Rita Christiani
Biography
Rita Christiani was a dancer from Trinidad who acted in Hollywood films in the 1940s. Born in Port of Spain, she toured and danced with the Katherine Dunham Company early in that decade and met the avant-garde filmmaker Maya Deren along the way. Deren cast her in Ritual in Transfigured Time, where Christiani danced as a counterpart to Deren's own character, and footage of her from that film was later used in Martina Kudlacek's documentary In the Mirror of Maya Deren (2002). Her screen credits also include Road to Morocco (1942), The Black Swan (1942) and the musicals Thank Your Lucky Stars (1942) and Happy Go Lucky (1943). After her years in dance and film, she may have worked as a nurse in Chicago. She died in 2008.
90years old at death
- Born Port of Spain
- Died Brooklyn
- Star sign: CapricornFirst day of the sign, on the Sagittarius cusp
Movie Career
- Films
- 4
- Career span
- 60 years1942 to 2002
Every film, newest first
- 2002In the Mirror of Maya DerenIMDb rating 7.2
- 1943I Walked with a ZombieIMDb rating 7.0
- 1942Road to MoroccoIMDb rating 7.0
- 1942The Black SwanIMDb rating 6.7
Genres
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Big break
Christiani toured and danced with the Katherine Dunham Company during the early 1940s. While touring she met Maya Deren, who gave her a role in Ritual in Transfigured Time, where Christiani danced as Deren's alter ego.
Rita Christiani movies on Netflix
Worked with
Rita Christiani shares two films with Anthony Quinn, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Anthony Quinn's page
Vivian Dandridge's page
George Sanders's page
Harry Cording's page
Thomas Mitchell's page
Bing Crosby's page
All films by Jacques Tourneur
All films by David Butler
Henry KingDirector, 1 film, 1942
All films by Henry King
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.