Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth were Hollywood contemporaries. Both women were viewed as sexual icons by many, though they each fought to be taken seriously as actresses and creative individuals.
Though their timelines weren't exact matches — Rita Hayworth achieved great success in the 1940s, while Marilyn followed in her footsteps in the 1950s — both women often experienced similar treatment and expectations. Both women were also relegated to the same archetype, and in the end, both women weathered more storms than were ever fair.
Here's a look at the lives of Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth and where they intersected.
Rita Hayworth was born in 1918.
Margarita Carmen Cansino, who would go on to be known around the world as Rita Hayworth, was born on October 17, 1918. Her father was Spanish and her mother was American, and Rita was one of three children the couple shared. Both parents pushed Rita into show business, though for different reasons: Her father hoped she would go into dance, while her mother hoped she would become an actress.
Rita's family moved to Hollywood in 1927.
The late 1920s would prove to be an era that changed everything for Rita. Her family moved to Hollywood. By the time she turned 16 in 1934, Rita had secured her first film role with a bit part in Cruz Diablo. She was eventually signed to Fox before moving on to Columbia Pictures for seven years. Her most famous film is arguably 1946's Gilda.
Marilyn Monroe was born in 1926.
Rita Hayworth was already working in show business when Norma Jeane Mortenson, aka Marilyn Monroe, was born on June 1, 1926. Marilyn's childhood was notoriously unpleasant; Marilyn spent most of her time in foster homes and orphanages and got married when she was only 16. She was working in a factory during World War II when she met a photographer who launched her pinup career; she then worked with Fox and Columbia Pictures for brief periods before signing a long-term contract with Fox in 1950.
Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe were both typecast.
Both Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe presented a similar aesthetic: The "bombshell" look was what they and their studio heads were going for. As a result, both women were stuck in one specific archetype, often unable to break out of the label to explore any other type of work. They both attempted to fight back, and in 1955 Marilyn left Hollywood for New York in an attempt to be taken more seriously.
Marilyn and Rita were both plagued by romantic scandals.
It didn't help that both women were often embroiled in romantic scandals. Marilyn was married three times. Her first husband was 21-year-old police officer James Dougherty, whom Marilyn left after becoming famous. She then married baseball player Joe DiMaggio, followed by playwright Arthur Miller.
Rita Hayworth was married five times.
Rita Hayworth actually got married five times, to Edward Charles Judson, Orson Welles, Prince Aly Khan, Dick Haymes, and James Hill.
Both Rita and Marilyn experienced abuse and neglect as children, and both claimed that these experiences directly contributed to their poor relationships with men. In 1974, Rita explained, "Basically, I am a good, gentle person, but I am attracted to mean personalities."
Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe both met unhappy ends.
Tragically, Marilyn Monroe died at the age of 36. She was found with a combination of medications in her system that led many to believe her death was on purpose.
Rita Hayworth lived until 1987, when she died after falling into a coma. She had previously disclosed her diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
