Born in Oaxaca, Mexico on July 27, 1911, Lupita Tovar was discovered by documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty while she was acting in a school play in Mexico City. She came to Hollywood in 1929. In 1930, after a couple of bit part roles, Lupita starred in the Spanish language version of
The Cat Creeps (1930) based on the The Cat and the Canary.
Lupita is best known for her starring role in the 1931 Spanish language version of
Dracula, filmed in Los Angeles by Universal Pictures at night using the same sets as the Bela Lugosi version, but with a different cast and director.
In
Santa, the first popular sound film produced in Mexico, Tovar stars as an innocent small-town girl whose life is ruined when she is abandoned by her soldier lover. A sensation when it was released in Mexico in 1932, the film is now considered a classic.
In 1932, Tovar married Universal Pictures executive Paul Kohner. She made 30 films during her career. Lupita has a daughter, Susan Kohner Weitz, who was nominated for an Oscar. Also, her grandchildren, Chris and Paul Weitz, are successful film directors in Hollywood, having films such as American Pie, Antz, The Nutty Professor, and About a Boy to their credit.
As of this writing, Lupita is still living and in November of 2006, was honored by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The only postcard we have of Lupita
Scenes from the the 1931 Spanish version of Dracula
Lupita Tovar - What do you think - Allure?
Gloria Stuart - Happy Birthday!
Lupita Tovar - Happy Birthday!
Anita Page - Happy Birthday!
