orig. Margarita Carmen Cansino
born Oct. 17, 1918, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.
died May 14, 1987, New York City
U.S. film actress.
She danced with her father in nightclubs from age 12 and played bit parts in films from 1935. She cultivated a sophisticated glamour in Only Angels Have Wings (1939), Strawberry Blonde (1941), and Blood and Sand (1941). The musicals You'll Never Get Rich (1941), You Were Never Lovelier (1942), and Cover Girl (1944) made her a star and a favourite pinup of U.S. GIs during World War II. Her worldly, erotic role in Gilda (1946) confirmed her status in Hollywood as "the Love Goddess." Her later films include The Lady from Shanghai (1948), Pal Joey (1957), and Separate Tables (1958).