caption resting_place death_date death_place years_active birth_place nationality name birth_date alma_mater spouse image article_title birth_name occupation death_cause
vélez in 1934 panteón civil de dolores cemetery 13 december 1944 glendale , california , u.s. 1927 -- 1944 san luis potosí , mexico mexican lupe vélez 18 july 1908 our lady of the lake johnny weissmuller 1933 1939 divorced lupe vélez.jpg lupe vélez
 maría guadalupe villalobos vélez actress seconal overdose
lupe vélez

maría guadalupe villalobos vélez -lrb- july 18 , 1908 -- december 13 , 1944 -rrb- , known professionally as lupe vélez , was a mexican stage and film actress and vedette .
vélez began her career as a performer in mexican vaudeville .
after moving to the united states , she made her first film appearance in the 1927 film `` the gaucho '' , opposite douglas fairbanks .
by the end of the decade , she had progressed to leading roles and became one of the first successful mexican actresses in the united states .
in the 1940s , vélez 's popularity peaked after appearing in the `` mexican spitfire '' films , a series created to capitalize on vélez well documented fiery personality .
nicknamed `` the mexican spitfire '' by the media , vélez 's personal life was as colorful as her screen persona .
she had several highly publicized romances and a stormy marriage to actor johnny weissmuller .
in december 1944 , vélez died of intentional overdose of seconal .
her death , and the circumstances surrounding it , have been the subject of speculation and controversy .
