Editing Ricardo Montalbán (section)

===Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer===
[[File:Ricardo Montalban in Fiesta trailer.jpg|thumb|left|As Mario Morales in ''Fiesta'']]
[[File:Jane Powell in Two Weeks With Love (4).png|thumb|Montalbán dancing with [[Jane Powell]] in ''[[Two Weeks With Love]]'' (1950)]]
Montalbán's films had been seen by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] who were looking for someone to play a bullfighter opposite [[Esther Williams]] in ''[[Fiesta (1947 film)|Fiesta]]'' (1947), shot in Mexico. Montalbán was cast and the movie was very popular; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed him to a long-term contract.<ref name="Mannix">{{citation |title=The Eddie Mannix Ledger |publisher=Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study |location=Los Angeles}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1945/09/25/archives/mexican-is-signed-for-lead-in-film-ricardo-montalban-to-costar-in.html|title=MEXICAN IS SIGNED FOR LEAD IN FILM; Ricardo Montalban to Co-Star in Metro's 'Fiesta'--Western Due at Gotham on Friday|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 25, 1945}}</ref>

The studio re-teamed him with Williams in ''[[On an Island with You]]'' (1948). He had a dance number in the [[Frank Sinatra]] musical ''[[The Kissing Bandit (film)|The Kissing Bandit]]'' (1948), then did a third film with Williams, ''[[Neptune's Daughter (1949 film)|Neptune's Daughter]]'' (1949), in which they dueted on "[[Baby It's Cold Outside]]".<ref name="guardian"/>

Montalbán's first leading role was in the film noir ''[[Border Incident]]'' (1949) with actor [[George Murphy]], directed by Anthony Mann. It was one of a number of lower budgeted films made at the studio under [[Dore Schary]] and earned a small loss. Montalbán was the first Hispanic actor to appear on the front cover of ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine on November 21, 1949. "I was king for a week," he said later. "I thought the offers would flood in, but after a week—nothing."<ref name="call"/>

Montalban was one of several soldiers in the [[William Wellman]] war film ''[[Battleground (film)|Battleground]]'' (1949), a huge success at the box office. He was given another star role in ''[[Mystery Street]]'' (1950), playing a detective in a film noir directed by [[John Sturges]]. It was a box office disappointment.

Sturges also directed ''[[Right Cross (film)|Right Cross]]'' (1950) with Montalbán, [[Dick Powell]] and [[June Allyson]]. Montalbán and [[Jane Powell]] made the musical ''[[Two Weeks with Love]]'' (1950), which was a minor hit.<ref name="Mannix"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1949/03/09/archives/metro-will-make-right-cross-film-ricardo-montalban-gets-lead-in.html|title=METRO WILL MAKE 'RIGHT CROSS' FILM; Ricardo Montalban Gets Lead in Prizefight Picture -- Deutsch to Produce|newspaper=New York Times|date=March 9, 1949}}</ref>

Universal borrowed Montalbán and [[Cyd Charisse]] for a swashbuckler, ''[[The Mark of the Renegade]]'' (1951).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/09/11/archives/universal-to-film-california-drama-ricardo-montalban-will-star-in.html|title=UNIVERSAL TO FILM CALIFORNIA DRAMA; Ricardo Montalban Will Star in 'Don Renegade'--Joe E. Brown Set for 'Show Boat'|newspaper=New York Times|date=September 11, 1950}}</ref> Back at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was second billed to [[Clark Gable]] in ''[[Across the Wide Missouri (film)|Across the Wide Missouri]]'' (1951), directed by Wellman. The film was a big hit, although Montalbán was injured during shooting.<ref name="guardian"/>

The studio teamed him and [[Shelley Winters]] in ''[[My Man and I]]'' (1952) where he played a laborer under the direction of Wellman; it didn't sell well at the box office.

Montalbán was one of several names in ''[[Sombrero (film)|Sombrero]]'' (1953), shot in Mexico. Montalbán was [[Lana Turner]]'s leading man in ''[[Latin Lovers (1953 film)|Latin Lovers]]'' (1953). Both films lost money and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer let him go.

He later said, "I played caricatures of what a Latin is supposed to be like. In reality, we are family men. I should have had the courage of [[Dolores Del Rio]] who returned to Mexico and made her best movies there."<ref name="colby">Dignity first with Ricardo Montalban goes from Mr. Roarke to the Colby crew with class: [SA1 Edition]
Jim Bawden Toronto Star. Toronto Star February 22, 1986: F10.</ref>