Sara Montiel - Acting career, Filmography, Discography, Awards, Personal Information

Actress and singer, born in Campo de Criptana (Ciudad Real), SC Spain. She made her film debut in 1944 under the pseudonym María Alejandra, which she changed to Sara Montiel after entrusting her stage career to her manager Enrique Herreros. During the 1950s she went to Mexico and starred in various films, including The Man from Tangiers (director Robert Elwyn). Moving to Hollywood, she worked with directors Robert Aldrich in Vera Cruz, Anthony Mann in Serenade (1956), and Samuel Fuller in Run of the Arrow (1957). She returned to Spain in 1957 and retired from the film industry in 1973. Since then she has released several records, and guest-starred in musical shows on Spanish television.

After her unprecedented international hit in Juan de Orduña's El Último Cuplé in 1957, Miss Montiel achieved the status of mega-star in Europe and Latin America. Her films "El Último Cuple" and "La Violetera" netted the highest gross revenues ever recorded for films made in the Spanish speaking movie industry during the 50s and 60s.

Acting career

Montiel started in the movies at 16 in her native Spain and later conquered Hollywood filming with Gary Cooper the classic Vera Cruz in 1954. In 1957 she returned to Spain to film a movie as a favor to famed new wave director Juan de Orduña. Fifteen monumentally successful films followed her Cuple success (including La Violetera, La Bella Lola, and Pecado de Amor).

Filmography

Te Quiero para Mi - 1944 (credited as "Maria Alejandra") Empezó en Boda - 1944 Bambu" - 1945 Se Le Fue El novio - 1945 El Misterioso Viajero del Clipper -1946 Por El Gran premio - 1946 Vidas Confusas - 1947 Confidencia - 1947 Mariona Rebull - 1947 Alhucemas - 1948 Don Quijote de la Mancha(Don Quixote in the U.S.) - 1948 Locura de Amor (The Mad Queen in the U.S.) - 1949 La Mies es Mucha - 1949 Pequeneces - 1950 That Man from Tangier -1950 (released in the U.S. 1953) Furia Roja - 1950 (English version: "Stronghold" with Veronica Lake in the Montiel part) Carcel de Mujeres - 1951 Ahi Viene Martin Corona - 1951 El Enamorado - 1951 Ella Lucifer y Yo - 1952 Yo Soy Gallo Dondequiera - 1952 Piel Canela - 1953 Porque Ya No Me Quieres - 1953 Se Solicitan Modelos - 1954 Frente Al Pecado De Ayer - 1954 Yo No Creo en Los Hombres - 1954 Vera Cruz - 1954 Donde El Circulo Termina -1955 (Circle of Death in the U.S.) Serenade - 1956 Run of the Arrow - 1957 El Último Cuple - 1957 La Violetera - 1958 Carmen la de Ronda (The Devil Made a Woman in the U.S. and UK.) - 1958 Mi Último Tango - 1960 Pecado de Amor - 1961 La Bella Lola - 1962 Noches De Casablanca - 1963 Samba - 1964 La Dama de Beirut - 1965 La Mujer Perdida - 1966 Tuset Street - 1967 Esa Mujer - 1969 Varietés - 1971 Cinco Almohadas para una Noche - 1973 Asaltar los Cielos(documental - 1996) As herself. Sara Una Estrella (documental - 2001) As herself. A Thousand Clouds of Peace - 2003 (Sara's recording of "Nena" used as theme song) Bad Education -2004 (features a couple of Sara's songs and film clips)

Discography

Sara Montiel en Mexico El Último Cuple La Violetera Baile con Sara Montiel Carmen la de Ronda Besos de Fuego Mi Último Tango El Tango Pecado de Amor La Bella Lola Noches De Casablanca Samba La Dama de Beirut Canta Sarita Montiel Esa Mujer Sara Varietés Sara... Hoy Saritisima Anoche con Sara Purisimo Sara Sara De Cine Sara A Flor de Piel Amados Mios Todas Las Noches A Las Once Sara Montiel La Diva Sara Montiel La Leyenda

Awards

"Gold Medal", 2001, Spain's Academy of the Films and the Arts The Legion of Honor Ben Guiron Medal of Valor, 1981 Premio del Sindicato 1957 (Spain's Oscar equivalent) Best female performance for El Último Cuple Premio del Sindicato 1958 (Spain's Oscar equivalent) Best female performance for La Violetera

Personal Information

Montiel was born Maria Antonia Abad Fernandez.