Dona Drake on Cover of HIT! (1942, March)
With around three dozen film credits from the 1930s to 50s, Dona Drake was a popular actress with pin-up looks. Coming from both black and white parentage, Dona was often cast playing bronzed skinned characters from Mexican, Latin American, or Middle Eastern backgrounds. She also used several different stage names, depending upon how she marketed herself to audiences; Rita Rio, Rita Shaw, Una Villion, Una Novella, and Rita Novella were some of her aliases. And throughout her singing, dancing, and acting opportunities she would frequently appear in pin-up magazines. (Reblogged from Facebook Groups)
