progress_activityLoading...
Acting
Ricardo Cortez
Also known as: Jacob Krantz, Jack Crane
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).
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
September 17, 1900
Day of Death
April 28, 1977
Age at Death
76 years old
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Popularity Score
0.6
Filmography
Stars of the Silver Screen - Greta Garbo
Self (archive footage)
2014Movie
Complicated Women
Self (archive footage)
2003Movie
Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown
Self as Don Rafael Brull (archive footage)
1986Movie
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
Self
1960Movie
The Last Hurrah
Sam Weinberg
1958Movie
This Is Your Life
Self
1952TV
Bunco Squad
Tony Weldon / Anthony Wells
1950Movie
Mystery in Mexico
John Norcross
1948Movie
Blackmail
Ziggy Cranston
1947Movie
The Locket
Drew Bonner
1946Movie
The Inner Circle
Duke York
1946Movie
Make Your Own Bed
Wilson / Fritz Alden
1944Movie
Tomorrow We Live
The Ghost, Alexander Caesar Martin
1942Movie
Rubber Racketeers
Gilin
1942Movie
Who Is Hope Schuyler?
Anthony Pearce
1942Movie
I Killed That Man
Roger Phillips
1941Movie
Romance of the Rio Grande
Ricardo de Vega
1941Movie
A Shot in the Dark
Phillip Richards
1941Movie
World Premiere
Mark Saunders
1941Movie
Murder Over New York
George Kirby
1940Movie
City of Chance
Director
1940Movie
Girl in 313
Director
1940Movie
Free, Blonde and 21
Director
1940Movie
Charlie Chan in Reno
Dr. Ainsley
1939Movie
Mr. Moto's Last Warning
Fabian
1939Movie
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
Director
1939Movie
Inside Story
Director
1939Movie
The Escape
Director
1939Movie
Chasing Danger
Director
1939Movie
City Girl
Charles Blake
1938Movie
West of Shanghai
Gordon Creed
1937Movie
The Californian
Ramon Escobar
1937Movie
Her Husband Lies
J. Ward Thomas
1937Movie
Breakdowns of 1937
Self
1937Movie
The Walking Dead
Nolan
1936Movie
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan
George Lambert
1936Movie
The Case of the Black Cat
Perry Mason
1936Movie
Postal Inspector
Inspector Bill Davis
1936Movie
Man Hunt
Frank Kingman
1936Movie
Breakdowns of 1936
Self
1936Movie
Talk of the Devil
Ray Allen
1936Movie
Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs
1936Movie
Special Agent
Alexander Carston
1935Movie
Frisco Kid
Paul Morra
1935Movie
The White Cockatoo
Jim Sundean
1935Movie
Shadow of Doubt
Sim
1935Movie
Manhattan Moon
Dan Moore
1935Movie
The Man with Two Faces
Ben Weston
1934Movie
The Big Shakedown
Dutch Barnes
1934Movie
Wonder Bar
Harry
1934Movie
I Am a Thief
Pierre Londais
1934Movie
Hat, Coat and Glove
Robert Mitchell
1934Movie
A Lost Lady
Ellinger
1934Movie
The Firebird
Herman Brandt
1934Movie
Mandalay
Tony Evans
1934Movie
Hollywood Newsreel
Himself
1934Movie
The House on 56th Street
Bill Blaine
1933Movie
Midnight Mary
Leo
1933Movie
Torch Singer
Tony Cummings
1933Movie
Broadway Bad
Craig Cutting
1933Movie
Big Executive
Victor Conway
1933Movie
The Phantom of Crestwood
Gary Curtis
1932Movie
Thirteen Women
Police Sergeant Barry Clive
1932Movie
Symphony of Six Million
Felix
1932Movie
Flesh
Nicky
1932Movie
Is My Face Red?
William Poster
1932Movie
No One Man
Bill Hanaway
1932Movie
White Shoulders
Lawrence Marchmont
1931Movie
The Maltese Falcon
Sam Spade
1931Movie
Bad Company
Goldie Gorio
1931Movie
Ten Cents a Dance
Bradley Carlton
1931Movie
Illicit
Price Baines
1931Movie
Transgression
Don Arturo de Borgus
1931Movie
Big Business Girl
Robert J. Clayton
1931Movie
Behind Office Doors
Ronnie Wales
1931Movie
Men of Chance
Johnny Silk
1931Movie
Reckless Living
Curly
1931Movie
Screen Snapshots (Series 10, No. 8)
Self
1931Movie
Montana Moon
Jeff
1930Movie
Her Man
Johnnie
1930Movie
The Phantom in the House
Paul Wallis
1929Movie
The Younger Generation
Morris Goldfish
1929Movie
The Lost Zeppelin
Tom Armstrong
1929Movie
New Orleans
Jim Morley
1929Movie
Midstream
James Stanwood
1929Movie
Woman of Destiny
Yoanes Etchegarry
1928Movie
Excess Baggage
Val D'Errico
1928Movie
Ladies of the Night Club
George Merrill
1928Movie
Prowlers of the Sea
Carlos De Neve
1928Movie
Mockery
Dimitri
1927Movie
The Private Life of Helen of Troy
Paris
1927Movie
New York
Michael Angelo Cassidy
1927Movie
By Whose Hand?
Agent X-9
1927Movie
Torrent
Don Rafael Brull
1926Movie
The Sorrows of Satan
Geoffrey Tempest
1926Movie
The Eagle of the Sea
Captain Sazarac
1926Movie
The Cat's Pajamas
1926Movie
Volcano
Stéphane Séquineau
1926Movie
In the Name of Love
Raoul Melnotte
1925Movie
The Spaniard
Don Pedro de Barrego
1925Movie
The Swan
Dr. Walter, the Tutor
1925Movie
The Pony Express
Jack Weston
1925Movie
Not So Long Ago
Billy Ballard
1925Movie
The Bedroom Window
Robert Delano
1924Movie
Feet of Clay
Tony Channing
1924Movie
The Next Corner
Don Arturo
1924Movie
This Woman
Whitney Duane
1924Movie
A Society Scandal
Harrison Peters
1924Movie
Argentine Love
Juan Martin
1924Movie
The City That Never Sleeps
Mark Roth
1924Movie
Hollywood
Ricardo Cortez
1923Movie
The Gentleman from America
1923Movie
Children of Jazz
Ted Carter
1923Movie
The Call of the Canyon
Larry Morrison
1923Movie
Sixty Cents an Hour
William Davis
1923Movie