White Shadows of the South Seas | Raquel Torres' Tanning Secrets

Raquel Torres (11 November 1908-10 August 1987) was a Mexican film actress born in Hermosillo, Mexico. Raquel was the sister of actress Renee Torres. She grew up in Hollywood. She starred in early sound films like White Shadows of the South Seas (1928) and Duck Soup (1933). The former was the first sound feature fully synchronized for dialogue, music, and effects. The latter was a famous 1933 Marx Brothers comedy, in which she played a would-be Mata Hari type.

Torres was a dark-haired beauty. Raquel's original name was Wihelmina von Osterman. She had a great formula for tanning which she acquired in Malibu, California during the summer. She provided a Los Angeles Times columnist with a tip about this once. Her secret was a few drops of iodine placed in her bath water. This preserved the coppery hue year round.