Antonio Moreno, a Spanish-born actor, was a notable rival to Rudolph Valentino in the 1920s as the epitome of the suave and smoldering "Latin Lover" type.
Born Antonio Garrido Monteagudo in Madrid, Moreno arrived in America at the age of fourteen and began his working life as an employee of the Northhampton Electric Light and Gas Company.
He initially acted on stage under the tutelage of Maude Adams, whose theatre he had visited to fix the lighting, and then made his way to Hollywood in 1912.
Moreno's motion picture debut was at Rex-Universal, followed by a stint as a top draw card for Vitagraph until 1921, earning him the nickname "King of the Cliff-hangers" due to his prolific work in serials, often co-starring with Pearl White.
He then signed contracts with Famous Players Lasky/Paramount from 1923 to 1924 and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1926, becoming one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.
However, the advent of sound pictures led to a sharp decline in his career, partly due to his heavy Spanish accent, and he eventually transitioned to character parts, remaining gainfully employed in the industry until the late 1950s.
Moreno has a star on the iconic Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard.
He was married to Daisy Danziger, the daughter of an oil millionaire, from 1923 until her tragic death in a car crash near Mulholland Drive in 1933.
Their lavish mansion, "Paramour", was one of the largest in Hollywood and the site of many famous parties.
