Rosita Díaz Gimeno (September 13, 1908 – August 23, 1986) was a Spanish stage and film actress from

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Stage actress

Díaz Gimeno was educated at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Madrid. She trained in theater at the conservatory of the Teatro Real. She appeared in thirty-five plays in

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, beginning her career accompanied by G. Martinez Sierra, a Spanish

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

. Díaz Gimeno achieved fame as a stage actress in

and

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American films

Acquired by the

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Company, Diaz Gimeno came to

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in October 1934. She signed her contract in

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. She made ''Rosa de Francia'' in 1935. The movie set a record in film by requiring Diaz Gimeno to sit in a tub filled with soap suds for nine hours, while shots were made. The same year she filmed ''Angelina o el honor de un brigadier''. This production was immensely popular with audiences in

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, New York.

Government informant

Diaz Gimeno was reported to have been executed as a spy by Spanish Insurgents in January 1937. She had been arrested at Córdoba, during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, in August 1936. She was released. Later she went to

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, the southern headquarters of the insurgents. There she mixed in military circles. Gimeno was found to have been affiliated with a secret broadcast station which supplied the Spanish government with information regarding insurgent military plans. Film actress Rosita Moreno received a cablegram on February 27, 1937. In answer to one she had sent to

Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...

, the reply read: ''I am well. Fondest greetings.'' It was signed ''Rosita''. Spanish police also denied that Gimeno had been shot or arrested. However they professed ignorance as to her whereabouts. She was located in Segovia and contracted to appear in films, returning to Hollywood on May 24, 1937.

Late career

In 1948 Diaz Gimeno was forced to pay taxes to five governments-

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, Spain, France,

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, and

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directed Diaz Gimeno in ''El Canto de la sirena'' (1948). The film was made in Mexico and is her last screen credit At the time she was called Rosita Diaz Negrin. She was the wife of Dr. Juan Negrin Jr., son of former premier

Juan Negrín Juan Negrín López (; 3 February 1892 – 12 November 1956) was a Spanish physician and politician who served as prime minister of the Second Spanish Republic. He was a leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (, PSOE) and of the le ...

of Loyalist Spain. Negrin was a

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brain surgeon. The couple became American citizens in 1953. Diaz Gimeno starred in a Spanish production of ''The Teahouse of the August Moon'', translated by Mexico's foremost playwright and close friend of the Negrin couple, Rodolfo Usigli in

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, in 1955. It was produced by

Jean Dalrymple Jean Van Kirk Dalrymple (September 2, 1902 – November 15, 1998) was an American theater producer, manager, publicist, and playwright. She was instrumental in the founding of New York City Center, and is best known for her productions there. B ...

and Rita Allen of

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. Rosita Díaz Gimeno played the part of ''Sakini'', the cunning interpreter from

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. Rosita Diaz Gimeno died in 1986 in New York.

Selected filmography

References

*Dunkirk-Fredonia Evening Observer, ''In Hollywood'', Saturday, April 3, 1948, Page 6. *Long Beach Independent, ''Theater Department'', September 7, 1955, Page 10. *

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, ''Hollywood Welcomes Miss Diaz'', October 20, 1934, Page A3. *

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

, ''Rosita Diaz Killed In Spain A Month Ago'', February 27, 1937, Page 6. *New York Times, ''Film Star Not Executed'', February 28, 1937, Page 27. *New York Times, ''Teahouse In Spanish'', June 10, 1955, Page 17. *

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, ''Lyons Den'', Saturday, March 14, 1953, Page 7. *

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, ''Broadway Glossary'', December 6, 1946, Page 5. * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Díaz Gimeno, Rosita 1908 births 1986 deaths Spanish emigrants to the United States Spanish stage actresses Spanish film actresses 20th-century Spanish actresses