#1944 Adita

[tina-aumont]

Lucita, Adita, Consuelo and Maria pictured together in Hollywood in 1944 shortly after Maria's sisters arribal.

Uncredited photographer.

This photo can be found at the new published book about Maria Montez: "The Queen of Technicolor, Maria Montez in Hollywood" written by Tom Zimmerman.

Very special thanks to @shannendoherty-fans for shring this beautiful pic.

[tina-aumont]

Description from alamy website:

Maria Montez, (second from left), with her sisters, (from left), Lucita de Courbiere, Adita, Consuelo, Chicago, October 21, 1944.

The beautiful sisters were Lucita aged 17, being the youngest one in this photo, Maria was 32 but at that time said she was 23, Adita was 19 and Consuelo 18.

At the time this photo was taken, the only one who was married was Maria, Lucita would marry Jean Roy the 12th April 1946 and Consuelo would marry Kenneth Carter in August 1946. Maria becaming mother in February 1946, we could say 1946 was a great year for the family.

I'm wondering why Alamy would labed Lucita as Lucita de Courbiere, maybe it was an artistic name... who knows!

[tina-aumont]

Adita, Lucita, María and Consuelo pictured in 1944 for the Universal Pictures.

Very special thanks to @74paris for sending me this gem ✨

[tina-aumont]

Two page spread in a US magazine from 1944 about the arriving in Hollywood of María's younger sisters Adita, aged 19; Consuelo, aged 18 & Lucita aged 17 (according to the magazine).

The beautiful sisters had lots of good times together singing the old folk song mother taught them and even making some fortune tellings by reading the cards!

Ebay.

[tina-aumont]

Beautiful photos of Adita Gracia, Maria's younger sister, taken in 1944 when she arrived in Hollywood with her sisters.

The first photo, which is a beautiful scan, was sent to me by @74paris whom I thank for this beautiful gift.

The other little photos are screencaps from:

De María África a Maria Montez, un Mito en Technicolor

Santo Domingo Invita - Maria Montez (parte II)

[tina-aumont]

Beautiful photos of Montez Sisters sent to their Spanish cousin Armando Gracia Sanfiel.

On the left we can see the four sisters: Adita, Consuelo, Teresita and Lucita's beautiful photos they sent to their Spanish cousin Armando Gracia Sanfiel. Adita, Consuelo and Lucita's photos where sent through María Montez in 1944 as she was the one from the family who wrote long and loving letters to him, as far as I know they never met in person but they kept a beautiful correspondence.

On the right we can see a photo of María taken in 1941 and sent to her cousin Armando. Maria went to Canary Islands in 1930 when her father didn't want she got married to William McFeeters, who was 20 years her senior, and the only thing she knew about Spain was Tenerife, that's why she always wrote long letters to her cousin Armando (who lived in Madrid) asking him about Teruel and Canary Islands as she wanted to know the origins of her ancestors and the diversity of landscapes and life Spain had.

Teresita's photo was taken in 1952 when she travelled to Madrid to make a film and the beautiful thing is that she met her cousin Armando and gave him this beautiful photo taken by Ibañez, a Spanish photographer who always took photos of the cinema stars back in the day.

These beautiful photos arrived to me by mail, and I thank @74paris for sending me these very special gems which are copies from the originals. These photos were given to Antonio Perez Arnay by Armando Gracia Sanfiel as they were friends and Armando knew Antonio wanted to write a book about María Montez, which eventually did in 1995, however in the first book edition, these photos were not included, but Antonio Perez Arnay kept them and wanted to publish them in a second edition of his book "María Montez, La Reina del Tecnicolor" to celebrate María's birth centennary. Sadly Antonio passed away the 1st January 2012 and could never fulfill his dream. Instead, these photos were displayed in María Montez exhibit in Canary Islands back in 2012 but that's not what Antonio wanted...

My friend @74paris went to this exhibit and saw these great and beautiful photos and after long letters, long calls and lots of adventures he could have a copy of them for him and another one for me!! I feel really lucky, happy and fortunate to have them. They are a treasure and I will keep them such as that.

Mil gracias @74paris por este precioso presente que me has enviado, me siento muy afortunada y feliz por tenerlas, gracias por las mil y una gestiones que has hecho para obtenerlas. Te lo agradezco de todo corazón!! Son un gran tesoro!!

Eleni xoxoxo

[tina-aumont]

1944 Montez sisters

In 1944 upon their arrival in Hollywood, Maria younger sisters Consuelo, Adita and Lucita were received by her elder sister and under her wing they went to English private lessons and also to some social "etiquette" classes in order to have a very beautiful appeareance and to know how to behave in some places they weren't used to as they came from Dominican Republic rural area.

The photographer of these photos is unknown, but the first photo was sent from Maria to her Spanish cousin Armando Gracia Sanfiel (1913-1997) and he gave it to Antonio Perez Arnay (1959-2012) who published in his book "María Montez, La Reina del Technicolor" (Filmoteca Canaria, 1995).

The other photos come from ebay and pinterest.

[tina-aumont]

Here you have the beautiful Gracia/Montez Sisters!!

These set of photos was taken in 1944 and you can see (L-R): Adita, María, Consuelo and Lucita.

Very special thanks to @74paris for sending me some of these photos, the others come from ebay, worthpoint and 2014 documentary about María Montez.

[tina-aumont]

Three photos of Montez sisters taken, according to ebay, in 1943.

In these photos we can see Lucita, Adita, Maria and Consuelo (L-R from the last photo) enjoying some time together. According to ebay these photos were taken in 1943 but as far as I know the beautiful sisters reunited in Hollywood in 1944. María left for Hollywood the July from 1940.

Unknown photographer.

[tina-aumont]

Bervely Hills, el 14 de noviembre de 1944

Querido primo Armando:

Con inmenso placer recibí hace tres días tu cariñosa cartita y tu foto y la foto del primo Isidoro que tanto se parece al pobre tío Joaquín (q. e. p. e.).

Tu carta y tu retrato estaban esperando en casa, pues yo estaba en Nueva York adonde fui a hacer una aparición en la Radio y al mismo tiempo ir a buscar a mis hermanas Ada, Consuelo y Lucita las cuales están como yo contentísimas de encontrarse con un primito tan simpático y elegante.

Yo enseguida que recibí tu primera carta le escribí a mis hermanos y al primo Aquilino para que se pusieran en contacto contigo.

Gracias por el recorte de periódico que me mandaste, eres muy gentil y tengo muchos deseos de conocerte personalmente, tal vez te das un viajecito por estos lares o te veré cuando yo vaya por allá que será tan pronto se acabe esta maldita guerra.

En sobre separado te enviamos las muchachas y yo varias fotos de nosotras, para que tú veas cómo en realidad son tus primitas de América.

Te agradecería infinito si me das la dirección del resto de la familia —de mi prima Australia y los hijos de tía Tomasa la cual me dijo Aquilino el primo, está muerta, ¡la pobre!— ¿Cuántos hijos dejó Tomasa? ¿y Gaudencia?

¿Y están aún vivos los tíos de papá?

¿Cuántos hermanos son usdes.?

¿Adónde están el resto?

¿Y hace mucho tiempo que están en Madrid?

Pásame la dirección del primo Isidoro —desearía escribirle a él también y enviarle unas fotos.

Nosotros somos diez, ¡sí, diez! Cinco hembras y cinco varones. Mamá se mudó a la capital que se llama: Trujillo City y queda sólo cuatro horas de Barahona adonde nacimos nosotros —allá con mamá están todos los hermanos, y la pequeñita que sólo tiene 12 años y se llama Teresita —y es lindísima—, mi hermano Isidorito que es el mayor está con mamá y es un señorito muy simpático pero holgazán, mi hermano Aquilino es el jefe de la familia y el encargado de nuestros negocios que es una plantación y negocios de madera los cuales importamos a Inglaterra y Estados Unidos y en tiempo de paz a Alemania y Holanda, Joaquín está aún en la escuela, lo mismo Luis y Jaime, que acaban de entrar en cursos teóricos —Luis se parece algo a tu foto, y Jaime es muy rubio. Aquilino se parece a papá y es muy alto y guapo. Teresita está también en un colegio, mejor debo decir, convento, muy buena estudiante y habla ya el inglés bastante bien.

Ada, Consuelo y Lucita, las cuales puedes ver en las fotos cómo son, se van a quedar aquí conmigo y tratan de hacer carrera —Lucita quiere ser artista de cine y Consuelo modista diseñadora de trajes y sombreros, y Adita no quiere hacer nada, sólo casarse con un millonario, lo cual no es mala carrera, ¿eh? Pero yo no la fuerzo a hacer nada, ella ya verá cómo le gusta la vida sin trabajar, lo cual aquí es muy difícil de sobrellevar. Aquí todo el mundo trabaja, es un vicio.

Tan pronto se acabe la guerra, mamá piensa ir a vivir a España, tal vez en Barcelona o Teruel y se lleva allá a Luis, Jaime y Teresita y formar hogar adonde está nuestra familia, pues en Santo Domingo no tenemos nosotros a nadie, sólo el primo Aquilino.

Espero, pues, hayas ya visto «Arabian Nights» que fué la primera película estelar que yo hice de importancia, después de ésta hice: White Savage que creo la llaman La Blanca Salvaje ó «La reina de la Selva», «La Mujer Cobra», «Ali Babá», «Alma Gitana” (Gipsy Wildcat), y una en trajes modernos llamada «Bowery to Broadway» (no sé cómo la llamarán en español) y mi último film llamado «La Reina del Nilo», la cual es muy bonita película y de un tecnicolor precioso. Aún no sé cuál será mi próxima.

Ésta es una carta enorme y llena de información, ¿verdad?

Cariñosos abrazos a Isidoro y la demás familia.

Ada, Consuelo y Lucita te envían sus afectuosos saludos.

Cariñosamente, tu prima.

María

~*~*~*~

Beverly Hills, November 14, 1944

Dear cousin Armando:

With immense pleasure I received three days ago your affectionate little letter and your photo and the photo of cousin Isidoro who looks so much like poor uncle Joaquín (r.i.p.).

Your letter and your portrait were waiting at home, because I was in New York where I went to make an appearance on the Radio and at the same time go look for my sisters Ada, Consuelo and Lucita who, like me, are very happy to meet with such a nice and elegant cousin.

As soon as I received your first letter, I wrote to my brothers and cousin Aquilino to get in touch with you.

Thank you for the newspaper clipping you sent me, you are very kind and I really want to meet you personally, maybe you will take a little trip around these parts or I will see you when I go there, which will be as soon as this damn war is over.

In a separate envelope, the girls and I sent you several photos of us, so that you can see what your little cousins from America really look like.

I would be extremely grateful if you would give me the address of the rest of the family—my cousin Australia and Aunt Tomasa's children, whom Aquilino, the cousin, told me is dead, poor thing!—How many children did Tomasa leave behind? And Gaudencia?

And are Dad's uncles still alive?

How many brothers are you?

Where are the rest?

And have they been in Madrid for a long time?

Give me cousin Isidoro's address—I would like to write to him too and send him some photos.

We are ten, yes, ten! Five females and five males. Mom moved to the capital called: Trujillo City and it is only four hours from Barahona where we were born - all the siblings are there with Mom, and the little one who is only 12 years old and her name is Teresita - and she is very cute - my Brother Isidorito, who is the eldest, is with mother and is a very nice but lazy young man. My brother Aquilino is the head of the family and in charge of our business, which is a plantation and wood business which we import to England and the United States. in peacetime to Germany and Holland, Joaquín is still in school, as are Luis and Jaime, who have just started theoretical courses —Luis looks something like your photo, and Jaime is very blonde. Aquilino looks like dad and is very tall and handsome. Teresita is also in a school, I should say, a convent, a very good student and she already speaks English quite well.

Ada, Consuelo and Lucita, who you can see in the photos what they are like, are going to stay here with me and try to make a career - Lucita wants to be a film artist and Consuelo a dressmaker, a designer of suits and hats, and Adita doesn't want to do anything, just marry a millionaire, which isn't a bad career, eh? But I don't force her to do anything, she will see how she likes life without working, which is very difficult to cope with here. Here everyone works, it's a vice.

As soon as the war is over, Mom plans to go live in Spain, perhaps in Barcelona or Teruel and she will take Luis, Jaime and Teresita there and make a home where our family is, because in Santo Domingo we have no one, only cousin Aquilino.

I hope, then, that you have already seen "Arabian Nights" which was the first major star film that I made, after this I made: "White Savage", which I think they call "The Wild White" or "The Queen of the Jungle", "Cobra Woman", «Ali Baba», «Alma Gitana» (Gipsy Wildcat), and one in modern costumes called «Bowery to Broadway» (I don't know what they will call it in Spanish) and my latest film called «The Queen of the Nile», which It is a very beautiful film and a beautiful technicolor. I still don't know what my next one will be.

This is a huge letter full of information, right?

Affectionate hugs to Isidoro and the rest of the family.

Ada, Consuelo and Lucita send you their affectionate greetings.

Kindly, your cousin.

Maria

~*~*~*~

First of some letters that are going to be published here just to know a little bit more about Maria, her family and her relationship she had with his cousin Armando Gracia Sanfiel.

This transcription is possible thanks to @74paris who sent me a document called "Los orígenes turolenses y canarios de la actriz de Hollywood María Montez" written by María Victória Hernández Pérez, courtesy of Cabildo de la Palma.