Ricardo Cortez

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

107

Gender

Male

Birthday

1900-09-17

Day of death

1977-04-28 (76 years old)

Place of Birth

New York City, New York, USA

Ricardo Cortez

Biography

Ricardo Cortez (September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American film actor who began his career during the silent film era. Born Jacob Krantz in New York City into a Jewish family, he worked on Wall Street in a broker's office and as a boxer 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 Spanish, the studios tried to pass him off as a different type of Latin, French, before they finally admitted his (supposedly) Viennese origin. Cortez appeared in over 100 films. He played opposite Joan Crawford in Montana Moon in 1930, played Sam Spade in the original The Maltese Falcon in 1931, co-starred with Charles Farrell and Bette Davis in The Big Shakedown and Wonder Bar (with Al Jolson and Dolores del Río) in 1934. 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 for Solomon Brothers on New York's 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).

Known For

  • Thirteen Women

    Thirteen Women

  • Volcano

    Volcano

  • Flesh

    Flesh

  • Broadway Bad

    Broadway Bad

  • Mandalay

    Mandalay

  • This Is Your Life

    This Is Your Life

  • Blackmail

    Blackmail

  • Mockery

    Mockery

  • Transgression

    Transgression

  • Hollywood Newsreel

    Hollywood Newsreel

  • City Girl

    City Girl

  • Torch Singer

    Torch Singer

  • Hat, Coat and Glove

    Hat, Coat and Glove

  • Special Agent

    Special Agent

  • West of Shanghai

    West of Shanghai

  • Bad Company

    Bad Company

  • The Spaniard

    The Spaniard

  • Manhattan Moon

    Manhattan Moon

  • Ten Cents a Dance

    Ten Cents a Dance

  • Men of Chance

    Men of Chance

  • Illicit

    Illicit

  • A Lost Lady

    A Lost Lady

  • The Bedroom Window

    The Bedroom Window

  • The Pony Express

    The Pony Express

  • Her Husband Lies

    Her Husband Lies

  • The Locket

    The Locket

  • Wonder Bar

    Wonder Bar

  • Charlie Chan in Reno

    Charlie Chan in Reno

  • Her Man

    Her Man

  • Talk of the Devil

    Talk of the Devil

  • Torrent

    Torrent

  • I Am a Thief

    I Am a Thief

  • New Orleans

    New Orleans

  • New York

    New York

  • Big Executive

    Big Executive

  • Breakdowns of 1936

    Breakdowns of 1936

  • Big Business Girl

    Big Business Girl

  • In the Name of Love

    In the Name of Love

  • Frisco Kid

    Frisco Kid

  • Midstream

    Midstream

  • Tomorrow We Live

    Tomorrow We Live

  • Breakdowns of 1937

    Breakdowns of 1937

  • White Shoulders

    White Shoulders

  • Ladies of the Night Club

    Ladies of the Night Club

  • Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs

    Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs

  • A Society Scandal

    A Society Scandal

  • The Big Shakedown

    The Big Shakedown

  • The Walking Dead

    The Walking Dead

  • The Inner Circle

    The Inner Circle

  • This Woman

    This Woman

  • Excess Baggage

    Excess Baggage

  • The Last Hurrah

    The Last Hurrah

  • The Firebird

    The Firebird

  • Hollywood

    Hollywood

  • Behind Office Doors

    Behind Office Doors

  • Argentine Love

    Argentine Love

  • Murder Over New York

    Murder Over New York

  • The House on 56th Street

    The House on 56th Street

  • Make Your Own Bed

    Make Your Own Bed

  • The Murder of Dr. Harrigan

    The Murder of Dr. Harrigan

  • No One Man

    No One Man

  • The Call of the Canyon

    The Call of the Canyon

  • The Maltese Falcon

    The Maltese Falcon

  • Complicated Women

    Complicated Women

  • Shadow of Doubt

    Shadow of Doubt

  • Screen Snapshots (Series 10, No. 8)

    Screen Snapshots (Series 10, No. 8)

  • Bunco Squad

    Bunco Squad

  • Is My Face Red?

    Is My Face Red?

  • Mr. Moto's Last Warning

    Mr. Moto's Last Warning

  • The Sorrows of Satan

    The Sorrows of Satan

  • Montana Moon

    Montana Moon

  • A Shot in the Dark

    A Shot in the Dark

  • Rubber Racketeers

    Rubber Racketeers

  • Feet of Clay

    Feet of Clay

  • Symphony of Six Million

    Symphony of Six Million

  • I Killed That Man

    I Killed That Man

  • The Case of the Black Cat

    The Case of the Black Cat

  • The Californian

    The Californian

  • Midnight Mary

    Midnight Mary

  • Mystery in Mexico

    Mystery in Mexico

  • Romance of the Rio Grande

    Romance of the Rio Grande

  • The White Cockatoo

    The White Cockatoo

  • The Phantom of Crestwood

    The Phantom of Crestwood

  • Man Hunt

    Man Hunt

  • The Younger Generation

    The Younger Generation

  • Postal Inspector

    Postal Inspector

  • The Private Life of Helen of Troy

    The Private Life of Helen of Troy

  • Woman of Destiny

    Woman of Destiny

  • The Lost Zeppelin

    The Lost Zeppelin

  • The Man with Two Faces

    The Man with Two Faces

  • The Next Corner

    The Next Corner

  • The Swan

    The Swan

  • Who Is Hope Schuyler?

    Who Is Hope Schuyler?

  • Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

    Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

  • Stars of the Silver Screen - Greta Garbo

    Stars of the Silver Screen - Greta Garbo

  • Not So Long Ago

    Not So Long Ago

  • The Gentleman from America

    The Gentleman from America

  • Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown

    Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown

  • World Premiere

    World Premiere

  • The City That Never Sleeps

    The City That Never Sleeps

  • The Eagle of the Sea

    The Eagle of the Sea

  • Children of Jazz

    Children of Jazz

  • Reckless Living

    Reckless Living

  • Sixty Cents an Hour

    Sixty Cents an Hour

  • Prowlers of the Sea

    Prowlers of the Sea

  • The Cat's Pajamas

    The Cat's Pajamas

  • The Phantom in the House

    The Phantom in the House