He later introduced her to Simón Yrigoyen Iriondo, who took charge of ending her illiteracy. Around 1919, she was performing at the Teatro Porteño in the chorus line and was fined 20 pesos because she wasn't wearing nylons. Years later, in the 1930s, Morello commented how things had changed and women were being paid to go without them. Some sources have claimed that Merello filmed silent movies in this period; others claim that "a" movie happened a decade later in 1928; and some claim her first film was not until "¡Tango!" in 1933. Some claim there were three films, "Buenos Aires tenebroso" (1918), a crime drama; "La garra porteña"; (1918), and "Amor de primavera" (1918–1919) both directed by Juan Glizé and Vicente Marracino. Multiple sources claim she made "Buenos Aires tenebroso" directed by Juan Glizé but the year varies from 1917 to 1928. Tragedy befell her again at the age of 16, when her mother succumbed to tuberculosis and she began wandering from house to house, family to friends and back again. She became a vedette and was known as "La Vedette Rea", but her repertoire and fiery temper gave her a reputation that was counter to other performers, like Sofía Bozán. Her interpretation often incorporated deliberate farce to express the complexities of life. and while she was not known for having a great voice, she gained admiration for the expressiveness of her interpretations, which was well suited for the drama of tango. In 1923, she got a part as a show girl in the revue "Las modernas Scherezadas" playing at the renowned Teatro Maipo, performing with the stars Luis Arata, Pepe Arias, and Marcos Caplán. The show's playbills are dated 1924 and list her as the star "La vedette rea". She sang "Trago amargo", a tango, to wide acclaim. That same year, she was in the cast of Cayol's Revue "¿Quién dijo miedo?" In 1925, she performed in the revue "Mujeres, flores y alegría", in which she sang the tango "Pedime lo que Querés" by Francisco Canaro with lyrics by Juan Andrés Caruso.