Naturally shy and insecure, Rita was often uncomfortable with her sex symbol image, and mostly hated working under crass, ruthless Columbia boss Harry Cohn.
Egg tempura on Bristol board.
Only later was it realized that she had the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease, an illness she'd die from in 1987, at age 68.
The two of them were back together again.
As Rita's time in the spotlight passed, she increasingly turned to drink.
With her film career launched in earnest by the dawn of the forties, she became a top pin-up during World War 2, as she continued cranking out pictures at Columbia.