Germán Valdés facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Germán Valdés
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| Born |
Germán Genaro Cipriano Gómez Valdés y Castillo
19 September 1915 Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
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| Died | 29 June 1973 (aged 57) Mexico City, Mexico
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| Other names | Tin-Tan |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1943–1973 |
| Spouse(s) | Rosalia m. 1956-1973, Micaela Vargas m. 1948-1955, Magdalena Martinez m. 1937-1948 |
| Children | Rosalia, Carlos |
Germán Genaro Cipriano Gómez Valdés y Castillo (born September 19, 1915 – died June 29, 1973), known as Tin-Tan, was a very famous Mexican actor, singer, and comedian. He was born in Mexico City but grew up and started his career in Ciudad Juárez.
Tin-Tan was known for his unique style. He often wore "pachuco" clothes, which were popular among Mexican-Americans in the border region. He also used "pachuco slang" in his movies. This was a mix of Spanish and English words, making his characters very special and funny. His brothers, Manuel "El Loco" Valdés and Ramón Valdés, were also actors and sometimes appeared in his films.
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How Tin-Tan Got His Name
When Germán Valdés first started his career, he called himself Topillo. This word meant "trickster" in a slang way. However, a friend told him that the name sounded a bit rough for a comedian.
His friend then suggested the nickname "Tin-Tan." This name came from the sound of bells ringing, like "ding-dong." At first, Valdés didn't really like it. But over time, he grew to love the name and used it for his entire career. It became the name everyone knew him by.
Tin-Tan's Amazing Career
Tin-Tan's journey into movies was quite unexpected. He used to work as a cleaner at a radio station in Ciudad Juárez. One day, just for fun, he started to pretend he was a radio announcer. What he didn't know was that the microphone was actually turned on!
People heard his quick wit and funny personality over the air. Everyone loved him, and he quickly became the main radio announcer. This is how a famous ventriloquist named Paco Miller discovered him. Miller asked Tin-Tan to act in films, and that's how his amazing movie career began.
Tin-Tan often acted with his good friend, Marcelo Chávez. Marcelo would play the guitar and join in the fun. Tin-Tan was a huge star during the "Golden Age" of Mexican cinema, especially from 1949 onwards. His comedy film from 1948, Calabacitas tiernas, is still considered one of the best Mexican movies ever made.
He worked with many beautiful actresses of his time, like Marga López and Silvia Pinal. He was even known for "having kissed the most actresses" in his films! He also worked closely with the funny actress Fannie Kauffman, known as Vitola.
Did you know that Tin-Tan was almost on the cover of The Beatles' famous album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band? He was invited but politely said no. Instead, he asked Ringo Starr to put a Mexican tree called "El Arbol de la Vida" (The Tree of Life) on the cover instead, which Ringo did!
Tin-Tan also lent his voice to some beloved Disney characters. He was the voice of Baloo the bear in The Jungle Book and Thomas O'Malley the cat in The Aristocats for the Mexican Spanish versions. Both of these roles were originally voiced by Phil Harris in English.
Tin-Tan's Later Years
Sadly, Tin-Tan became very sick with a liver illness that turned into cancer. He passed away on June 29, 1973.
When he died, he didn't leave a lot of money. But he did leave a will for his wife, Rosalía, and his children, Rosalía and Carlos.
Tin-Tan left behind an amazing legacy. He made over a hundred films, recorded 11 music albums, and appeared in two short films. The only award he received during his life was the Virginia Fábregas Medal. This medal was given to him for his 25 years of hard work in acting.
Lasting Legacy
Even after his death, Tin-Tan is still remembered and celebrated. On September 19, 2019, which would have been his 104th birthday, Google Doodle honored him. This special drawing appeared on Google's homepage in many countries, including Central America, Iceland, Italy, and Sweden. It showed how much he was loved and how important he was to entertainment.
Selected Filmography
- El que la traga, la paga (1943)
- Summer Hotel (1944)
- The Disobedient Son (1945) as Germán Rico / Tin Tan
- Song of Mexico (1945) as Tin Tan (uncredited)
- The Noiseless Dead (1946)
- Music Inside (1947) as Tin Tán / Hortensia
- The Lost Child (1947) as Agustín peón Torre y Rey; Tincito
- Music, Poetry and Madness (1948) as Tin Tan
- Tender Pumpkins (1949) as Tin tan
- Rough But Respectable (1949) as Tin Tan
- No me defiendas, compadre (1949) as Tin Tan
- El rey del barrio (1950) as Tin Tan
- The Mark of the Skunk (1950) as Tin / El vizconde de Texmelucan
- También de dolor se canta (1950) as Tin Tan
- Sinbad the Seasick (1950) as Simbad
- El revoltoso (1951) as Tin Tan
- Oh Darling! Look What You've Done! (1951) as Tin Tan
- Kill Me Because I'm Dying! (1951) as Tin-Tan
- When Women Rule (1951)
- Las locuras de Tin-Tan (1952) as Tin-Tan
- Snow White (1952) as Valentín Gaytán
- Chucho the Mended (1952) as Tin Tan / Valentín Gaytán
- Mi campeón (1952) as Tin Tan
- The Beautiful Dreamer (1952) as Triquitrán
- You've Got Me By the Wing (1953) as Tin Tan
- The Island of Women (1953) as Tin Tan
- The Vagabond (1953) as La Chiva
- God Created Them (1953) as Tin Tan
- The Unknown Mariachi (1953) as Agustín / Tin Tan
- Reportaje (1953) as Pachuco composer
- El vizconde de Montecristo (1954) as Inocencio Dantés
- El hombre inquieto (1954) as Germán Valdés / Abel Caim
- Bluebeard (1955) as Ricardo
- Look What Happened to Samson (1955) as Tin Tan / Sansón
- Barefoot Sultan (1956) as Sultán Casquillo
- El vividor (1956) as Atliano Valadez
- El médico de las locas (1956) as Apolonio Borrego
- Teatro del crimen (1957) as Germán Valdés, cantante
- Las aventuras de Pito Pérez (1957) as Pito Pérez; Jesús Pérez Gaona
- El campeón ciclista (1957) as Cleto García
- Puss Without Boots (1957) as Agustín Tancredo (El Gato) / Don Victorio Tancredo
- Locos peligrosos (1957) as Federico
- Los tres mosqueteros y medio (1957) as Federico
- Escuela para suegras (1958) as Tin Tan
- Refifi entre las mujeres (1958) as Refifí
- Viaje a la luna (1958)
- Quiero ser artista (1958) as Tin Tan
- Música de siempre (1958)
- A Thousand and One Nights (1958) as Ven Aquí
- La odalisca No. 13 (1958) as Quintín
- Paso a la juventud (1958) as Casimiro
- Tres lecciones de amor (1959) as Germán Valadez
- Vagabundo y millonario (1959) as Antonio García / Andrés Aguilar
- El cofre del pirata (1959)
- Ferias de México (1959)
- El que con niños se acuesta (1959) as Chon / Encarnación Bernal
- Dos fantasmas y una muchacha (1959) as Germán Pérez
- Escuela de verano (1959) as Casimiro Bellavista y Manduriano
- Vivir del cuento (1960) as Crisoforo Pérez (Choforo)
- La casa del terror (1960) as Casimiro
- Variedades de medianoche (1960) as Germán Gómez
- Rebel Without a House (1960) as Teodoro Silva
- La tijera de oro (1960) as Pablo Emilio Campos
- Tin-Tan y las modelos (1960) as Marcos Alonso Chimalpopoca
- Una estrella y dos estrellados (1960) as Tin Tán
- El violetero (1960) as Lorenzo Miguel
- The Phantom of the Operetta (1960) as Aldo / Baldomiro Valdes
- El pandillero (1961) as Pepe Álvarez del Monte
- El duende y yo (1961) as Modesto Fauno
- Locura de terror (1961) as Pacifico otero
- ¡Suicídate, mi amor! (1961) as Raúl González
- Viva Chihuahua (1961)
- Pilotos de la muerte (1962) as Octano Pérez y Pérez
- ¡En peligro de muerte! (1962) as Marshall Nylon
- El tesoro del rey Salomón (1963) as Tin Tan
- Fuerte, audaz y valiente (1963)
- Tin-Tan el hombre mono (1963) as Tin Tan
- Face of the Screaming Werewolf (1965) as Man Who Sleeps in Wax Museum and Saves Woman in Apartment
- Tintansón Crusoe (1965) as Tin-Tan Cruz / Guaraní
- Los fantasmas burlones (1965) as Cyril Ludovico Churchill
- Especialista en chamacas (1965) as Don Guille
- Puerto Rico en carnaval (1965)
- Loco por ellas (1966) as Ángel Macías / Alberto Macías / Padre de Ángel y Alberto
- El ángel y yo (1966) as Rito
- Detectives o ladrones (1967) as Harry
- Seis días para morir (1967) as José - Globero
- Chanoc (1967)
- Duelo en El Dorado (1969) as Compadre Barrera
- Gregorio y su ángel (1970) as Devil
- El capitán Mantarraya (1970) as Capitán Mantarraya
- Chanoc en las garras de las fieras (1970) as Tin Tan / Tsekub Baloyán
- El quelite (1970) as Proculo
- Trampa para una niña (1971)
- En estas camas nadie duerme (1971)
- El ogro (1971) as Sabas
- Caín, Abel y el otro (1971)
- Chanoc contra el tigre y el vampiro (1972) as Tsekub Baloyán
- The Incredible Professor Zovek (1972) as Chalo
- Los cacos (1972)
- Las tarántulas (1973) as Tsekub Baloyán
- La Disputa (1974)
- Acapulco 12-22 (1975) as Pirata
- La mafia amarilla (1975) as Germán
- Noche de muerte (1972) as Germán (final film role)
See also
In Spanish: Germán Valdés para niños
