Latinos have been a part of the cinematic experience from the very beginning. Many of the actors back then were Mexican-born American or of Mexican descent. It wasn't until about the 1940's that Puerto Ricans became a part of the Old Hollywood landscape.
Just for background information, Puerto Ricans are Americans as Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States. As a U.S. territory, it is neither a state nor an independent country. It was in the 1940's and 1950's that many from the island of Puerto Rico came to the States in droves. My own paternal grandparents came to New York in the 1940's. My grandfather fought in WWII and in 1949 they had their first child, my father.
As more Puerto Ricans began to pursue careers in the arts, more were scene on the big screens as well as the small screens. Probably the most famous Puerto Rican Old Hollywood actors on this list are Jose Ferrer and Rita Moreno.
The actors on this list forged through many challenges trying to find roles that weren't typecasting them but eventually they all created incredible careers. I really enjoyed putting this post together because I discovered a few Puerto Rican actors that I never heard of before.
Here are ten Puerto Ricans that were in classic films:
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