Television Her debut on television was on 1954, shortly after the outset of television in Puerto Rico. As a singer, she sang in variety shows, such as
Fiesta a las 9,
Fandango Rheingold and
Caravana, aired through the two tv stations at the time, WKAQ and WAPA. She got her first tv acting break in 1955 appearing in many of the tv dramas presented by Channel 2 (WKAQ), such as
Domingo de amor Palmolive and
Teleteatro Hunts, among others. She was also recruited for minor roles in two of the very first tv soap operas,
Cautivo de amor and
Tormenta de rosa. In 1956, she played Angustias in the successful
Cuando los hijos condenan, a milestone soap opera that led to a complete change in the length of the genre. Also in 1956, she became a regular member of the cast of the variety show
La taberna India, a program that became the most popular show at time and the breakthrough for Cortijo y su combo, the most popular band of Puerto Rico during the 1950s. In 1957, she was the star, along with Gilbero Monroig, of
Show Palmolive and in 1959 of
Show Carnation, broadcast by Channel 2 and Channel 4, respectively. After supporting roles in soap operas, such as
Sangre en la calle,
Divorcio and
Yo maté a una santa, Romero got top billing in
Rafael Heredia: Gitano, opposite Esther Sandoval and Argentinian actor Enzo Bellomo. Other telenovelas in which she participated during the 1960s were
Milagro de amor (1961), opposite Braulio Castillo,
Nuestros hijos (1962),
La sombra del otro(1963),
Entre tu amor y mi fe" (1963), Busquen a esta mujer
(1967) "Entre el puñal y la cruz. Her most successful soap opera during the 1960s was
La divina infiel (1961), where she played a singer estranged from her two daughters by a jealous husband. The soap opera was so popular that they made a theater adaption that toured the whole Island. In 1977, she made her last appearance in a
telenovela, performing in
Pueblo Chico (Small Town).
Theater On 19 May 1960, Romero made her official onstage debut with the play
En el Principio la noche era serena (At the Beginning the Night was Serene), written by Gerard Paul Marín, and performed at
San Juan's Municipal
Teatro Tapia. Among others, her performances onstage in Puerto Rico were
La Cuarterona (The Wicket), in 1967;
Maribel y la extraña familia (Maribel and the Strange Family) in 1969, and
El Hombre, la Bestia y la Virtud (The Man, the Beast and the Virtue), Romero's last performance on stage.
Singing In 1963, she recorded her first album as a singer,
Marta Romero Canta (SALP-1336), This
LP includes, the
boleros "Es tarde ya" (It's Too Late Now), composed by Sylvia Rexach and "¿Qué sabes tú?" (What Do You Know?), composed by
Myrta Silva. In 1965, she performed at the Lírico Theater in Mexico. During her frequent performances, her musical director was Mexican composer and pianist
Armando Manzanero.
Film career In 1959, Marta Romero performed the leading role in
Maruja, one of the first Puerto Rican films actually made in Puerto Rico. Later, she starred in several films in Puerto Rico:
Ayer Amargo (Bitter Yesterday) in 1959;
La fiebre del deseo (The Fever of Desire),
La piel desnuda (The Naked Skin) and
Mientras Puerto Rico duerme (Meanwhile, Puerto Rico Sleeps) in 1964;
Bello amanecer (Beautiful Daybreak) in 1966 and
Amor perdóname (Forgive Me Love) in 1967. In
Mexico City she starred in
El Señor Doctor (Mister Doctor) with
Mario Moreno Cantinflas and
Miguel Angel Alvarez, and
Retablos del Tepeyac (Altarpieces of Tepeyac) in 1965; "Casa de mujeres" (House of Women) with
Dolores del Río,
Matar es fácil (Killing is Easy ) in 1966;
La fiera (The Wild Beast),
La sombra del murciélago (The Shadow of the Bat),
Las vampiras/
Deseo de sangre (The vampires/Desire for blood), with
John Carradine,
Un Latin lover en Acapulco (A Latin Lover in Acapulco) in 1967, and
Una puertorriqueña en Acapulco (A Puerto Rican Girl in Acapulco) in 1968. ==Personal life==