Jacqueline Dalya

Not too many film buffs may remember the name Jacqueline Dalya, but she was famous enough to be mobbed by 'bobby-soxers' in March 1947 while attending a Broadway premiere at the Tivoli, ending up in hospital with a broken skull. In fact, in the 40's and 50's, Jackie was a vivacious supporting actress who sometimes played second fiddle (for example, to Betty Grable in Wabash Avenue (1950)) and on rare occasions got to climb up higher on the bill as the nominal love interest to second feature stars like William Lundigan. Fluent in Spanish, she was often cast as exotic Latina dancers or singers and was able to secure at least one prominent starring role alongside Cantinflas in the Mexican comedy Gran Hotel (1944). Jackie claimed fluency in several other languages, reputedly acquired in her erstwhile profession as a department store salesgirl. Since her screen credits alternated drastically between fourth of fifth billed roles and 'no name' bit parts, she wisely diversified into other ende