Movita Castaneda facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Movita Castaneda
Castaneda in Wolf Call (1939)
Born	Maria Luisa Castaneda (1916-04-12)April 12, 1916 Nogales, Arizona, U.S.
Died	February 12, 2015(2015-02-12) (aged 98) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Movita
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1930–1989
Spouse(s)	Jack Doyle ​ ​ (m. 1939; div. 1944)​ Marlon Brando ​ ​ (m. 1960; ann. 1968)​
Children	2

Maria Luisa Castaneda (born April 12, 1916 – died February 12, 2015) was an American actress. She was also known as Movita. She became famous for playing characters from different cultures and for her singing roles. Movita was the second wife of the famous actor Marlon Brando. She appeared in movies like Flying Down to Rio (1933) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). She was the mother of Miko Castaneda Brando and Rebecca Brando Kotlizky.

Her Life and Acting Career

Movita Castaneda in Paradise Isle (1937)

Movita was born in Nogales, Arizona. Her family had Mexican roots. She was actually born on a train that was traveling between Mexico and Arizona!

Movita started her acting journey in 1933. Her first big role was singing "the Carioca" in the movie Flying Down to Rio. This film was special because it was the first time the famous dance duo Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire danced together on screen.

Throughout the 1930s, Movita often played characters from different parts of the world. She appeared in both American and Spanish-language films. One of her most memorable roles was as Tehanni, a girl from Tahiti, in the 1935 movie Mutiny on the Bounty. She acted alongside big stars like Clark Gable. She also played island girls in movies such as Paradise Isle (1937) and Girl from Rio (1939).

In 1941, Movita starred in a British thriller called Tower of Terror. After a short break from acting, she returned to play a cook in the western film Fort Apache (1948). She then appeared in two more westerns with actor Tim Holt: The Mysterious Desperado (1949) and Saddle Legion (1951).

In 1939, Movita married Jack Doyle, who was an Irish boxer, singer, and actor. Their marriage did not last. Later, in the late 1950s, she met actor Marlon Brando. They got married in 1960 and had two children together. Interestingly, Marlon Brando later starred in the 1962 remake of Mutiny on the Bounty. This was the same movie that Movita had been in back in 1935! Movita continued to act in small roles on television. From 1987 to 1989, she played the character Ana in 17 episodes of the TV show Knots Landing.

Her Later Years and Death

Movita Castaneda passed away on February 12, 2015, in Los Angeles. She was almost 99 years old. She had been in the hospital because of a neck injury.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Movita Castaneda para niños