Lillian Molieri Bermúdez (18 January 1925 – 13 September 1980) was a Nicaraguan actress and dancer. She was noted for her minor roles in Hollywood films and TV series between 1944 and 1957, though most of them went uncredited. She later became a dancer and dance instructor and was honored with the ''Monje de Oro'' in 1966 for her radio show.

Early life

Lillian Molieri Bermúdez was born in

Managua Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...

to Mélida Bermúdez and L. Arturo Molieri. Her father was the president of the Nicaraguan National Bank. Her family was of Italian descent, but had lived in Nicaragua for three generations prior to Molieri's birth. The oldest daughter in the family, she attended school at the Convento Notre Dame de Cion • and then furthered her education at the Colegio de la Asuncion in Nicaragua. Completing her high school education, Molieri traveled in Europe learning French and Italian. After winning several beauty contests in Nicaragua in the early 1940s, she came to Los Angeles, where her brother Ronald was serving as Nicaragua’s Vice Consul, to improve her English and enrolled in university to study banking. She was discovered by

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

while at university and offered her first movie role in 1944.

Career

Her first appearance was in ''

The Princess and the Pirate ''The Princess and the Pirate'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by David Butler, and starring Bob Hope and Virginia Mayo. Based on a story by Sy Bartlett, the film is about a princess who travels incognito to elope with her true love ins ...

'' (1944). In 1945, Molieri starred in

Lambert Hillyer Lambert Hillyer (July 8, 1893 – July 5, 1969) was an American film director and screenwriter. He is best known today for his many western features, his horror films ''The Invisible Ray (1936 film), The Invisible Ray'' and ''Dracula's Daugh ...

's western '' South of the Rio Grande'' for

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

. She sang two songs in the film, appearing opposite

Duncan Renaldo Renault Renaldo Duncan (April 23, 1904 – September 3, 1980), better known as Duncan Renaldo, was a Romanian-born American actor best remembered for his portrayal of The Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950–1956 American TV series ''The Cisco Ki ...

as the Cisco Kid. In John Cromwell's '' Anna and the King of Siam'' the following year she portrayed one of the wives of the King (

Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play '' French W ...

). She had a featured role in Paramount's ''

People Are Funny ''People Are Funny'' is an American radio and television game show, created by John Guedel that ran from 1942 to 1960 in which contestants were asked to carry out stunts in order to prove that "People Are Funny." Many stunts lasted weeks, mont ...

''. In May, 1949, Molieri was married to Adolph Hartman, Jr., a descendant of one of the founders of

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

. Because of

typecasting In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...

, Molieri was often limited to roles where she played stereotypical parts as an exotic, foreign woman. She was often assigned bit parts, like in ''

Valentino Valentino may refer to People * Valentino (surname), including a list of people with the name * Valentino (given name), including a list of people with the name Mononymous persons * Valentino (fashion designer) (born Valentino Clemente Ludovic ...

'', with

Anthony Dexter Anthony John Dexter (born Walter Reinhold Alfred Fleischmann, January 19, 1913 – March 27, 2001) was an American actor known for his striking resemblance to silent film hero Rudolph Valentino, whom he portrayed in the 1951 biopic '' Valentino' ...

. Dexter became her dancing partner and he and Molieri performed routines which toured from the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

. The duo mainly performed Spanish or South American dances, but also included tap and ballroom dancing in their repertoire. She also performed in several television roles, most noted was her appearance as "Carlota Romero",

Ricky Ricardo Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, also known simply as Lucy and Ricky or the Ricardos, are fictional characters from the American television sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', portrayed respectively by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The Ricardos also appear in '' The ...

's long-lost Cuban girlfriend in an episode of ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

''. In 1955, Molieri appeared in "The Great McGinty" episode of ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

'', appearing opposite

Nancy Gates Nancy Gates (February 1, 1926Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume''. Perigee Books. .P. 471. – March 24, 2019) was an American film and television actress. Early ...

and

William Schallert William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on ''Richard Diamond, Private ...

. Her last film was ''The Three Runaways'' (1956) and then she left the United States to tour with her parents in Europe for the next three years, while her father served as a diplomat. In 1959, the family returned to Managua and Molieri instituted divorce proceedings to dissolve her marriage with the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. She opened a dance studio and performed and taught in Nicaragua from the 1960s. She also hosted a weekly radio show, ''Aquí con Lillian Molieri'' (''Here with Lillian Molieri''), beginning in 1965. The show was an hour-long broadcast on National Radio, which was honored in 1966 with the ''Monje de Oro'', "the Nicaraguan equivalent of an Oscar".

Death and legacy

Molieri died at her home in Managua at age 55 in 1980. She is remembered as one of the first Nicaraguan actors to perform in Hollywood.

Filmography

*''

'' (1944) as Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) *'' South of the Rio Grande'' (1945) as Dolores Gonzalez *''

Tarzan and the Leopard Woman ''Tarzan and the Leopard Woman'' is a 1946 American action film based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs and portrayed by Johnny Weissmuller. Directed by Kurt Neumann, the film sees Tarzan encounter a tribe of leopard-wors ...

'' (1946) as Zambesi Maiden (uncredited) *''

'' (1946) as Singer – 'Hey Jose' (uncredited) *'' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1946) as Wife of King (uncredited) *'' The Stranger'' (1946) (uncredited) *'' Forever Amber'' (1947) as Queen Catherine (uncredited) *''

The Lost Moment ''The Lost Moment'' is a 1947 American melodramatic psychological thriller, psychological thriller film with elements of horror film, horror directed by Martin Gabel and starring Robert Cummings, Susan Hayward and Agnes Moorehead. The film was n ...

'' (1947) as girl (uncredited) *'' Hellfire'' (1949) as Mexican saloon girl (uncredited) *'' Neptune's Daughter'' (1949) as cigarette girl (uncredited) *''

Holiday in Havana ''Holiday in Havana'' is a 1949 American musical comedy film directed by Jean Yarbrough, and starring Desi Arnaz, Mary Hatcher and Ann Doran. The film is about a Cuban hotel busboy (Arnaz) who dreams of becoming a composer. According to author M ...

'' (1949) as Felicia (uncredited) *''

A Lady Without Passport ''A Lady Without Passport'' is a 1950 American film noir film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Hedy Lamarr and John Hodiak. Written by Howard Dimsdale, the film is about a beautiful concentration-camp refugee who waits in Cuba for permiss ...

'' (1950) as girl (uncredited) *''

South of Caliente '' South of Caliente '' is a 1951 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singe ...

'' (1950) as gypsy dancer *'' Anne of the Indies'' (1951) as slave girl (uncredited) *'' My Favorite Spy'' (1951) as girl (uncredited) *''

Dangerous Assignment ''Dangerous Assignment'' was an NBC Radio drama starring Brian Donlevy broadcast in the US 1949–1953, a syndicated television series distributed in the US 1951–52 (also starring Brian Donlevy), and an Australian radio series broadcast in 1954- ...

'': ''The Burma Temple Story'' (1952) (TV Series) as Linya *''

My Man and I ''My Man and I'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by William Wellman and starring Ricardo Montalbán, Shelley Winters, Wendell Corey and Claire Trevor. It is about an ambitious Mexican immigrant farm laborer (Montalbán), who falls in love w ...

'' (1952) as Bride (uncredited) *''

Hopalong Cassidy Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He wa ...

'': ''The Knife of Carlos Valero'' (1952) (TV Series) as Trini *''

The Ring The Ring may refer to: Arts and entertainment *The Ring (franchise), ''The Ring'' (franchise), a Japanese horror media franchise Literature * ''The Ring'', a 1967 novel by Richard Chopping * ''The Ring'', a 1988 book by Daniel Keys Moran * ''The R ...

'' (1952) as Helen Cantanios *''

Horizons West ''Horizons West'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Robert Ryan, Julia Adams and Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. On ...

'' (1952) as Teresa (uncredited) *''

The Adventures of Kit Carson ''The Adventures of Kit Carson'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that aired from 1951 to 1955 and consisted of 104 episodes. While airing, the show was shown in over 130 markets and was sold to the Coca-Cola Bott ...

'' (1951–52) as Conchita/Rosita Salvadore/Maria *'' Adventures of the Falcon'': ''Tangiers Finale'' (1954) (TV Series) as Carmencita *''

Big Town ''Big Town'' is a popular long-running radio drama featuring a corruption-fighting newspaper editor initially played from 1937 to 1942 by Edward G. Robinson in his first radio role, with echoes of the conscience-stricken tabloid editor he had p ...

'': ''The Consulate'' (1954) (TV Series) as Francesca *''

Stories of the Century ''Stories of the Century'' is a 39-episode Western (genre), Western historical fiction television series starring Jim Davis (actor), Jim Davis that ran in Broadcast syndication, syndication through Republic Pictures between 1954 and 1955. Synop ...

'': ''Tiburcio Vasquez'' (1954) (TV Series) as Dolores Vasquez *''

Green Fire ''Green Fire'' is a 1954 American CinemaScope and Eastmancolor adventure film, adventure drama (film and television), drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Andrew Marton and produced by Armand Deutsch, with original musi ...

'' (1954) as Mexican girl (uncredited) *''

Strange Lady in Town Strange may refer to: Fiction * Strange (comic book), a comic book limited series by Marvel Comics * Strange (Marvel Comics), one of a pair of Marvel Comics characters known as The Strangers * Adam Strange, a DC Comics superhero * The title cha ...

'' (1955) as Sister Delphine (uncredited) *''

'': ''The Great McGinty'' (1955) (TV Series) as girl at bar *''

Hell's Island ''Hell's Island'' is a 1955 American film noir directed by Phil Karlson starring John Payne and Mary Murphy. The film was shot in the VistaVision wide-screen format. ''Hell's Island'' was re-released in 1962 under the title ''South Sea Fury''. ...

'' (1955) as girl at Juke Box *''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Maga ...

'': ''He Couldn't Quit'' (1956) (TV Series) as gypsy *''

The Man Called X ''The Man Called X'' is an espionage radio drama that aired on CBS and NBC from July 10, 1944, to May 20, 1952. The radio series was later adapted for television and was broadcast for one season, 1956–1957. People Herbert Marshall had the lead ...

'': ''Embassy'' (1956) (TV Series) *''

Serenade In music, a serenade (; also sometimes called a serenata, from the Italian) is a musical composition or performance delivered in honour of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Ital ...

'' (1956) as Tosca in 'Tosca' (uncredited) *''

The Creature Walks Among Us ''The Creature Walks Among Us'' is a 1956 American monster horror film and the third installment of the ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' series from Universal Pictures, following the previous year's '' Revenge of the Creature''. The film is ...

'' (1956) as Mrs. Morteno *''

The Three Outlaws ''The Three Outlaws'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Neville Brand as Butch Cassidy, Alan Hale Jr. as the Sundance Kid, and Bruce Bennett.Pitts p.353 Plot Cast * Neville Brand as Butch Cassidy * Alan Hal ...

'' (1956) as Rita Aguilar *''

'' (1953, 1956) (TV Series) *''

Crossroads Crossroads is a junction where four roads meet. Crossroads, crossroad, cross road(s) or similar may also refer to: Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a ...

'': ''Jhonakehunkga Called Jim'' (1957) (TV Series) as Katira

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Molieri, Lillian Nicaraguan actresses Nicaraguan film actresses 1925 births 1980 deaths People from Managua Nicaraguan dancers