Ismael Rodríguez Ruelas (October 19, 1917 – August 7, 2004) was an acclaimed Mexican film director. Rodríguez directed many major stars, including Pedro Infante, Dolores del Río, María Félix, and even Toshiro Mifune, the favorite actor of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, as a Mexican Indian in the film Ánimas Trujano (1961). This film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Rodríguez's most renowned international film is Tizoc, in which Pedro Infante-who starred alongside Maria Felix -received a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. For this role, Infante won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival. Pedro Infante died in a plane crash. on April 15, 1957, before receiving the award. When Ismael Rodriguez asked Pedro's mother to keep the Silver Bear, she refused to accept it. Instead she told Rodriguez that because He had "made" Pedro Infante, deserved to keep the statue. He humbly did. Rodriguez, not only worked with the best of Mexican and international actors, he made some of the most memorable movies of the time. A brilliant writer/director.

Filmography

• 2022Becoming Frederick Douglass — Cinematography
• 1999Reclusorio III — Director, Writer
• 1998Fuera de la ley — Director, Screenplay
• 1997Reclusorio — Director, Screenplay
• 1994El hombre cine mexicano: Pedro Infante, el mito
• 1994Pandilleras — Producer
• 1989Two Kinds of Schemes — Director
• 1988Solicito marido para engañar — Director, Screenplay, Executive Producer
• 1987The Scent of Death — Screenplay
• 1986¡Yerba Sangrienta! — Writer, Director
• 1985Masacre en el río Tula — Writer
• 1984Corrupción — Director, Screenplay, Producer
• 1982Burdel — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1980El secuestro de los cien millones — Director
• 1980Snow White and Her 7 Lovers — Director
• 1979Ratero — Director
• 1977Somos del otro Laredo — Director
• 1973Nosotros los feos — Director
• 1972Mi niño Tizoc — Director, Adaptation, Screenplay
• 1971El ogro — Director, Writer
• 1971Trampa para una niña — Director
• 1970Unethical Behaviour — Director
• 1969Cuernos debajo de la cama — Director, Screenplay
• 1969The Butcher’s Wife — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1969The Door and the Butcher's Wife — Director, Story, Producer
• 1968Autopsy of a Ghost — Director
• 1968Chewing Gum — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1965The Boy and the Ball and the Hole in the Wall — Director, Writer
• 1964The Mighty Jungle — Director
• 1963La Bandida — Producer
• 1963The Paper Man — Director, Screenplay, Producer
• 1963This was Pedro Infante — Ismael Rodríguez, Director
• 1961My Son, the Hero — Director, Adaptation
• 1961The Important Man — Director, Adaptation, Screenplay, Producer
• 1960To Each His Own Life — Executive Producer
• 1959La Cucaracha — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1959Land of Men — Writer, Director
• 1958El gran premio — Producer
• 1958This Was Pancho Villa: Second chapter — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1958This Was Pancho Villa: Third chapter — Director, Screenplay, Producer
• 1957This Was Pancho Villa: First chapter — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1957Tizoc — Director, Story
• 1956Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer — Director
• 1956The Beast of Hollow Mountain — Director
• 1955Cupido pierde a Paquita — Director
• 1955Los paquetes de Paquita — Director
• Sheena: Queen of the Jungle — Production Executive
• 1954Damned City! — Paquita's wooer, Writer, Producer, Director
• 1954Píntame angelitos blancos — Director
• 1954Romance de fieras — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1954Storm in the souls — Director
• 1953Dos tipos de cuidado — Director, Writer
• 1953From the Village to TV — Writer, Producer, Director
• 1953Pepe El Toro — Paseante (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
• 1951Full Spead Ahead — Hombre que cuelga el telefono (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
• 1951Kill Me Because I'm Dying!!! — Transeúnte (uncredited), Director, Producer, Adaptation
• 1951Las Islas Marias — Producer
• 1951My General's Wives — Director, Writer
• 1951¿Qué te ha dado esa mujer? — Director, Screenplay
• 1950No desearás la mujer de tu hijo — Director, Writer
• 1950Over the Waves — Director, Writer
• 1949The Black Sheep — Director, Screenplay
• 1948Los tres huastecos — Director, Screenplay
• 1948We the Poor — Director, Producer, Story
• 1948You the Rich — Transeúnte (uncredited), Director, Screenplay, Story
• 1947The Three Garcías — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1947Vuelven los García — Director, Screenplay
• 1947When the Brave Cry — Director, Writer
• 1947¡Qué verde era mi padre! — Director
• 1946¡Ya tengo a mi hijo! — Director, Writer
• 1944Amores de ayer — Director
• 1944Escándalo de estrellas — Director, Writer
• 1943How Beautiful is Michoacan! — Director
• 1943¡Mexicanos al Grito de Guerra! — Director, Supervising Technical Director
• 1942Cuando viajan las estrellas — Sound Engineer
• 1942Las cinco noches de Adán — Sound
• 1941El secreto del sacerdote — Adaptation
• 1940Al son de la marimba — Sound
• 1940Viviré otra vez — Producer
• 1937No te engañes corazón — Empleado oficina (uncredited)
• 1933The Tiger of Yautepec — Sound Montage Associate
• 1932Santa

Appearances as themselves (3)

• 2014Fervor Infantilista — Himself
• 2000Mimí Derba — Self
• 1998Alex Phillips: The magic between light and shadow — self