I have a strong fascination and love of 1940s and 50s portraiture and pin-up photography. While I adore the well-known stars that made the medium popular like Bettie Page, Marilyn Monroe and Lana Turner, there are many unsung pinups, women of color, who broke barriers and deserve to be highlighted!
Chelo Alonso is a former Cuban actress who became a star in Italian cinema, and ultimately a 1960s cult film heroine and sex symbol in the U.S. She was well-known for playing femme fatales with fiery tempers and sensual dance scenes.
Born Isabella Garcia on April 10, 1933 in Cuba, Chelo Alonso started out as a dancer touring the world and ultimately being the main star in Parisian burlesque club, the Folies–Bergères. With her smoldering good looks and bump & grind dance moves, Chelo was billed as “The next Josephine Baker” and soon became the darling of Italian Cinema. Referred to as the Cuban H-Bomb, Chelo starred as the femme fatale and exotic queen in numerous action movies and went on to star in almost 20 films from 1959 to 1970.
Sources: Wikipedia/ Julian Perez /Cult Sirens
Here’s to the beauty and barrier breaking of Chelo Alonso!
ETA: Michelle of Chellbellz wanted video! So here you have video of the lovely Chelo Alonso!
I loved finding unsung pinup icons and can’t wait to bring you more Pin-ups of Color!
Gorgeous and curvy, yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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I love it!!!! So haute and fabulous! As a fellow pin-up obsessed lady I am so happy to see this wonderful showcase of pin-up women of color. Can’t wait for more!
Thanks! It was so fun discovering her! Hey miss, how are you?!
The one in the red reminds me of something Beyonce has channeled before. Chelo is gor! And look at that waist!! Lord! She has such strong features! I’ll def have to do some research on this women, i’d be interested in seeing the movies she has done.
I thought the same thing when I first saw that pic too! Chell, I’m adding some videos as I type!
I definitely see Beyonce channeling her energy. I also see the beauty of Sade and Ashanti in her or really her energy in them.
As for the son of Samson video I can see why King Solomon had so many wives from all over, with servants as seductive and beautiful as that who would not! LOL!
Lol! King Solomon had it made!
Fajr what a lovely and interesting post! It is both visually and intellectually stimulating. You have captured the essence of a quintessential pin-up girl- the coqutettish attitude, the sexy raise of the eyebrow, the va va boom body and the requisite amount of oomph!!! I simply love the post
She is stunning my friend. And I did not know her!
Whoa! She is stunning. Like … really stunning. Not that faux stunning label that gets slapped on every female men want to sleep with these days.
She has a mysterious, alluring quality to her even without the video clips. Sure, her look is sculpted, but there’s noting obvious or forced about how she carries herself.
Thank you for introducing me to her. I need to go see if any of her movies are on Netflix.
She’s beautiful!