The guest artist from the Bay Area, Ana Ramrez Gonzalez, illustrated today’s Doodle in honour of Mexican American actress Myrtle Gonzalez. In just five years, from 1913 to 1917, Myrtle Gonzalez appeared in an amazing 80 silent movies. One of Myrtle Gonzalez’s most well-known pictures, The Level, was released on this day in 1914.
Gonzalez was born on September 28, 1891, in Los Angeles, California. She had a great soprano voice and as a little child frequently sang in church and at neighbourhood charity events.
Gonzalez seized the opportunity to get engaged in film when movie production moved from New York to Los Angeles, which provided more varied picturesque backdrops for filmmakers. Before joining the silent film company Vitagraph Company of America, she took part in a few regional productions. There, she made her screen debut in the movie The Yellow Streak.
After a while, she moved to Universal Studios where she appeared in movies including The Girl of Lost Lake and The Secret of the Swamp. The brave, outdoorsy heroes she portrayed frequently lived in the wild, so the city girl had to become used to shooting in dangerous new environments. Gonzalez once performed in three feet of snow, as depicted in the day’s Doodle!
Gonzalez, who was proud of her Hispanic roots, played strong women who overcame adversity with grace and courage throughout her acting career.
A few of her films were preserved by the Library of Congress, while the most of her work was lost over time. One of the first Latina actors to enter Hollywood, she is remembered for this.
