René Cardona

Directing·Oct 9, 1905·Havana, Cuba

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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.

Film	Credit
Viva la risa II1989 · Actor	Actor
La Casa Que Arde de Noche1987 · American	American
Las Limpias1987 · Don Ignacio	Don Ignacio
Yo el ejecutor1987 · Actor	Actor
¡Maten al fugitivo!1986 · Actor	Actor
SSe Sufre pero se Goza1986 · Writer	Writer
SSiempre en domingo1984 · Actor	Actor
La Banda De La Sotana Negra1983 · Actor	Actor
The Fury of the Karate Experts1982 · Professor Williams	Professor Williams
Las computadoras1982 · Director	Director
Visita al Pasado1981 · Director	Director
Savage Summer1980 · Papá	Papá
Carlos El Terrorista1980 · Director	Director
Crónica roja1979 · Actor	Actor
La Guerra de los Pasteles1979 · Director	Director
El Llanto de los Pobres1978 · Actor	Actor
Cyclone1978 · Actor	Actor
The Children of Sanchez1978 · Actor	Actor
Brood of Vipers1978 · Actor, Director, Writer	Actor, Director, Writer
Tempestad1978 · Actor	Actor
Una noche embarazosa1977 · Director	Director
La casta divina1977 · Consul Cubano	Consul Cubano
Prisión de mujeres1977 · Mr. Williams, Director	Mr. Williams, Director
La Folle de Chaillot1976 · Le rentier	Le rentier
Survive!1976 · Director	Director
Fantastic Voyage in a Baloon1975 · Actor	Actor
El pequeño Robin Hood1975 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Noche de muerte1975 · Director	Director
The Yellow Mafia1975 · Director	Director
El valle de los miserables1975 · Don Luis Aguirre	Don Luis Aguirre
Jalisco nunca pierde1974 · Director	Director
La disputa1974 · Actor	Actor
The Vengeance of the Crying Woman1974 · Severo Segovia	Severo Segovia
Island of Lost Souls1974 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Guns and Guts1974 · Monk	Monk
El Hijo Del Pueblo1974 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
The Invasion of the Dead1973 · Director	Director
Masajista de señoras1973 · Actor	Actor
Zindy, the Swamp Boy1973 · Abuelo	Abuelo
Peluquero de señoras1973 · Actor	Actor
Entre Monjas Anda El Diablo1973 · Director	Director
El derecho de los pobres1973 · Director	Director
Manuel Saldivar, el texano1972 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
The Incredible Professor Zovek1972 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
Jesús, el niño Dios1971 · Baltazar (as René Cardona Sr.)	Baltazar (as René Cardona Sr.)
Capulina vs. the Vampires1971 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy1971 · Director	Director
Santo vs. the Head Hunters1971 · Don Alonso Grijalva, Director, Writer	Don Alonso Grijalva, Director, Writer