Ismael Rodriguez

Ismael Rodríguez was a renowned Mexican film director and occasional actor. He directed many major stars, including Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, Dolores del Río, María Félix, John Carradine, Basil Rathbone 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. His most famous international film is Tizoc, in which Pedro Infante starred alongside María Félix. For this role, Infante won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival. Rodríguez began his career in cinema at the age of 12, when he moved to Los Angeles with his family. He collaborated with his brothers Joselito and Roberto in experimental films, and learned photography and sound techniques. He returned to Mexico in 1936 and worked as a scriptwriter, assistant director and editor. He made his directorial debut in 1942 with El baisano Jalil, a comedy about an Arab immigrant in Mexico. He soon became one of the most prolific and popular directors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, working in various genres such as comedy, drama, musical, western and historical. He was known for his realistic and sentimental portrayal of the Mexican people, especially the poor and the indigenous. He also had a talent for creating memorable characters and catchy songs. Some of his most acclaimed films are Nosotros los pobres (1948), Los tres huastecos (1948), Ustedes los ricos (1948), Pepe el Toro (1953), Dos tipos de cuidado (1953), and The Important Man (1961). He died on August 7, 2004, at the age of 86.