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 Spanishlanguage 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 wifes 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