Lupita Tovar
| Lupita Tovar | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Guadalupe Natalia Tovar 27 July 1910 Matías Romero, Oaxaca, Mexico |
| Died | 12 November 2016 (aged 106) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Cause of death | Heart disease |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Other names | Lupita Kohner |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1929–1945 |
| Notable work |
Drácula Santa |
| Spouse(s) |
Paul Kohner (1932–1988; his death) |
| Children | 2; including Susan Kohner |
| Parent(s) | Egidio and Mary Tovar |
| Relatives |
Frederick Kohner (brother‑in‑law) John Weitz (son-in-law) Paul Weitz (grandson) Chris Weitz (grandson) |
Guadalupe Natalia "Lupita" Tovar (27 July 1910 – 12 November 2016) was a Mexican-American actress and centenarian 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. She also starred in the 1932 film Santa, one of the first Mexican sound films, and one of the first commercial Spanish-language sound films.
Tovar was born in Matías Romero, Oaxaca, Mexico, the daughter of Egidio Tovar, who was from Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico, and Mary Tovar (née Sullivan), who was blonde Mexican, from Matías Romero, Oaxaca, Mexico. Tovar was the oldest of nine children, though many of her siblings did not survive early childhood. Tovar grew up during the time of the Mexican Revolution and her family was very poor. She was raised in a very religious Catholic environment, and went to a school where she was taught by nuns.
In 1918, Tovar's family moved north to Mexico City where her father worked for the National Railroad of Mexico in an administrative position.
Tovar was discovered by documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty in Mexico City. Tovar had performed in a dance class and was invited, along with other girls, to do a screen test as part of a competition. Tovar won first place. The prize was a 6-month probation period, followed by a 7-year contract at $150/week, to Fox Studios. The studio had realized they could make money by simultaneously shooting Spanish-language movies of English language studio productions, so had been casting for Spanish stars. She moved to Hollywood in November 1928 with her maternal grandmother, Lucy Sullivan.
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