In the 1950s, a Hollywood director invited a famous actor from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema to work on a movie filmed in Mexico; The Bullfighter and the Lady (1951). The actor’s name was Katy Jurado. She then was asked to join the cast of High Noon (1952), filmed in the US. If you’ve seen that classic Western, she was “María,” a business owner and the former love interest of the character played by Gary Cooper. María gives key relationship advice central to motivating the character played by Grace Kelly. The film was only the second time Jurado acted in English. As she was still learning the language, she memorized her lines phonetically. She was taking daily English lessons and knew the translations by heart, as we can see by her moving performance. Katy Jurado won the Golden Globe in 1952, for Best Supporting Actress in the film.
En los 1950, un director de Hollywood invitó a una actriz famosa de la Edad de oro del cine mexicano a trabajar en una película norteamericana en México; The Bullfighter and the Lady (El torero y la dama 1951) El nombre de la actriz era Katy Jurado. Entonces, otro director la invitó a trabajar en High Noon (Al mediodía 1952) en los EEUU. Si has visto este Western clásico, ella era María, una dueña de negocio y amante previa del personaje interpretado por Gary Cooper. María da un consejo sobre las parejas central para motivar a la personaje de Grace Kelly. La película sólo era la segunda vez que Jurado interpretó una personaje en inglés. Como todavía no captaba muy bien el idioma, memorizó sus frases foneticamente. Tomaba lecciones de inglés diarias y sabía las traducciones de memoria, como podemos ver en su interpretación emocionante. Katy Jurado ganó el Golden Globe (El Premio globo dorado) en 1952 por mejor actriz de reparto por su actuación en está película.
Born María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García in Mexico; she had a long career in her home country and the United States. In 1954, she earned an Academy Award nomination for her acting in Broken Lance. She worked on Broadway, including the play The Red Devil Battery Sign, by Tennessee Williams in 1973. She won the prestigious Ariel Award in Mexico (an award similar to an Oscar) also in 1973 for her role in the Mexican film Fé, esperanza y caridad. Jurado won three Ariel Awards in her lifetime, one for best actress and two for best supporting actress. In the US, she worked frequently in Westerns and won the Golden Boot award in 1992.
Nació María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García en México; tenía una carrera larga en su país natal y en los Estados Unidos. En 1954, fue nominada para el premio Academy por su rol en Broken Lance. Trabajó en Broadway también, incluso la obra del teatro de Tennessee Williams, The Red Devil Battery Sign. (El letrero de la pila del diablo rojo) en 1973. Ella ganó el premio Ariel en México por su rol en Fé, esperanza y caridad (1973). Jurado ganó tres premios Arieles en su vida, uno para mejor actriz y dos para mejor actriz de reparto. En los EEUU, trabajaba mucho en películas Westerns y ganó the Golden Boot Award (el Premio bota de oro) en 1992.
Katy Jurado was an important actor in paving the way for more Latinas and Latin Americans in the US film industry. She has a Walk of Fame star in Durango, Mexico and in Hollywood.
Katy Jurado era una actriz importante en preparar el camino para más Latinas y Latinoamericanas en la industria de cine en los Estados Unidos. Tiene una estrella de fama en Durango, México y en Hollywood.

¡Olé! –Rebecca

What an interesting piece of Hollywood history! Thank you for this post about an actress I’d never knew by name before.
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Thanks, Wynne. I was thrilled to see her great role when we happened to watch High noon.
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Very inspiring
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Thanks, Sadje. Her career was impressive.
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Very much so.
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I like that your highlight amazing women Every week.
Can I suggest some Indian women? Who made an impact on the history?
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Thank you, Devang. I would like a list of important Indian women from you so that I may read more about them. My focus for this site is Spanish, Latin American and Indigenous cultures of the Americas.
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There are many women. I would suggest some names.
You need to to share about them.
Feel free to read about them.
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Learning lines phonetically is a real challenge all on its own. Impressive stuff.
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Yes, I agree Margaret and she said those lines like she owned them.
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What a challenge that must’ve been for her, but she took it on. Good for her!
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Jurado had a strong and determined character.
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Really interesting post, Rebecca. Thanks!
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Thank you, Susan. Glad you liked it. We can learn so much from women pioneers in their careers.
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Thank you for sharing this interesting history with us! I enjoy learning from you.
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Thanks, Michele. I appreciate it very much.
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It’s one thing to be a successful actress in one’s native language, let alone in a foreign one! To learn her lines phonetically (and not necessarily understanding what she was reciting) is serious skills. Congrats to Katy Jurado!
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Thanks, Rebecca. It was amazing, but then she had already begun her acting career a decade earlier in Mexico. I like Grace Kelly, but in this film she was looking wet behind the ears compared to Jurado’s powerful performance!
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Hi, Rebecca – I continue to learn a great deal from your posts. Thank you!
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You are very kind, thanks.
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Wow what a stunning woman and I learned so much! Thanks for sharing Rebecca. I’ll have to look up some of her work now.
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Thanks, LaShelle. High Noon is a real classic. It takes it’s time setting up the tension, but then it delivers, as does Katy Jurado!
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I’ll have to download it!
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