Raquel Torres (1908-1987) was a Mexican film actress born in Hermosillo, Mexico. 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.

A 1930 movie entitled The Sea Bat featured the actress with actor Charles Bickford. The story begins with the death of her lover in the huge wings of a bat, underwater. Filmed in the tropics of southern Mexico, the backgrounds are resplendent in natural beauty. Miss Torres received favorable reviews as the Spanish girl whose character exemplifies the voodoo superstitions of the natives. Other films she appeared in were Under A Texas Moon, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, So This Is Africa, and Red Wagon. In 1931 Miss Torres came to the Loew`s State Theater in New York with a vaudeville act. The next year she appeared briefly on Broadway in John McDermott`s Adam Had Two Sons.

In October 1985 there was a fire in Malibu, California which damaged homes in the Las Flores Canyon area. Embers carried by wind across the wide Pacific Coast Highway ignited the roof of Raquel Torres` home. Her single story home was located at 22350 Pacific Coast Highway. The dwelling was 80% destroyed but the actress escaped unharmed, escorted by firefighters to safety.

Torres died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California on August 10, 1987 at the age of 78.