Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1949)

Carpet Slipper Romeo ( Continued from page 45) Laura, four; his son, Mark, two; and Anita, aged seven months. An ardent believer in that old Spanish proverb, “Every man in his own house and God in everybody’s,” he’s embarrassed by the flattery and audible admiration of feminine fans. And he’s never been able to understand the necessity of posing for publicity pictures with feminine co-stars. “After all, I am a married man,” he protests, seriously. In spite of the fact that he personifies sex on the screen, he’s almost a puritan at heart. He dislikes vulgar jokes, deplores any moral laxity and finds far more allure in clothes “with a more covered look,” covering his shoulders as, with typical dramatic gestures, he zippers up an imaginary neckline. He is sad that too many novels and plays and movies fail to portray, “love that’s built on really important things — under i standing, appreciation and respect.” Of today’s short-lived marriages, he says, “we marry, not for better — but for better or worse — until death do us part. It is a contract we make with God. I have the most wonderful marriage a man ever had,” he goes on, more happily. TRUE, no screen writer could devise a more romantic story than that of Ricardo and Georgianna Montalban. “I was the kind of fellow who didn’t plan to get married until I was thirty-five, and I was going to see the world first,” he says. “But, I’m so happy it happened this way. After I saw Georgie that first day in church, I knew all the time I might have spent seeing the world would have been wasted.” He was at Mass at the Good Shepherd Church in Beverly Hills, when he noticed a beautiful girl sitting in front of him. She was with her sister, Loretta Young. It was definitely love at first sight. And he carried the memory of her for two years before they met. In the interim, he made a picture in Mexico with her brother-in-law, director Norman Foster. Invited to a party at the Fosters’, he saw her photograph. “And the old flame was still there.” At this time, Georgianna was modeling in New York, so Ricardo bought dozens upon dozens of magazines and cut out pictures of her. Sally Foster did a little sisterly matchmaking on the side, too. She wrote Georgianna, “I’ve got just the boy for you. Wait till you meet Ricardo.” They met, eventually, at a cocktail party, while Ricardo vacationed in Los Angeles. She remembers, a little teasingly, how he studiedly turned his back on her when she entered the living room, then suddenly turned when she reached him and “flashed his big smile.” Two weeks later, driving home from a dance, Ricardo told her how he had felt about her for two long years. “I’m very glad you’re in love with me,” she said simply. They eloped to Tia Juana. He was returning to Mexico immediately for a film commitment and there was no time for the banns to be published. Then, after five months of a secret marriage, they had a religious ceremony with all the family present. “God has been very good to me. Everything has happened for me,” Ricardo says happily, now. “My marriage, my pictures . . .” But he’s a conscientious, hard worker, he’s lent a helping hand. Born in Mexico City, the son of Jenaro and Ricarda Montalban, he spent his early boyhood in Torreon, Mexico. His father was a successfv. wholesale grocery merchant there, until the Mexican revolutionists walked into (Continued on page 94) For the curves you crave, wear a dainty "Perma-lift”* Bra — the magic bra preferred by smart women everywhere. Guaranteed to give you lasting healthful support, there’s no straining pull on your shoulder straps. The magic cushion insets gently support your breasts from below, never lose that support through countless washings and wear. Deftly fashioned of satin, broadcloth or nylon, there’s a new "Perma-lift” Bra style just perfect for you. Be expertly fitted today. For sports and dress — $1.25 to $4. For a slim trim figure, enjoy the exclusive comfort of a " Perma-lift ” Girdle— "No Bones About It — Stays Up Without Stays.” o" Perma' lift" and "Hickory' ' are trade marks of A. Steiv & Company (Reg. V . S. Pal. Off. i Chicago, Hew York P H 0 T 0 P l A Y 91