Ep 9: The Hidden Battles of Mixed Icons Rita Hayworth and Merle Oberon in the Golden Era of Hollywood

Summary:

Join us as we eagerly explore the lives of these two iconic mixed actresses, during the glitz and glamor days of old Hollywood. We discover Oberon's journey, from her upbringing under false family pretenses to crafting a fabricated backstory to hide her biracial identity. We get into the societal pressures and Hollywood's Hays Code that influenced her concealment, and discuss the impact of her unacknowledged South Asian heritage on her legacy. Transitioning to Rita Hayworth, we share her transformation from a dancer in a family of performers to a Hollywood sensation, while of course digging deep into the extensive changes she underwent to erase her ethnic roots. We talk about how Hollywood selectively retained aspects of her ethnicity and the control she faced from a young age, as well as the challenges both actresses faced and the moulding both underwent to ‘fit in’ to be successful.

Episode Breakdown:

 

Merle Oberon:

Introduction to Merle Oberon's notable works.

Exploration of her early life and the societal attitudes towards mixed-race individuals.

Her entry into acting and the necessity to fabricate her background story.

Her concealed biracial identity and reasons behind it.

Skin lightening creams and how the notion of lighter skin being better is still the message in some cultures - Amy’s experience in the Bollywood industry.

Hollywood's Hays Code regarding race representation.

Posthumous revelation of Oberon's true identity and its significance.

 

Rita Hayworth:

Introduction to Hayworth's major works and background.

Her early life as a dancer in a family of performers.

Memories from our lives in relation to the topic of dance

The reality of coming from an entire family of dancers for Rita Hayworth and having no choice but to become a dancer from such a young age

Growing up in the spotlight and her journey to Hollywood 

The role her Father played in manufacturing of her image 

Continued by film studios including raising her hair line to make her look more ‘white’.

The public's reception of her transformation and Hollywood's selective embrace of her ethnicity.

The story of when Rita Hayworth’s face was put on an atomic bomb and others reactions to her anger

Personal reflections on learning about the lives and struggles of these two Hollywood icons as multiracial, multicultural actresses in the present day.

 

Links:

Merle Oberon

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/06/merle-oberon-oscars-best-actress

https://mixedasianmedia.com/issue-007/8-hapa-women-who-made-history-merle-oberon

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hollywood-flashback-merle-oberon-oscars-secret-1235343125/

https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/the-trouble-with-merle-1200547709/

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp63299/merle-oberon-estelle-merle-obrien-thompson

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61079732

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/07/last-tycoon-jennifer-beals-merle-oberon?redirectURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fhollywood%2F2017%2F07%2Flast-tycoon-jennifer-beals-merle-oberon

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/michelle-yeoh-first-asian-actress-oscar-nominee-2023-1235308034/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hays-code-interracial-relationships-hollywood_n_58fa812ee4b06b9cb916fffd

 

Rita Hayworth: 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-margarita-cansino-became-rita-hayworth-180965275/

https://daily.jstor.org/the-making-of-rita-hayworth/

https://www.adriennelmclean.net/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Hayworth

https://www.yours.co.uk/leisure/nostalgia/the-life-and-loves-of-rita-hayworth/

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/09/rita-hayworth-biography-trauma

 

Additional info on the Podcast:

Hosts: Amy Maghera -Taub, Hanna-Lee Sakakibara

Music: Mathias Kunzli - www.mathiasjunzli.com

 

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