The Brazilian Bombshell
In many ways, Carmen Miranda lived the American Dream. Originally coming from Brazil via Portugal, she ended up seeing her name in lights in Hollywood. Yet even at the height of her fame, the sensual star hid dark secrets. She kept her personal life tightly under lock and key—for good reason. Her untimely death in 1955 shocked Hollywood—but the tragedy also exposed all those chilling secrets.
1. She Had Humble Roots
Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha was born in Portugal on February 9, 1909, and the future superstar had extremely humble roots. She was the second daughter of Jose Pinta da Cunha and his wife Maria. The family was from firm working class stock, and growing up the little girl could only dream of bright lights and big cities.
2. She Was Destined For The Music Scene
Carmen Miranda's name has a famous origin story. Though her birth name was Maria, her father christened her "Carmen" after George Bizet's incredibly popular opera of the same name. Miranda's dad was a great lover of opera music, and he wanted to pass off some of it grandeur onto his own daughter. Sadly, as we'll see, that didn't mean he was a good father...
3. She Left Her Home
When Miranda was just a 10-month-old baby, her entire world changed when her father emigrated to Brazil to open up his own barber shop in Rio de Janeiro. Eventually, the whole family picked up to move to the new country. Although Miranda held onto her Portuguese nationality, she never set foot in Portugal again for the rest of her life.
4. She Had To Step Up
The Miranda family's life in Brazil started out full of hope, but things soon took a cruel turn. When Miranda was 14 years old, her older sister Olinda became gravely ill with tuberculosis. It got so bad that the family even had to send her back to Portugal to recover, and Carmen needed to take up work in a tie shop to help pay the medical bills.
5. Papa, Don’t Preach
After discovering her singing talents, young Carmen nursed ambitions of becoming a huge star, and started performing at festivals around Rio de Janeiro. However, her strict Catholic father was staunchly opposed to his daughter flaunting herself. When she entered a radio competition, his response was so disturbing, it's impossible to forget.
6. For Better or for Worse
After finding out that his little Carmen had enlisted in the singing competition, Jose da Cunha reached a breaking point—and instead of punishing Carmen, he punished her mother. Maria had always been supportive of Carmen's dreams, so Jose took it out on her in a brutal way, beating her after catching wind of the competition. Not cool.
7. The Merchant of Rio
Miranda’s work in a tie shop helped her get a career in retail, and this led to even better prospects. She eventually got a job in a boutique, where she learned how to make hats. Obviously, this apprenticeship ended up serving her well later on with her famous fruit basket hats.
8. Big Break
When Miranda was barely 20 years old, she met the composer Josue de Barros while working at her family's inn. He changed her life forever. Seeing her obvious talent and singing chops, de Barros invited her to record with him and Brunswick Records. In 1929, Miranda's first single came out, followed by her smash hit "Prá Você Gostar de Mim".
9. So It Begins
During the 1930s, the most popular radio station in Brazil was Radio Mayrink Veiga, and every aspiring star wanted their songs played on it. Well, Miranda did this one better. In 1933, she became the first contract singer in the history of Brazilian radio when she signed a two-year contract with the popular station, ensuring her songs would always get air time.
10. I'll Make You a Star
In 1939, Miranda had become a moderate star in her home country of Brazil, and was even regularly dancing at the Cassino da Urca in Rio de Janeiro. One night, famed Broadway producer Lee Shubert spotted her act and immediately offered her the chance to perform in his The Streets of Paris in America. In response, Miranda quickly started showing some diva tendencies.
11. Not Without My Band
When Shubert offered her the job in America, Miranda didn't exactly jump on board. First, she had one big demand: She insisted on taking her band with her. Even when Shubert tried to persuade her that there were plenty of American musicians who could back her, Miranda put her foot down and insisted the authentic Brazilian musicians come along.
12. Who, Me?
In 1939, Miranda became "the girl who saved Broadway". Even though she only had a measly four words in The Streets of Paris, she made such an impact on audiences that she became a media darling. She even singlehandedly helped reinvigorate Broadway, which had been slumping in ticket sales because of the ongoing New York World's Fair. Not bad for a newbie.
13. The Bombshell and the Duke
With great fame came even greater flings. Before leaving for America, Miranda had entertained steamy trysts with many South American luminaries, including her own band members. But after earning her spotlight in America, she cast her bedroom eyes over to a famous Hollywood icon: John Wayne. The Brazilian Bombshell and the Duke had a passionate affair at the height of her fame.
14. I Know What I Like
All truth, no shade: Miranda really got around. Some of her other lovers in her short life included actors John Payne and Dana Andrews. Though these macho men are less known today, let's just say the Brazilian beauty definitely had a type: sturdy, silent, and oh-so brooding. Hey, can't say I would've turned them down, either.
15. Carmen Sold Separately
Miranda’s first Hollywood film was the 1940 musical Down Argentine Way, but it wasn't an easy filming process. Miranda was so busy in New York that she couldn't make it to the film set in Los Angeles, and had to shoot all her scenes separately from the rest of the cast. Not exactly the way I'd want to be introduced to Hollywood.
Down Argentine Way,20th Century Studios
16. The Snub of the Century
For all of Miranda’s success, she was never even nominated for a single award during her lifetime. Not a single one.
17. Bringing the House Down
In the 1940s, it seemed like everyone loved Carmen, but she had one very famous fan. President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited her and her band to perform for him at an official White House banquet less than a year after she arrived in America. There was no denying: She had well and truly hit it big. Take that, Papa Miranda.
18. Box Office Magic
In 1941, Miranda had a massive hit with the film Week-End in Havana. When it premiered, the film crushed the box office and even pushed out this super obscure film called Citizen Kane. Yeah, Carmen Miranda was kind of a big deal.
Week-End In Havana,20th Century Studios
19. Tall Poppy Syndrome
Although people loved Miranda in the United States, her home country of Brazil was a different story. Many people were jealous of her success—but that wasn't all. Her biggest critics accused her of selling out and of turning their culture into a laughable stereotype. However, the fiery Miranda didn't take the criticism lying down.
20. Boy, Bye
Brazil's criticisms deeply stung the singer, but she came back with a perfect response.In 1940, she released the samba song “Disseram que Voltei Americanizada," or “They said I’ve come back Americanized". In it, she throws all the insults back in her critics' faces. In a mic drop moment, it was also one of the last songs she recorded in Brazil.
21. Unpopular Opinion
Amidst all this criticism, Miranda returned to Brazil just a year after hitting Broadway and played a show. The audience's reaction was chilling. They jeered and booed her, calling her a "sellout". Miranda was reportedly so overwhelmed and upset that she didn’t even finish the show, leaving the stage in tears. After that, she didn’t visit Brazil again for many years.
22. It’s the Thought That Counts
In 1947, Miranda co-starred in the musical comedy Copacabana. Unlike her previous films, Miranda was also a co-producer on the flick, since she wanted to have more creative control over her projects. However, her personal involvement only made the film's ultimate failure all the more painful. There was one thing that came of it, though...
23. Sleeping With the Enemy
The studio had so little faith in Miranda's Copacabana project that one of the investors sent his brother, David Sebastian, to a set to keep an eye on her and make sure nothing got out of hand. Perhaps as ploy to keep things under control, Sebastian quickly befriended Miranda—and they soon became lovers. As we'll see, this did not turn out well for her.
24. Everything's Bigger in Brazil
Miranda was famous for her enormous fruit basket hats, and she revealed her inspiration for the decorations in a 1948 interview. According to the singer, she made the hats after watching all the local girls in Brazil carrying baskets of fruit on their heads while doing errands. She also cribbed their big bracelets and big necklaces while she was at it.
25. Move Over, Sultans of Swing
Like any superstar worth their salt, Miranda had her own signature dance: the Samba. She helped popularize the sensual Brazilian dance worldwide during her time in the spotlight, so much so that she even earned the nickname "Ditadora Risonha do Samba," which roughly translates to "The Laughing Mistress of Samba".
26. A Rose by Any Other Nickname
During her lifetime, Miranda earned herself a number of nicknames. Today, most people know her as "The Brazilian Bombshell," but she had another moniker in her hometown in Brazil: “A Pequena Notável,” which is Portuguese for "The Little Notable". To be honest, it doesn't quite have the same ring as "The Brazilian Bombshell," does it?
27. The Tide Turns
The end of Miranda's colossal fame is a slow, sad story. After 1950, American audiences began to lose interest in the Latin-American-themed musicals that Miranda had appeared in so often. Even worse, Hollywood got a new penchant for black and white films instead of the bright, flashy Technicolor that used to show off Miranda in her full glory.
28. With a Whimper
Miranda's last film before her tragic death has all the hallmarks of her downfall. In the 1953 comedy Scared Stiff with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, Miranda barely has any impact on the film's plot, and movie critics called her performance "bordering on self-parody". In the very same film, Lewis even does a cruel caricature of Miranda.
Scared Stiff,Paramount Pictures
29. Down, But Never out
For all that her film career declined in the US, Miranda was never without work. As a singer, she was still successful, whether she was in a recording studio or in a nightclub. Miranda spent most of the late 1940s focusing on her music career, racking up singles on the Billboard chart.
30. Desperate Times
In 1953, Miranda hit a terrifying new low. She'd just returned from a tour of Europe and was performing at a show in Cincinnati. In the middle of her routine, she collapsed on stage. The audience was shocked, and Miranda was rushed backstage and into treatment. The official reason for the collapse was exhaustion, but even darker factors were also at play.
31. Desperate Measures
Around the same time that Miranda collapsed on stage in Cincinnati, she was also dealing with a crippling bout of depression. After the incident, she even checked into LeRoy Sanitarium and took the drastic measure of getting electroshock therapy to try to cure her blues. Sadly, the treatment didn't even work.
32. The GOAT
It's hard to really overstate just how big Miranda was during her heyday. I mean, get this: In 1945, she was the highest paid woman in all of the United States.
33. Set in Stone
On February 8, 1960, Miranda earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
34. World Stage
In 2016, Rio de Janeiro hosted the Summer Olympics. Naturally, the celebration of Brazilian culture and history during the closing ceremony included a tribute to Miranda’s memory, with Brazilian pop star Roberta Sa dressing up in similar clothing to Miranda's iconic outfits. When you're an absolute legend, stuff like this happens to you.
35. I'm Number One
During her lifetime, Miranda achieved several firsts in Hollywood. She was the first woman of Latin background who left her hand and footprints outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Moreover, she was the very first South American person, let alone Brazilian person, to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
36. That's Bananas
In 1995, a documentary film about Miranda’s life and legacy came out. Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business interviewed Miranda’s friends, family, and peers to give some rare insight into the star's private life. The movie even had never-before-seen home videos of Miranda.
37. The Highest Form of Flattery
Miranda was often the butt of other comedians' jokes, and many people parodied her even while she was alive. People like Lucille Ball and the Three Stooges impersonated her, but perhaps most famously, the 1943 Looney Tunes short Yankee Doodle Daffy included a moment where Daffy Duck gives a song and dance number while channelling Miranda, fruit headdress and all.
38. Marry in Haste
After they met on the set of Copacabana, Miranda and David Sebastian's love was all-consuming. They married the very same year in 1947 after their whirlwind romance, putting together a ceremony at a chapel in Beverly Hills. But while the couple seemed happy at the very beginning, all was not well behind bedroom doors.
39. In Sickness and in Health
Miranda's marriage to Sebastian tragically fell apart almost as quickly as it began. Within two years, the golden couple announced that they had separated—and it may have been all Sebastian's fault. According to Carmen's sister Aurora, Sebastian “married her for selfish reasons," and Miranda spent most of her marriage miserable. Sadly, it only got worse from there.
40. I’m No Quitter
Despite the misery that was her marriage, Miranda was trapped in it. She was a committed Catholic, and refused to divorce Sebastian no matter how much torment he put her through. Even their separation was just a temporary freedom for Miranda: She remained married to Sebastian until her tragic, untimely death.
41. Who's That Girl?
For a brief moment, Miranda was one of the most glamorous and popular stars in Hollywood, yet for this entire time, she kept her personal life very close to her chest. She almost never appeared in the gossip papers, and shut down many rumors about herself and her day-to-day life behind the scenes. The reasons for this were dark and tragic.
42. Behind Closed Doors
After the spotlight went out on her dazzling performances, the cold, hard truth is that Miranda was addicted to a variety of substances. She smoked and drank regularly, but that was really just the beginning. In her later years, she even began taking significant amounts of both uppers and downers just to make it through. Her habits would have devastating consequences.
43. Going Downhill
In 1948, Miranda found out that she and Sebastian were pregnant. It ended in utter disaster. One day, she came off stage after a show and discovered that she had miscarried. The loss only enhanced Miranda’s depression, and coupled with her increased intake of substances, it only increased her ill health and hastened her demise.
44. Flying Solo
Miranda never had any children.
45. Some R&R
The last time Miranda spent time in Brazil was during the final year of her life, and it was not a happy trip. She went down in 1955 a much-changed woman. She was exhausted, depressed, and eerily quiet. Later, her family found out the awful truth. They came to believe that she had suffered from a nervous breakdown as a result of all her stress and depression.
46. The Show Must Go on
Miranda was a consummate professional through thick and thin. In 1955, she felt violently ill just before she was due on the set of The Jimmy Durante Show, a popular talk show at the time. According to the host, he offered to find her a replacement, but she immediately refused and proceeded with her taxing song and dance number. Little did she know, her decision would come back to haunt her.
47. Gotta Get up
Just as Miranda finished filming part of the song and dance routine on the Jimmy Durante Show, she suddenly slipped and fell. The host rushed over and urged her to rest and let him take her lines. Ever the stubborn mule, Miranda refused again and even seemed to recover after a few minutes. Except this was a dark omen of what was to come.
48. Curtain Call
Later that same night, Miranda took home a group of colleagues and friends to help her celebrate a job well done, and only headed to bed around three o'clock in the morning. As usual, she undressed and went into the bathroom to take off her makeup for the night. When she came back out into the hall, fate finally caught up to the legend.
49. So It Goes
In the wee hours of August 5, 1955, Carmen Miranda suffered a massive, fatal heart attack in the hallway of her own home, just a few feet from her bedroom. Earlier in the day, the singer had very likely suffered a first, untreated heart attack that had paved the way for her demise. She was only 46 at the time of her passing.
50. Our Hero
Despite her troubles with Brazil, Miranda's last will made one heartbreaking request. She wanted her body to be brought back to her home country to be buried. Astonishingly, more than 60,000 mourners crowded their way in to attend the funeral ceremony, and half a million people escorted her casket to her final resting place.
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