Ricardo Cortez

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).

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The Last Hurrah

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The Maltese Falcon

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The Locket

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Thirteen Women

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Mr. Moto's Last Warning

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Midnight Mary

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Illicit

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Her Man

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Wonder Bar

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Murder Over New York

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Charlie Chan in Reno

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Ten Cents a Dance

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Mandalay

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The Big Shakedown

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The Phantom of Crestwood

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Flesh

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Behind Office Doors

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The Inner Circle

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Blackmail

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The Man with Two Faces

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Montana Moon

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Mystery in Mexico

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Complicated Women

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Special Agent

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A Lost Lady

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This Is Your Life

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Mockery

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The Younger Generation

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The Sorrows of Satan

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West of Shanghai

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Bunco Squad

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Torch Singer

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Torrent

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Frisco Kid

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The Case of the Black Cat

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The White Cockatoo

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The Pony Express

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Tomorrow We Live

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The House on 56th Street

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Is My Face Red?

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A Shot in the Dark

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Make Your Own Bed

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Bad Company

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The Murder of Dr. Harrigan

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Symphony of Six Million

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The Phantom in the House

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Men of Chance

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Transgression

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I Killed That Man

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I Am a Thief

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Postal Inspector

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Shadow of Doubt

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Romance of the Rio Grande

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The Firebird

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The Lost Zeppelin

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Broadway Bad

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Rubber Racketeers

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Breakdowns of 1937

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Big Business Girl

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Hat, Coat and Glove

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The Private Life of Helen of Troy

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Hollywood

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City Girl

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No One Man

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Her Husband Lies

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The Swan

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Reckless Living

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Hollywood Newsreel

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Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

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Screen Snapshots (Series 10, No. 8)

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Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown

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Who Is Hope Schuyler?

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Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs

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World Premiere

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White Shoulders

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In the Name of Love

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The Gentleman from America

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The Bedroom Window

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The Californian

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The Spaniard

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The Eagle of the Sea

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Feet of Clay

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Woman of Destiny

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Man Hunt

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Breakdowns of 1936

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Children of Jazz

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Manhattan Moon

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New York

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New Orleans

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The Next Corner

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Talk of the Devil

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The Call of the Canyon

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The Cat's Pajamas

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This Woman

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Midstream

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Not So Long Ago

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A Society Scandal

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Big Executive

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Argentine Love

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Volcano

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