"I've had a lot of unhappiness in my life - and a lot of happiness. Who doesn't?" (Rita Hayworth)

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

Rita Hayworth's life and career remain fascinating to both the general public and avid movie fans alike. Even people with just a casual interest in movies appreciate her performances in films such as Gilda (1946), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), and Salome (1953), and few actresses could rival Hayworth's popularity during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Indeed, many of her most famous films are still enjoyed by viewers from around the world even today, and with her acting career spanning nearly 50 years, few viewers are not familiar with at least some of Hayworth's films, particularly since she appeared in films of a wide variety of genres. In addition Hayworth is also famously remembered for her status as one of the premier pin-up girls of World War II, with countless American soldiers who fought overseas carrying pin-up photos of Hayworth with them at all times. Even if she was never awarded an Academy Award, Hayworth remains extremely popular today, and it was no surprise that she was named one of the top 100 actresses of the 20th century by the American Film Institute in 1999.