In the fourth episode of the season, we look at Dolores’ career during the Hollywood transition to sound film. The coming of sound limited Dolores’ roles. They became more stereotypical and forgettable. With her accent, sound amplified the difference that her Spanish señorita persona had overcome.
All episodes of Hollywood in Color are heavily researched. Here are the major sources used for this episode:
Dolores Del Rio: Beauty in Light and Shade (book) by Linda B Hall
Dance and the Hollywood Latina (book) by Priscilla Ovalle
The Invention of Dolores Del Rio (book) by Joanne Herschfield
Dolores Del Rio, the First “Latin Invasion,” and Hollywood’s Transition to Sound (article) by Mary Beltrán
Spitfire: Lupe Velez and the Ambivalent Pleasures of Ethnic Masquerade (article) by Victoria Sturtevant
"Cinema at its Source": Synchronizing Race and Sound in the Early Talkies (article) by Alice Maurice
All archival materials referenced were found on mediahistoryproject.org
Music used in this episode (listed in order heard):
Theme song (intro and outro): Hombre (Instrumental) by Kevin J. Simon (marmosetmusic.com)
Excerpts from The Jazz Singer (youtube.com)
Bleu by Kumiko (freemusicarchive.org) — Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Someday I'll Like You But Before Let Me Rest In My Solitude (Lonely Character's Theme) by Kumiko (freemusicarchive.org) — Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Frozen Jungle by Kumiko (freemusicarchive.org) — Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Laid Back Guitars by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) — Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
La Citadelle by Kumiko (freemusicarchive.org) — Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Excerpt from Ramona soundtrack (youtube.com)
Polen (Instrumental) by Animal Chuki (marmosetmusic.com)
Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) — Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Night Cave by Kumiko (freemusicarchive.org) — Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Hollywood in Color artwork designed by Shelby Moring
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