Celebrity Biographies
Olga Saint John
Olga San Juan sang and danced in the movies with Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. The Puerto Rican actress died of cardiac arrest at Saint Joseph Hospital in Burbank (California). “She was the first Puerto Rican actress to get substantial roles, far from the mere stereotype, and she represented us with great dignity and pride,” said Miluka Rivera, who directed her in the short Hollywood Latinos Offspring .
In reality, although her family was of Puerto Rican origin, the actress was born in Brooklyn (New York) on March 16, 1927. From a very young age she dedicated herself to being a professional dancer and performed in legendary venues such as the Copacabana in New York. She was also hired on the radio, as a singer, before being signed to the movies, during World War II, for musical comedies, such as Rainbow Island , with Dorothy Lamour , and Blue Sky , in which she shared the bill with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire . She also had a breakout performance on Star Magazine , made up of cameo appearances by big stars like Gary Cooper , Bing Crosby,Bob Hope , Alan Ladd , and Barbara Stanwyck . She also had prominent supporting roles in two of Ava Gardner ‘s biggest hits : Venus Was a Woman and The Barefoot Contessa .
In 1948, Olga San Juan married Edmond O’Brien, an actor in titles such as Seven Days in May , although they ended up divorcing in 1976. They had three children, two of whom, Maria O’Brien and Brendan O’Brien, have continued in the footsteps of their parents and dedicate themselves to interpretation. Olga San Juan’s last work was Allo, le habla el asesino , a 1960 thriller, in which she played a prostitute.