María Félix (April 8, 1914 – April 8, 2002) was a Mexican film actress, and one of the icons of the golden era of the Cinema of Mexico. She was more commonly known, particularly in her later years, by the honorific La Doña. María Félix was discovered by businessman Fernando Palacios in Mexico City. Palacios presented her with the filmmaker Miguel Zacarías, who would give her the opportunity of starring in El Peñon de las Animas alongside Jorge Negrete. In 1943 she starred Doña Bárbara, directed by Fernando de Fuentes and inspired by the novel of the Venezuelan writer Romulo Gallegos. Felix increased her popularity with such films as La Mujer sin Alma (1944) and La Devoradora (1946); the latter making the actress the vamp of Mexican cinema in the 1940s. She refused to work in Hollywood unless she made her grand entrance from the “big door” and not the small roles offered by Cecil B. de Mille. Félix once stated “I was not born to carry a basket”. She reportedly lost the only lead role… read more
María Félix (April 8, 1914 – April 8, 2002) was a Mexican film actress, and one of the icons of the golden era of the Cinema of Mexico. She was more commonly known, particularly in her later years, by the honorific La Doña. María Félix was discovered by businessman Fernando Palacios in Mexico City. Palacios presented her with the filmmaker Miguel Zacarías, who would give her the opportunity of starring in El Peñon de las Animas alongside Jorge Negrete. In 1943 she starred Doña Bárbara, directed by Fernando de Fuentes and inspired by the novel of the Venezuelan writer Romulo Gallegos. Felix increased her popularity with such films as La Mujer sin Alma (1944) and La Devoradora (1946); the latter making the actress the vamp of Mexican cinema in the 1940s. She refused to work in Hollywood unless she made her grand entrance from the “big door” and not the small roles offered by Cecil B. de Mille. Félix once stated “I was not born to carry a basket”. She reportedly lost the only lead role of “Pearl Chavez” in the 1945 film Duel in the Sun, although it was written with her in mind, to Jennifer Jones, reportedly due to work commitments in Europe. As a result, she never achieved the fame in the USA that she achieved in Latin America and Europe. In 1946, she came under the influence of director Emilio Fernandez, with whom she made the films Enamorada (1946), Río Escondido (1947) and Maclovia (1948), and launched her career throughout Europe. She worked in Spain in Mare Nostrum in 1948 and Sonatas directed by Juan Antonio Bardem. In France, with greats such as Jean Renoir (French Cancan,1954) and Luis Buñuel (La fièvre monte à El Pao, 1960), and played in Italian films like Mesalina (1951), along side stars like Rossano Brazzi, Vittorio Gassman, Jean Gabin, Françoise Arnoul, Yves Montand, Jack Palance, Fernando Rey, Francisco Rabal and others. In 1959, she starred the movie La Cucaracha, with Dolores del Río. In 1966, María Félix was given the lead role in La Valentina (1966), an adventure drama centering on the Mexican Revolution, where she sang the song “El güero aventao” with co-star Eulalio González. In later years, her films were inspired by the Mexican Revolution as La Escondida (1955), La Cucaracha (1959), Juana Gallo (1961), La Valentina (1966), and La Generala (1970), her last film. —wikipedia
