Quendrith Johnson

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent

Rita Moreno is featureed in a new documentary, RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT. We've got the sparkling trailer that begins with her chirpy lovely voice saying "Hello Cutie," and it gets better from there on. Read on...

From Screenmancer -

Who doesn’t love Rita Moreno? Over the span of seventy-plus years, Hollywood legend Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing - in the face of relentless racism - to become a celebrated and beloved actor, one of the rare EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) Award Winners in performance history.  

Saddled with few options and less money, on a Puerto Rican farm, Moreno and her seamstress mother immigrated to New York City when Moreno was five years old. 

After studying dance and performing on Broadway, Moreno was cast as any ethnic minority the Hollywood studios needed filled, be it Polynesian, Native American or Egyptian.

Being gorgeous for Moreno meant being pegged for every "exotic" role in Hollywood.

Despite becoming the first Latina actress to win an Academy Award for her role as Anita in “West Side Story” (1961), the studios continued to offer Moreno lesser roles as stereotypical ethnic minorities, ignoring her proven talent.

RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT illuminates the humor and the grace of Moreno, as well as lesser-known struggles faced on her path to stardom, including pernicious Hollywood sexism and abuse, a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and serious depression a year before she emerged an Oscar winner. Moreno’s talent and resilience triumphed over adversity, as she broke barriers, fought for representation and forged the path for new generations of artists.

If not for Rita Moreno? Artists like Lin-Manuel Miranda would not be here today. He says so...

Directed by Mariem Pérez Riera

Executive Produced by Michael Kantor, Lyn Davis Lear, Norman Lear,

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Regina K. Scully

Produced by Brent Miller, p.g.a, and Mariem Pérez Riera

Featuring Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Héctor Elizondo, Gloria Estefan,

Tom Fontana, Morgan Freeman, Mitzi Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear, Eva Longoria,

Justina Machado, Terrence McNally, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Karen Olivo

#RitaMorenoDoc

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