Rita Hayworth, America’s leading ‘Love Goddess’ of 1940's Hollywood, and famously of Anglo-Hispanic origin, marks a fascinating hiatus between the two decidedly White ‘love goddesses’ before and after her, Jean Harlow of the 1930's and Marilyn Monroe of the 1950's.
Mainly through his examination of Rita Hayworth’s 1940's musical numbers, Searle explores the Hayworth mystique as she dances across the screens of America as the first Anglo/Hispanic female superstar. The talk includes clips from her films with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Tyrone Power, Victor Mature and Glenn Ford.
Searle is a filmmaker and writer on cinema and other performing arts. He has just completed a practice-based PhD at the University of Portsmouth in co-creative documentary practice. This work builds on previous research projects, Rainbow Jews and Ritual Reconstructed. His short films have included Leaving the Table (2007) and L'Esprit de l'Escalier (2010) and a mixed animation/live action docudrama on Leon Trotsky entitled Dream Life of Debris.
