There’s something magical about the way Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth’s lives intertwined. They met by pure chance long before either of them became household names. But their connection deepened when they were cast together as fiery lovers in the 1946 film Gilda. The chemistry between them wasn’t just for the cameras—it ignited a real-life romance that lasted far beyond the credits rolling. This wasn’t just a fleeting Hollywood fling; it was a bond that endured despite the chaos and complications of their personal lives.
For Rita Hayworth, the world knew her as “Hollywood’s Love Goddess,” a title she earned thanks to her iconic role in Gilda. But to Glenn Ford, she was much more than that. She was, quite simply, the love of his life. Even though they weren’t always together formally, their connection was undeniable. As Peter Ford, Glenn’s only child and author of Glenn Ford: A Life, told Closer, “It was a relationship that lasted many, many decades.” And let’s face it, in Hollywood, that’s saying something.
Two Stars, Many Marriages
Rita Hayworth, born Margarita Carmen Cansino in Brooklyn, was no stranger to the altar. Over the years, she married five times, including high-profile unions with Prince Ali Salman Aga Khan, vocalist Dick Haymes, and the legendary filmmaker Orson Welles. Orson, in fact, was so smitten with her beauty that he declared he would marry her before they even met. Talk about dedication!
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Meanwhile, Glenn Ford, who hailed from Canada but grew up in Santa Monica, had his own share of marriages—four, to be exact. Among his wives were Peter’s mother, dancer Eleanor Powell, and later, soap actress Kathryn Hays. If you thought that was all, think again. Glenn’s romantic entanglements didn’t stop there. His list of conquests reads like a Who’s Who of Hollywood’s Golden Age. From Gene Tierney and Judy Garland to Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, and Marilyn Monroe, it seems like every leading lady fell under his spell. “He was a bad boy,” Peter admits. “He got involved with a lot of the ladies he worked with. That’s not anything that I’m proud of, but that’s the reality.”
A Love That Endured Through It All
Despite their respective marriages and affairs, Glenn’s love for Rita never wavered. In fact, it only deepened over time. In 1960, Glenn made a bold move that showed just how serious he was about being close to her. He purchased the lot next to the Beverly Hills home Rita shared with her last husband, screenwriter James Hill. It’s believed that Rita herself tipped him off about the property—and possibly about her own feelings.
“That’s where he built his dream house,” Peter explains. “The day after he finished that house and moved into it, she filed for divorce. The two of them were back together again.” To make things even more convenient, Glenn installed a little gate in the back of his property so Rita could easily come over whenever she wanted. She spent a lot of time lounging by his pool, and they were practically inseparable. In 1972, Rita publicly declared Glenn “the best neighbor a woman ever had.”
Gilda: A Film to Remember
Throughout his illustrious six-decade career, Glenn starred in countless films, but one always stood out in his heart: Gilda. According to Peter, it wasn’t just any movie for his dad. “It was the film that gave him stardom, and he used to say that any film with Rita Hayworth in it he liked doing.” In a 1990 documentary on Rita, Glenn opened up about his feelings, admitting, “I loved her very deeply at that time.”
And that love only grew stronger as the years went by. When Rita was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 1981, Glenn was there for her every step of the way. As Adrienne McLean, author of Being Rita Hayworth: Labor, Identity, and Hollywood Stardom, notes, “Glenn, I know, helped her out in the later stages.” When Rita passed away in 1987 at the age of 68, Glenn was one of the pallbearers who laid her to rest. “He was very protective of her,” McLean adds. “They were allies.” And as Rita once declared to Glenn in Gilda, “There’s never been anybody but you and me.”
— Frank DeCaro, with reporting by Katie Bruno
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