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Don Alvarado

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Don Alvarado
in I Live For Love (1935)
Born
José Ray Paige

(1904-11-04)November 4, 1904
DiedMarch 31, 1967(1967-03-31) (aged 62)
Other namesDon Page
Occupation(s)Actor, assistant director, production manager
Years active1924–1958
SpouseAnn Boyar (1924–1932/33; divorced)
ChildrenJoy Page

Don Alvarado (born José Ray Paige, November 4, 1904[1] – March 31, 1967) was an American actor, assistant director and film production manager.

Life and career

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Alvarado was born Jose Paige[2][3] in Albuquerque, New Mexico,[4]

Studio head Jack L. Warner developed a relationship with Alvarado's wife and convinced her to file for divorce using what used to be called a "quickie divorce" conveniently available in Mexico. She did so by August 1932.[5][6]

Alvarado got his first uncredited silent film part in the 1924 film, Mademoiselle Midnight. With the studio capitalizing on his "Latin Lover" looks, Alvarado was quickly cast in secondary and then leading roles. With the advent of talkies, this all but ended his starring roles. He did, however, manage to work regularly, usually cast in secondary Spanish character roles, such as in the 1929 Thornton Wilder adaptation of The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Alvarado appeared on stage in Dinner At Eight at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles in 1933.

In 1939, using the name "Don Page" for screen credit purposes, he began working as an assistant director for Warner Bros. and a few years later as a production manager. In these capa ties he was part of the team that made a number of highly successful films including The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause in 1955, and in 1958 his final film work, The Old Man and the Sea.

Death

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Alvarado died of cancer on March 31, 1967, aged 62, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills.[1]

For his contributions to the film industry, Alvarado has a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard.[7]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-0983-9. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "Actor Tires Of Romances Upon Screen". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. June 9, 1929. p. 24. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Wollstein, Hans J. "Don Alvarado". AllMovie. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  4. ^ "The Modern Screen Directory (Players)". The Modern Screen Magazine. 1 (1): 6. November 1930. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  5. ^ Gabler, Neal (1989). An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-26557-3.
  6. ^ Thomas, Bob (1990). Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-064259-1.
  7. ^ "Hollywood Walk of Fame - Don Alvarado". walkoffame.com. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. February 8, 1960. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
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