Rita Hayworth Biography

Fast Facts

• Was billed as Rita Cansino as early as 12 years old, but didn't change her last name to Hayworth, a variation of her mother's maiden name, until the 1937 film Criminals of the Air
• Career soared after the release of a 1941 Life magazine issue that featured a seductive photo of her, which would later become a favorite pin-up for World War II servicemen
• Was labeled "The Love Goddess," but in reality was considered shy and an introvert
• In his 1959 autobiography, Steps in Time, dance legend Fred Astaire wrote that she was his favorite dance partner
• Suffered for years with a mysterious illness, but was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1980, a little-known disease at the time