María del Pilar Margarita Casajuana Martínez (28 December 1905 – 26 October 1999), known professionally as Maria Alba, was a Spanish-American film actress.

Biography

Signed by the Fox Film Corporation after winning a Fox Film contest in Spain, Maria Casajuana came to the United States in 1927 as a second cabin class passenger on the S/S ''Suffern'', which sailed from the Port of

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

, France, on 16 April, and arrived at the Port of New York, 26 April 1927. Originally billed as Maria Casajuana, she appeared in 25 feature films, starting with ''Road House'' in 1928 and ending with ''La morena de mi copla'' in 1946. Her most notable appearances (as Maria Alba) were probably as "Saturday" in the 1932

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film ''

Mr. Robinson Crusoe ''Mr. Robinson Crusoe'' is a 1932 Pre-Code American film. It is one of the few "talkie" films starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., in his penultimate film role; Fairbanks also produced the film and provided the story during the Great Depression. T ...

'', and as the exotic "Princess Nadji" in the

Bela Lugosi Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...

serial '' The Return of Chandu''. Other Latin actresses working in films, like Lupe Vélez or

Dolores del Río María de los Dolores Asúnsolo y López Negrete (3 August 1904 – 11 April 1983), known professionally as Dolores del Río (), was a Mexican actress. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is regarded as the first major female Latin Am ...

, became fluent in English, but Maria Alba spoke English with a thick accent, which limited her casting opportunities.

Partial filmography

*''Her Blue, Black Eyes'' (1927, Short) *'' A Girl in Every Port'' (1928) - Maria Buenjolla / Chiquita - Girl in Rio de Janeiro *'' Road House'' (1928) - Spanish Marla *''

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'' (1928) - Pepita *'' Joy Street'' (1929) - Agnes *'' Hell's Heroes'' (1929) - Carmelita *'' Charros, gauchos y manolas'' (1930) - Spanish artist *''El cuerpo del delito'' (1930) - Señorita Delroy *''La fuerza del querer'' (1930) - Shirley *''Olimpia'' (1930) - Princess Olimpia *''Los que danzan'' (1930) - Norma Brady *''El código penal'' (1931) - Mary Brady *'' Road of Hell'' (1931) - Angela *''Su última noche'' (1931) - Elena Desano *'' Just a Gigolo'' (1931) - A French Wife *''

Goldie Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is an English music producer, DJ, and actor. Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musi ...

'' (1931) - Dolores *''La ley del harem'' (1931) - Fatima *'' Almost Married'' (1932) - Mariette (uncredited) *''

'' (1932) - Saturday *''

Hypnotized Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychological ...

'' (1932) - Princess Mitzi *'' Kiss of Araby'' (1933) - Dolores Mendez *'' The Return of Chandu'' (1934) - Nadji - Princess of Egypt *'' Flirting with Danger'' (1934) - Rosita *'' West of the Pecos'' (1934) - Dolores *'' Great God Gold'' (1935) - Elena Nitto *'' El Hijo de Nadie'' (1946, Mexico) *'' La Morena de Mi Colpa'' (1946, Mexico) - Pepa (final film role)

References

External links

*
Maria Alba
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Alba, Maria American silent film actresses Spanish emigrants to the United States 1905 births 1999 deaths American film actresses American people of Catalan descent Spanish film actresses Spanish silent film actresses 20th-century Spanish actresses 20th-century American actresses