People
Dona Drake
- Name: Dona Drake
- Birthday: 1914-11-15
- Also known as: Eunice Westmoreland,Una Novella,Rita Novella, Rita Rio
- Place of birth: Miami, Florida, USA
- Popularity: 0.3177
Biography:
Dona Drake (born Eunice Westmoreland on November 15, 1914) was an African-American singer, dancer, and film actress active in the 1930s and 1940s. Despite her heritage, she often identified as Mexican or of Latin descent to navigate Hollywood’s racial landscape. Over her career, she was frequently cast in ethnic roles, portraying Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and European characters.
She performed under various stage names, including Una Novella, Rita Novella, and Rita Rio. In the early 1940s, she led an all-girl orchestra and gained recognition for her musical and dance performances. She appeared in films such as Kansas City Confidential (1952), Louisiana Purchase (1941), and Road to... Read More
Images:
Movies:
| Title | Release date |
|---|---|
| Princess of the Nile as Mirva | 1954-07-01 |
| Down Laredo Way as Narita | 1953-08-05 |
| Son of Belle Starr as Dolores | 1953-06-26 |
| The Bandits of Corsica as Zelda | 1953-02-27 |
| Kansas City Confidential as Teresa | 1952-11-11 |
| Valentino as Maria Torres | 1951-03-08 |
| Fortunes of Captain Blood as Pepita | 1950-05-19 |
| Beyond the Forest as Jenny | 1949-10-21 |
| The Girl from Jones Beach as Connie Martin | 1949-07-16 |
| The Doolins of Oklahoma as Cattle Annie | 1949-05-27 |
| So This Is New York as Kate Goff | 1948-06-01 |
| Another Part of the Forest as Laurette Sincee | 1948-05-18 |
| Dangerous Millions as Elena Valdez | 1946-11-27 |
| Without Reservations as Dolores Ortega | 1946-05-13 |
| Hollywood Victory Caravan as Dona Drake | 1945-09-30 |
| Hot Rhythm as Mary Adams | 1944-04-22 |
| Let's Face It as Muriel | 1943-08-04 |
| Salute for Three | 1943-03-17 |
| Sticks and Stones | 1943-01-25 |
| Road to Morocco as Mihirmah | 1942-11-10 |
| Star Spangled Rhythm as Dona Drake | 1942-03-05 |
| Louisiana Purchase as Beatrice | 1941-12-31 |
| Aloma of the South Seas as Nea | 1941-08-27 |
| I Look at You as Herself | 1941-02-20 |
| Pan-Americonga as Rita Rio | 1941-02-16 |
| Feed the Kitty as Self / Singer (as Rita Rio) | 1941-01-01 |
| Rita Rio and Her Orchestra as Rita Rio | 1939-07-01 |
| Sweet Shoe as Rita Rio | 1938-01-04 |
| Strike Me Pink as Mademoiselle Fifi | 1936-01-24 |
