Armida

Biography

Tiny, emotive Latino beauty who was 'discovered' singing and dancing in an act with her two sisters at the Los Angeles Hidalgo theatre. Theatrical impresario and star maker Gus Edwards recognised her talent and took her under his wing. She soon made her entrance on the vaudeville circuit in novelty numbers and skits, while at the same time being groomed for Hollywood. Having accompanied Edwards to MGM, she went on to perform two typically Mexican numbers in her screen debut in Mexicana (1929) which also featured Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra. Her vivaciousness and fiery temperament so impressed John Barrymore that he cast her to appear with him as the gypsy dancer Fidelia in General Crack (1929). Eighteen-year old Armida was then offered a five-year contract with Warner Brothers. This had to be ratified in court, with her father Joaquin Vendrell (a Spanish-born magician, calling himself Arnold the Great) acting as guardian. For the remainder of her career in films, Armida was usually cast as 'specialty dancer' in south-of-the-border westerns and minor romances. In the musical La Conga Nights (1940) she famously warbled the traditional song La Cucaracha ('the cockroach'). While her singing and dancing kept her busy in films, it did not lead her becoming another Lupe Velez. One of her few leading roles was in The Girl from Monterrey (1943), a failed attempt by Poverty Row studio PRC at creating their own 'Mexican Spitfire'. Armida's one notable appearance on Broadway was in 'Nina Rosa' (1930-31), a Sigmund Romberg/Otto A. Harbach musical which ran for 137 performances.