Well here is an actor who requires no introduction – his name is firmly among the top icons of the film star world

Here Johnny is pictured with his wife at the time Lupe Velez – she looks very attractive

We all know about Johnny Weissmuller’s astonishing life from an Olympic Gold Medallist to Films with MGM the top Studio, as Tarzan, then Jungle Jim on film then to Television – the successful film career lasting around 25 years. On top of this were the many water show displays all over the USA

Much less is known of Lupe Velez, Johnny’s wife from 1933 to 1939.

Prior to this she had dated Errol Flynn

In 1924, Lupe Velez started that career on the Mexican stage

By 1927 she had emigrated to Hollywood, where she was discovered by Hal Roach, who cast her in a comedy with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Douglas Fairbanks cast her in his feature film, “The Gaucho” (1927), with himself and wife Mary Pickford.

Lupe played dramatic roles for five years before she switched to comedy. In 1933 she played the lead role of Pepper in “Hot Pepper” (1933). This film showcased her comedic talents and helped her to show the world her vital personality.

In 1934 Lupe appeared in three fine comedies: “Strictly Dynamite” (1934), “Palooka” (1934) and “Laughing Boy” (1934). By now her popularity was such that a series of “Mexican Spitfire” films were written around her. She portrayed Carmelita Lindsay in “Mexican Spitfire” (1940), “Mexican Spitfire Out West” (1940), “The Mexican Spitfire’s Baby” (1941) and “Mexican Spitfire’s Blessed Event” (1943), among others.

Her love life was a disaster: she never recovered from her failed romance with Gary Cooper, who never wanted to marry her.

She was married to Johnny Weissmuller, but they divorced after five years.

Lupe Vélez’s death was recounted in the 1959 book “Hollywood Babylon” by Kenneth Anger.

Her death certificate lists “Seconal poisoning” due to “ingestion of Seconal” as the cause of death.

These are some of her comments about herself – Very Interesting :-

“What I attribute my success? I think, simply, because I’m different. I’m not beautiful, but I have beautiful eyes and know exactly what to do with them.

Although the public thinks that I’m a very wild girl. Actually I’m not. I’m just me, Lupe Vélez, simple and natural Lupe. If I’m happy, I dance and sing and act like a child. And if something irritates me, I cry and sob. Someone called that ‘Personality.’ The Personality is nothing more than behave with others as you really are. If I tried to look and act like Norma Talmadge, the great dramatic actress, or like Corinne Griffith, the aristocrat of the movies, or like Mary Pickford, the sweet and gentle Mary, I would be nothing more than an imitation.

I just want to be myself

I didn’t know much about Lupe Velez but from what I have recently learned, I am certain that I would have liked her !

I am sorry to know that she died quite young and was unhappy

Similar details of her life as above really : Lupe Vélez (born María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez; July 18, 1908 – December 14, 1944). Lupe was a Mexican actress, dancer and singer during the “Golden Age” of Hollywood films.

By the end of the 20 s, Lupe Velez was acting in full-length silent films and had progressed to leading roles in The Gaucho (1927), Lady of the Pavements (1928) and Wolf Song (1929), among others.

Lupe Vélez then made the transition to sound films without difficulty. She was one of the first successful Latin-American actresses in Hollywood.

During the 1930s, her well-known explosive screen image was exploited in several successful comedic films like Hot Pepper (1933), Strictly Dynamite (1934) and Hollywood Party (1934). In the 1940s, Vélez’s popularity peaked after appearing as Carmelita Fuentes in eight Mexican Spitfire films, a series created to capitalize on Lupe Vélez’s well-documented fiery personality.Nicknamed The Mexican Spitfire by the media,

Lupe Vélez’s personal life was as colourful as her screen personality. She had several highly publicised romances with Hollywood actors and a stormy marriage with Johnny Weissmuller.

I liked them both