Cantinflas

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. Pg. 88-89. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

It is a measure of Cantinflas' impact upon the Spanish-speaking world that his name became recognized by linguists as a new colloquialism. Literally, Cantinflas has no meaning; the actor made up the word as a stage name. But the noun cantinflada is now defined in the authoritative Larousse Spanish dictionary as a long-winded, meaningless speech, while the verb cantinflear means to talk too much but say too little. Cantinflas was widely loved for his character "el peladito," a penniless urban slum dweller who used his wit and unfailing good luck to escape from impossible situations. Often compared to Chaplin's "Little Tramp," - "el peladito" had a tiny mustache at each end of his upper lip. A tenement dweller and jack-of-all-trades, he wore a tattered vest, a straw hat and a pair of worn trousers held up by rope. As late as 1983, his film "El Barrandero" ("The Street Cleaner") made more money than any other Spanish-language feature ever shown in the United States. At the peak of his career in the late '50s, Cantinflas was earning more than $1.5 million a year and was referred to in press releases as the world's highest-paid comedian.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6438 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 10, 1980.

Cantinflas graduated from high school and at 15 was sent to an agricultural college. He stayed there for nine months before running away to Jalapa on the Pacific coast, where he joined a carpa, or tent show, and began his career as an actor. It was in the tent shows that Cantinflas developed "el peladito," the picaresque "wise guy" from Mexico City. In a 1957 interview, Cantinflas reflected on the birth of "el peladito" and the beginning of his career. "I found out, with no little surprise, that I could give them laughter with a twitching of my mouth, with a sample of the vernacular I had picked up from my neighborhood cronies.".

Although generations of Latinos were charmed by his garrulity in a variety of parts, he was best known to American audiences for a single role: In the 1956 Mike Todd feature comedy-travel film adapted from Jules Verne's novel - "Around the World in 80 Days." Cantinflas portrayed "Passepartout" - the bumbling valet of Phileas Fogg, played by David Niven. Cantinflas made only two films during his brief career in the United States in the late 1950s. After "Around the World," Columbia Pictures starred Cantinflas in his own, multi-million-dollar comedy epic, "Pepe," which included cameo appearances by more than 42 stars, including Maurice Chevalier, Bing Crosby, Marlene Dietrich, Tony Curtis, Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, George Raft, Gilbert Roland, Edward G. Robinson, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, Joe E. Brown, Finlay Currie, Buster Keaton, Robert Morley, Evelyn Keyes, Peter Lorre, Red Skelton, Beatrice Lillie, Noël Coward, José Greco (Flamenco Dancer and his troupe), Martine Carol, Basil Sydney, Harcourt Williams, Fernandel, the famous bull fighter Luis Miguel Dominguín, Robert Newton, Cedric Hardwick, Melville Cooper, Reginald Denny, Ronald Colman, Robert Cabal, Charles Coburn, John Carradine, Tim McCoy, Andy Devine, Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen, Jack Oakie, John Mills, Glynis Johns, Hermione Gingold, Edward R. Murrow, A.E. Matthews, Ronald Adam, Walter Fitzgerald, Frank Royde, Mike Mazurka, Ronald Squire, Basil Sydney and Cesar Romero. "Pepe" however, failed miserably at the box office and put an end to Cantinflas' career in the United States. He returned to Mexico, where he continued making movies well into his 70s. But he starred in at least 35 films in Mexico, many for his own feature film company, Posa Films, later known as Cantinflas Films.

In his youth, he earned money as a prizefighter and worked as an acrobat in circus tent shows. At the peak of his career in the late 1950s, Cantinflas was earning more than $1.5 million a year and was referred to in press releases as the world's highest-paid comedian.

"Cantinflas represents the humble Mexican who wants to overcome himself and accomplish something in life," he said in a 1948 interview. "This is the message of the films".

Starred in comedic film adaptations of classic works of fiction: Los tres mosqueteros (1942), Romeo y Julieta (1943), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), and Don Quijote cabalga de nuevo (1973).

For most of his career he was under exclusive contract to Posa Films, the production company that made nearly all of his feature-length films from Ni sangre, ni arena (1941) to El profe (1971).

Cantinflas, born Mario Mareno as the son of a Mexican postal employee, was a prolific and productive Mexican comedian/producer/writer/singer who also knew a fair bit about agriculture and medicine. He was married to Valentina Ivanova from 1936 until her death.