René Cardona
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.
Known for
Cyclone
La Casa Que Arde de Noche
American
Guns and Guts
Monk
The Brainiac
Baltasar de Meneses / Luis Meneses
The Vengeance of the Crying Woman
Severo Segovia
The Children of Sanchez
El secreto del sacerdote
El conde de Montecristo
Fernando Mondego / Conde de Morcef
The Rock of Souls
Manuel
Un novio para dos hermanas
Sr. Mateos
Fantastic Voyage in a Baloon
El revólver sangriento
Comisario
El matrimonio es como el demonio
Ramón
Stranger in the House
Tomas
La vorágine: abismos de amor
Allá en el Rancho Grande
Felipe
La vida de Pedro Infante
Director
Un par de robachicos
Jesús, el niño Dios
Baltazar (as René Cardona Sr.)
Juana Gallo
Capitán Esquivel
A los cuatro vientos
La Bandida
General Robles
Zindy, the Swamp Boy
Abuelo
La casta divina
Consul Cubano
El día de la boda
Ramón
Santo vs. the King of Crime
Sr. Roberto de la Llata
Divorciadas
La desconocida
Las Limpias
Don Ignacio
La faraona
(uncredited)
El valle de los miserables
Don Luis Aguirre
El deseo llega de noche
Pitanguelli
El Llanto de los Pobres
Night Dance Hall
Crónica roja
Mulata
Guevara
¡Ay qué rechula es Puebla!
Mauricio Gómez
Yo el ejecutor
El puma
Girl Merchants
La leyenda del bandido
Ave sin nido
Si me han de matar mañana
Operación carambola
Scorpio Leader
Santo vs. the Head Hunters
El pequeño Robin Hood
El calvario de una esposa
Sebastián Urquizo
Malditas sean las mujeres
Conde Osvaldo de Valdemar
La folle de Chaillot
Le rentier
The Fury of the Karate Experts
Professor Williams
The Three Perfect Married
Jorge
Siempre en domingo
Savage Summer
Papá
Soledad
Roberto Covarrubias
Dos caballeros de espada
Chanoc en las garras de las fieras
Gang Member (as René Cardona Sr.)
Aventuras de las hermanas X
La hermana Trinquete
Inspector
Con su amable permiso
Mala yerba
Don Julián Andrade
La disputa
Prisión de mujeres
Mr. Williams
La casa del rencor
Hugo
Viva la risa II
Soy charro de Rancho Grande
Felipe
Cartas Marcadas
Tempestad
La mula de Cullen Baker
Capitán
Los hijos de Rancho Grande
Don Felipe
The Macabre Trunk
Dr. Armando del Valle
Hand to Hand
Manuel Chávez
La ley del más rápido
El abanico de Lady Windermere
Manuel Saldivar, el texano
When Love Laughs
La barca de oro
El misterioso señor Marquina
¡Maten al fugitivo!
The Diabolical Duchess
Peluquero de señoras
As negro
Jesusita en Chihuahua
Nuevo amanecer
Marihuana El Monstruo Verde
Masajista de señoras
Don Juan Tenorio
Don Juan Tenorio
Honrarás a tus padres
Conde de los Pinares
Raza de viboras
¡Que seas feliz!
Duarte
La banda de la sotana negra
Milagros de San Martín de Porres
Pito Pérez se va de bracero
El genial Detective Peter Pérez
Los encapuchados del infierno
La cuna vacía
Common Clay
Carne de Cabaret
Eddie Miller