalid due to Rubens's divorce not being finalized. The couple separated in 1930, and she had sued him for divorce when she died of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
on January 21, 1931. Cortez married Christine Conniff Lee on January 8, 1934, but they divorced in 1940. After retiring from the film business in the late 1950s, Cortez returned to New York, and began working as a
stockbroker A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stocks ...
for Salomon Brothers on
Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...
.


Death

Cortez died in Doctors Hospital in New York City in 1977 at age 77 and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in
the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...
.


Recognition

Cortez has a star at 1500 Vine Street in the Motion Pictures section of 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, Calif ...
. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.


Filmography

*''The Fringe of Society'' (1917) (scenes deleted) (film debut) *'' The Imp'' (1919) as Minor Role (uncredited) *'' The Gentleman from America'' (1923) as Minor Role (uncredited) *'' Sixty Cents an Hour'' (1923) as William Davis *'' Children of Jazz'' (1923) as Ted Carter *'' Hollywood'' (1923) as Himself *'' The Call of the Canyon'' (1923) as Larry Morrison *'' The Next Corner'' (1924) as Don Arturo *'' A Society Scandal'' (1924) as Harrison Peters *'' The Bedroom Window'' (1924) as Robert Delano *''
The City That Never Sleeps The City That Never Sleeps may refer to: * The City That Never Sleeps (nickname), New York or other cities * ''The City That Never Sleeps'' (film), silent 1924 drama * ''City That Never Sleeps'', a 1953 film noir * ''The City That Never Sleeps: Sh ...
'' (1924) as Mark Roth *''
Feet of Clay Feet of clay is an idiom used to refer to a weakness or character flaw, especially in people of prominence and power. It can also be used to refer to larger groups, such as societies, businesses, and empires. An entity with feet of clay may app ...
'' (1924) as Tony Channing *'' This Woman'' (1924) as Whitney Duane *'' Argentine Love'' (1924) as Juan Martin *'' The Spaniard'' (1925) as Don Pedro de Barrego *'' The Swan'' (1925) as Dr. Walter, the Tutor *''
Not So Long Ago ''Not So Long Ago'' is a 1925 American silent drama film produced by Jesse Lasky and Adolph Zukor and distributed by Paramount. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with Betty Bronson and Ricardo Cortez in the leading roles. Plot As described in a ...
'' (1925) as Billy Ballard *''
In the Name of Love IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Independ ...
'' (1925) as Raoul Melnotte *''
The Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pike ...
'' (1925) as Jack Weston *'' Torrent'' (1926) as Don Rafael Brull *'' Volcano!'' (1926) as Stéphane Séquineau *'' The Cat's Pajamas'' (1926) as Don Cesare Gracco *'' The Sorrows of Satan'' (1926) as Geoffrey Tempest *''
The Eagle of the Sea ''The Eagle of the Sea'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Frank Lloyd, starring Florence Vidor and featuring Boris Karloff in an uncredited role. Incomplete prints of the film exist. Cast See also * List of American film ...
'' (1926) as Capt. Sazarac *'' New York'' (1927) as Michael Angelo Cassidy *'' Mockery'' (1927) as Captain Dimitri *'' By Whose Hand?'' (1927) as Agent X-9 *'' The Private Life of Helen of Troy'' (1927) as Paris *'' The Orchid Dancer'' (1928) as Yoanes Etchegarry dit Jean Barliave * '' Ladies of the Night Club'' (1928) as George Merrill *'' Prowlers of the Sea'' (1928) as Carlos De Neve *'' The Grain of Dust'' (1928) as Fred Norman *'' Excess Baggage'' (1928) as Val D'Errico * ''
The Gun Runner ''The Gun Runner'' is a 1969 action movie,''The Gun Runner''
at The Younger Generation'' (1929) as Morris Goldfish *''
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Midstream The petroleum industry, oil and gas industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream (petroleum industry), upstream, midstream and downstream (petroleum industry), downstream. The midstream sector involves the transportation (by Oi ...
'' (1929) as James Stanwood *'' The Phantom in the House'' (1929) as Paul Wallis *'' The Lost Zeppelin'' (1929) as Tom Armstrong *'' Montana Moon'' (1930) as Jeff *'' Her Man'' (1930) as Johnnie *''
Illicit Illicit may refer to: * Illicit antiquities * Illicit cigarette trade * Illegal drug trade, Illicit drug trade ** Recreational drug use, Illicit drug use ** Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act * Illicit financial flows * Illicit major * Illicit m ...
'' (1931) as Price Baines *'' Ten Cents a Dance'' (1931) as Bradley Carlton *'' Behind Office Doors'' (1931) as Ronnie Wales *'' White Shoulders'' (1931) as Lawrence Marchmont *'' The Maltese Falcon'' (1931) as Sam Spade *'' Big Business Girl'' (1931) as Robert J. Clayton *''
Transgression Transgression may refer to: Legal, religious and social *Sin, a violation of God's Ten Commandments or other elements of God's moral law *Crime, legal transgression, usually created by a violation of social or economic boundary **In civil law ju ...
'' (1931) as Don Arturo de Borgus *'' Reckless Living'' (1931) as Curly *'' Bad Company'' (1931) as Goldie Gorio *'' Men of Chance'' (1931) as Johnny Silk *'' No One Man'' (1932) as Bill Hanaway *''
Symphony of Six Million ''Symphony of Six Million'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Ricardo Cortez, Irene Dunne and Gregory Ratoff. Based on the story ''Night Bell'' by Fannie Hurst, the film concerns the rise of a Jewish phy ...
'' (1932) as Dr. Felix 'Felixel' Klauber *'' Is My Face Red?'' (1932) as William Poster *'' Thirteen Women'' (1932) as Police Sergeant Barry Clive *'' The Phantom of Crestwood'' (1932) as Gary Curtis *''
Flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, but ...
'' (1932) as Nicky Grant *'' Broadway Bad'' (1933) as Craig Cutting *'' Midnight Mary'' (1933) as Leo Darcy *'' Torch Singer'' (1933) as Tony Cummings *''
Big Executive ''Big Executive'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Erle C. Kenton and written by Alice Duer Miller and Laurence Stallings. The film stars Ricardo Cortez, Richard Bennett, Elizabeth Young, Sharon Lynn, Dorothy Peterson, Bar ...
'' (1933) as Victor Conway *'' The House on 56th Street'' (1933) as Bill Blaine *'' The Big Shakedown'' (1934) as Dutch Barnes *''
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'' (1934) as Tony Evans *'' Wonder Bar'' (1934) as Harry *''
Hat, Coat and Glove ''Hat, Coat and Glove'' is a 1934 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Worthington Miner from a screenplay by Francis Faragoh. It starred Ricardo Cortez, Barbara Robbins, and John Beal. Plot Cast * Ricardo Cortez as Robert Mitchell ...
'' (1934) as Robert Mitchell *'' The Man with Two Faces'' (1934) as Ben Weston *'' A Lost Lady'' (1934) as Ellinger *''
The Firebird ''The Firebird'' (french: L'Oiseau de feu, link=no; russian: Жар-птица, Zhar-ptitsa, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's ...
'' (1934) as Herman Brandt *'' I Am a Thief'' (1934) as Pierre *'' The White Cockatoo'' (1935) as Jim Sundean *'' Shadow of Doubt'' (1935) as Sim Sturdevant *'' Manhattan Moon'' (1935) as Dan Moore *'' Special Agent'' (1935) as Alexander Carston *'' Frisco Kid'' (1935) as Paul Morra *'' The Murder of Dr. Harrigan'' (1936) as George Lambert *'' Man Hunt'' (1936) as Frank Kingman *'' The Walking Dead'' (1936) as Nolan *'' Postal Inspector'' (1936) as Inspector Bill Davis *'' The Case of the Black Cat'' (1936) as Perry Mason *'' Talk of the Devil'' (1936) as Ray Allen *'' Her Husband Lies'' (1937) as J. Ward Thomas *''The Californian'' (1937) as Ramon Escobar *'' West of Shanghai'' (1937) as Gordon Creed *'' City Girl'' (1938) as Charles Blake *'' Mr. Moto's Last Warning'' (1939) as Fabian *'' Charlie Chan in Reno'' (1939) as Dr. Ainsley *'' Murder Over New York'' (1940) as George Kirby *'' Romance of the Rio Grande'' (1940) as Ricardo de Vega *'' A Shot in the Dark'' (1941) as Philip Richards *'' World Premiere'' (1941) as Mark Saunders *'' I Killed That Man'' (1941) as Roger Phillips *'' Who Is Hope Schuyler?'' (1942) as Anthony Pearce *'' Rubber Racketeers'' (1942) as Gilin *'' Tomorrow We Live'' (1942) as The Ghost, Alexander Caesar Martin *'' Make Your Own Bed'' (1944) as Fritz Alden *'' The Inner Circle'' (1946) as Duke York *'' The Locket'' (1946) as Mr. Bonner *''
Blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to f ...
'' (1947) as Ziggy Cranston *'' Mystery in Mexico'' (1948) as John Norcross *'' Bunco Squad'' (1950) as Tony Weldon - aka Anthony Wells *''
The Last Hurrah ''The Last Hurrah'' is a 1956 novel written by Edwin O'Connor. It is considered the most popular of O’Connor's works, partly because of a 1958 movie adaptation starring Spencer Tracy. The novel was immediately a bestseller in the United Sta ...
'' (1958) as Sam Weinberg (final film)


Notes


References


Bibliography

*Van Neste, Dan. ''The Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez''. Albany, GA: BearManor Media, 2017.


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cortez, Ricardo 1900 births 1977 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male silent film actors American people of Austrian-Jewish descent American stockbrokers Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Jewish American male actors Male actors from New York City Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Stock and commodity market managers 20th-century American businesspeople Film directors from New York City 20th-century American Jews