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).
Filmography
Stars of the Silver Screen - Greta Garbo
as Self (archive footage)
Stars of the Silver Screen - Greta Garbo
as Self (archive footage)
Complicated Women
as Self (archive footage)
Complicated Women
as Self (archive footage)
Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown
as Self as Don Rafael Brull (archive footage)
Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown
as Self as Don Rafael Brull (archive footage)
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
as Self
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
as Self
The Last Hurrah
as Sam Weinberg
The Last Hurrah
as Sam Weinberg
Bunco Squad
as Tony Weldon / Anthony Wells
Bunco Squad
as Tony Weldon / Anthony Wells
Mystery in Mexico
as John Norcross
Mystery in Mexico
as John Norcross
Blackmail
as Ziggy Cranston
Blackmail
as Ziggy Cranston
The Locket
as Drew Bonner
The Locket
as Drew Bonner
The Inner Circle
as Duke York
The Inner Circle
as Duke York
Make Your Own Bed
as Wilson / Fritz Alden
Make Your Own Bed
as Wilson / Fritz Alden
Tomorrow We Live
as The Ghost, Alexander Caesar Martin
Tomorrow We Live
as The Ghost, Alexander Caesar Martin
Who Is Hope Schuyler?
as Anthony Pearce
Who Is Hope Schuyler?
as Anthony Pearce
I Killed That Man
as Roger Phillips
I Killed That Man
as Roger Phillips
A Shot in the Dark
as Phillip Richards
A Shot in the Dark
as Phillip Richards
Romance of the Rio Grande
as Ricardo de Vega
Romance of the Rio Grande
as Ricardo de Vega
Murder Over New York
as George Kirby
Murder Over New York
as George Kirby
Charlie Chan in Reno
as Dr. Ainsley
Charlie Chan in Reno
as Dr. Ainsley
Mr. Moto's Last Warning
as Fabian
Mr. Moto's Last Warning
as Fabian
City Girl
as Charles Blake
City Girl
as Charles Blake
Breakdowns of 1937
as Self
Breakdowns of 1937
as Self
West of Shanghai
as Gordon Creed
West of Shanghai
as Gordon Creed
The Californian
as Ramon Escobar
The Californian
as Ramon Escobar
Her Husband Lies
as J. Ward Thomas
Her Husband Lies
as J. Ward Thomas
Talk of the Devil
as Ray Allen
Talk of the Devil
as Ray Allen
The Case of the Black Cat
as Perry Mason
The Case of the Black Cat
as Perry Mason
Postal Inspector
as Inspector Bill Davis
Postal Inspector
as Inspector Bill Davis
Man Hunt
as Frank Kingman
Man Hunt
as Frank Kingman
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan
as George Lambert
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan
as George Lambert
Frisco Kid
as Paul Morra
Frisco Kid
as Paul Morra
Special Agent
as Alexander Carston
Special Agent
as Alexander Carston
Manhattan Moon
as Dan Moore
Manhattan Moon
as Dan Moore
Shadow of Doubt
as Sim
Shadow of Doubt
as Sim
The White Cockatoo
as Jim Sundean
The White Cockatoo
as Jim Sundean
A Lost Lady
as Ellinger
A Lost Lady
as Ellinger
The Man with Two Faces
as Ben Weston
The Man with Two Faces
as Ben Weston
Hat, Coat and Glove
as Robert Mitchell
Hat, Coat and Glove
as Robert Mitchell
Wonder Bar
as Harry
Wonder Bar
as Harry
Hollywood Newsreel
as Himself
Hollywood Newsreel
as Himself
Mandalay
as Tony Evans
Mandalay
as Tony Evans
The Big Shakedown
as Dutch Barnes
The Big Shakedown
as Dutch Barnes
The House on 56th Street
as Bill Blaine
The House on 56th Street
as Bill Blaine
Big Executive
as Victor Conway
Big Executive
as Victor Conway
Torch Singer
as Tony Cummings
Torch Singer
as Tony Cummings
Midnight Mary
as Leo
Midnight Mary
as Leo
Flesh
as Nicky
Flesh
as Nicky
The Phantom of Crestwood
as Gary Curtis
The Phantom of Crestwood
as Gary Curtis
Thirteen Women
as Police Sergeant Barry Clive
Thirteen Women
as Police Sergeant Barry Clive
Symphony of Six Million
as Felix
Symphony of Six Million
as Felix
No One Man
as Bill Hanaway
No One Man
as Bill Hanaway
Men of Chance
as Johnny Silk
Men of Chance
as Johnny Silk
Reckless Living
as Curly
Reckless Living
as Curly
Behind Office Doors
as Ronnie Wales
Behind Office Doors
as Ronnie Wales
Illicit
as Price Baines
Illicit
as Price Baines
Her Man
as Johnnie
Her Man
as Johnnie
Montana Moon
as Jeff
Montana Moon
as Jeff
The Lost Zeppelin
as Tom Armstrong
The Lost Zeppelin
as Tom Armstrong
The Phantom in the House
as Paul Wallis
The Phantom in the House
as Paul Wallis
Midstream
as James Stanwood
Midstream
as James Stanwood
The Younger Generation
as Morris Goldfish
The Younger Generation
as Morris Goldfish
Ladies of the Night Club
as George Merrill
Ladies of the Night Club
as George Merrill
Woman of Destiny
as Yoanes Etchegarry
Woman of Destiny
as Yoanes Etchegarry
Mockery
as Dimitri
Mockery
as Dimitri
New York
as Michael Angelo Cassidy
New York
as Michael Angelo Cassidy
The Eagle of the Sea
as Captain Sazarac
The Eagle of the Sea
as Captain Sazarac
The Sorrows of Satan
as Geoffrey Tempest
The Sorrows of Satan
as Geoffrey Tempest
The Pony Express
as Jack Weston
The Pony Express
as Jack Weston
The Spaniard
as Don Pedro de Barrego
The Spaniard
as Don Pedro de Barrego
The Swan
as Dr. Walter, the Tutor
The Swan
as Dr. Walter, the Tutor
This Woman
as Whitney Duane
This Woman
as Whitney Duane
The City That Never Sleeps
as Mark Roth
The City That Never Sleeps
as Mark Roth
Hollywood
as Ricardo Cortez
Hollywood
as Ricardo Cortez
The Gentleman from America
The Gentleman from America