RICARDO CORTEZ

'Ricardo Cortez' (September 18, 1899 – April 28, 1977) was a film actor who began his career during the silent film era. Born 'Jacob Krantz' in Vienna, Austria-Hungary into a Jewish family, he worked on Wall Street before his looks got him into the film business. Hollywood executives changed his name to Cortez to appeal to film-goers as a "Latin lover" to compete with such highly popular actors of the era as Rudolph Valentino, Ramon Novarro and Antonio Moreno. When rumour began to circulate that Cortez was not actually Latin, the studios tried to pass him off as French, before they finally admitted his Viennese origin.
Cortez appeared in over 100 films. He played opposite Joan Crawford in ''Montana Moon'' in 1930, and also played Sam Spade in the original ''The Maltese Falcon'' in 1931. He also played Perry Mason in the 1936 film ''The Case of the Black Cat.'' Although he began his career playing romantic leads with actresses like Greta Garbo, when sound cinema arrived, his powerful delivery and New York accent made him an ideal villain and conman, and he switched from sex symbol to character actor.
Cortez was married to silent film actress Alma Rubens until her death of pneumonia in 1931.
When he retired from the film business, Cortez went to work as a stockbroker on Wall Street. He died in New York City in 1977 and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx.
He was the older brother of noted cinematographer Stanley Cortez (born Stanislaus Krantz).

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★ Photographs of Ricardo Cortez