Lillian Molieri Bermúdez

Lillian Molieri Bermúdez (18 January 1925 – 13 September 1980) was a Nicaraguan actress and dancer. She was noted for her minor roles in Hollywood films and TV series between 1944 and 1957, though most of them went uncredited. She later became a dancer and dance instructor and was honored with the Monje de Oro in 1966 for her radio show.

Early life Lillian Molieri Bermúdez was born in Managua to Mélida Bermúdez and L. Arturo Molieri. Her father was the president of the Nicaraguan National Bank. Her family was of Italian descent, but had lived in Nicaragua for three generations prior to Molieri's birth. The oldest daughter in the family, Completing her high school education, Molieri traveled in Europe learning French and Italian. She was discovered by Paramount while at university and offered her first movie role in 1944.

Career

Her first appearance was in The Princess and the Pirate (1944).

Because of typecasting, Molieri was often limited to roles where she played stereotypical parts as an exotic, foreign woman. She was often assigned bit parts, like in Valentino, with Anthony Dexter. Dexter became her dancing partner and he and Molieri performed routines which toured from the Midwest to Miami. The duo mainly performed Spanish or South American dances, but also included tap and ballroom dancing in their repertoire. She also performed in several television roles, most noted was her appearance as "Carlota Romero", Ricky Ricardo's long-lost Cuban girlfriend in an episode of I Love Lucy. Her last film was The Three Runaways (1956) and Molieri instituted divorce proceedings to dissolve her marriage with the Catholic Church. She opened a dance studio and performed and taught in Nicaragua from the 1960s. She also hosted a weekly radio show, Aquí con Lillian Molieri (Here with Lillian Molieri), beginning in 1965. The show was an hour-long broadcast on National Radio,

Death and legacy Molieri died at her home in Managua at age 55 in 1980. She is remembered as one of the first Nicaraguan actors to perform in Hollywood.

Filmography

The Princess and the Pirate (1944) as Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) South of the Rio Grande (1945) as Dolores Gonzalez Tarzan and the Leopard Woman (1946) as Zambesi Maiden (uncredited) People Are Funny (1946) as Singer – 'Hey Jose' (uncredited) Anna and the King of Siam (1946) as Wife of King (uncredited) The Stranger (1946) (uncredited) Forever Amber (1947) as Queen Catherine (uncredited) The Lost Moment (1947) as girl (uncredited) Hellfire (1949) as Mexican saloon girl (uncredited) Neptune's Daughter (1949) as cigarette girl (uncredited) Holiday in Havana (1949) as Felicia (uncredited) A Lady Without Passport (1950) as girl (uncredited) South of Caliente (1950) as gypsy dancer Anne of the Indies (1951) as slave girl (uncredited) My Favorite Spy (1951) as girl (uncredited) Dangerous Assignment: The Burma Temple Story (1952) (TV Series) as Linya My Man and I (1952) as Bride (uncredited) Hopalong Cassidy: The Knife of Carlos Valero (1952) (TV Series) as Trini The Ring (1952) as Helen Cantanios Horizons West (1952) as Teresa (uncredited) The Adventures of Kit Carson (1951–52) as Conchita/Rosita Salvadore/Maria Adventures of the Falcon: Tangiers Finale (1954) (TV Series) as Carmencita Big Town: The Consulate (1954) (TV Series) as Francesca Stories of the Century: Tiburcio Vasquez (1954) (TV Series) as Dolores Vasquez Green Fire (1954) as Mexican girl (uncredited) Strange Lady in Town (1955) as Sister Delphine (uncredited) Lux Video Theatre: The Great McGinty (1955) (TV Series) as girl at bar Hell's Island (1955) as girl at Juke Box The Cisco Kid: He Couldn't Quit (1956) (TV Series) as gypsy The Man Called X: Embassy (1956) (TV Series) Serenade (1956) as Tosca in 'Tosca' (uncredited) The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) as Mrs. Morteno The Three Outlaws (1956) as Rita Aguilar I Love Lucy (1953, 1956) (TV Series) Crossroads: Jhonakehunkga Called Jim (1957) (TV Series) as Katira