Mona Rico
Encyclopedia
Mona Rico was a Mexican-born American actress. Her films include Eternal Love (1929), Shanghai Lady (1929), A Devil With Women (1930), and Zorro Rides Again (1937).
, Mexico
, she came to Hollywood at the age of 19 in April 1928. She secured a five-year acting contract. Her first role of significance came opposite John Barrymore
as the third lead in a United Artists motion picture, Eternal Love
. It was reported that Miss Rico was sitting in the casting room of the studio when a girl's hands were needed in a film test Ernst Lubitsch
was making. She was sent to Lubitsch and, after her hands were recorded, he made an entire test of her. The following day she obtained her contract. Rico's first all-talkie feature was in support of Mary Nolan. She was cast as a Spanish dancing girl in Shanghai Lady.
Rico filed suit for separate maintenance in March 1933 and asked for a sum of $2,000 monthly from Crofton. In the action Rico stated she was a motion picture actress who earned $375 per week in 1931. However she was no longer able to make her living as an actress because of facial injuries sustained in the airplane crash. The proceedings were later withdrawn and a reconciliation was followed by a second honeymoon to Hawaii. In October 1933 it was rumored that Crofton had established residence in Reno, Nevada
to obtain a divorce. He denied this, saying that he was in Reno for a business trip and planned to visit Rico in San Diego, California
afterwards. The same month Rico obtained a divorce decree in San Diego. She claimed that her husband frequently used bad language and once struck her in the face. She reportedly obtained a substantial property settlement and $500 a month alimony.
Rico died in Los Angeles, California
on July 15, 1994 on her 87th birthday.
Career
Born as Enriqueta de Valenzuela in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, she came to Hollywood at the age of 19 in April 1928. She secured a five-year acting contract. Her first role of significance came opposite John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
as the third lead in a United Artists motion picture, Eternal Love
Eternal Love (1929 film)
Eternal Love is silent romantic adventure directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring John Barrymore. The film is known for being the last silent film of both Lubitsch and Barrymore...
. It was reported that Miss Rico was sitting in the casting room of the studio when a girl's hands were needed in a film test Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch was a German-born film director. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as his prestige grew, his films were promoted as having "the Lubitsch touch."In 1947 he received an Honorary Academy Award for his...
was making. She was sent to Lubitsch and, after her hands were recorded, he made an entire test of her. The following day she obtained her contract. Rico's first all-talkie feature was in support of Mary Nolan. She was cast as a Spanish dancing girl in Shanghai Lady.
Personal life
Aged 23 Rico became an American citizen. She married wealthy sportsman James N. Crofton in 1932. Crofton was part owner of the Agua Caliente Club resort located in Lower California. Their romance began in Hollywood and they married in Washington, DC. On July 14 of this year Rico was with Crofton on a plane which crashed near Mexico City. A terrific rain caused the pilot to fly their plane into a mountain. The pilot/airline owner was killed and Rico was severely cut and bruised.Rico filed suit for separate maintenance in March 1933 and asked for a sum of $2,000 monthly from Crofton. In the action Rico stated she was a motion picture actress who earned $375 per week in 1931. However she was no longer able to make her living as an actress because of facial injuries sustained in the airplane crash. The proceedings were later withdrawn and a reconciliation was followed by a second honeymoon to Hawaii. In October 1933 it was rumored that Crofton had established residence in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
to obtain a divorce. He denied this, saying that he was in Reno for a business trip and planned to visit Rico in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
afterwards. The same month Rico obtained a divorce decree in San Diego. She claimed that her husband frequently used bad language and once struck her in the face. She reportedly obtained a substantial property settlement and $500 a month alimony.
Rico died in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on July 15, 1994 on her 87th birthday.