Rita Moreno : a memoir
(Book)

"A Celebra book."

"... Rita Moreno shares her remarkable journey from impoverished Puerto Rican girl to Hollywood legend--and one of the few performers, and the only Hispanic, to win an Oscar, Grammy, Tony and two Emmys. Born Rosita Dolores Alverio in the idyll of Puerto Rico, Moreno, at age five, embarked on a harrowing sea voyage with her mother and wound up in the harsh barrios of the Bronx, where she discovered dancing, singing, and acting as ways to escape a tumultuous childhood. Making her Broadway debut by age thirteen--and moving on to Hollywood in its Golden Age just a few years later--she worked alongside such stars as Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable, and Lana Turner. Rita, who was made over as the "Latina Liz Taylor" by MGM head Louis B. Mayer, became an instant sensation. From dancing with Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain to her Oscar-winning performance in West Side Story, she catapulted to fame--yet found herself repeatedly typecast as a Latina spitfire, a role she found almost impossible to elude. Here, for the first time, Rita reflects on her struggles to break through Hollywood's racial and sexual barriers. "--,Provided by publisher.