80 Years Ago, Rita Hayworth Dazzled Audiences in ‘Gilda’: See 11 Rare Photos From the Set of the 1946 Classic

Rita Hayworth was one of the most stunning stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and few films captured her appeal quite like Gilda. The 1946 drama, which stars Hayworth as the title character, a femme fatale at the center of a seedy love triangle, celebrates its 80th anniversary this April, and it remains one of the most recognizable works of the film noir genre. It’s no small feat that Hayworth’s performance still dazzles so many decades later, and the confidence she projected onscreen has inspired countless actresses in her wake. In honor of Gilda’s big anniversary, we’re taking a look back at rare photos from the set of the classic film.

1. In the hot seat

In this portrait from the set, Rita Hayworth peers over her shoulder while perched in a director’s chair. At the time, Hayworth was primarily known for her roles in musical comedies, and the film’s trailblazing producer, Virginia Van Upp, one of Hollywood’s only female executives at the time, saw Gilda as a gritty yet glamorous vehicle to show off the star’s range.

2. An unlikely visitor

Gilda takes place in a world filled with gambling and adultery—not quite the place where you’d expect to see an iconic child star!—but here, none other than Shirley Temple, then 17, visits Hayworth on set.

3. Ready to roll

Here, Hayworth gets a quick makeup touchup as the film’s cinematographer, Rudolph Maté (at left), checks his lenses and the director, Charles Vidor (at right), takes a cigarette break. Vidor helped make Hayworth a star two years prior to Gilda when he directed her in the Technicolor 1944 musical Cover Girl.

4. Charismatic costars

Glenn Ford plays Gilda’s former flame, and as you can see from this set photo, he’s utterly enchanted by Hayworth. At the time, Hayworth was married to Citizen Kane filmmaker Orson Welles, but she began an affair with Ford during the making of Gilda, and they had an on-and-off relationship until the early ’80s.

5. Strike a pose

In this moody shot, Hayworth poses as Vidor gives her direction and a camera assistant checks the lighting. The star’s strapless black gown is instantly recognizable, and the film’s costume designer, Jean Louis, called it “the most famous dress I ever made.”

6. Picture perfect

Here, Hayworth is all smiles as she looks at an oversized book of pictures with photographer Robert Coburn. Coburn specialized in glamour portraits of Hollywood stars, and a photo he took of Hayworth vamping while smoking a cigarette was used to promote the film.

7. Not a hair out of place

Rita Hayworth was famous for her red hair, and her glossy, voluminous waves in Gilda led many women to emulate her look. Here, a hairdresser carefully adjusts her tresses in between takes. Hayworth, born Margarita Carmen Cansino, was of Spanish descent, and in a sad sign of Hollywood’s prejudice, she was made to dye her naturally dark hair and get electrolysis on her hairline in order to fit the beauty standards of the day.

8. Gossiping with the director

We wish we knew what Hayworth and Vidor were talking about in this candid from Gilda’s set! According to the biography Rita: The Life of Rita Hayworth by Joe Morella and Edward Z. Epstein, “Vidor knew just how to create the proper climate and coax the right performances from his stars. Sometimes, after Vidor had explained, in the most graphic terms, what the lovers should be thinking, he would say to Rita and Glenn, ‘Loosen up, children.’” Given Hayworth’s sassy expression, maybe they’d just shot one of those very scenes.

9. Running lines

In classic Hollywood, women often worked behind the scenes as “script girls” who oversaw continuity in screenplays (this position, which still exists, is now known as script supervisor or continuity supervisor). Here, Hayworth sits with Gilda’s script girl, Dorothy Cummings, and the dialogue director, Harold Clifton, as she practices her lines.

10. Rhinestone cowgirl

In her role as a seductive lounge singer, Hayworth wears a variety of fabulous costumes, including this cowgirl ensemble. Here, she looks charmed by Ford, and looking back on when they costarred, the actor said, “I loved her very deeply at that time.”

11. Lost in thought

In this photo, Rita Hayworth looks pensive during a coffee break on set. While Gilda became her defining role, she had mixed feelings about it and lamented, “Every man I’ve known has fallen in love with Gilda and awakened with me.”