"Rita Shaw" redirects here. For the American character actress, see Reta Shaw.
"Rita Ray" redirects here. For Scottish lawyer and judge, see Rita Rae, Lady Rae.
African American actress, singer and dancer passing as non-Black (1914–1989)
Dona Drake
Drake in Kansas City Confidential (1952)
Born
Eunice Westmoreland
(1914-11-15)November 15, 1914
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Died
June 20, 1989(1989-06-20) (aged 74)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names
Una Novella
Rita Novella
Rita Rio
Una Velon (or Una Villon)
Rita Shaw
Dona Travilla
Occupations
Actress
singer
dancer
Years active
1933–1977
Spouse
William Travilla
(m. 1944)
Children
1
Dona Drake (/DO-nə DRAYK/ November 15, 1914 – June 20, 1989) was an American singer, dancer, and film actress in the 1930s and 1940s. She was typically being cast in ethnic roles including Latin American and Middle Easterners. Drake often presented herself as Mexican and went by the names Una Novella[1] and Rita Novella. As Rita Rio, she led a touring all-girl orchestra in the early 1940s, also known as "Dona Drake and her Girl Band",[citation needed] among other names for her musical and dance acts.
^Lowrance, Dee (September 13, 1942). "Triple Threat Trio From the Torrid Zone". The Montana Standard. Montana, Butte. Every Week Magazine. p. 28. Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
DonaDrake (/DO-nə DRAYK/ November 15, 1914 – June 20, 1989) was an American singer, dancer, and film actress in the 1930s and 1940s. She was typically...
feature films, the last being the 1944 musical feature Hot Rhythm with DonaDrake. In 1946, Irene married Harold E. Knox, who worked in film production...
Travilla married actress DonaDrake in Santa Monica, California. The couple had a daughter, Nia, in August 1951. Travilla and Drake separated in 1956 but...
Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, and featuring Anthony Quinn and DonaDrake. Written by Frank Butler and Don Hartman and directed by David Butler...
eight films and said they had a brief affair. In 1954, while his wife DonaDrake was on vacation, he designed the white cocktail dress Monroe wore. According...
A. L. Diamond. It stars Ronald Reagan, Virginia Mayo, Eddie Bracken, DonaDrake, Henry Travers and Lois Wilson. The film was released by Warner Bros....
Irving Cummings Jr. and Robert G. North. The film stars Kent Taylor, DonaDrake, Tala Birell, Leonard Strong, Rex Evans and Robert Barrat. The film was...
comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Robert Lowery, DonaDrake, and the radio and vaudeville team of Tim and Irene (Tim Ryan and Irene...
Left Foot 17 John Matuszak 38 US Actor The Goonies North Dallas Forty 20 DonaDrake 74 US Actress Road to Morocco Dangerous Millions 27 Jack Buetel 73 US...
Alfonso Bedoya Bedoya (right) with DonaDrake, in Fortunes of Captain Blood (1950) Born April 16, 1904 Vícam, Mexico Died December 15, 1957 (aged 53) Mexico...
Brand as Boyd Kane Lee Van Cleef as Tony Romano Jack Elam as Pete Harris DonaDrake as Teresa Mario Siletti as Tomaso Howard Negley as Andrews Carleton Young...
DonaDrake and Slim Pickens. The film's art direction was by Frank Arrigo. Rex Allen as Rex Allen Koko as Koko, Rex's Horse Slim Pickens as Slim Dona...
American Western film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Keith Larsen, DonaDrake and Peggie Castle. The film's sets were designed by the art direction...
Charles Kemper as Thomas "Arkansas" Jones Noah Beery Jr. as Little Bill DonaDrake as Cattle Annie Robert Barrat as Marshal Heck Thomas Lee Patrick as Melissa...
Shalimar / Taura Jeffrey Hunter as Prince Haidi Michael Rennie as Rama Khan DonaDrake as Mirva Michael Ansara as Captain Kral Edgar Barrier as Shaman Wally...
Latimer Ruth Roman as Carol Minor Watson as Moose Regis Toomey as Sorren DonaDrake as Jenny Sarah Selby as Mildred Sorren Ann Doran - Uncredited Eve Miller...
Doran Philip Dorn Jimmy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey Melvyn Douglas Billie Dove DonaDrake Paul Draper Louise Dresser Ellen Drew Margaret Dumont Steffi Duna Katherine...
Brown as soldier Frank Puglia as Ortega Thurston Hall as Henry Baldwin DonaDrake as Dolores Ortega Fernando Alvarado as Mexican boy Charles Arnt as salesman...
Jane Rhodes as Judy Macdonald Carey as Buzz Marty May as Jimmy Gates DonaDrake as herself Noel Neill as Gracie O'Connor Cliff Edwards as Foggy Jules...
Shift" – sung and danced by Marjorie Reynolds, Betty Jane Rhodes and DonaDrake "Sharp as a Tack" – sung by Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Katherine Dunham...
which time Farnum had become a well-known screenwriter for silent films. DonaDrake was reported to be his partner in early 1941. She later was a tenant at...
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