Bel-Air says goodbye to Hollywood royalty, Lupita Tovar

Bel-Air residents say good-bye to a member of Hollywood royalty and long-time Bel-Air resident Lupita Tovar, who passed away in her home on November 12, 2016.

Reporter Alex Stedman of VARIETY (11/13/16) paid tribute to Ms. Tovar:

Lupin Tovar, a Mexican-born actress who played a historic role in the country’s cinema and starred in the Spanish-language version of “Dracula,” died Saturday. She was 106.

Tovar was widely considered Hollywood royalty, and not only for her own impact in Mexican cinema. She married high-powered Hollywood producer Paul Kohner, and became the matriarch to a family that was involved in the entertainment industry for generations. Her daughter, Susan Kohner, received an Oscar nomination for her role in “Imitation of Life” in 1959, and her grandsons, Chris and Paul Weitz, co-directed such movies as “American Pie” in 1999 and “About a Boy” in 2002.

Tovar was discovered by talent scouts at the age of 16, and would go on to appear in a handful of films in the silent era. Once the era of talkies transitioned to movies with sound, her heavily accented English posed a drawback in conventional Hollywood films. However, she would go on to profoundly impact Mexican cinema, appearing in Spanish-language versions of Hollywood movies.

To see the obituary for Lupita Tovar from the LOS ANGELES TIMES, click here.