Zully Moreno

Zully Moreno
Zully Moreno photographed by Annemarie Heinrich
Born	Zulema Esther González 17 October 1920 Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Died	25 December 1999
Resting place	La Recoleta Cemetery
Years active	1938–1960

Zulema Esther González Borbón, better known as Zully Moreno (October 17, 1920 in Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires – December 25, 1999 in Buenos Aires), was an Argentine film actress of the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema (1940–1960). She appeared in more than 70 movies, earning best actress awards from the Argentine Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Spanish Cinema Writers Circle.

Zulema Esther González Borbón was born on 17 October 1920 in the town of Villa Ballester, part of the General San Martín Partido in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. She dreamed of becoming an actress, but went to work as a seamstress at a young age due to financial hardship, after her father's death when she was ten years old, followed when she was fourteen by her elder brother's death.

She made many visits to the theaters in search of parts, and in 1938, answering a notice for extras, she was hired for a minor role in Cándida, under the direction of Luis Bayon Herrera and starring Niní Marshall. She then had a string of films, including Bartolo tenía una flauta (1939), Azahares rojos (1940), De México llegó el amor (1940) and Orquesta de señoritas (1941), in which she played minor roles. During the filming of Orquesta de señoritas she met Luis Cesar Amadori, who would become her husband, several years later.

Her first starring role was in the film En el último piso (1942), which led to a role opposite Mirtha Legrand in Su hermana menor. She was launched to stardom with Stella (1943), directed by Benito Perojo. The Hollywood-style, big budget production, with haute couture costumes gave her a glamor like few other actresses had at the time and led to a style that became known as "cine de los teléfonos blancos" (cinema of the white telephone). Stella was followed with roles alongside some of Argentina's biggest stars, including: Pedro López Lagar in both Apasionadamente (1944) and Celos (1946); Angel Magaña in Nunca te diré adiós (1947); and Arturo de Córdova in Dios se lo pague (1948).Dios se lo pague was directed by Luis Cesar Amadori, who Moreno had married in 1947 and was one of the first foreign films ever nominated for an Academy Award. The film debuted on 16 March 1948 in Mar del Plata, at the inaugural Argentine Film Festival, and Moreno won best actress from the Argentine Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.