Rosa del Rosario: Border Bandits leading lady

In 1946, Rosa del Rosario, an American mestiza (Rose Stagner), was stranded in California during World War II. It gave her a chance to appear in a Hollywood Western, Border Bandits, topbilled by Johnny Mack Brown and produced by Monogram. Rose played the leading lady, a Mexican señorita named Celia.

The same year, Rose was cast in two other Hollywood films: Anna and the King of Siam, starring Rex Harrison, Irene Dunne and Linda Darnell. She was one of the wives of the King. The other was Si Malakas at Si Maganda, opposite Tony Benroy.

In 1947, Rose returned to the Philippines to continue her brilliant acting career. One of the films she made was An American Guerilla in the Philippines, starring Tyrone Power. —RKC