Elena Jurado was from the rustic seaside town of Sibonga, Cebu, but fate led her to the US where her steely ambition led to a career in movies. In this feature pieced from the extensive research of writer Wilfredo Pascual, we chart the journey of this “Island Cinderella” from being billed alongside Hollywood hotshots until her fairy tale took a different turn.
Still photo showing lead actor Victor McLaglen with Girl #1 in Panama, Elena Jurado, in Howard Hawks’ A Girl in Every Port (1928). Photo courtesy of Wilfredo Pascual