The Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez

by Dan Van Neste

With his dark good looks, muscular physique, heavy-lidded bedroom eyes, and easy smile, amateur boxer and Wall Street business man Jacob Krantz left Wall Street to cut a dashing figure on the silver screen for over five decades. Few knew that he was a Jewish man, when Paramount Pictures signed him in 1922, changed his name from Jacob Krantz to Ricardo Cortez, and widely publicized him as a “Latin lover” in the style of Rudolph Valentino, Antonio Moreno, and Ramon Navarro.    He worked in silent movies with top directors and stars, including  The Next Corner  (1924) with Lon Chaney, Cecil B. DeMille’s  Feet of Clay  (1924),  The Pony Express  (1925),  Torrent  (1926) with Greta Garbo, D. W. Griffith’s  The Sorrows of Satan  (1926),  Mockery  (1927) with Lon Chaney, and  Excess Baggage  (1928) with William Hanes.    Within six years, chaos took hold of topsy turvy Hollywood as the industry converted from silent movies to talking pictures, yet Cortez successfully transitioned through Frank Capra’s  The Younger Generation (1929),  Montana Moon  (1930) with Joan Crawford, as Sam Spade in the first film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s  The Maltese Falcon  (1931),  Wonder Bar  (1934) with Al Jolson,  The Big Shakedown  (1934) with Bette Davis,  Walking Dead  (1936) with Boris Karloff,  Charlie Chan in Reno  (1939), and John Ford’s  The Last Hurrah  (1958).   Renowned for his professionalism, and for his ability to play a wide range of characters in all genres, Cortez appeared in more than a hundred films and was recognized as one of the movies’ premier heavies in a rogue’s gallery of sexy wastrels and troublemakers, to more nefarious gangsters and maniacal murderers. In 1934, one astute critic proclaimed him “the magnificent heel.”   Relive his dramatic story, from his poverty-stricken childhood to Wall Street and on through Hollywood triumphs, tragedies, and scandals. The author draws from rare material gathered from key libraries and studio archives, much of which has never been published.   160 illustrations, including portraits, scene stills, and memorabilia from Cortez’ personal collection, including his last passport, scrapbook, a contract, and letters. Index, Bibliography, and extensive End Notes.   About the Dan Van Neste articles have appeared in  Classic Images  and  Films of the Golden Age,  and he is the author of  The Stepping Into the Shadows.  He currently lives in Lansing, Michigan.

Genres: Biography, Film, Nonfiction

590 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2017

About the author

A Michigan native, author, movie historian, biographer Dan Van Neste has penned over 50 major film related articles for a variety of publications during the past three decades. Best known for his movie star profiles in Classic Images and Films of the Golden Age magazines, his work has merited seven cover stories and often included original interviews with vintage filmmakers. He is the author of four books: "The Whistler: Stepping Into the Shadows," a salute to the influential, groundbreaking suspense film series produced by Columbia Pictures (1944-48), "The Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez" a critically acclaimed biography of the veteran movie actor, "They Coulda Been Contenders: Twelve Actors Who Should Have Become Cinematic Superstars" a detailed examination of the lives and careers of twelve extremely gifted, determined film actors who never achieved screen immortality, and "The Accidental Star: The Life and Films of Warner Baxter, a complete biography and thorough filmograhy of the Oscar winning Best Actor.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can remember watching "The Golden Years of Hollywood" a program screened on
Saturday nights back in the 1960s, 70s Australia and seeing "Wonder Bar" - Ricardo
Cortez' malevolent night club dancer made an indelible impression on me so I was
so looking forward to reading this one from Dan Van Neste - he's a stellar writer.
And this book didn't disappoint - the research is meticulous. And last but not least
the filmography section is what dreams are made of (to quote "The Maltese Falcon")
everything you want to know about all his films - cast, credits, synosis, reviews and
little gossipy tit bits about the film and it's players.
Ricardo was not a typical star struck kid who wanted movie fame above all else. He
was the eldest son in a family and with the death of his father, took the job of being
breadwinner very diligently. Methodical and measured Cortez was a very unlikely screen
star - he did steadily climb the rungs during the 1920s but his own sometimes abrasive
personality towards co-workers and fans alike meant that fame didn't come easily and
combined with a disastrous marriage to unstable Alma Rubens meant that by 1929 he
was just about finished. Then he received a cable informing him that there was a role
which would really suit him in a Helen Twelvetrees movie "Her Man" and he never looked
back.
He did look back and reflect in later years to modify his intense character to find lasting
happiness with a third wife. And I can give three cheers for Ricardo - he may not have
become the star with his name above the title that had been his life long dream but for fans
of pre-code films he is one of the most memorable of players. Whoever he played against
and no matter how supporting his role - he is usually the one you remember.
Some tantalizing bits - Was he wise to turn down "Underworld"? He may have been able
to forge a stronger career with Josef von Sternberg as his mentor - "Docks of New York",
"Thunderbolt" would have given him his elusive star status. AND did he really think he
was going to end up playing opposite Greta Garbo in "Love" after his boorish behaviour
to her only a year or so previously?

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book about a year or so ago and never posted it. Dan Van Neste has written a thoroughly researched and entertaining biography of Ricardo Cortez, an actor I was acquainted with best from pre code films like Big Business Girl, The Maltese Falcon and Midnight Mary among others. There’s so much more. An important addition to any film lover’s library.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extensively researched, well written biography on a largely forgotten star of the 20s and 30s. Cortez, born Jacob Krantz, played some interesting villain roles in pre-codes, and performed them well. A favorite film of mine is William Wellman's Midnight Mary where he played opposite Loretta Young. Includes a detailed film section at the end of the book.

An extra star for choosing Cortez as his subject, as up until the DVD market exploded and now many previously hard-to-find films can even be seen occasionally on youtube, Cortez was pretty much forgotten.

[Lama · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed awake past my bedtime to finish this fascinating book and write a review.
Without a doubt this book is one of the most informative and outstanding biographies l've ever read !!

I had read from many articles and websites about how cruel and egotistical Ricardo had been but I never realized how self-conscious and insecure he was.

I teared up reading about his early life in Hollywood and through the early thirties when alma published her biography with harsh and unjustified mentions of him it really made me sad and I couldn't help but wonder how much misery and suffering he must have endured during that time. I’m sure it was the toughest time he had ever been through.
Yet, he always managed to work through it which makes me very proud and happy to see him become the man he always wanted to be.
A heartfelt thanks to the author-I can't wait to dive into his other books!