Biography
Ricardo Cortez (September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American film actor who began his career during the silent film era. Born Jacob Krantz in New York City into a Jewish family, he worked on Wall Street in a broker's office and as a boxer before his looks got him into the film business. Hollywood executives changed his name to Cortez to appeal to film-goers as a "Latin lover" to compete with such highly popular actors of the era as Rudolph Valentino, Ramon Novarro and Antonio Moreno. When rumour began to circulate that Cortez was not actually Spanish, the studios tried to pass him off as a different type of Latin, French, before they finally admitted his (supposedly) Viennese origin. Cortez appeared in over 100 films. He played opposite Joan Crawford in Montana Moon in 1930, played Sam Spade in the original The Maltese Falcon in 1931, co-starred with Charles Farrell and Bette Davis in The Big Shakedown and Wonder Bar (with Al Jolson and Dolores del Río) in 1934. He also played Perry Mason in the 1936 film The Case of the Black Cat. Although he began his career playing romantic leads with actresses like Greta Garbo, when sound cinema arrived, his powerful delivery and New York accent made him an ideal villain and conman, and he switched from sex symbol to character actor. Cortez was married to silent film actress Alma Rubens until her death of pneumonia in 1931. When he retired from the film business, Cortez went to work as a stockbroker for Solomon Brothers on New York's Wall Street. He died in New York City in 1977 and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx. He was the older brother of noted cinematographer Stanley Cortez (born Stanislaus Krantz).
Acted in 98
1950s
- 1958
The Last Hurrah
Sam Weinberg
- 1950
Bunco Squad
Tony Weldon / Anthony Wells
1940s
- 1948
Mystery in Mexico
John Norcross
- 1947
Blackmail
Ziggy Cranston
- 1946
- 1944
Make Your Own Bed
Wilson / Fritz Alden
- 1942
Tomorrow We Live
The Ghost, Alexander Caesar Martin
Rubber Racketeers
Gilin
Who Is Hope Schuyler?
Anthony Pearce
- 1941
I Killed That Man
Roger Phillips
World Premiere
Mark Saunders
A Shot in the Dark
Phillip Richards
Romance of the Rio Grande
Ricardo de Vega
- 1940
Murder Over New York
George Kirby
1930s
- 1939
Charlie Chan in Reno
Dr. Ainsley
Mr. Moto's Last Warning
Fabian
- 1938
City Girl
Charles Blake
- 1937
West of Shanghai
Gordon Creed
The Californian
Ramon Escobar
Her Husband Lies
J. Ward Thomas
- 1936
Talk of the Devil
Ray Allen
The Case of the Black Cat
Perry Mason
Postal Inspector
Inspector Bill Davis
Man Hunt
Frank Kingman
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan
George Lambert
Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs
Movie
- 1935
Special Agent
Alexander Carston
Shadow of Doubt
Sim
The White Cockatoo
Jim Sundean
- 1934
I Am a Thief
Pierre Londais
The Firebird
Herman Brandt
The Man with Two Faces
Ben Weston
Hat, Coat and Glove
Robert Mitchell
Mandalay
Tony Evans
The Big Shakedown
Dutch Barnes
- 1933
The House on 56th Street
Bill Blaine
Big Executive
Victor Conway
Torch Singer
Tony Cummings
Midnight Mary
Leo
Broadway Bad
Craig Cutting
- 1932
Flesh
Nicky
The Phantom of Crestwood
Gary Curtis
Is My Face Red?
William Poster
Symphony of Six Million
Felix
No One Man
Bill Hanaway
- 1931
Men of Chance
Johnny Silk
Bad Company
Goldie Gorio
Transgression
Don Arturo de Borgus
Big Business Girl
Robert J. Clayton
White Shoulders
Lawrence Marchmont
Behind Office Doors
Ronnie Wales
Illicit
Price Baines
Ten Cents a Dance
Bradley Carlton
- 1930
Her Man
Johnnie
Montana Moon
Jeff
1920s
- 1929
The Lost Zeppelin
Tom Armstrong
The Phantom in the House
Paul Wallis
Midstream
James Stanwood
New Orleans
Jim Morley
- 1928
Excess Baggage
Val D'Errico
Prowlers of the Sea
Carlos De Neve
Ladies of the Night Club
George Merrill
Woman of Destiny
Yoannès Etchegarray
- 1927
The Private Life of Helen of Troy
Paris
By Whose Hand?
Agent X-9
Mockery
Dimitri
- 1926
The Eagle of the Sea
Captain Sazarac
The Sorrows of Satan
Geoffrey Tempest
The Cat's Pajamas
Movie
Volcano
Stéphane Séquineau
- 1925
Not So Long Ago
Billy Ballard
The Pony Express
Jack Weston
In the Name of Love
Raoul Melnotte
The Spaniard
Don Pedro de Barrego
The Swan
Dr. Walter, the Tutor
- 1924
Argentine Love
Juan Martin
This Woman
Whitney Duane
The City That Never Sleeps
Mark Roth
Feet of Clay
Tony Channing
The Bedroom Window
Robert Delano
A Society Scandal
Harrison Peters
The Next Corner
Don Arturo
- 1923
The Call of the Canyon
Larry Morrison
Hollywood
Ricardo Cortez
Children of Jazz
Ted Carter
Sixty Cents an Hour
William Davis
The Gentleman from America
Movie
Directed 7
1940s
- 1940
Girl in 313
Director
Free, Blonde and 21
Director
City of Chance
Director
1930s
- 1939
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
Director
The Escape
Director
Chasing Danger
Director
Inside Story
Director
Appearances10
2010s
- 2014
Stars of the Silver Screen - Greta Garbo
Self (archive footage)
2000s
- 2003
Complicated Women
Self (archive footage)
1980s
- 1986
Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown
Self as Don Rafael Brull (archive footage)
- 1980
Hollywood
Self (archive footage, uncredited) · 1 episode
1960s
- 1960
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
Self
1950s
- 1952
1930s
- 1937
Breakdowns of 1937
Self
- 1936
Breakdowns of 1936
Self
- 1934
Hollywood Newsreel
Himself
- 1931
Screen Snapshots (Series 10, No. 8)
Self