Ricardo Cortez
Acting
Ricardo Cortez (September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American film actor who began his career during the silent film era. Born Jacob Krantz in New York City into a Jewish family, he worked on Wall Street in a broker's office and as a boxer before his looks got him into the film business. Hollywood executives changed his name to Cortez to appeal to film-goers as a "Latin lover" to compete with such highly popular actors of the era as Rudolph Valentino, Ramon Novarro and Antonio Moreno. When rumour began to circulate that Cortez was not actually Spanish, the studios tried to pass him off as a different type of Latin, French, before they finally admitted his (supposedly) Viennese origin. Cortez appeared in over 100 films. He played opposite Joan Crawford in Montana Moon in 1930, played Sam Spade in the original The Maltese Falcon in 1931, co-starred with Charles Farrell and Bette Davis in The Big Shakedown and Wonder Bar (with Al Jolson and Dolores del Río) in 1934. He also played Perry Mason in the 1936 film The Case of the Black Cat. Although he began his career playing romantic leads with actresses like Greta Garbo, when sound cinema arrived, his powerful delivery and New York accent made him an ideal villain and conman, and he switched from sex symbol to character actor. Cortez was married to silent film actress Alma Rubens until her death of pneumonia in 1931. When he retired from the film business, Cortez went to work as a stockbroker for Solomon Brothers on New York's Wall Street. He died in New York City in 1977 and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx. He was the older brother of noted cinematographer Stanley Cortez (born Stanislaus Krantz).
Known for
Acting108
movieStars of the Silver Screen - Greta Garbo
2014
Self (archive footage)
movieComplicated Women
2003
Self (archive footage)
movieGreta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown
1986
Self as Don Rafael Brull (archive footage)
movieThe Last Hurrah
1958
Sam Weinberg
movieBunco Squad
1950
Tony Weldon / Anthony Wells
movieMystery in Mexico
1948
John Norcross
movieBlackmail
1947
Ziggy Cranston
movieThe Locket
1946
Drew Bonner
movieThe Inner Circle
1946
Duke York
movieMake Your Own Bed
1944
Wilson / Fritz Alden
movieTomorrow We Live
1942
The Ghost, Alexander Caesar Martin
movieWho Is Hope Schuyler?
1942
Anthony Pearce
movieI Killed That Man
1941
Roger Phillips
movieWorld Premiere
1941
Mark Saunders
movieA Shot in the Dark
1941
Phillip Richards
movieRomance of the Rio Grande
1941
Ricardo de Vega
movieMurder Over New York
1940
George Kirby
movieCharlie Chan in Reno
1939
Dr. Ainsley
movieCity Girl
1938
Charles Blake
movieWest of Shanghai
1937
Gordon Creed
movieThe Californian
1937
Ramon Escobar
movieHer Husband Lies
1937
J. Ward Thomas
movieTalk of the Devil
1936
Ray Allen
movieThe Case of the Black Cat
1936
Perry Mason
moviePostal Inspector
1936
Inspector Bill Davis
movieMan Hunt
1936
Frank Kingman
movieThe Murder of Dr. Harrigan
1936
George Lambert
movieFrisco Kid
1935
Paul Morra
movieSpecial Agent
1935
Alexander Carston
movieManhattan Moon
1935
Dan Moore
movieThe White Cockatoo
1935
Jim Sundean
movieI Am a Thief
1934
Pierre Londais
movieThe Firebird
1934
Herman Brandt
movieA Lost Lady
1934
Ellinger
movieThe Man with Two Faces
1934
Ben Weston
movieHat, Coat and Glove
1934
Robert Mitchell
movieWonder Bar
1934
Harry
movieMandalay
1934
Tony Evans
movieThe Big Shakedown
1934
Dutch Barnes
movieThe House on 56th Street
1933
Bill Blaine
movieBig Executive
1933
Victor Conway
movieTorch Singer
1933
Tony Cummings
movieBroadway Bad
1933
Craig Cutting
movieFlesh
1932
Nicky
movieThe Phantom of Crestwood
1932
Gary Curtis
movieThirteen Women
1932
Police Sergeant Barry Clive
movieIs My Face Red?
1932
William Poster
movieNo One Man
1932
Bill Hanaway
movieMen of Chance
1931
Johnny Silk
movieBad Company
1931
Goldie Gorio
movieTransgression
1931
Don Arturo de Borgus
movieBig Business Girl
1931
Robert J. Clayton
movieThe Maltese Falcon
1931
Sam Spade
movieWhite Shoulders
1931
Lawrence Marchmont
movieBehind Office Doors
1931
Ronnie Wales
movieIllicit
1931
Price Baines
movieTen Cents a Dance
1931
Bradley Carlton
movieHer Man
1930
Johnnie
movieThe Lost Zeppelin
1929
Tom Armstrong
movieThe Phantom in the House
1929
Paul Wallis
movieMidstream
1929
James Stanwood
movieNew Orleans
1929
Jim Morley
movieThe Younger Generation
1929
Morris Goldfish
movieExcess Baggage
1928
Val D'Errico
movieProwlers of the Sea
1928
Carlos De Neve
movieLadies of the Night Club
1928
George Merrill
movieWoman of Destiny
1928
Yoanes Etchegarry
movieBy Whose Hand?
1927
Agent X-9
movieMockery
1927
Dimitri
movieNew York
1927
Michael Angelo Cassidy
movieThe Eagle of the Sea
1926
Captain Sazarac
movieThe Sorrows of Satan
1926
Geoffrey Tempest
movieVolcano
1926
Stéphane Séquineau
movieTorrent
1926
Don Rafael Brull
movieNot So Long Ago
1925
Billy Ballard
movieThe Pony Express
1925
Jack Weston
movieIn the Name of Love
1925
Raoul Melnotte
movieThe Spaniard
1925
Don Pedro de Barrego
movieThe Swan
1925
Dr. Walter, the Tutor
movieArgentine Love
1924
Juan Martin
movieThis Woman
1924
Whitney Duane
movieThe City That Never Sleeps
1924
Mark Roth
movieFeet of Clay
1924
Tony Channing
movieThe Bedroom Window
1924
Robert Delano
movieA Society Scandal
1924
Harrison Peters
movieThe Next Corner
1924
Don Arturo
movieThe Call of the Canyon
1923
Larry Morrison
movieHollywood
1923
Ricardo Cortez
movieChildren of Jazz
1923
Ted Carter
movieSixty Cents an Hour
1923
William Davis
Directing7
movieGirl in 313
1940
Director
movieFree, Blonde and 21
1940
Director
movieCity of Chance
1940
Director
movieThe Escape
1939
Director
movieChasing Danger
1939
Director
movieInside Story
1939
Director