Recently celebratingher 90th birthday, Puerto Rican-American actressRita Morenohas seven decades of work under her belt. Moreno has managed to earn herself a title asan EGOT winner, one of the few performers to do so. From Broadway shows likeThe Ritz, which earned her a Tony Award, to her regular role as Sister Peter Marie on the HBO classicOz, Moreno has no shortage of acclaimed performances that display her talents as an actress.
Whether it’s a comedy or apopular movie musical, Moreno’s career shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. After her appearance in Steven Spielberg’s remake ofWest Side Story, Moreno also appeared in the recent filmThe Prank, leaving us to wonder what her future holds. Even if she plans on slowing down her acting, there are plenty of performances for us to enjoy from TV to film. These are Rita Moreno’s best movies, ranked.
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8Slums of Beverly Hills
Slums of Beverly Hillsfollows the story of teenager Vivian (Natasha Lyonne) and her struggle to maintain some stability in her 1970s lower-middle-class Jewish family that relocates regularly. While Rita Moreno’s screen-time as Belle Abromowitz, Vivian’s mother, is short-lived, Moreno manages to make her character strong and memorable. While the film received mixed reviews,Slums of Beverly Hillseventually gained status as a cult classic. Along with a wonderful performance from Lyonne, the cast featured a number of big names including Alan Arkin, Marisa Tomei, and even Carl Reiner. Moreno’s performance earned her a nomination for an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film in a Crossover Role.
Gaetano Proclo takes refuge from his mobster brother-in-law, Carmine Vespucc, in a gay bathhouse in Manhattan. In the bathhouse, Gaetano stumbles upon a wide range of quirky characters including Googie Gomez, an entertainer who mistakes him for a Broadway producer while Gaetano assumes Googie to be a man in drag.The Ritzis full of high-jinx and plenty of twists to keep the audience watching. Furthermore, the movie is based on the play of the same name, which, more significantly, won Rita Moreno a Tony for her performance as Googie on Broadway. For her performance as Googie in the film adaptation, Moreno received a Golden Globe nomination.
6Carnal Knowledge
Carnal Knowledgetells the story of two men who struggle with their love lives over the course of a number of years. Nice guy Sandy and womanizing Jonathan take inspiration from one another in their love lives in the hope that something will change for the better. Thisclassic Mike Nichols filmstars Art Garfunkel, Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergen, Ann-Margret, and Rita Moreno. Moreno plays the role of Louise, a sex worker that Jonathan is seen with towards the end of the film going through a dialogue about male-female relationships, and at the end, she recites a monologue about Jonathan’s power and perfection, the only way he is able to get aroused. The film was praised as a perfect on-screen battle of the sexes and Ann-Margret was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Popitells the story of Puerto Rican widower Abraham Rodriguez AKA “Popi” (Alan Arkin) and his two sons as they struggle with the realities of poverty in Spanish Harlem. Desperate to give a better life to his sons, Popi concocts a plan to send his boys on a boat off the coast of Florida, hoping they will be rescued as political refugees by wealthy patrons. Rite Moreno plays the role of Lupe, Abraham’s girlfriend whom he hopes to marry once he makes enough money. Arkin’s performance earned him the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor. While Moreno’s time on-screen is not ample, we still get a glimpse into her range and talent as an actress.
4The Four Seasons
Jack and Kate are surprised when their annual vacation with friends Nick and Anne changes as Nick doesn’t bring his wife Anne, but instead his much younger girlfriend Ginny. While the friends struggle with this change, they eventually learn to accept Nick’s decision.The Four Seasonsfeatures a dynamite cast including Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, and Rita Moreno. Moreno plays the role of Claudia, an accomplished outspoken painter who blames her insensitivity on her Italian heritage. She admires the relationship between Nick and Ginny and aspires to experience the same love.The Four Seasonswas nominated for a number of Golden Globes and even spawned a short CBS series by the same name.
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3The King and I
The King and I, a film adaptation of the musical by Rodgers & Hammerstein. Widowed mother Anna takes on the role of governess and English tutor to the wives and children of King Mongkut of Siam. Despite their clash in personalities, Anna is determined to teach the royals everything about the English language and etiquette to prepare for the arrival of European diplomats and change the opinions that the diplomats have of the King. Rita Moreno plays the role of Tuptim, a young Burmese woman who serves as the King’s concubine. The film was subject to critical acclaim and was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning five. Unfortunately,The King and Ihas not aged well, considering that the main cast playing the royal family consists of white actors made up to look East Asian, a classicexample of yellowface. That said, Paramount recently announced that they acquired the rights to produce a new live-action version ofThe King and I.
2Singin’ in the Rain
Alongside stars Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, Rita Moreno stars as Zelda Zanders, the “Zip Girl” and Lina’s good friend.Singin’ in the Raintells the story of Don and Lina, repeatedly cast as a couple on-screen only to discover their next film is to be made into a musical, with Lina being excluded from the singing. Despite her efforts to improve her vocal skills, Lina’s voice is not good enough and young aspiring actress Kathy is hired to record over Lina’s voice. The film’s accurate depiction of the shaky transitionfrom silent filmsto talkies was highly praised.Singin’ in the Rainis a classic film, recognized by the American Film Institute as the Great Movie Musical.
1West Side Story
A modern musical retelling of Romeo and Juliet,West Side Storytells the story of two gangs engaged in a turf war until member Tony (Richard Beymer) falls in love with gang rival’s sister Maria (Natalie Wood). Rita Moreno plays the role of Anita, Bernardo’s girlfriend, and Maria’s confidant. Moreno’s performance earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe among the many other accolades thatWest Side Storyachieved.West Side Storyrecently received a remake starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria. Moreno makes an appearance in the remake as Valentina, paying homage to her outstanding performance in the originalWest Side Story.
