Rita Hayworth
![Hayworth by Bob Coburn, 1948](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Rita_Hayworth_1940s.jpg)
Hayworth is perhaps best known for her performance in the 1946 film noir ''Gilda'', opposite Glenn Ford, in which she played the ''femme fatale'' in her first major dramatic role. She is also known for her performances in ''Only Angels Have Wings'' (1939), ''The Strawberry Blonde'' (1941), ''Blood and Sand'' (1941), ''The Lady from Shanghai'' (1947), ''Pal Joey'' (1957), and ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Fred Astaire, with whom she made two films, ''You'll Never Get Rich'' (1941) and ''You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942), once called her his favorite dance partner. She also starred in the Technicolor musical ''Cover Girl'' (1944), with Gene Kelly. She is listed as one of the top 25 female motion picture stars of all time in the American Film Institute's survey, AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars.
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Hayworth received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1645 Vine Street in 1960.
In 1980, Hayworth was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, which contributed to her death in 1987 at age 68. The public disclosure and discussion of her illness drew attention to Alzheimer's, and helped to increase public and private funding for research into the disease. Provided by Wikipedia