René Cardona

Directing · Acting · Writing

Born October 9, 1905, Havana, Cuba

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.

Filmography

• 1989Viva la risa II
• 1987Las Limpias — Don Ignacio
• 1987Yo el ejecutor
• 1986Se Sufre pero se Goza — Writer
• 1986¡Maten al fugitivo!
• 1985La Casa Que Arde de Noche — American
• 1984Siempre en domingo
• 1983La Banda De La Sotana Negra
• 1982Las computadoras — Director
• 1982The Fury of the Karate Experts — Professor Williams
• 1981Visita al Pasado — Director
• 1980Carlos El Terrorista — Director
• 1980Savage Summer — Papá
• 1979Crónica roja
• 1979La Guerra de los Pasteles — Director
• 1978Brood of Vipers — Director, Writer
• 1978Cyclone
• 1978El Llanto de los Pobres
• 1978Tempestad
• 1978The Children of Sanchez
• 1977La casta divina — Consul Cubano
• 1977Prisión de mujeres — Mr. Williams, Director
• 1977Una noche embarazosa — Director
• 1976La Folle de Chaillot — Le rentier
• 1976Survive! — Director
• 1975El pequeño Robin Hood — Director
• 1975El valle de los miserables — Don Luis Aguirre
• 1975Fantastic Voyage in a Baloon
• 1975Noche de muerte — Director
• 1975The Yellow Mafia — Director
• 1974El Hijo Del Pueblo — Director, Screenplay
• 1974Guns and Guts — Monk
• 1974Island of Lost Souls — Screenplay, Director
• 1974Jalisco nunca pierde — Director
• 1974La disputa
• 1974The Vengeance of the Crying Woman — Severo Segovia
• 1973El derecho de los pobres — Director, Adaptation, Story, Dialogue
• 1973Entre Monjas Anda El Diablo — Director
• 1973Masajista de señoras
• 1973Peluquero de señoras
• 1973The Invasion of the Dead — Director
• 1973Zindy, the Swamp Boy — Abuelo
• 1972Manuel Saldivar, el texano — Director
• 1972The Incredible Professor Zovek — Writer, Director
• 1971Capulina vs. the Vampires — Director, Screenplay
• 1971Jesús, el niño Dios — Baltazar (as René Cardona Sr.)
• 1971La mula de Cullen Baker — Capitán, Director, Writer
• 1971Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy — Director
• 1971Santo vs. the Head Hunters — Don Alonso Grijalva, Director, Writer
• 1971Siete muertes para el texano — Director
• 1971The Revenge of Gabino Barrera — Director
• 1970Chanoc en las garras de las fieras — Gang Member (as René Cardona Sr.)
• 1970El asesino enmascarado — Director
• 1970El pueblo del terror — Director
• 1970La Captura De Gabino Barrera — Director
• 1970La hermana Trinquete — Inspector, Story
• 1970Santo vs. the Riders of Terror — Director, Screenplay
• 1970Two Mules for Sister Sara — Second Unit Director
• 1969Duelo en El Dorado — Director
• 1969El Caballo Bayo — Director
• 1969El deseo llega de noche — Pitanguelli
• 1969La maestra inolvidable — Director
• 1969Lauro Puñales — Director
• 1969Night of the Bloody Apes — Writer, Director
• 1969Santo in the Treasure of Dracula — Director
• 1969Santo vs. Capulina — Director
• 1969The Vampire and Sex — Director
• 1969Wrestling Women vs. the Killer Robot — Director
• 1968Caballo prieto azabache — Director
• 1968El día de la boda — Ramón
• 1968Lucio Vazquez — Director
• 1968Operación carambola — Scorpio Leader
• 1968Stranger in the House — Tomas
• 1968The Bat Woman — Director
• 1968The Treasure of Moctezuma — Director
• 1968Valentín de la Sierra — Director
• 1967El matrimonio es como el demonio — Ramón
• 1967La leyenda del bandido
• 1967La vuelta del Mexicano — Director
• 1967Operation 67 — Director
• 1967The Panther Women — Director
• 1967Un novio para dos hermanas — Sr. Mateos
• 1967Un par de robachicos
• 1966El alazán y el rosillo — Director
• 1966El jinete justiciero en retando a la muerte — Director
• 1966El mexicano — Director
• 1966La vida de Pedro Infante — Director
• 1966Santo vs. the Ghost of the Strangler — Director, Writer
• 1965Aquella Rosita Alvírez — Director
• 1965El Hijo De Gabino Barrera — Director
• 1965Gabino Barrera — Director, Writer
• 1965Los Sheriffs De La Frontera — Director
• 1965Neutron Traps the Invisible Killers — Director, Writer
• 1965Pistoleros del oeste — Director
• 1965Santo vs. the Strangler — Writer, Director
• 1965She-Wolves of the Ring — Director
• 1964Dos caballeros de espada
• 1964El corrido de María Pistolas — Director
• 1964El revólver sangriento — Comisario
• 1964La edad de piedra — Director
• 1964The Diabolical Duchess
• 1964Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy — Director
• 1963Adventures of the X Sisters
• 1963Doctor of Doom — Director
• 1963Fuerte, audaz y valiente — Director
• 1963La Bandida — General Robles
• 1963María Pistolas — Director
• 1962Los encapuchados del infierno
• 1962Santo vs. the King of Crime — Sr. Roberto de la Llata
• 1962The Brainiac — Baltasar de Meneses / Luis Meneses
• 1962¡En peligro de muerte! — Director
• 1961Carnaval en mi barrio — Director
• 1961El globero — Director
• 1961Juana Gallo — Capitán Esquivel
• 1960A Clean Shot — Director
• 1960Adventures of Joselito and Tom Thumb — Director
• 1960Juan Polainas — Director
• 1960The Crying Woman — Director
• 1959Angel from Hell — Director
• 1959El joven del carrito — Director
• 1959El puma — Director, Writer
• 1959El sordo — Director
• 1959La ley del más rápido — Director
• 1959Milagros de San Martín de Porres
• 1959Night Dance Hall
• 1959Santa Claus — Writer, Director
• 1959Una señora movida — Director
• 1958La cama de piedra — Director
• 1958La marca del cuervo — Director
• 1958Las tres pelonas — Director
• 1958Maratón de baile — Director, Screenplay
• 1958Tom Thumb — Screenplay, Director
• 1958Tú y la mentira — Director
• 1957Girl Merchants
• 1957Pancho López — Director
• 1957The Living Idol — Director
• 1957Un mundo nuevo — Director
• 1956La faraona — (uncredited), Director
• 1956Las zapatillas verdes — Director
• 1956Los hijos de Rancho Grande — Don Felipe
• 1956Los margaritos — Director
• 1956Los tres amores de Lola — Director
• 1956¡Que seas feliz! — Duarte
• 1955A los cuatro vientos
• 1955El pueblo sin Dios — Director
• 1955Love From Afar — Director
• 1955Una gallega en La Habana — Director
• 1954As negro
• 1954Cain y Abel — Director
• 1954De ranchero a empresario — Director, Writer
• 1954El enmascarado de plata — Story, Director
• 1954La desconocida
• 1954Mulata — Guevara
• 1954Nuevo amanecer
• 1954Sindicato de telemirones — Director
• 1953Pompeyo el conquistador — Director
• 1953The Three Perfect Wives — Jorge
• 1952El genial Detective Peter Pérez
• 1952Por qué peca la mujer — Director, Screenplay
• 1952Póker de ases — Director
• 1952Vive como sea — Director
• 1951Canasta Uruguaya — Director
• 1951El marido de mi novia — Director
• 1951Mujeres de teatro — Director
• 1951Port of Temptation — Director, Screenplay
• 1951Una viuda sin sostén — Director
• 1951Vuelva el sábado — Director
• 1950Gema — Director
• 1950Gemma — Director
• 1950Red Rain — Director
• 1950They also sing of pain — Director
• 1950Yo quiero ser hombre — Director
• 1950Yo quiero ser mala — Director
• 1949Ahí viene Vidal Tenorio — Director
• 1949El Charro del Cristo — Director
• 1949La vorágine: abismos de amor
• 1949Una canción a la vírgen — Director
• 1948Cartas Marcadas — Director, Screenplay
• 1948La última noche — Director
• 1948Lazos de fuego — Director, Adaptation
• 1948Mi madre adorada — Director, Writer
• 1948Pito Pérez se va de bracero
• 1947El príncipe del desierto — Omar
• 1947El tigre de Jalisco — Director
• 1947Felipe fue desgraciado — Director
• 1947La barca de oro
• 1947Si me han de matar mañana
• 1947Soledad — Roberto Covarrubias
• 1947Soy charro de Rancho Grande — Felipe
• 1946Asesinato en los estudios — Director (uncredited)
• 1946El socio — Corredor de bolsa (uncredited)
• 1946Los buitres sobre el tejado
• 1946¡Ay qué rechula es Puebla! — Mauricio Gómez, Director
• 1945El museo del crimen — Director, Producer, Screenplay
• 1945El precio de una vida — Director
• 1945Una canción en la noche — Director
• 1944El abanico de Lady Windermere
• 1944Hotel de verano — Writer, Director
• 1944Mis hijos! — Director, Writer
• 1944The Black Ace — Director, Story, Adaptation
• 1944The Headless Woman — Director, Story, Adaptation
• 1943Ave sin nido
• 1943Divorciadas — Luis Reiner
• 1943El espectro de la novia — Director, Adaptation
• 1943The Rock of Souls — Manuel
• 1942El conde de Montecristo — Fernando Mondego / Conde de Morcef
• 1942El misterioso señor Marquina
• 1942Jesusita en Chihuahua — Director
• 1942Unidos por el eje — Director
• 1941Adios mi chaparrita — Director
• 1941El secreto del sacerdote — Gabriel
• 1941La casa del rencor — Hugo
• 1940Con su amable permiso
• 1940Love of my loves — Director
• 1940Mala yerba — Don Julián Andrade
• 1939El cobarde — Director
• 1939La reina del río — Director
• 1939Una luz en mi camino
• 1938Alarma — Director
• 1938Allá en el rancho chico — Director
• 1938Dos cadetes — Director
• 1938Estrellita — Director
• 1938La cuna vacía
• 1938Tierra brava — Director
• 1937Don Juan Tenorio — Don Juan Tenorio, Director, Screenplay
• 1937Honrarás a tus padres — Conde de los Pinares
• 1937The Torment
• 1936Allá en el Rancho Grande — Felipe
• 1936El calvario de una esposa — Sebastián Urquizo
• 1936Malditas sean las mujeres — Conde Osvaldo de Valdemar
• 1936Marihuana (El monstruo verde) — Antonio Pedroza
• 1936The Macabre Trunk — Dr. Armando del Valle
• 1933Over the Waves — Raúl
• 1932Hand to Hand — Manuel Chávez
• 1931Carne de Cabaret — Eddie Miller
• 1930Common Clay
• 1930When Love Laughs
• 1929Sombras habaneras — Director, Producer