María África Gracia Vidal (6 June 1912 – 7 September 1951), known professionally as Maria Móntez, was a Dominican actress who gained fame and popularity in the 1940s starring in a series of filmed-in-

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

costume

adventure film The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was found among historians Brian Taves and Ian Cameron in ...

s. Her screen image was that of a seductress, dressed in fanciful costumes and sparkling jewels. She became so identified with these adventure epics that she became known as The Queen of Technicolor. Over her career, Montez appeared in 26 films, 21 of which were made in North America, with the last five being made in Europe.

Early life

Montez was born María África Antonia de Santo Silas Gracia y Vidal''Movie Stars of the '40s'', by David Ragan; published 1985 by

Prentice-Hall Prentice Hall was a major American educational publisher. It published print and digital content for the 6–12 and higher-education market. It was an independent company throughout the bulk of the twentieth century. In its last few years it ...

; p. 141; ISBN 0-13-604992-3 in Barahona, Dominican Republic. Educated at the Sacred Heart Convent in

Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife (; locally ), commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz, is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and one of the capitals of the Canary Islands, along with Las Palmas. Santa Cruz has a ...

, Spain, she was the second of ten children (Isidoro Gracia Vidal, Aquilino Gracia Vidal) born to Isidoro Gracia y García, a Spaniard, from Garafía,

La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and historically San Miguel de La Palma, is the most northwesterly island of the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. La Pa ...

, Canary Islands, Spain, and Regla María Teresa Vidal y Recio, a Dominican of

Criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system. Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America. * Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...

descent, although it is unclear how many survived into adulthood. In the mid-1930s, her father was appointed to the Spanish consulship in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, Northern Ireland, where the family moved. It was there that Montez met her first husband, William G. McFeeters, whom she married at age 17.

"A finales de 1929, con 17 años, su padre la internó en un colegio de religiosas de Tenerife con la intención de que olvidara a un cincuentón del que se había enamorado. Pero en octubre de 1930, la actriz regresó a su tierra natal y reanudó sus relaciones con el banquero irlandés William G. MacFeeters, con el que terminaría casándose en 1932."

Montez learned English and was educated at a Catholic convent school in

, Spain.

Career

On 3 July 1939, Montez arrived in New York. Her first job, for $50, was for the cover of a magazine. Montez was spotted by a film talent scout in New York. Her first film was '' Boss of Bullion City'' (1940), a Johnny Mack Brown western produced by

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

. This was the first film where she played a leading role and the only role where she speaks some Spanish. Her next film role was in '' The Invisible Woman'' (1940). It was made for Universal Pictures, who signed her to a long-term contract starting at $150 a week. She had small decorative roles in two films with the comedy team of Richard Arlen and

Andy Devine Andrew Vabre Devine (October 7, 1905 – February 18, 1977) was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in American frontier, Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers ...

, ''Lucky Devils'' and '' Raiders of the Desert''; the ''Los Angeles Times'' said she "was attractive as the oasis charmer" in the latter. She also appeared in '' Moonlight in Hawaii'' and '' Bombay Clipper''. She had a small part in '' That Night in Rio'' (1941), made at

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

. Universal did not have a "glamour girl" like other studios, an equivalent to Hedy Lamarr (MGM),

Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the ''Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing C ...

(Paramount),

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she p ...

(20th Century Fox),

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...

(Columbia), or Ann Sheridan (Warner Bros). They decided to groom Maria Montez to take on this role, and she received a lot of publicity. Montez was also a keen self-promoter. In the words of ''The Los Angeles Times'' "she borrowed an old but sure-fire technique to get ahead in the movies. She acted like a movie star. She leaned on the vampish tradition set up by Nazimova and

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

... She went in heavily for astrology. Her name became synonymous with exotic enchantresses in sheer harem pantaloons." She took on a "star" pose in her private life. One newspaper called her "the best commissary actress in town... In the studio cafe, Maria puts on a real show. Always Maria makes an entrance." In June 1941 Montez's contract with Universal was renewed. She graduated to leading parts with '' South of Tahiti'', co-starring

Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, who was noted for playing dangerous and tough characters. Usually appearing in supporting roles, among his best-known films are '' Beau Geste'' (1939), '' The Great ...

. She also replaced Peggy Moran in the title role of '' The Mystery of Marie Roget'' (1942). Public response to ''South of Tahiti'' was enthusiastic enough for the studio to cast Montez in her first starring part, ''Arabian Nights''. She claimed in 1942 she was making $250 a week.

''Arabian Nights'' and stardom

Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' (, ), is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights'', from the first English-language edition () ...

'' was a prestigious production for Universal, its first shot in three-strip

, produced by Walter Wanger and starring Montez, Jon Hall, and Sabu. The resulting film was a big hit and established Montez as a star. Montez wanted to portray

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

, but instead Universal reunited her with Hall and Sabu in '' White Savage'' (1943) (where Montez was upped from second-billing to top-billing). They went on to make a third film, ''

Cobra Woman ''Cobra Woman'' is a 1944 American South Seas adventure film from Universal Pictures, directed by Robert Siodmak that stars Maria Montez, Jon Hall, and Sabu. Shot in Technicolor, this film is typical of Montez's career at Universal, and, al ...

'' (1944). All three were audience favorites. In 1943 Montez was awarded two medals from the Dominican government for her efforts in promoting friendly relations between the US and her native land. Universal wanted three more films starring Montez, Hall, and Sabu. Sabu, however, was drafted into the US Army and so was replaced by

Turhan Bey Turhan Bey (born Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi, 30 March 192230 September 2012). was an Austrian-born actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active in Hollywood from 1941 to 1953, he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans.. Aft ...

in '' Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'' (1944). Hall, Montez, and Bey were meant to reunite in ''Gypsy Wildcat'' (1944), but Bey was required on another film and ended up being replaced by Peter Coe. ''Sudan'' (1945) starred Montez, Hall, and Bey, with Bey as Montez's romantic interest this time. ''Flame of Stamboul'' was another proposed Hall-Bey-Montez film but it was postponed. Universal also announced that Montez would play Elisabeth of Austria in ''The Golden Fleece'', based on a story by Bertita Harding, but it was never made. She did appear in ''Follow the Boys'', Universal's all-star musical, and '' Bowery to Broadway''. In 1944 Montez said that the secret to her success was that she was

sexy but sweet...I am very easy to get along with. I am very nice. I have changed a lot during the last year. I have outgrown my old publicity. I used to say and do things to shock people. That was how I became famous. But now it is different. First the public likes you because you're spectacular. But after it thinks you are a star it wants you to be nice. Now I am a star, I am nice.

Conflicts with Universal

Montez said she was "tired of being a fairy tale princess all the time" and wanted to learn to act. She fought with Universal for different, more varied parts. "''Sudan'' is making more money than the others and Universal thinks on that account I should appear in more of these films", she said. "But I want to quit these films when they are at a peak, not on the downbeat. It isn't only that the pictures are all the same, but the stories are one just like the other." Montez was suspended for refusing the lead in '' Frontier Gal''; her role was taken by

Yvonne De Carlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film star and sex symbol in the 1940s a ...

, who had become a similar sort of star like Montez and began to supplant the latter's position at the studio. In 1946 Montez visited France with Aumont and both became excited about the prospect of making films there. In particular, Aumont negotiated rights to the book '' Wicked City'' and

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

wanted to make a film with both. Aumont says they were determined to get out of their respective contracts in Hollywood and move to France. Universal put Montez in a modern-day story, ''

Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...

'', an adaptation of ''Flame of Stamboul''; it reunited her with Sabu, although not with Jon Hall, who was by then serving in the US Army. There was some talk Montez would star in ''The Golden Fleece'' project (as ''Queen of Hearts''), produced independently with Aumont co-starring. The King Brothers reportedly offered her $150,000 plus 20% of the profits to appear in ''The Hunted''. Neither film was made. Instead Montez appeared in a

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

for Universal, '' Pirates of Monterey'' (1947) with Rod Cameron. In February 1947 she and Aumont started filming a fantasy adventure, '' Siren of Atlantis'' (1948) for a fee of 100,000. In April she was borrowed by

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr. (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer, and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best-known for starring in such films as '' The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), '' Gunga Din'' (1939), ...

to appear in the sepia-toned

swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...

The Exile ''The eXile'' was a Moscow-based English-language biweekly free tabloid newspaper, aimed at the city's expatriate community, which combined outrageous, sometimes satirical, content with investigative reporting. In October 2006, co-editor Jake ...

'' (1948), directed by

Max Ophüls Maximillian Oppenheimer ( , ; 6 May 1902 – 26 March 1957), known as Max Ophüls ( , , ) or simply Ophuls, was a German and French film director and screenwriter. He was known for his opulent and lyrical visual style, with heavy use of trac ...

, produced by Fairbanks but released by Universal. Fairbanks Jr. says Montez wanted to play the role over the objections of Universal; she later insisted on top billing despite the small nature of the role. In August 1947 Universal refused to pick up their option on Montez' contract, and she went freelance. Montez sued Universal for $250,000 over the billing issue; the matter was settled out of court. In February 1948 Universal reported Montez has earned $78,375 that year.

Freelance career

In 1947 Hedda Hopper announced Montez and her husband would make ''The Red Feather'' about

Jean Lafitte Jean Lafitte ( – ) was a French pirate, privateer, and slave trader who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time u ...

. She was also announced for ''Queen of Hearts'', this time not the Elizabeth of Austria project but an adaptation of a European play by Louis Verneuil, ''Cousin from Warsaw''. Neither film was made. ''Siren of Atlantis'' ended up requiring re-shoots and was not fully released until 1949. It proved unsuccessful at the box office in the US (although it performed respectfully in France and other parts of Europe). Montez later successfully sued the producer for $38,000 in unpaid contractual funds. Montez endorsed Max Factor Cosmetics, Jergens Lotion, Deltah Pearls, Lux Soap, and Woodbury Powder.

European career

Montez and Aumont formed their own production company, Christina Productions. They moved to a home in

Suresnes Suresnes () is a commune in the western inner suburbs of Paris, France. Located in Hauts-de-Seine, from the centre of Paris, it had a population of 49,482 as of 2020. Suresnes borders the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, ...

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

in the western suburb of Paris, under the

French Fourth Republic The French Fourth Republic () was the republican government of France from 27 October 1946 to 4 October 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution of 13 October 1946. Essentially a reestablishment and continuation of the French Third R ...

. According to Aumont, they were going to star in ''

Orpheus In Greek mythology, Orpheus (; , classical pronunciation: ) was a Thracians, Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet. He was also a renowned Ancient Greek poetry, poet and, according to legend, travelled with Jason and the Argonauts in se ...

'' (1950), which Aumont says

wrote for him and Montez. However, the filmmaker decided to use other actors instead. In July 1948 Montez and Aumont made ''Wicked City'' (1949) for Christina Productions with Villiers directing and Aumont contributing to the script. It was one of the first US-French co productions after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Christina provided the services of Aumont, Montez, and Lilli Palmer; in exchange Christina's share would be paid off first out of US receipts. Aumont had begun writing plays and Montez appeared in the one-woman production, ''L'lle Heureuse'' ("The Happy Island"); reviews were poor, however. Her next film was '' Portrait of an Assassin'' (1949), which was meant to feature

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

but ended up co-starring Arletty and

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim, ; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, screenwriter, actor, and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of ...

. In September 1949 it was announced Montez would make ''The Queen of Sheba'' with Michael Redgrave for director François Villiers; the film was not made, however. Montez appeared in an Italian swashbuckler, '' The Thief of Venice'' (1950), with a Hollywood director,

John Brahm John Brahm (August 17, 1893 – October 12, 1982) was a German film and television director. His films include ''The Undying Monster'' (1942), ''The Lodger (1944 film), The Lodger'' (1944), ''Hangover Square (film), Hangover Square'' (1945), ''Th ...

. Again in Italy, she was in '' Love and Blood'' (1951), followed by another co-starring her husband, '' Revenge of the Pirates'' (1951). This would be the last

feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature recognition, could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (machine learning), in statistics: individual measurable properties of the phenome ...

she ever made. Montez also wrote three books, two of which were published, as well as penning a number of poems. At the time of her untimely death, Montez's US agent, Louis Shurr, was planning her return to Hollywood to appear in a new film, ''Last Year's Show'', to be made for Fidelity Pictures.

Personal life

Montez was married twice. Her first marriage was to William Gourley MacFeeters, the agent for Barahona of the First National City Bank of New York, and a banker who had served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. They married 28 November 1932, when Montez was 20 years old, they lived in Barahona, Dominican Republic, and divorced in 1939. Her second husband Jean-Pierre Aumont described him as "an Irishman who was naive enough to think he could lock her up in some frosty castle."Aumont p 81 For more than a year, Montez was reportedly engaged to Claude Strickland, a flight officer with the RAF whom she met in New York. However, it was later revealed that this was just a publicity stunt. While working in Hollywood, Montez met French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont. Aumont later wrote "to say that between us it was love at first sight would be an understatement". They married on 14 July 1943 at Montez's home in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

was Aumont's best man and Jannine Crispin was Montez's matron of honour. According to Aumont "it was a strange house. You didn't answer the phone or read the mail; the doors were always open. Diamonds were left around like ashtrays. ''Lives of the Saints'' lay between two issues of movie magazines. An astrologer, a physical culture expert, a priest, a Chinese cook, and two Hungarian masseurs were part of the furnishings. During her massage sessions, Montez granted audiences." Aumont had to leave a few days after wedding Montez to serve in the

Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army ( ; AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (; FFL) during World War II. The military force of Free France, it participated ...

which were fighting against

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

in the

European Theatre of World War II The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II, taking place from September 1939 to May 1945. The Allied powers (including the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union and Franc ...

. At the end of World War II, the couple had a daughter, Maria Christina (also known as

Tina Aumont Maria Christina "Tina" Aumont (February 14, 1946 – October 28, 2006) was a French and American actress. She was the daughter of French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont and Dominican actress Maria Montez. She made her acting debut in the British film ...

), born in Hollywood on 14 February 1946. In 1949 Aumont announced that they would get divorced but they remained together until Montez's death.

Death

The 39-year-old Montez died in

, France, near

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, on 7 September 1951 after apparently suffering a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

and

drowning Drowning is a type of Asphyxia, suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where othe ...

while taking a hot bath. She was buried in the

Cimetière du Montparnasse Montparnasse Cemetery () is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, in the city's 14th arrondissement. The cemetery is roughly 47 acres and is the second largest cemetery in Paris. The cemetery has over 35,000 graves, and approximately 1 ...

in Paris. She left the bulk of her $200,000 estate (more than $2 million in 2021 dollars) to her husband and their five-year-old daughter.

Legacy

From the Dominican Republic, Montez received two decorations: the Juan Pablo Duarte Order of Merit in the Grade of Officer and the Order of Trujillo in the same grade, presented to her by President

Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( ; ; 24 October 1891 – 30 May 1961), nicknamed ''El Jefe'' (; "the boss"), was a Dominican military officer and dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from August 1930 until his assassination in May 1961 ...

in November, 1943. In 1944, she was named Goodwill Ambassador of Latin American countries to the United States in the so-called Good Neighbor policy. In 2009 the Santo Domingo metro in the Dominican Republic named their main terminus Station Maria Montez. Shortly after her death, a street in the city of Barahona, Montez's birthplace, was named in her honor. In 1996, the city of Barahona opened the Aeropuerto Internacional María Montez ( María Montez International Airport) in her honor. In 2012, a station on Line 2 of the Santo Domingo Metro was named in her honor. In 1976, Margarita Vicens de Morales published a series of articles in the Dominican newspaper '' Listín Diarios magazine ''Suplemento'', where she presented the results of her research on Montez's life. The research culminated in 1992 with the publication of the biography ''Maria Montez, Su Vida''. After the first edition, a second edition was published in 1994, and a third followed in 2004. In 1995, Montez was awarded the International Posthumous Cassandra, which was received by her daughter, Tina Aumont. In March 2012, the Casandra Awards were dedicated to Montez to commemorate the centenary of her birth. The American

underground film An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre or financing. Notable examples include John Waters' ''Pink Flamingos'', David Lynch's ''Eraserhead'', Andy Warhol's ''Blue Movie'', Rosa von Praunheim's ''Tal ...

maker Jack Smith idolized Montez as an icon of camp style. He wrote an aesthetic

manifesto A manifesto is a written declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party, or government. A manifesto can accept a previously published opinion or public consensus, but many prominent ...

titled "The Perfect Filmic Appositeness of Maria Montez", and made elaborate homages to her films in his own, including his notorious '' Flaming Creatures'' (1963). The Spanish authors Terenci Moix and Antonio Perez Arnay wrote a book entitled ''Maria Montez, The Queen of Technicolor'' that recounted her life and reviewed her films. The Dominican painter Angel Haché included in his collection ''Tribute to Film'', a trilogy of Maria Montez and another Dominican painter, Adolfo Piantini, who dedicated a 1983 exhibit to her that included 26 paintings made using different techniques. Dalia Davi, Puerto Rican actress from the Bronx, created the 2011 play ''The Queen of Technicolor Maria Montez''. Davi wrote, directed, and starred in the play. The journalist and Dominican actress Celinés Toribio stars as Montez in the 2015 film ''Maria Montez: The Movie'', which she also executive produced. In 1998, the TV show ''Mysteries and Scandals'' made an episode about Maria Montez. Montez is a key character in

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( ; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...

's 1974 novel ''

Myron Myron of Eleutherae (480–440 BC) (; , ''Myrōn'' ) was an Athenian sculptor from the mid-5th century BC. Alongside three other Greek sculptors, Polykleitos Pheidias, and Praxiteles, Myron is considered as one of the most important sculptors ...

'', his sequel to '' Myra Breckenridge''. Montez is mentioned by name in ''The Boys in the Band'', both the play (1968) and the film (1970).

Filmography

Unmade films

*''Oh, Charlie!'' with Abbott and Costello (1941)

Bibliography

References

External links

* * * A of clips of Montez, including her snake dance from ''