#2012 maria

[tina-aumont]

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, although mostly forgotten today by the general public, is venerated by film buffs as a camp classic for its legendary phallic snake-dance and Montez's words: "Geev me that Cobra jewl (sic)".

Avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger has called it his favorite film. Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film three stars out of four and called it a camp classic.

Plot (it may contain spoilers)

The beautiful Tollea is abducted and taken to Cobra Island, where she discovers that the Queen is her grandmother. Hava warns the angered Ramu not to go after Tollea, but he sets sail for the forbidden island, with his young friend Kado accompanying him as a stowaway.

A panther attacks Ramu, who is saved by a dart from Kado's deadly blowgun. They continue the search for Tollea, unaware that the high priestess of the island is Naja, her twin sister. The queen has ordered Tollea to be forcibly returned to Cobra Island only so she can displace her evil sister.

Ramu mistakenly becomes involved with Naja, who falls in love with him. Kado is captured and tortured by the brutal Martok, but refuses to reveal Ramu's whereabouts. Martok proceeds to murder the Queen.

When they finally meet, Naja attempts to kill her sister with a spear, but plunges to her own death instead. The evil Martok insists that Tollea perform a forbidden cobra dance, whereupon the island's volcano begins to violently erupt. It ceases when Martok is killed by Hava. When Ramu is about to return home, Tollea asks him to remain by her side and help her rule Cobra Island.

Cast

Maria Montez as Tollea/Naja

Jon Hall as Ramu

Sabu as Kado

Edgar Barrier as Martok

Mary Nash as the Queen

Lois Collier as Veeda

Samuel S. Hinds as Father Paul

Moroni Olsen as MacDonald

Lon Chaney Jr. as Hava (billed as Lon Chaney)

Production

Universal announced the film in June 1942 starring Montez, Hall, and Sabu, even before shooting had begun on their production of Arabian Nights. It was meant to follow that film but was pre-empted by White Savage.

Filming took place in May 1943.

Siodmak later called the film "silly but fun... Montez was a great personality and completely believed in her roles: if she was playing a princess you had to treat her like one all through lunch but if she was a slave girl you could kick her around anyhow and she wouldn't object: Method Acting before its time you might say."

It was first released the 19th April 1944.

Photos come from wikipedia, IMDB, Amazon, Iber Libro, Trailers from Hell & moviestore

Last photo has been shared by @74paris who recieved it from the Culture and Historical Heritage Service from Cabildo of La Palma. This very last photo was displayed at Maria's exibit celebrating her 100th birthday.

[tina-aumont]

María Montez 100 años by Alta Escena Company

Recently I've found that on the Centennary of María Montez' birth (6th June 2012), there was a company called Alta Escena, that performed on theatres the life of the Dominican actress.

It's beautiful to see that in this play there are featured photos of Maria's dad and sisters, we can see Consuelo, Adita, Teresita and Lucita. Photos taken by José Rafael Sosa.

Here you'll find more information about this play

Here too (in Spanish)

Here there's a little review of the play, you can read and zoom in at pages 38 & 39.

And finally another little information on this play.

[tina-aumont]

Montez Sisters In the dressing room with Robmariel Olea, Dalia Davi and Inés García in character as the Montez sisters before the performance of the play María Montez LIVE.  21st February 2012

I've just found this very interesting play called "Maria Montez LIVE" that it was performed in 2012. Here we can see the three actresses playing María's sisters, yes, there's always one missing sister!! but it's cool anyway this play was made to celebrate the Centenary of María's birth!

I hope more information will come to light :)

[tina-aumont]

Isidoro Gracia García, María Montez dad and Tina Aumont grandad was born in Garafia the 3rd April 1873.

Today we celebrate his birthday as he was an important figure to Maria Montez herself. Happy heavenly birthday Don Isidoro!!

The information displayed here is possible thanks to @74paris who has done a great research on the subject, the biography comes from an article written by Canarian historian and researcher María Victoria Hernández Pérez called "Los orígenes turolenses y canarios de la actriz de Hollywood María Montez" and was displayed at María Montez exhibition ("María Montez, de la Palma a Hollywood") held in La Palma to celebrate her centennary. Very special thanks to Cabildo de la Palma for sharing this special information with us.

[tina-aumont]

I want to thank my friend @74paris who contacted the Canarian Authorities and sent him these digitalized photos from the exhibit that Garafia and La Palma had about Maria Montez back in 2012 (more than ten years ago!!)

Maria Montez dad, Isidoro Gracia García was born in Garafia (La Palma) in April 3rd 1873 and by 1904 he settled in Barahona (Dominican Republic) with his brother Joaquín. They left Carany Islands due to economic struggles and they dreamt for a better future, which eventualy came.

These photos show Joaquín (left) and Isidoro (right) pictured in Barahona in 1908. Next we can see Isidoro Gracia pictured in Barahona in 1906. Under these two photos, Isidoro is pictured, again in Barahona, this time in 1909 and the last photo shows Joaquín in an undated photo, but my guessing is that it was taken in Barahona as well aroung the time the other photos were taken (1906-1909).

These photos were displayed in "María Montez, de la Palma a Hollywood" exhibition celebrated in Garafia and La Palma during the celebrations of MAría Montez birthday centenary.

Joaquín Gracia Anadón, who was born in Estercuel (Teruel-Aragón-Spain), in 23rd May 1841 and María Antónia García Martín, who was born in Garafia, (La Palma, Canary Islands) in 28th September 1842 were also remembered in this exhibition.

This beautiful photo taken in 1942 celebrating Doña Justa's birthday was also in the exhibition. Doña Justa Recio Sánchez was María Montez granny and Regla María Teresa Vidal Recio's mother. In this photo we can see at the left Adita with her mother, and at the right we can see Consuelo. In the front row, at the right we can see a very young Teresita. It's beautiful to see that in this exhibition, also the maternal side of María was important although there were no Canarian roots in them (as far as we know).

María Montez most intimal side was also shown in this exhibition, here we can see her pictured in 1943 at her wedding day to Jean-Pierre Aumont.

While Jean-Pierre Aumont was away fighting in II World War and María was at the highest point of her career, she invited her sisters to Hollywood as she wanted them to have a successful career. Although all of them tried, only Teresita (not shown here as she was still very young) succeed but as a High Couture model working in France in the 50s hired exclusively by Vogue magazine.

These photos are from the banners displayed in "María Montez, de la Palma a Hollywood" exhibition held in La Laguna, Tenerife (Canary Islands) in 2012, they show María's family, sisters, daughter Tina and places where her family came from. These photos come from this blog: Personalidades Garafianas

These screencaps from this video show two banners from the exhibition "María Montez: De La Palma a Hollywood" with Maria Montez and Jean Pierre Aumont and Maria's dad Isidoro, her granny María Antónia and on the left Isidoro and his brother Joaquín.

The other screencaps show Joaquín Gracia and María Antónia García's home in Garafia where Isidoro, Joaquín and their siblings were born.

This house is still standing, now I wonder... could a María Montez museum will be made here and be permanent so everybody could visit it? I vote for it, but I don't know if it will ever me made, it would be beautiful if ever that happen...

Here you have the Villa de Garafia website where is explained the exhibition.

Photos shown here are courtesy of Armando Gracia Sanfiel, the Spanish cousin María was always writing. He gave these photos to Antonio Perez Arnay to be published in his book "María Montez La Reina del Tecnicolor" (Filmoteca Canaria, 1995).

Banners courtesy of "Cabildo de la Palma", the governing and administrative body of La Palma.

Muchas gracias de nuevo @74paris por todo el trabajo que has hecho contactando con la administración del Cabildo de la Palma para que te enviaran este material tan precioso y muchas gracias por compartirlo conmigo para que lo publique.

[tina-aumont]

"A nuestro primito Armando con profundo cariño"...

This beautiful sentence (to our Cousin Armando with deep love) was written to Armando Gracia Sanfiel (1913-1997), María's cousin who lived in Madrid, he was the son of Aquilino Gracia García. Aquilino was Isidoro's younger brother.

Here you have a photo of Aquilino that was on display at "María Montez, de la Palma a Hollywood" exhibit held in Garafia and La Palma back in 2012 to celebrate María Montez' birth centenary.

This photo is courtesy of "Cabildo de la Palma", the governing and administrative body of La Palma and had been shared to me by my friend @74paris.

Aquilino was Antonio Gracia Sanfiel's dad, he was born on January 3rd 1875 and he migrated to Cuba and established himself as a cigar maker, and upon his return to Garafía he was elected Mayor. He married Graciliana Sanfiel, and had María, América, Armando, Isidoro, Aquilino and Lisandro Gracia Sanfiel as children.

Maria Montez kept a writing correspondence with her cousin Armando, who lived in Madrid. In these letters, María appears simple, close, communicative and curious about her relatives in Spain, coinciding with the moment in which she was already at the peak of her film career.

These letters were in Armando Gracia Santamaría personal archives (he was Armando Gracia Sanfiel's son) and he shared them to researcher and historian Maria Victória Hernández.

My friend @74paris went to "María Montez, de la Palma a Hollywood" exhibition and saw the letters displayed there, and he contacted "Cabildo de la Palma" governing administration and I will add the transcription to some of them here in this site.

I would like to display the letters here under the title "A nuestro primito Armando" since I find it's a very touching and beautiful sentence and under the very same tag we will find the correspondence Maria and her sisters kept with Armando. It's beautiful to know that although Maria and Armando never met, Teresita did in 1952 when she travelled to Spain to work in the film industry.

I hope you like all the posts displayed here, as I'm sure they will be very touching and we will meet the personal side of Maria.

Thank you very much!!

Eleni xoxoxo