René Cardona
Directing • Born 1905-10-09 – Died 1988-04-25
Biography
René Cardona (October 8, 1905 – April 25, 1988) was a Mexican director, actor, producer, screenwriter, and film editor, who was prominent during part of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. René Cardona was born in Havana, Cuba, on October 8, 1905, and began medical school in Cuba, but due to the political problems of the island, he and his family moved to New York City in 1926, where he continued his studies. Economic circumstances experienced by his family caused him to leave his studies. He befriended famous actor Rodolfo Valentino and obtained work as an extra in several films, until 1929 when he produced, wrote, directed and starred in the first Spanish-language film made in Hollywood, Sombras habaneras (Havana Shadows). He also had the opportunity to work in various positions in the film industry such as second assistant, technical advisor and first assistant director, and learned film and lighting technique. In 1932, he moved to Mexico, where he debuted as an actor and met Julieta Zacarías, sister of the director Miguel Zacarías, and soon after married her. His wife's support would be central to his career in Mexican cinema, in films Mano a mano (1932) directed by Ramón Peón and Sobre las olas (1932) directed by Zacarías. At this early stage as an actor, Cardona participated in three key Mexican films Marihuana (1936), El baúl macabro (1936) and Allá en el Rancho Grande (1936), which officially inaugurate the golden age of Mexican cinema and made stars of its protagonists: Esther Fernández, Tito Guízar, and Cardona.
Filmography
100 credits
When Love Laughs
Movie • 1930
Common Clay
Movie • 1930
Masajista de señoras
Movie • 1973
The Vengeance of the Crying Woman
Movie • 1974
Severo Segovia
Carne de Cabaret
Movie • 1931
Eddie Miller
Viva la risa II
Movie • 1989
La Bandida
Movie • 1963
General Robles
Tempestad
Movie • 1978
Jesús, el niño Dios
Movie • 1971
Baltazar (as René Cardona Sr.)
Guns and Guts
Movie • 1974
Monk
El pequeño Robin Hood
Movie • 1975
La mula de Cullen Baker
Movie • 1971
Capitán
El Llanto de los Pobres
Movie • 1978
Soledad
Movie • 1947
Roberto Covarrubias
Zindy, the Swamp Boy
Movie • 1973
Abuelo
The Rock of Souls
Movie • 1943
Manuel
Fantastic Voyage in a Baloon
Movie • 1975
The Fury of the Karate Experts
Movie • 1982
Professor Williams
Santo vs. the Head Hunters
Movie • 1971
La vida de Pedro Infante
Movie • 1966
Director
El conde de Montecristo
Movie • 1942
Fernando Mondego / Conde de Morcef
Jesusita en Chihuahua
Movie • 1942
A los cuatro vientos
Movie • 1955
Marihuana El Monstruo Verde
Movie • 1936
El secreto del sacerdote
Movie • 1941
Santo vs. the King of Crime
Movie • 1962
Sr. Roberto de la Llata
Si me han de matar mañana
Movie • 1947
La barca de oro
Movie • 1947
Cartas Marcadas
Movie • 1948
Milagros de San Martín de Porres
Movie • 1959
Dos caballeros de espada
Movie • 1964
La Casa Que Arde de Noche
Movie • 1985
American
Divorciadas
Movie • 1943
El abanico de Lady Windermere
Movie • 1944
The Brainiac
Movie • 1962
Baltasar de Meneses / Luis Meneses
Crónica roja
Movie • 1979
The Macabre Trunk
Movie • 1936
Dr. Armando del Valle
Girl Merchants
Movie • 1957
Un novio para dos hermanas
Movie • 1967
Sr. Mateos
Los hijos de Rancho Grande
Movie • 1956
Don Felipe
El genial Detective Peter Pérez
Movie • 1952
Soy charro de Rancho Grande
Movie • 1947
Felipe
As negro
Movie • 1954
Allá en el Rancho Grande
Movie • 1936
Felipe
El revólver sangriento
Movie • 1964
Comisario
Con su amable permiso
Movie • 1940
Los encapuchados del infierno
Movie • 1962
Aventuras de las hermanas X
Movie • 1963
La ley del más rápido
Movie • 1959
El deseo llega de noche
Movie • 1969
Pitanguelli
La leyenda del bandido
Movie • 1967
La hermana Trinquete
Movie • 1970
Inspector
Chanoc en las garras de las fieras
Movie • 1970
Gang Member (as René Cardona Sr.)
Manuel Saldivar, el texano
Movie • 1972
¡Ay qué rechula es Puebla!
Movie • 1946
Mauricio Gómez
Pito Pérez se va de bracero
Movie • 1948
Mala yerba
Movie • 1940
Don Julián Andrade
Los buitres sobre el tejado
Movie • 1946
La desconocida
Movie • 1954
Mulata
Movie • 1954
Guevara
Prisión de mujeres
Movie • 1977
Mr. Williams
Cyclone
Movie • 1978
The Diabolical Duchess
Movie • 1964
El día de la boda
Movie • 1968
Ramón
Operación carambola
Movie • 1968
Scorpio Leader
El matrimonio es como el demonio
Movie • 1967
Ramón
Un par de robachicos
Movie • 1967
El puma
Movie • 1959
La casta divina
Movie • 1977
Consul Cubano
The Three Perfect Married
Movie • 1953
Jorge
Stranger in the House
Movie • 1968
Tomas
La casa del rencor
Movie • 1941
Hugo
Yo el ejecutor
Movie • 1987
¡Que seas feliz!
Movie • 1956
Duarte
Ave sin nido
Movie • 1943
La Banda De La Sotana Negra
Movie • 1983
Hand to Hand
Movie • 1932
Manuel Chávez
La disputa
Movie • 1974
Peluquero de señoras
Movie • 1973
La Folle de Chaillot
Movie • 1976
Le rentier
Don Juan Tenorio
Movie • 1937
Don Juan Tenorio
El misterioso señor Marquina
Movie • 1942
Malditas sean las mujeres
Movie • 1936
Conde Osvaldo de Valdemar
Juana Gallo
Movie • 1961
Capitán Esquivel
La cuna vacía
Movie • 1938
Brood of Vipers
Movie • 1978
Siempre en domingo
Movie • 1984
Night Dance Hall
Movie • 1959
The Children of Sanchez
Movie • 1978
Las Limpias
Movie • 1987
Don Ignacio
Savage Summer
Movie • 1980
Papá
La faraona
Movie • 1956
(uncredited)
Honrarás a tus padres
Movie • 1937
Conde de los Pinares
El calvario de una esposa
Movie • 1936
Sebastián Urquizo
El valle de los miserables
Movie • 1975
Don Luis Aguirre
¡Maten al fugitivo!
Movie • 1986
La vorágine: abismos de amor
Movie • 1949
Nuevo amanecer
Movie • 1954
El príncipe del desierto
Movie • 1947
Omar
El socio
Movie • 1946
Corredor de bolsa (uncredited)