One of Columbia Pictures’ major achievements during the 1940s was the casting of Rita Hayworth in the title role of Gilda (1946). Hayworth, who already was the reigning pinup star for thousands ...

Pal Joey is a strong, funny entertainment. ... Hayworth, no longer the ingenue, moves with authority as Joey’s sponsor and does the ‘Zip’ song visuals in such fiery, ...

Rita Hayworth poses "on her own bed in her own home" (as LIFE magazine put it), 1941. Bob Landry—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Not published in LIFE. Rita Hayworth on the beach, 1941.

“Pal Joey,” with a book originally by John O’Hara based on stories he had written for The New Yorker, is the rare Broadway musical that centers on an antihero, and is often described as cynical.

NEW YORK — Rita Hayworth, the legendary Hollywood beauty who rose to international fame in the 1940s and 1950s, died here Thursday night of Alzheimer’s disease, a family spokesman announced ...