A new DVD from Passport International Entertainment, Hispanic Hollywood: Then and Now, traces the changing image of Latino performers from silent films to today. The documentary's release coincides with the current heated political discussions about immigration.

It begins with a terrific section on the silent movie era, when being or seeming Hispanic was desirable. Latin Lovers were in vogue, whether Italian (Rudolph Valentino), Austrian (Ricardo Cortez), Mexican (Ramon Novarro), or Spanish (Antonio Moreno). Latinos were often portrayed positively, beginning with Douglas Fairbanks Sr.'s rousing success as the first of many Zorro s. Several Hispanic actresses   thrived, although only the beautiful Dolores Del Rio, Novarro's cousin, is remembered.

Never again would Hispanics so dominate, but their presence remained significant: Gilbert Roland, Cesar Romero, and Lupe Velez in the 1930s, Carmen Miranda and the sensational Rita Hayworth in the 40s, Ricardo Montalban and Fernando Lamas in the 50s. Only the American-born Hayworth, however, was a major star.

The documentary astutely assesses the importance of early television in popularizing Hispanic culture: Desi Arnaz in I Love Lucy, Duncan Reynaldo and Leo Carillo in The Cisco Kid, and the non-Hispanic Guy Williams as Zorro. There's a sound discussion of Latinos winning acclaim. Jose Ferrer earned an Oscar for Cyrano de Bergerac (50), and Anthony Quinn won two: as a peasant in Viva Zapata (52) and as Paul Gauguin in Lust for Life (56).

The documentary touches, too briefly, on the color issue. Mexico's Katy Jurado became the first Hispanic actress nominated for an Academy Award for Broken Lance (54), and two years earlier gave a riveting performance in High Noon. Her sensual, dark-skinned sultriness, however, limited her options in Hollywood. Jurado's talent imbued even the most stereotypical role with individuality, but by the early 60s she preferred working in her native land, periodically returning for a decent part. Rita Moreno, the only Oscar-winning Hispanic actress (1961's West Side Story), was also cast as spitfires or exotics. But she avenged herself by spoofing those roles with her brilliant Googie Gomez, the hottest tamale in history, in Terence MacNally's hilarious The Ritz (76). Shockingly,   no mention is made of black Hispanic actors.

The impact of foreign accents on playing mainstream parts is inadequately addressed. It certainly contributed to Del Rio and Jurado leaving Hollywood for greater opportunities in Mexico, and Velez's type-casting as a "spitfire." It made Novarro unconvincing as a Russian agent opposite Greta Garbo's Mata Hari (31), and probably limits Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz. It may explain why the stunning Maria Felix, Mexico's dominant female star in the 40s and 50s, repeatedly rejected Tinseltown offers but worked in Europe for Jean Renoir, among others. Lamentably, the documentary says nothing about her.

Spanish beauty

Contrasting Hollywood's treatment of Spanish-accented actors  with its acceptance of Sweden's Ingrid Bergman or Britain's Cary Grant playing Americans, for example, would have been informative. A discussion of Bergman's Spanish peasant in For Whom the Bell Tolls (43) or German-accented Marlene Dietrich's Spanish beauty in The Devil Is a Woman (35) and Mexican fortune-teller in Touch of Evil (58), for which she wore the blackest wig in movie history, would have been revealing. However, George Chakiris, a Greek-American who garnered an Oscar playing a Puerto Rican in West Side Story, defends the casting of Natalie Wood as Maria in the film — pointedly disagreeing with Moreno, who reportedly regretted that a Latina hadn't played her. The film effectively traces the changing negative portrayals of Hispanics, from stereotypical bandidos to the Colombian drug-dealers of Scarface (83), with Italian-American Al Pacino in the title role.

The movie clips are excellent, as are the interviews with important Hispanics in film. Luis Valdez explains that his La Bamba (87) told the quintessential American success story. This biography of 50s rock-and-roll star Richie Valens was a commercial and critical success, and had Latinos in the leads. Moreno discusses early career struggles. Jimmy Smits talks about the growing Hispanic audience.

Several actors lauded here — Novarro, Antonio Moreno, Romero — were gay, which is never mentioned, an inexcusable omission. The documentary also suffers from an uncritical assessment of performers — even camp goddess Maria Montez is taken seriously. But it proves that Latinos have always been an integral part of Hollywood. This shouldn't be a surprise. Hispanics have been part of American history from the beginning. Columbus claimed the "New World" for the King and Queen of Spain. The oldest European settlement in the US is Florida's St. Augustine, built by Spaniards. Florida, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Montana are Spanish words. California's major cities have Spanish names. SF's Castro Street honors the state's last Mexican governor. Towards the end of the DVD, Banderas says, "We're no longer a fad — we're here to stay." He's right.

This DVD is available at the Gramophone on Market St.