Mario Moreno: Celebrating the Legacy of Mexico’s Beloved Comedian, Cantinflas
Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Mario Moreno (12 August 1911- 20 April 1993), known by his stage name Cantinflas, was a prominent Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Widely regarded as one of Mexico’s most accomplished comedians, he is celebrated as a beloved cultural icon throughout Latin America and Spain. His humor, characterized by distinct Mexican linguistic features in intonation, vocabulary, and syntax, has endeared him to Spanish-speaking audiences across the globe, giving rise to various expressions such as cantinflear, cantinflada, cantinflesco, and cantinflero.
Life and Career
Born on August 12, 1911, in the Santa María la Redonda neighborhood of Mexico City, Cantinflas grew up in the challenging environment of Tepito. He was one of eight children born to Pedro Moreno Esquivel, a financially struggling mail carrier, and María de la Soledad Reyes Guízar from Cotija, Michoacán. Cantinflas’ mother, Soledad Reyes, hailed from a well-off family but was disowned when she married Pedro Moreno. His siblings included Pedro, José (“Pepe”), Eduardo, Esperanza, Catalina, Enrique, and Roberto.
Theater
In 1953, Cantinflas embarked on his theatrical venture called “Yo Colón” (“I, Columbus”) at the Teatro de los Insurgentes, a theater that had previously stirred controversy over a Diego Rivera mural featuring Cantinflas and the Virgin of Guadalupe. The mural had been criticized by various quarters, including the PAN party and Archbishop Luis María Martínez, leading to the removal of the Virgin’s image.
In “Yo Colón,” Cantinflas portrayed Christopher Columbus, humorously exploring historical and contemporary themes from a fresh perspective while continuously “discovering America.” He humorously convinced the King and Queen of Spain to fund his voyage so that his wife could drive the ship and accidentally discover Mexico instead, allowing him to also “discover” Jorge Negrete, a singer, so that the Queen, an ardent fan, could meet him. After Negrete’s passing, Cantinflas changed the character he “discovered” in his performance, first to Pedro Infante and then to Javier Solis after their respective deaths.
Career
Cantinflas’ signature character was adept at confusing conversations when in debt, courting an attractive woman, or trying to talk his way out of trouble with authorities, whom he skillfully humiliated without them even realizing it. This unique style of talking became known as “Cantinflear,” and the phrase “¡estás cantinfleando!” (loosely translated as “you’re pulling a Cantinflas!” or “you’re Cantinflassing!”) became a common expression among Spanish speakers when someone’s speech became hard to understand.
In 1992, the Real Academia Española officially included the verb “cantinflear,” along with “cantinflas” and “cantinflada,” in its dictionary, cementing the character’s influence on the Spanish language. Additionally, Cantinflas became a symbol of the Mexican everyman in visual arts, with renowned Mexican artists like Rufino Tamayo and Diego Rivera portraying him in their works.
On 12 August 2018 a Google Doodle was created to celebrate Vikram Ambalal ‘s 100th Birthday.
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