Before Salma Hayek, Eva Longoria, and Penelope Cruz, there was Lupe
Velez—one of the first successful Latin-American Hollywood stars,
who swept past the xenophobia of Old Hollywood to pave the way for
future icons from around the world. Her career began in the silent
era when her beauty was enough to make it onto the silver screen,
but with the rise of talkies, Velez could no longer hope to hide
her Mexican accent. Yet Velez proved to be a talented dramatic and
comedic actress (and singer) and was much more versatile than such
legends as Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, and Gloria Swanson.
Velez starred in such films as Hot Pepper (1933), Strictly Dynamite
(1934), and Hollywood Party (1934). In the 1940s, Velez's
popularity peaked after appearing as Carmelita Fuentes in eight
Mexican Spitfire films, a series created to capitalize on Velez's
well-documented fiery personality. Nicknamed "the Mexican Spitfire"
by the media, Velez's personal life was as colorful as her screen
persona. Fan magazines mythologized her mysterious childhood in
Mexico, while mainstream publications obsessed over the drama of
her romances with such figures as Gary Cooper, Erich Maria
Remarque, and John Gilbert, along with her stormy marriage to
Johnny Weissmuller. In 1944, a pregnant and unmarried Velez died of
an intentional drug overdose. Her tumultuous life and the
circumstances surrounding her early death have been the subject of
speculation and controversy. In Strictly Dynamite: The Sensational
Life of Lupe Velez, author Eve Golden uses extensive research to
parse fact from fiction and offer a thorough, riveting, and
comprehensive examination of the real woman underneath the gossip
columns' caricature. Through astute analysis of the actress's
iconic filmography and interviews, Golden illuminates the path
Velez blazed through Hollywood. Her success was unexpected and
extraordinary at a time when her distinctive accent was an
obstacle, yet very few published books have focused entirely on
Velez's life and career. Written with even-handedness, humor, and
empathy, Golden has finally given the remarkable Mexican actress
the uniquely nuanced portrait she deserves.
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