Don Alvarado (born José Ray Paige, November 4, 1904 – March 31, 1967) was an American actor, assistant director and film production manager.

Life and career

Alvarado was born Jose Paige in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Studio head Jack L. Warner developed a relationship with Alvarado's wife and convinced her to file for divorce using what used to be called a "quickie divorce" conveniently available in Mexico. She did so by August 1932. Alvarado got his first uncredited silent film part in the 1924 film, Mademoiselle Midnight. With the studio capitalizing on his "Latin Lover" looks, Alvarado was quickly cast in secondary and then leading roles. With the advent of talkies, this all but ended his starring roles. He did, however, manage to work regularly, usually cast in secondary Spanish character roles, such as in the 1929 Thornton Wilder adaptation of The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Alvarado appeared on stage in Dinner At Eight at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles in 1933. In 1939, using the name "Don Page" for screen credit purposes, he began working as an assistant director for Warner Bros. and a few years later as a production manager. In these capacities he was part of the team that made a number of highly successful films including The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause in 1955, and in 1958 his final film work, The Old Man and the Sea.

Death

Alvarado died of cancer on March 31, 1967, aged 62, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills. For his contributions to the film industry, Alvarado has a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography