Eduardo Cansino Eduardo Cansino Eduardo Cansino Reina (March 2, 1895 – December 24, 1968) was a Spanish-born American dancer and actor, and the father of actress Rita Hayworth. Eduardo Cansino was born on March 2, 1895, in Castilleja de la Cuesta, Andalusia, Spain. His sister, Elisa, was also a dancer. He emigrated to the United States and joined the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1917 he married Volga Hayworth, his partner in the Follies. They had three children: Margarita Carmen, Eduardo Jr. (October 13, 1919 – March 11, 1974), and Vernon (May 21, 1922 – March 23, 1974). After she began making films in
Jewel Carmen with Fox. Carmen later became known for her connection to the scandal surrounding the death of actress Thelma Todd. She was the wife of Roland West, who had an extramarital affair with Todd and who came under suspicion following Todd's death of carbon monoxide poisoning. Todd died in a garage at Castillo del Mar, the former home of Carmen and West, where Carmen's parents were living. There were a number of factors which made the death suspicious, including that Todd was allegedly spotted or spoken to several times the day after she died; Carmen herself testified before the grand jury