Maria Alba, underrated, and almost unknown in her own country.

It has been said in some media that she was born in Brazil, but the fact is that we are talking about a Spanish actress born in Barcelona in 1910 (probably five years prior to this mentioned date) where her real name was Maria del Pilar Margarita Casajuana Martinez, who died in San Diego, CA, in 1999 of Alzheimer and who made movies with Fairbanks, Bela Lugosi, and so many others.

A young typewriter, trying without success to start a movie career in Barcelona, in 1926 she is selected as the most photogenic lady according to Fox and a Spanish newspaper. This leads her to Hollywood, where she signs a contract with Fox Film Corporation for one year.

She married David Todd in 1931 but six years later the marriage would dissolve. Maria left the Hollywood screen in 1935 with Great God Gold and her career in a complete way in 1946. Then in 1950 she married Richard J. Burk. They had three children. It would be so great to have more information about her, and her legacy. Did she travel sometimes back to Spain? Until then, here is the list of movies according to IMDB she played in:

1946 La morena de mi copla 

1946 El hijo de nadie 

1935 Great God Gold
Elena Nitto

1934 West of the Pecos
Dolores

1934 Flirting with Danger
Rosita

1934/I The Return of Chandu
Nadji - Princess of Egypt

1933 Kiss of Araby
Dolores Mendez

1932 Hypnotized
Princess Mitzi

1932 Mr. Robinson Crusoe
Saturday

1932 Almost Married
Mariette (uncredited)

1931 La ley del harem
Fatima

1931 Goldie
Dolores

1931 Just a Gigolo
A French Wife

1931 Su última noche
Elena Desano

1931 Camino del infierno
Angela

1931 El código penal
Mary Brady

1930 Los que danzan
Norma Brady

1930 Olimpia
Princess Olimpia

1930 La fuerza del querer
Shirley

1930 El cuerpo del delito
Señorita Delroy

1930 Charros, gauchos y manolas
Spanish artist

1929 Hell's Heroes
Carmelita

1929 Joy Street
Agnes

1928 Blindfold
Pepita

1928 Road House
Spanish Marla

1928 A Girl in Every Port
Chiquita (as Maria Casajuana)

1927 Her Blue, Black Eyes (short)

Other Maria Alba photos


http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf

The Return of Shandu (1934) Bela Lugosi and Maria Alba