Emilio Fernández facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emilio Fernández
Emilio Fernández in the film The Soldiers of Pancho Villa (1959)
Born	Emilio Fernández Romo (1904-03-26)26 March 1904 Sabinas, Coahuila, Mexico
Died	6 August 1986(1986-08-06) (aged 82) Mexico City, Mexico
Years active	1928–1986
Spouse(s)	Gladys Fernández Columba Domínguez

Emilio "El Indio" Fernández Romo (born March 26, 1904 – died August 6, 1986) was a famous Mexican film director, actor, and screenwriter. He was one of the most active and important film directors during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. He is especially known for directing the movie María Candelaria (1944), which won a big award called the Palme d'Or at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. As an actor, he appeared in many movies in Mexico and in Hollywood.

Early Life and First Steps in Film

Emilio Fernández Romo was born in Sabinas, Coahuila, Mexico, on March 26, 1904. His father was a general in the Mexican Revolution, and his mother was from the Kickapoo Native American group. Emilio loved his country and its traditions very much. He was known for being strong-willed and proud of his Native American background.

When he was a teenager, something difficult happened that made him leave home and join the Mexican Revolution. Later, he went to the Mexican Military Academy. In 1923, he was part of a rebellion that didn't succeed, and he was sent to prison. He managed to escape and left Mexico. He lived in Chicago and then in Los Angeles, where he worked many different jobs like laundry, bartending, and helping with construction for Hollywood studios. This is how he started working in movies, first as an extra and a stunt double for stars like Douglas Fairbanks.

Was He the Oscar Model?

There's a story that Emilio Fernández was the model for the famous Oscar statuette. The legend says that Cedric Gibbons, an art director for MGM, met Fernández through actress Dolores del Río. Gibbons then supposedly convinced Fernández to pose for the statue. However, this story has never been fully confirmed.

A poster honoring Emilio "Indio" Fernández in 1984 for his 80th birthday.

Even though he started in movies by chance, it became very important to him. A friend, Adolfo de la Huerta, encouraged him, saying: "Mexico doesn't need more revolutions, Emilio. You are in the center of film, and film is the best way we have to express ourselves. Learn to make movies and come back to our country with that knowledge. Make our films so you can share your ideas with thousands of people."

In 1930, he had an experience that changed his view on filmmaking. He was in the United States when the famous Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein visited. Emilio watched Eisenstein's films and was very impressed by their unique style, which was different from Hollywood movies. A few years later, seeing parts of Eisenstein's film Que viva Mexico! made him even more determined to make his own movies.

He returned to Mexico in 1933 and decided to continue his film career. He worked as a boxer, a diver in Acapulco, and a baker for a while. In 1934, he started acting in films. He played a robber in Cruz Diablo and a native character in Janitzio. This is when his acting career really began.

The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema

Emilio "El Indio" Fernández stayed busy in Mexico, working on many films. In 1941, with some financial help, he directed his first movie, La isla de la pasión. That same year, he met Gladys Fernández in Cuba, who became his first wife. He also adopted her daughter, Adela.

In 1943, he joined a team at Films Mundiales, a Mexican film studio. This team included Emilio Fernández as director, Mauricio Magdaleno as writer, Gabriel Figueroa as photographer, and actors Dolores del Río and Pedro Armendáriz. They became a very successful group, making some of the biggest movies of that time. Their first film together was Flor silvestre, which was Dolores del Río's first movie in Mexican cinema.

After that, Fernández directed the very popular María Candelaria (1944). For this film, he and Gabriel Figueroa won the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Emilio Fernández created his own special style that showed rural Mexico in a way that became famous around the world.

In 1945, he directed La perla, based on a story by American writer John Steinbeck. Many critics consider La perla one of his most important films. It tells a story about human struggles and greed, brought to life by Figueroa's photography and Fernández's directing. This film won several awards, including for Best Cinematography at the Venice Film Festival (1947) and the Silver Ariel (1948) for Best Picture.

At this time, his career was at its peak. He went on to direct other famous films like Enamorada with María Félix, Río Escondido, and Pueblerina with his wife at the time, Columba Domínguez. In 1949, his film Salon Mexico won an award for Best Cinematography. He also made his only Hollywood film, The Torch, in 1950.

Fernández with Marilyn Monroe in 1962

By the mid-1950s, Emilio Fernández's films became less popular, and other directors like Luis Buñuel became more prominent. Fernández then focused more on acting. In the 1960s, he appeared in many films, including The Soldiers of Pancho Villa (1959), The Night of the Iguana (1964), and The Appaloosa (1966) with Marlon Brando. He also acted in three films directed by Sam Peckinpah: The Wild Bunch (1969), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974).

Later Years and Passing

In his last years, Emilio Fernández mostly acted and did not direct films. In early 1986, he fell at his home and broke his leg. Sadly, he passed away on August 6, 1986.

Legacy and Impact

Emilio Fernández left a huge mark on Mexican cinema. He directed 129 films and helped share Mexican culture with the world through his movies. He showed images of Mexican people and society that were loved globally.

His work has been honored with awards like the Ariel Award and a special recognition at the Moscow Film School. Emilio Fernández Romo was known for creating strong characters, dramatic stories, and for showing the real Mexican culture in his films. He worked closely with photographer Gabriel Figueroa, writer Mauricio Magdaleno, and actors like Pedro Armendáriz and Dolores del Río to promote Mexican traditions and the values of the Mexican Revolution.

He was even played by actor Joaquín Cosio in the Mexican movie Cantinflas.

Emilio Fernández was Latin America's most famous filmmaker in the late 1940s. He remained Mexico's top director until the mid-1950s. The "Golden Age" of Mexican movies eventually ended as many famous directors and actors grew older or passed away.

Fernández directed 43 films between 1942 and 1979. He also helped write 40 films. He even worked on American films made in Mexico, like The Magnificent Seven (1960), to make sure that Mexican characters were shown respectfully.

His film La Perla was added to the National Film Registry of the United States Library of Congress in 2002, which means it's considered very important.

In November 2004, on what would have been his 100th birthday, Emilio Fernández and Gabriel Figueroa were honored at the Puerto Vallarta Film Festival in Mexico.

Personal Life

Emilio Fernández married Gladys Fernández in 1941. They had a daughter named Adela Fernández y Fernández, who became a writer. Their relationship ended because of Emilio's strong feelings for actress Dolores del Río.

His longest relationship was with actress Columba Domínguez. They were together for seven years. They had a daughter named Jacaranda, who sadly passed away in 1978.

He also had another daughter, Xochitl Fernández De Valois, with Gloria De Valois Cabiedes.

Emilio Fernández was very fond of the British-American actress Olivia de Havilland, even though he never met her. He even asked the president of Mexico at the time, Miguel Alemán, to extend a street near his house in Coyoacán and name it "Dulce Olivia" (Sweet Olivia). This way, he felt she would always be symbolically close to him.

The door of his house at Calle de la Dulce Olivia, 1, Coyoacán.

After Emilio Fernández passed away, there was a legal disagreement about his house between his daughter Adela and Columba Domínguez. Adela had been named the sole heir and took possession of his unique fortress-like house in Coyoacán, Mexico City. Columba also claimed the house. Adela passed away in 2013, which made the legal situation unclear.

The House-Fortress of Fernández, which Adela managed until her death, became a place for many cultural activities in Mexico City. It has also been used as a filming location for over a hundred Mexican and foreign movies.

Filmography

As director

As actor

See also

In Spanish: Emilio Fernández para niños