MORALES, GRACITA

(1929-1995)

Gracita Morales was among the most popular character actresses of the 1960s, specializing in droll, working-class types, and fondly remembered for her mannered, emphatic diction. She was born in Madrid to a theatrical family, and did extensive stage work before her film debut in 1954 withElena. This followed on her great stage success in Terence Rattigan'sThe Prince and the Showgirl, in which she played the role that Marilyn Monroe would make famous on screen.

With her shrill voice and recurrent malapropisms, Gracita Morales became a predictable presence in supporting parts, specializing in maids just arrived from the village in films likeProhibido enamorarse(Keep out of Love, José Antonio Nieves Conde, 1961) andCasi un caballero(Almost a Gentleman, José Maria Forqué, 1964).In the mid-1960s, she was at the peak of her popularity and starred in the successful comedySor Citroen(Sister Citroen, Pedro Lazaga, 1967), about a nun who learns to drive and causes havoc in Madrid's streets. She also starred in a series of adventure comedies with José Luis López Vázquez.Los Palomos(The Pigeon Couple, 1964), based on a successful play by Alfonso Paso, andCómo casarse en siete días(How to Marry in Seven Days, 1971), are among the most accomplished of her films, and in both she was directed by Fernando Fernán Gómez. Also with López Vázquez,Operación Mata-Hari(Operation Mata-Hari, Mariano Ozores, 1968), parodied secret agent plots andUn vampiro para dos(A Vampire for Two, Pedro Lazaga, 1965) poked fun at horror films. Into the "comediadesarrollista" period, her image and style remained unchanged in films likeOperación cabaretera(Operation Cabaret Singer, Mariano Ozores, 1967), to date one of the biggest box-office hits of Spanish cinema, andObjetivo Bikini(Target:Bikini, Mariano Ozores, 1968). Her limited screen persona meant eventually tired audiences, and she worked very seldom (and always in brief appearances) after the Transition.