boy have I got a story for you guys today this story had my mouth on the floor like what but unfortunately this happens all the time it's no surprise but we're going to talk about Dona Drake and I know it's spelled Donna but it's pronounced Dona they tried to make her name even sound exotic and different H this story is just it's something else it is something else comment below if you're familiar with Dona Drake's work she also went by Rita Rio she went by several different names if yall thought Veronica Lake lied about her
whole life you're about to be so shocked so today's video is going to be on the fascinating tale of Dona Drake a famous figure in Paramount's history back in 1941 when Drake was welcomed into the paramont family the studio unveiled her official biography to the media during those days whenever there would be a new Starlet signed by a Studio you know aspiring star they would come out with like this PR package Welcome to Hollywood it was a big deal during the Golden Age of Hollywood right even when Sophia Len was introduced to Hollywood they did
a welcoming party for her invited all the stars they come pre-prepped with the biographies written for them a whole new look a name publicity press um surgeries all done it was a big deal you got to understand people are making millions and millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars off of these Stars so they are now a business okay Dona Drake when she was introduced by the studios they already had a biography written out for her like where she's from who's her parents her whole history and guess what nine out of 10 times
those biographies were lies they were made up they were made up these stars came with their stories pre-old whether to Garner sympathy or appeal to a specific demographic or crowd they would make them be whoever they were this is why a lot of them suffer with like this syndrome of having identity crisises we we're going to get into according to this biography for Drake Drake was a Mexican native born to Jose and a nono Nolla who were entrepreneurs in the restaurant industry moreover she was described as having a diverse Heritage of Mexican Irish and French
Roots they just threw everything in there for her but here's the twist it was all a fancy fabrication it was all a lie many of these Stars you hear that have like six different heritages usually are passing black actresses or actors like if you hear of a star like she was French Irish Switzerland and this they just throw all of those heritages in there so that they can appeal to these different people right if we say she has French in her then the French would accept her if she ever wanted to go to Paris and
Etc and they would even go as far as teaching these Stars the language and making them fluent in whatever language background they said they were from so that they could easily sell that aura the more people you appealed to the more money you made so it was good to throw a whole bunch of ethnicities in their backgrounds Etc like it it just was beneficial to you the more Mass Appeal you had and it was all a lie if you have seen my Marilyn Monroe video we found out that Marilyn most likely was Mexican and was
passing as a white woman her mother she was born in Mexico her mother and everything it's just crazy and her whole life the tragic tale was most likely fabricated Rita Haworth was passing and so many others it's even alleged that Ava Gardner was passing also and both Marilyn fun fact Marilyn and Ava Gardner I did videos for all of these women that I'm mentioning in this video some are on my list but like Ava Gardner Marilyn Dandridge Lena horn Merl Oberon I did videos for all of them so check those out but fun fact both
Marilyn and Ava Gardner were great friends of Dorothy Dandridge but had to hide it from the media because even though it was illegal for interracial marriages the public also frowned upon white stars being so close and good friends with black stars so a lot of white stars had to hide their friendships with black stars too because the ignorant people of that era just could not handle it it annoyed their soul and they would remove their support they would call you a in lover yeah y can fill in the blanks with that Ava Gardner though which
is why I love her I did a video for her I love her so much she was so sweet she was more bold about her friendships with black actresses and boldly proclaimed her friendship with Lena horn I did a video for her also and Dorothy while and even have pictures with them like she did not hide her friendship she called them besties and all of that and just really didn't care and AA Gardner was someone else who I think was passing she her whole story came out to be fabricated there were some lies in her
upbringing in childhood and stuff like that too which is why it's so weird when you do documentaries on these people to kind of know like what could be true and what not like you got to take everything with a grain of salt cuz a lot of their stories even like tragic tales that happened to them like a lot of them seem to have been taken advantage of Touch without their permission by a group of men in a car in their neighborhood as their childhood story cuz in that era it was becoming more popular for women
to start to speak up and they wanted to appeal to broken and wounded women like it Hollywood is sick guys what's crazy is that Marilyn she kept a good secret that she learned most of her mannerisms for Dorothy dandri and I did a video for Dorothy dandri it's crazy but the whole Marilyn Persona the you know cutesy you know she got all of that from Dorothy Dandridge and was actually imitating her they were great friends though Dorothy got her flowers too but not like a Maryland and she deserved that it just is crazy but no
Marilyn slander is allowed in the comments because she did a lot of work behind the scenes um for people of color too and in her later life publicly she did start to show out for the black community but in the beginning she was just trying to make it man you got to do what you got to do okay Hollywood was a movie of its own nothing but a facade smoke in mirrors nothing is as it seems and it's been like this since the dawn of time everyone's origin story is made up by the studios to
fit an image these people weren't even allowed to be their true selves Hollywood was and is modern-day slavery where they change your name change your history change your looks and dictate everything you do and they dictate everything you do under stiff contracts and threats by the mob and the elites these um black male parties if you seen my Diana D's video where she used to host these blackmail parties that they record people in they doing crazy stuff put them under the influence Spike their drinks on some Diddy stuff without their permission they would spike these
Stars drinks and have them all under the influence and then have them in compromising situations doing things with miners doing things with you know other the same gender as them and then have them on tape then use that as blackmail to get them to do what they want cuz a lot of times I'll see in the comments you guys will say oh they chose this life oh they're all part of this evil thing yeah some of it is true there's a lot that we willing participants like Dian adors I can't make up anything for her
she hosted these parties could not speak and yes you could have the strength to be I don't know like a cat Williams or Cassie and finally speak out but you got to understand a lot of these um stars were weren't really making money like that even though they appeared glamorous they weren't getting paid their dues and they were getting crazy threats they were getting crazy threats they would send the mob after them and they're still mobs in Hollywood they could fake heart attacks like they can they had stuff back then where it could make it
look like you overdosed or had a heart attack if you even planned on speaking too much which is what I think happened to Marilyn and so many other stars of her era said that they think that's what happened but a lot of them would just appear overdose or they could make you go crazy with certain substances like you had a TI running around bear with nothing on like it was just crazy if you checked out my Kim Novak video Kim Novak was one of those people that had to change her whole identity also everything and
she spoke about it so much and she even had to hide her love her interracial affair they enforced a culture of fear and consequences for speaking out or not obeying but the reward of money Fame and power is all an illusion because once these people got the fame and power they weren't happy which is what happened to Dona Drake in her sad life even in the 1940s and 1950s these stars were all addicts trying to escape their Grim realities Marilyn dying of orvos Jean CH losing her mind running the streets bare under an insane amount
of medically prescribed substances Dorothy Dandridge overdose Judy Garland overdose Rita Hayworth Ava Gardner Veronica Lake and so many more died while trying to cope did videos for all of them you and I can't even begin to imagine what they're Lifestyles could have been like Hollywood is the definition of Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold actors are sometimes known for embellishing their backgrounds but Dona Drake took this to a whole new level the reason behind her lies was her aspiration for a thriving Hollywood career that wasn't limited to stereotypical roles like maids or Cooks the entertainment
industry because at the time and for many years after the studios felt the movie going public wouldn't accept an attractive like black Act ress no matter how talented in any role but that of a servant or comedic sidekick certainly not as a romantic lead opposite a white actor the truth about Drake's life was far from what was portrayed she wasn't from Mexico and she wasn't even of Latin descent despite mastering Spanish to perfect her cover story like I stated that would teach them these languages to cover up so she learned Spanish and was speaking it
fluently just to cover up her true identity in reality Drake was born as UNIS West Morland in November 15th 1914 in Sunny Jacksonville Florida but some sources say Miami choose which one her parents Joseph and Nolla West Morland were a lightskinned africanamerican couple yes you read that right Drake had managed to pull off one of the most astonishing instances of racial passing since the Glamorous movie star Marl Oberon which I did a video for her mother was dark and she just she had her mother walking around with her as the maid that one was just
is crazy okay and she unfortunately such drastic measures were often deemed necessary for actors of diverse backgrounds to have any chance at a substantial Hollywood career during those times but it really makes you wonder how hard it must have been for the West morans to pretend their own daughter was a stranger to miss out on her film premieres and to maintain her secret for the sake of her career now that is true love for a parent right unfortunately for Drake she had a sad Ending full of stress and heartbreaks from keeping such a secret we
are going to get into all of that in more and I know this was a long intro I got carried away but first hey friend welcome to my channel Karine elude where we Deep dive and break down the most iconic stars in history if you're not yet subscribed please be sure to do so and if you're already subscribed please turn on your notification Bell so you never miss an upload now without further Ado let's start from the very beginning which is her childhood and unfortunately there are no photos of her childhood or anything like that
let's travel back in time and unravel the captivating story of Eunice or as she was effectually known una born on November 15 1914 in Miami Florida una was one amongst five children una was a born musician and her parents Mr and Mrs West Morland were quick to spot this Talent little did they know then how far their daughter's musical abilities would take her in 1930 when unao was blossoming into a teenager the West Morland family shifted base to Philadelphia Mr West Morland found employment in a restaurant while one of una's siblings began his college Journey
Uno who had grown into an astonishingly beautiful young lady lent a helping hand at the restaurant for a short period entertaining guest with her beauty and musical talents however her dreams of stardom were too big to be ignored in 1932 unaa her mother and another restaurant rist named Renee vilon packed their bags and set off for Manhattan un and Renee formed a singing Duo and this marked the beginning of una hiding her ethnic Roots thanks to her curly hair and blue green eyes she was easily mistaken for either Caucasian or Latin the duo soon landed
a gig at the paradise Club on Broadway it was here that Earl Carol a notorious theatrical producer known for being a rival to Flo zigfield spotted Una Una was not just any chus girl she could sing dance and play multiple instruments including the clarinet drums saxophone and piano post their stint at vanities unaa and Renee toured together until Renee decided to leave the ACT to get married undeterred unaa continued as a solo performer and even open for popular entertainers such as Rudy valet and Harry Richmond in 1934 columnist Walter Winchell praised una's performance in a
nightclub writing unav Von's torso shifting serves to synchronize the tempos instead of Baron's directing this young lady directs the tutors with her wiggling end quote around this time una began dating Louis pretty Amberg a Russian born mobster who showered her with attention and extravagant gifts however their relationship ended tragically when in October 1935 Amberg was found lifeless in a burning car in Brooklyn and he was found without any clothes on nothing like that it was a hit meanwhile unaa had made her way to Hollywood now going by the name Rita Rio she had secured a
minor role as a fiery Tina in a comedy film strike me pink starring Eddie Cantor and Ethel Maron when questioned about Amberg by the FBI she claimed to only know him as Mr Cohan and was unaware of his occupation she finally remembered him as a polite and respectful man with whom she enjoyed horseback riding through Central Park Rita's first brush with the Silver Screen unfortunately didn't shake the Hollywood landscape as much as she hoped for so she packed her bags and headed back to the city that never sleeps New York not one to be defeated
Rita decided to orchestrate a publicity spectacle she adopted a Latin Persona fulltime and formed an all girl allh Orchestra named Rita Rio and The Rhythm girls it was indeed a unique site a black woman masquerading as a Latina leading an allwhite [Music] band Margarita my marar I'm so [Music] ran she has a rhythm that's her hard to imitate the L's thrilling she has an any [Music] imitators the way she twist you around her finger w [Music] hold tight and kiss me lightly the band created quite a stir and toured successfully across the United States sharing
stages with esteemed band leaders like K Kaiser upon their return to Hollywood they filmed several musical shorts which were shown in the cinemas before the main feature one such short featured Rita performing an amusing song Feed the kitty alongside an upand cominging actor named Alan lad as she navigated through the glitz and glamour of Hollywood Rita went through a few more name changes for a brief period She was known as Rita Nolla a tribute to her mother's first name and then Rita Shaw during this time she crossed path with actress Dorothy LaMore an old acquaintance
from New York on Lam More's recommendation Rita auditioned for a role in the film Aloma of the South Seas at Paramount Pictures she nailed the audition and landed the part leading to another name change this time she became Donna Drake pronounced Don and the name finally stucked this is when paramont began promoting her as a Latina actress hailing from Mexico whether the studio was aware of Drake's actual Heritage and chose to play along or if Drake had successfully deceived them as well remains a mystery but I think the studio is new regardless the film was
a roolling success bagging nominations for Academy Awards in cinematography and visual effects paramont quickly cast her in a supporting role in the Bob Hope comedy Louisiana Purchase reportedly Hope was quite taken with the young actress and ensured her inclusion in his next film Road to Morocco one of the renowned Road movies starring hope B Crosby and Dorothy LaMore and this film Drake build fifth played an Arab princess when not busy with film projects Drake performed in nightclubs and contributed to the war effort by featuring as a pinup favorite and yank in the Army weekly magazines
her subsequent film was a musical spectacle Star Spangled Rhythm though the film's plot was rather insubstantial it served as a platform for all of Paramount Studios contract players to Showcase their talents and song and dance numbers Drake performed on the swing shift sharing the spotlight with actress marjerie Reynolds and Betty Jane rhods pont's initial enthusiasm for their Mexican spit fire started to fizzle out after they C her in a few forgettable films these included the musical salute for three and a less memorable Bob Hope vehicle let's face it when she was lent to monogram a
smaller Film Studio known for its budget films for the lead role in hot Rhythm it was clear that her days at Paramount were numbered they ended her contract shortly after Drake however was a bitter about the experience she said and I quote it was wonderful at first with paramont I thought I was on my way to becoming a film actress end quote while filming hot Rhythm her friends and fellow actress Joan blondelle introduced Drake to an upand cominging costume designer named William Billy travilla at the time travilla was working at western costumes but was soon
to hit it big later he would win an Oscar for his work on the Errol Flynn Adventure film Adventures of Don Juan he also created iconic dresses for Marilyn Monroe including the famous white pleaded halter dress from the seven-year agch eventually he would move into television and bag a couple of emys after a whirlwind courtship of just 10 days Drake and travilla got married at the Santa Monica City Hall on August 19th 1944 it's unclear when travilla found out about Drake's true Heritage interracial marriage was illegal in the United States at the time so keeping
Drake secret became even more critical it wasn't just her career on the line it left many questions unanswered where her parents at the wedding if so where they introduces her parents who knew the truth the lack of documentation suggests Drake managed to keep her secret from the Press once free from paramont Drake became a freelance actress this turned out to be an exciting time in her career she had a good supporting role alongside John Wayne and Claudette colber in the RKO comedy without reservations she was Kent Taylor's Leading Lady in a 20th Century Fox B
film dangerous millions and played Dan dua's girlfriend in another part of the forest a prequel to The Classic Lilian Helman Story the little foxes she also had a significant part in mgms so this is New York starring Harry Morgan and Rudy valet where she got to play a non-ethnic woman for a change she went on to play Betty Davis Native American housekeeper and Beyond the Forest and Eddie bracken's girlfriend and the girl from Jones Beach alongside Ronald Reagan and Virginia Mayo where she again portrayed a Caucasian character while her Hollywood career was starting to buzz
Drake's personal life was far from glamorous she was grappling with a mild form of epilepsy in a tumultuous emotional state her husband travilla once remarked she was one of those actresses who find it hard to come home and step out of the character she's been playing all day and quote it's impossible not to think that the constant lies and charade of hiding her true ethnicity didn't also weigh heavily on her even the Act of posing as a Latin woman in Hollywood was pretty difficult Latino performers weren't exactly treated with much respect you know they weren't
better than the blacks in that era she was portraying someone who also was just a little higher slightly higher just based on color skin than black people so she was still dealing with it behind the scenes however amidst the storm there was a ray of sunshine in 1951 Drake was blessed with the birth of her daughter nia nia travila after taking a break to enjoy motherhood she returned to the Silver Screen she bagged the small part in the now classic film Noah Kansas City confidential starring John Payne and Colleen gray next she brought flare to
her role in Adventure film the bandits of Cora featuring Richard green and Paula Raymond and finally Drake had climbed up to Leading Lady status typically playing ethnic characters in B films she starred opposite Keith Larson and Son of bell star and Rex Allen and down lorett way Drake also made the leap to the small screen appearing in The Adventures of Superman in 1953 alongside George Reeves and in 1954 she graced the screen for the last time in the 20th Century Fox technical Adventure film princess of the Nile after a few more TV roles she bid
ad to the entertainment industry unfortunately Drake's emotional state continued to deteriorate causing her marriage to strain and in 1956 she and travilla decided to part ways they never officially divorced and maintained a friendly relationship for their daughter's sake and Drake even modeled in many of trav's fashion shows and they appeared together as a family on an episode of Gro Marx You Bet Your Life in 1960 despite these efforts Drake struggled in 1967 she sent her daughter to live with travilla as she sought help for her epilepsy and mental health however nothing seemed to alleviate her
difficulties by the late 1970s her health was in precarious State she mustered the strength for one last public appearance at the 1986 Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade and in New York tragically Drake passed away on June 20th 1989 from pneumonia and respiratory failure reflecting on Drake's life it's hard not to wonder about the toll her secret took on her we've made progress in terms of like representation in Hollywood but there's still a long way to go the era Drake lived in was difficult it was filled with prejudice and discrimination both in America and outside of America
and in Hollywood she likely felt she had no other option if she wanted to achieve her dream but at what cost you know to deny your true identity for the chance at a career that I can't even imagine how much of a heavy burden that must have been you know was it worth it who knows you know who knows and so many of these Stars went through the same thing and like I said we always ask ourselves why do they all seem to go into Hollywood get the fame and then fall to substance use and
die just tragically it just seems like the same story over and over again now now with the age of information we are finally getting a glimpse behind this world and this is why there's so much lies nothing is real and it's so much fabrication to the point where her husband if you go deeper into some of his interviews when he speak about her she Not only was acting she was playing a role her whole life right her whole life was a role she had to play having this background that she didn't have but also playing
movies she just disassoc iated from reality I guess you know you can one can assume that she just her husband stated she would come home and still be in character from the roles that she was playing and wouldn't even snap out of it like it was crazy she found that difficult and a lot of these Stars said that was their thing too they they almost developed this personality but I think it's easy for them to develop these personalities of the people the roles that they take because they're already playing a role every day that they
are star every day Marilyn Monroe always said you know Norma jeene is different from Marilyn she spoke even in in third person all the time when she spoke about herself because she did not see herself as Marilyn she just saw herself as playing the character maryn to everyone and when you have to be on go even when it's not for a movie you're talking to fans red carpets Etc like you stay in character and only a limited few knows how to snap out of that it can creates so much confusion depression hurt you know because
the studios gave you this personality and you have to keep up with it and you you can't you can't just pop out and say hey guys it was all a lie so that the public would not forgive you they would feel being boozled and played with and people don't like to be played with right H I can't even imagine guys let's be grateful for our lives okay comment below your thoughts on this crazy story and still you know I have a lot of sympathy for her so leave some flower emojis in the comments for her
I I really have a lot of sympathy for her because I can imagine you know this was a better alternative in her mind than being treated poorly at that era what would you do if you could pass I'd ask you if you could pass and you were in that era what would you do you probably would answer like oh definitely not I was stay true to myself but then again you're not from that era you just don't understand but nonetheless I love you guys so much thank you for for tuning in comment below your thoughts
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