“I never really thought of myself as a sex goddess,” said the glamorously beautiful Rita Hayworth, as quoted in Hollywood or Bust: Movie Stars Dish on Following their Dreams, Making it Big, and Surviving in Tinseltown, “I felt I was more a comedian who could dance.” And dance she did.

Rita as Gilda.

Hayworth performed an erotic Dance of the Seven Veils in Salome (1953), a mesmerizing strip-tease, taking off only her over-the-elbow length black satin evening gloves to “Put the Blame on Mame,” in Gilda (1946), and an equally captivating nightclub act in An Affair in Trinidad (1952).

While some of Hayworth’s well-known handsome leading men included Orson Welles, whom was her second husband, Glenn Ford, who appeared with her in five movies, Cary Grant, Victor Mature, Tyrone Power, Robert Mitchum, and the list goes on, her dancing partners were among Hollywood’s biggest and best musical talents.

She co-starred with Fred Astaire in You’ll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942).  She kicked up her heels with newcomer Gene Kelly in Cover Girl (1944) and later took a turn around the dance floor with Frank Sinatra in Pal Joey (1957).

But Rita never danced to the Bee Gees – until now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz3CPzdCDws

Eat your heart out, John Travolta.

© 2013 Susan Marg – All Rights Reserved