Lupe Velez was born on July 18, 1908 in San Luis Potosí in Mexico. She was a Mexican film actress.

Biography and Career

Lupe Velez was born on July 18, 1908 in San Luis Potosi in Mexico and she was a Mexican film actress. She began her career in Mexico as a dancer before moving to the U.S.

where she worked in vaudeville. She was seen by Fanny Brice who promoted her and Velez soon entered films, making her first appearance in 1924. By the end of the decade she had progressed to leading roles. With the advent of talking pictures Velez acted in comedies but she became disappointed with her film career and moved to New York where she worked in Broadway productions.

Returning to Hollywood in 1939, she made a series of comedies. She also made some films in Mexico. Velez's personal life was often difficult, a five year marriage to Johnny Weissmuller and a series of romances were highly publicized. Velez committed suicide in 1944.

She is often associated with the nicknames The Mexican Spitfire and The Hot Pepper. She was the daughter of an army officer and his wife. Her father refused to let her use his last name in theater so she used her mother's maiden name. Lupe was educated at a convent school in Texas.

From an early age she had a strong temper and an explosive personality. She took dancing lessons and in 1924, made her first performance at the Teatro Principal in Mexico City. In 1923 she moved to Texas where she began dancing in vaudeville shows and finding work as a sales assistant. She moved to California, where she met the comedienne Fanny Brice who promoted her career as a dancer. In 1924 she was first cast in movies by Hal Roach.

In the mid 1940s she had a relationship with the young actor Harald Maresch and became pregnant with his child. Velez, following her Catholic upbringing refused to have an abortion. Unable to face the shame of giving birth to an illegitimate child she decided to take her own life. Throughout her life she showed signs of extreme emotion, mania and depression.

General Appearance

Birth Name: Lupe Velez
Birth: July 18, 1908

Why do we like Lupe Velez?

We like her because her acting and her contribution in film industry.

Why is Lupe Velez Famous?

She is famous because of her great acting and dancing.

Lupe Velez Lists

	Mexican actors
	Mexican film actors
	Mexican silent film actors
	American actors
	American film actors
	American silent film actors
	Mexican stage actors
	American people of Mexican descent
	Drug-related suicides in California
	Mexican expatriates in the United States
	Actors who committed suicide
	Women comedians
	People from San Luis Potosí
	1908 births
	1944 deaths
	Hispanic American people

 

Lupe Velez Movies
Hollywood Without Make-Up The Big Parade of Comedy Zebra in the Kitchen Mexican Spitfire At Sea Mexican Spitfire Out West Mexican Spitfire Sees A Ghost The Cuban Love Song Mexican Spitfire`s Baby Mexican Spitfire`s Blessed Event Mexican Spitfire`s Elephant The Half-Naked Truth Gypsy Melody He Loved An Actress Hell Harbor Honolulu Lu
Lupe Velez Filmography

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Tags: 1908, cancer, actress, san luis potosi

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Category: Actresses  - ( Actresses Archive)

Date Added: 14 May '08

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