She was one of only a few Mexican actresses to find mainstream success in the American film industry’s first century, paving the way for future Latinas in Hollywood.
In 1954, actress Katy Jurado made history by becoming the first Latina ever to receive an Academy Award nomination for her role in Broken Lance, a milestone accomplishment at the time. Recognized worldwide for her rare beauty and fiery screen persona, Jurado immersed herself in a variety of film roles — she is associated with some of the most iconic westerns of the 1950s.
Jurado was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, (real name María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García) and brought up in prosperity. Her father had been an attorney while her mother sang on and worked for the Mexican radio station XEWAM. Her godfather? Actor Pedro Armendáriz, well known for appearing in the 1948 film Three Godfathers alongside John Wayne.
As Jurado grew into a young woman, she became interested in acting and was “discovered” in her teenage years. Despite the family’s objections to such a career, she forged ahead with her independence by marrying at the age of 15 in 1939 to Mexican actor Victor Velázquez. The couple had two children but ended the marriage in 1943. That same year at 19 years old, Jurado made her acting debut in No Mataras (Do Not Kill) as a femme fatale of all things. Throughout the remainder of the ’40s, Jurado continued to act, alongside iconic figures such as Pedro Infante and Luis Aguilar, both of whom were leading men synonymous with the “Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.”
Jurado’s American crossover happened in 1951 with her debut in the drama Bullfighter and the Lady, starring Robert Stack and Jurado’s fellow Mexican actor Gilbert Roland. She plays the wife of Roland, an aging matador. Initially, the actress had no plans to stray from Mexican cinema but was approached by filmmaker Budd Boetticher and John Wayne, who both produced the film. At the time Jurado had also been working as a film columnist and bullfight critic, which likely helped propel her launch into Hollywood more than her Mexican film roles.
Bullfighter and the Lady would go on to receive an Academy Award nomination for “Best Story.” In 1952, Jurado was then cast as Helen Ramirez in High Noon, the iconic western with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly in the leads. The film’s premise centers on Cooper’s character Will Kane, the town sheriff left to fend for himself against ruthless outlaw Frank Miller. With limited English, Jurado plays the former lover of Cooper’s Kane and does so with just the right amount of assertiveness and independence. In retrospect, there are few films during the 1950s that depict such a strong-willed and confident Latina.
Katy Jurado and Gary Cooper in High Noon, in which she played the former lover of Cooper's main character.
It is also noted that Jurado refused to play stereotypical roles or those that were fashioned in a degrading way. High Noon was left with mixed reviews, sparked controversy, and was subsequently slammed by John Wayne calling it “the most Un-American thing I’ve ever seen.” This can be attributed to the “Red Scare” crisis the United States was embroiled in at the time, with many in Hollywood suspected of being Communist party affiliates or sympathizers. High Noon screenwriter Carl Foreman had also been blacklisted during the making of the film for his refusal to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).
High Noon also depicts the town’s men refusing to help combat outlaws, while Will Kane is shown tossing his sheriff ’s badge after the final gun battle, outraging western traditionalists such as Wayne. Regardless of the controversy, it went on to receive seven Academy Award nominations with Cooper winning Best Actor, and Jurado winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her strong performance. Jurado followed it up with many westerns for the remainder of the decade, most notably appearing in San Antone (1953), Arrowhead (1953), Broken Lance (1954), Man From Del Rio (1956), The Badlanders (1958), and One-Eyed Jacks (1961).
When it pertains to her western films specifically, Jurado often played women of either Native American or Latin descent. In Arrowhead, she acts opposite Charlton Heston and Jack Palance as Nita, Heston’s love interest who is part Apache. The film touches on racial tension and the impact it has on friendships, family, and love. For Broken Lance, she appeared as the Native American wife to Spencer Tracy and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In 1958’s The Badlanders, based on the novel The Asphalt Jungle, Jurado played Ernest Borgnine’s love interest, which led to a real-life marriage between the two. Passion and jealousy fueled its short run: They divorced in 1963. Post-divorce, Jurado would go on to appear in more westerns, as well as adventure and drama features, throughout the ’60s.
A bonus benefit to the fame, the thrill of the craft, and the accolades was the chance for Jurado to work alongside some of Hollywood’s most beloved and celebrated leading men, including Kirk Douglas, Cesar Romero, Marlon Brando, and Elvis Presley. But it’s her contributions to both Mexican and American films that have brought the late actress lasting admiration as an iconic big-screen figure. During a time when Latinos experienced so much typecasting and degradation, Jurado was able to break the mold and showcase true acting depth without compromising her values. In 2002, Jurado sadly passed away from health ailments at the age of 78, but her film legacy and impact remain strong and enduring.
That legacy can perhaps be best summed up in Jurado’s own words, as quoted in her Washington Post obituary: “I didn’t take all the films that were offered — just those with dignity.”
A Legacy In Search
In 2018, Google honored Katy Jurado’s legacy and memory with one of its Internet-wide Google Doodle tributes. A beautiful illustration of Jurado led searchers to her bio and films. See the celebratory Katy Jurado Google Doodle below.
From our October 2024 issue.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Alamy
