René Cardona

Directing

René Cardona

Born 1905-10-09 · 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.

Acting credits

Cyclone poster
5.2

An airplane goes down in the ocean during a storm and a few survivors find refuge on a small tour boat. Swept out to sea, these people slowly starve to death in the hot sun with barely any food or clean water. With no place to turn, the boat survivors resort to cannibalism to stay alive...that is ..until the rescue planes come to pick them up and the man eating sharks decide its time to eat as well.

Cyclone

1978

La vorágine: abismos de amor poster
6.5

It narrates the adventures of the poet Arturo Cova and his lover Alicia, a story of passion and revenge framed in the plain lands and the Amazon jungle where the two lovers scape from society, and which exposes throughout its plot the harsh living conditions of settlers and Indians enslaved during the rubber rush.

La vorágine: abismos de amor

1949

Fantastic Voyage in a Baloon poster
5.8

1862. Commodore Sir Francis and inventor Douglas initiated on behalf of the Royal Society of London Geography of a balloon ride under the command of Dr. Ferguson, who plans to cross Africa from east to west. But to accomplish this feat will have to overcome numerous adventures in which their lives are at serious risk.

Fantastic Voyage in a Baloon

1975

Prisión de mujeres poster
5.3

'Prisión de Mujeres' is a film by Fernando A. Rivero that narrates a harsh reality: the strength of women in a prison, how they lose their dignity and do not stop for anything.

Prisión de mujeres

1977

El valle de los miserables poster
4.3

In 1909, former judge Cristóbal Zamarripa owns Valle Nacional, a tobacco plantation where he exploits workers with the support of the tyrant Porfirio Díaz, who sends him political prisoners as slaves. The others are lured with the promise of high wages, but end up owing everything to the company store. All are tortured, raped, or killed when they protest. Another landowner whose brother was killed by Zamarripa and who falls in love with one of his daughters is going to be punished, but he flees and becomes a revolutionary.

El valle de los miserables

1975

Asesinato en los estudios poster
6.0

During the filming of a movie an actor has to be attacked with blanks but dies because they were real bullets.

Asesinato en los estudios

1946

El misterioso señor Marquina poster
5.8

No synopsis available yet.

El misterioso señor Marquina

1942

El pequeño Robin Hood poster
6.3

Directed by René Cardona, and written by René Cardona Jr., «El Pequeño Robin Hood» is a 1975 Adventure/Comedy/Drama/Family film . René Cardona III and Patricia Aspíllaga are starring, alongside René Cardona, Arturo Cobo, Jorge Russek and Alfredo Wally Barrón.

El pequeño Robin Hood

1975

Crónica roja poster
6.1

After one is arrested - possibly unjustly - for murder, the lives of two brothers spiral out of control.

Crónica roja

1979

Mala yerba poster
5.6

Plantation owner is way too much into his peasant girls. It causes problems.

Mala yerba

1940

Divorciadas poster
6.2

Divorciadas tells the story of three women: Cristina, recently divorced after refusing to endure her husband's lack of love, especially following the death of their young son; Carmen, divorced for many years and living on the fortune left to her by her late husband, leading a free and unconventional life; and Juanita, an employee at the courthouse where she meets Cristina, married but long abandoned by her husband.

Divorciadas

1943

Con su amable permiso poster
6.0

Unassuming elderly gent is installed as Mayor, by a cabal of financiers that expect to use him as a cat's paw.

Con su amable permiso

1940

El príncipe del desierto poster
6.3

A girl meets a young boy in Arabia who falls in love with her. When they grow up, he goes to Mexico while hiding the fact that he is a prince.

El príncipe del desierto

1947

The Children of Sanchez poster
6.5

Hall Bartlett directs the rural drama The Children of Sanchez, based on the tome The Children of Sanchez: Autobiography of a Mexican Family written by Oscar Lewis in the '60s. Anthony Quinn stars as the widowed Jesus Sanchez, a poor farmer struggling to provide for his family in Mexico City. Also starring Lupita Ferrer as Consuelo and Stathis Giallelis as Roberto. This is the last film in the 50-year career of international star Dolores del Rio, who plays the Grandma. Jazz-pop performer Chuck Mangione was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Grammy award for his original musical score.

The Children of Sanchez

1978

Over the Waves poster
5.4

Based on the brief life of the Mexican composer of the famous waltz, "Over the Waves" ("Sobre las Olas"), Juventino Rosas.

Over the Waves

1933

Girl Merchants poster
2.5

A young French woman travels to South America for a job offer and ends up a prisoner in a slave camp for women by a sadistic gangster.

Girl Merchants

1957

Carne de Cabaret poster
5.5

This is the Spanish-language version of Ten Cents a Dance (1931), shot concurrently with a different cast but the same director, Christy Cabanne (as "Wiliam Cabana"), and also Mexican director Eduardo Arozamena.

Carne de Cabaret

1931

El puma poster
6.3

Son of a ranching family returns home after studying in the city for a law degree. He sides with the peons in a labor dispute and his father disowns him; he sets up a law office in another town. First of three movies in a masked-avenger series.

El puma

1959

Unidos por el eje poster
6.7

No synopsis available yet.

Unidos por el eje

1942

Un par de robachicos poster
6.9

No synopsis available yet.

Un par de robachicos

1967

Milagros de San Martín de Porres poster
6.0

Mexican feature film

Milagros de San Martín de Porres

1959

Night Dance Hall poster
8.0

Martine is a young woman plagued both by poverty and by uncaring, problem parents who in no way can provide the kind of nurturing that Martine needs during her adolescent years. As a result of her family situation, Martine runs away from home and gets involved with a group of teens and young adults from the wrong side of the moral tracks.

Night Dance Hall

1959

Marihuana (El monstruo verde) poster
5.5

An agent of the anti-drug brigade is captured and ends up addicted to marijuana, which causes him to enter the mafia.

Marihuana (El monstruo verde)

1936

The Brainiac poster
5.5

In 1661 Mexico, Baron Vitelius is executed for witchcraft. 300 years later, during a comet's return, he resurfaces as a brain-eating monster seeking revenge on the Inquisitors' descendants.

The Brainiac

1962

Behind the camera

Valentín de la Sierra poster
5.4

Based on the corrido of Valentín de la Sierra, one of the revolutionary leaders who forged the armed struggle in Mexican history. The abuses of the Porfirista government against the humble people lead Valentín to lead a large-scale armed uprising.

Valentín de la Sierra

1968

María Pistolas poster
6.7

Tomboyish gal becomes a player in the Mexican Revolution. Then: boyfriends.

María Pistolas

1963

Las computadoras poster
4.9

Diana secretly owns a nightclub and has a son named Arturo. When Arturo gets his college degree, he decides to celebrate and goes to the nightclub he does not know his mother owns. There, he meets and falls in love with a lady of the night. When he takes her home to meet his mother, both women are embarrassed. Diana offers the girl money to leave Arturo alone, and the young girl takes it and gives it to Arturo with a letter saying she’s leaving. Arturo is upset with his mother and drifts away from her. Diana, tired of the nightclub business and of the double life she has led, decides to retire and gives the nightclub to the women who have worked for her. She intends to patch things up with her son and to welcome the woman that Arturo has chosen to marry.

Las computadoras

1982

El corrido de María Pistolas poster
6.4

Sequel to Maria Pistolas. Comic-tomgirl member of Villa's army has boy trouble.

El corrido de María Pistolas

1964

The Vampire and Sex poster
8.0

El vampire y el sexy (or Santo in the Treasure of Dracula in its censored version) is a 1968 Mexican film starring El Santo and directed by René Cardona. ​The Vampire and Sex was filmed as the adult version of Santo in the Treasure of Dracula. While the censored family version was distributed in 1969, the uncensored version was not shown to the public until 2011 when it was discovered.

The Vampire and Sex

1969

Prisión de mujeres poster
5.3

'Prisión de Mujeres' is a film by Fernando A. Rivero that narrates a harsh reality: the strength of women in a prison, how they lose their dignity and do not stop for anything.

Prisión de mujeres

1977

Lauro Puñales poster
5.0

One of Zapata's field marshals runs afoul of dictator Huerta's stooges in his home town.

Lauro Puñales

1969

Aquella Rosita Alvírez poster
6.3

Traveling cowboy gets involved in political issues in a town he passes through. Also a romance.

Aquella Rosita Alvírez

1965

Santa Claus poster
6.8

Pitch, the mean-spirited devil, is trying to ruin Christmas. Santa Claus teams up with Merlin the Magician and the children of the world in order to save the day!

Santa Claus

1959

Santa Claus poster
6.8

Pitch, the mean-spirited devil, is trying to ruin Christmas. Santa Claus teams up with Merlin the Magician and the children of the world in order to save the day!

Santa Claus

1959

Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy poster
4.9

Gloria Venus and Golden Rubi are tag-team Luchadoras, helping a scientist on a quest to discover an ancient Aztec treasure, but the fiendish Prince Fugiyata wants to get there first. Both are in for a surprise, as the treasure is guarded by Xochitl, the Aztec Mummy Sorcerer, who can turn into a bat at will.

Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy

1964

Operation 67 poster
6.4

The silver masked Santo tries to stop a gang of counterfeiters who conspire to ruin the economy.

Operation 67

1967

The Yellow Mafia poster
5.8

Blue Demon must stop an evil chinese gang and their reign of terror.

The Yellow Mafia

1975

The Bat Woman poster
5.5

When a mad scientist begins kidnapping wrestlers and extracting their spinal fluid to create a race of Gill Men, two cops call in Batwoman to investigate. But when her mission leaves the scientist horrifically scarred, he seeks revenge.

The Bat Woman

1968

Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy poster
4.9

When Santo accompanies a troupe of archaeologists in the search for Aztec artifacts, they find the Mummy of an Aztec who leaves a warning to those who tamper with his resting place. The adventurers ignore the warning, and before long, the Mummy starts bumping them off one-by-one with his bow & arrow.

Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy

1971

Dos cadetes poster
6.6

Mama thinks one of her sons is going into the priesthood... but he wants to join the army instead. Naughty uncle from Paris help him get out from under Mom's thumb.

Dos cadetes

1938

Tom Thumb poster
7.3

A young boy born extraordinarily small must rescue his older brothers from a wicked ogre.

Tom Thumb

1958

Tom Thumb poster
7.3

A young boy born extraordinarily small must rescue his older brothers from a wicked ogre.

Tom Thumb

1958

El pequeño Robin Hood poster
6.3

Directed by René Cardona, and written by René Cardona Jr., «El Pequeño Robin Hood» is a 1975 Adventure/Comedy/Drama/Family film . René Cardona III and Patricia Aspíllaga are starring, alongside René Cardona, Arturo Cobo, Jorge Russek and Alfredo Wally Barrón.

El pequeño Robin Hood

1975

Noche de muerte poster
4.3

Someone who wears a blue mask, is squat and has giant hands are killing people and stealing jewelry and money. The witnesses are afraid to talk, despite the detective understands that the clues point to his friend Blue Demon. This is actually an evil plan hatched by the Count and a fighter called ' The Cossack ', taking revenge on Blue. In both the real Blue Demon campaign starts with his secretary and a detective to unravel the mystery.

Noche de muerte

1975

Gema poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Gema

1950

Vuelva el sábado poster
5.8

Young woman loses her secretarial job, so she tries to become a bill-collector.

Vuelva el sábado

1951

They also sing of pain poster
7.3

The movie starts with Braulio Peláez (Pedro Infante), a schoolteacher, having just fallen off his horse, representing the situation he and his family are in. The next scenes introduce the viewer to his family and their poor financial and social situation. As Braulio stumbles around looking for his glasses, he causes a famous film star, Alfonso de Madrazo (Rafael Alcaide) to crash his car. Braulio offers him to eat at his house as an apology. Braulio's sister and mother, big film fans, immediately recognise Alfonso and attempt to get him to bring the girl, Luisa Peláez (Irma Dolores) to Mexico City to become a film star. Alfonso agrees and tells them to come to the capital.

They also sing of pain

1950

Caballo prieto azabache poster
5.8

Standing before Pancho Villa's tomb, horse breeder Jesus harkens back to his youth, when he provided bed and board to a nondescript laborer named Doroteo Arango. In time, Arango would transform himself into gang leader Villa. When the Mexican Civil War erupts, a man named Fierro wants to execute Jesus for selling a horse to an anti-Villa buyer. But in repayment of Jesus's debt of kindness, Villa intercedes on his behalf.

Caballo prieto azabache

1968