María Félix: The Iconic Actress a Symbol of Mexican Culture

María Félix was more than just a movie star. She was a cultural icon, a feminist icon, and a symbol of Mexican pride and identity. She was known for her beauty, her talent, her charisma, and her strong personality. María Félix was also known for her famous roles, her famous husbands, and her famous jewels.

Early life and career of María Félix

María de los Ángeles Félix Güereña was born on April 8, 1914, in Álamos, Sonora, Mexico. She was the daughter of a wealthy rancher and a Californian mother, both of Basque Mexican ancestry. She had fifteen siblings, but she had a close relationship with her brother Pablo. María Félix spent her childhood in Álamos and later moved to Guadalajara, where she attended a convent school.

She married Enrique Álvarez Alatorre, a salesman for Max Factor, in 1931, when she was 17 years old. She gave birth to her only child, Enrique, nicknamed Quique, in 1935. Her marriage with Álvarez was unhappy and they divorced in 1937.

She moved to Mexico City to study acting. And began her career as a model and actress in the late 1930s. She was discovered by director Fernando Palacios. Who offered her a role in his film El peñón de las ánimas (1942). María Félix accepted the offer on the condition that she would choose her own costumes and makeup. She also chose her own stage name: María Félix.

Rise to fame and stardom for María Félix

María Félix became an instant sensation with her debut film. She soon became one of the most popular and successful actresses of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Along with Pedro Armendáriz and Dolores del Río. She starred in 47 films made in Mexico, Spain, France, Italy and Argentina. Some of her most famous films include Doña Bárbara (1943), La mujer sin alma (1944), Enamorada (1946). Río Escondido (1948), La corona negra (1951), French Cancan (1955), Tizoc (1957), La cucaracha (1959), and La bandida (1963).

She was known for playing strong, independent, and seductive women who defied the traditional role of Latin American women. María Félix often played characters who were based on historical or literary figures. Such as Doña Bárbara, Catalina de Erauso, Juana de Asbaje, and María Pistolas. She also played characters who were inspired by her own life, such as La Doña and María Bonita.

She earned several awards and honors for her acting career. Such as the Silver Goddess Award from the Mexican Cinema Journalists Association. The Ariel Award from the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences. The Gold Medal from the Spanish Cinema Writers Circle. The Order of Arts and Letters from France, and the Golden Ariel for her lifetime achievement.

Personal life and legacy

María Félix had four marriages and several romances throughout her life. Her second husband was Agustín Lara, the most popular Latin composer from the 1930s to the 1960s. He composed several songs for her as a wedding gift, such as María Bonita and Noche de ronda. They divorced in 1947 after two years of marriage.

Her third husband was Jorge Negrete, one of the most famous Mexican singers and actors. They married in 1952 after co-starring in El rapto (1953). He died of hepatitis in 1953 after only eleven months of marriage.

Her fourth husband was Alex Berger, a French businessman who owned several race horses. They married in 1956 and lived in Paris for many years. He died of cancer in 1974 after eighteen years of marriage.

Relationships

She also had relationships with actors like Luis Miguel Dominguín. And Charles Chaplin Jr. Emilio Fernández, Arturo de Córdova, Yul Brynner, Errol Flynn. Jorge Mistral, Carlos Thompson, Vittorio Gassman and others.

Her passion for jewelry and collected many pieces from famous designers like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston and others. She also had a passion for animals and owned several pets. Such as dogs, cats, horses, monkeys, snakes, and even a crocodile.

She retired from acting in 1970 after appearing in a Mexican historical soap opera called La constitución (1970). Her last years in her house in Mexico City. Where she died of congestive heart failure on April 8, 2002, on her 88th birthday.

She was buried in the Panteón Francés de San Joaquín in Mexico City. Next to her son Enrique, who died of lung cancer in 1996.

María Félix is considered one of the most beautiful actresses of all time. And one of the most influential figures of Mexican culture. She has been honored with several tributes, such as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A statue in her hometown of Álamos, a museum in her house in Mexico City. A Google Doodle on her 104th birthday. And several books, documentaries, songs, and films about her life and career.

María Félix is remembered as La Doña, María Bonita, and La Divina Garza. She is remembered as María Félix.

The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema & María Félix

The Golden Age of Mexican cinema was a boom period in the history of Mexican cinema, which began in 1936 with the premiere of the film Allá en el Rancho Grande, and culminated in 1956. During this time, Mexico became the dominant film producer in Latin America and gained international recognition for its movies. The Golden Age of Mexican cinema was characterized by the exploration of various genres, such as comedy, romance, musical, horror, and drama, and the emergence of a new generation of directors and actors who are still considered icons of Mexican culture. Some of the most influential figures of this period were Emilio Fernández, Luis Buñuel, María Félix, Dolores del Río, Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, and Cantinflas. 

The Golden Age of Mexican cinema also reflected the social and political changes that Mexico experienced during and after World War II, such as the rise of nationalism, populism, urbanization, and modernization. The Golden Age of Mexican cinema ended in the late 1950s due to several factors, such as the decline of the studio system, the competition from Hollywood and television, the censorship and intervention of the government, and the loss of public interest. However, the legacy of this period remains as one of the most important and influential in the history of Mexican cinema.

Some of the most famous films from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema are:

• Doña Bárbara (1943), directed by Fernando de Fuentes, based on the novel by Rómulo Gallegos. It stars María Félix as a powerful and ruthless landowner who falls in love with a lawyer who opposes her tyranny.
• Enamorada (1946), directed by Emilio Fernández, inspired by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. It stars María Félix and Pedro Armendáriz as a rebellious aristocrat and a revolutionary general who clash and romance during the Mexican Revolution.
• Los olvidados (1950), directed by Luis Buñuel, a realistic and shocking portrayal of the lives of street children in Mexico City. It won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival and is considered one of Buñuel’s masterpieces.
• French Cancan (1955), directed by Jean Renoir, a musical comedy set in the Belle Époque of Paris. It stars Jean Gabin as a theater impresario who revives the cancan dance and María Félix as his jealous mistress.
• Tizoc (1957), directed by Ismael Rodríguez, a romantic drama about the forbidden love between an indigenous man and a white woman. It stars Pedro Infante and María Félix, who won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival for her performance.

Mexican cinema has had a significant impact on Hollywood in various ways. Some of the impacts are:

• Mexican cinema has influenced the style and themes of some Hollywood films, especially in the genres of neo-realism, drama, and comedy. For example, the film Traffic (2000), directed by Steven Soderbergh, was inspired by the Mexican film Amores Perros (2000), directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Both films use a multi-narrative structure to explore the effects of drug trafficking on different characters and social classes. Another example is the film Babel (2006), also directed by Iñárritu, which was influenced by the Mexican film El crimen del padre Amaro (2002), directed by Carlos Carrera. Both films deal with the themes of communication, cultural differences, and moral dilemmas in a globalized world.
• Mexican cinema has also contributed to the diversity and representation of Latin American culture and identity in Hollywood. Many Mexican actors, such as María Félix, Dolores del Río, Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, Cantinflas, Salma Hayek, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, and others have starred in Hollywood films and have become icons of Mexican and Latin American cinema. Some of these actors have also used their fame and influence to promote social causes and raise awareness about issues affecting their communities, such as immigration, racism, poverty, and human rights.

Also Including

• Mexican cinema has also produced some of the most acclaimed and successful directors in Hollywood history. Directors such as Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Luis Buñuel, and others have won multiple awards and recognition for their films in Hollywood and international festivals. Some of their films include Gravity (2013), The Shape of Water (2017), Roma (2018), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), The Revenant (2015), Birdman (2014), Los olvidados (1950), French Cancan (1955), and others. These directors have also collaborated with Hollywood studios and producers to create films that appeal to a wider audience while maintaining their artistic vision and cultural identity.

In conclusion, Mexican cinema has had a profound impact on Hollywood by influencing its style, themes, diversity, representation, and quality. Mexican cinema has also enriched the global film culture by showcasing the stories, values, and challenges of Mexico and Latin America.

The First Mexican Film To Win A Academy Award

The first Mexican film to win an Academy Award was Roma (2018), directed by Alfonso Cuarón. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, becoming the first Mexican and fourth Latin American film to receive this honor. Roma also won the Oscars for Best Director and Best Cinematography, making Cuarón the first person to win both awards for the same film. Roma is a semi-autobiographical drama that depicts the life of a domestic worker and her employer’s family in Mexico City in the early 1970s. The film was praised for its realism, cinematography, direction, and performances