Pedro Armendáriz

Not to be confused with Pedro Armendáriz Jr..
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Armendáriz and the second or maternal family name is Hastings.
Pedro Armendáriz

Armendáriz as Kerim Bey in From Russia with Love.
Born Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings
(1912-05-09)May 9, 1912
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Died June 18, 1963(1963-06-18) (aged 51)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death Suicide
Resting place Panteón Jardín, Mexico City
Occupation Actor
Years active 1935–1963
Spouse(s) Carmelita Bohr (m. 1938–1963) (his death) (1917-1963)
Children Pedro Armendáriz, Jr.

Pedro Armendáriz, born Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings (May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963), was a Mexican film actor who made films in both Mexico and the United States. With Dolores del Río and María Félix, he was one of the best-known Latin American movie stars of the 1940s and 1950s.

Early life

Armendáriz was born in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico to Pedro Armendáriz García-Conde (Mexican) and Adela Hastings (American). He was also the cousin of actress Gloria Marín. Armendáriz and his younger brother Francisco lived with their uncle Henry Hastings, Sr. in Laredo, Texas after their mother died. He later studied in California. He started in the world of acting by participating in the stage plays performed by the theater group at the University of California, where he continued a career in law. He graduated with an engineering degree from the California Polytechnic State University.

Career

Armendáriz with Harry Carey Jr. and John Wayne in 3 Godfathers in 1949.

When Armendáriz finished his studies, he moved to Mexico where he worked for the railroad, as a tour guide and as a journalist for the bilingual magazine México Real. He was discovered by film director Miguel Zacarías when Armendáriz recited a soliloquy from Hamlet to an American tourist. His meeting with the director Emilio Fernández was providential. Actor and director began working in numerous films: Soy puro mexicano (1942), Flor silvestre (1942) and specially María Candelaria (1943) were the first films of intense common path. Under the guidance of Emilio Fernández, Pedro Armendáriz developed the film personality traits of strong nationalist; often, he played tough and manly men, indigenous, peasants and revolutionaries. Amendáriz repeatedly portrayed Pancho Villa and played opposite actresses such as Dolores del Río and María Félix.

With Dolores del Río, Amendáriz formed one of the most legendary couples of the Mexican cinema. María Candelaria provided Armendáriz with international visibility. The film was awarded the Palm d'Or at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. Other prominent titles where Armendáriz appeared with Dolores del Río were Las Abandonadas (1944), Bugambilia (1944) and La Malquerida (1949). Maria Felix was his other partner in such films as Enamorada (1946) or Maclovia (1948).[1]

In the late 40s, he made the jump to Hollywood by the hand of John Ford. Armendáriz was a favorite of Ford, appearing in three of his films: The Fugitive (1947), Fort Apache and 3 Godfathers (both 1948).

Armendáriz with Lana Turner in Diane in 1956.

Besides his career in the Mexican cinema, Armendáriz made a remarkable career in Hollywood and Europe. His other prominent films in Hollywood were: We Were Strangers (1949, directed by John Huston), The Torch (1950), Border River (1954), The Conqueror (1956) and Diane (1956), among others. In Europe, highlighted his participation in the film Lucrèce Borgia (1953), filmed in France. In Mexico, his participation highlighted such notable films such as El Bruto (1953, directed by Luis Buñuel), La Cucaracha (1959) and La Bandida (1962).

Armendáriz's last appearance was in the second James Bond film, From Russia with Love (1963), as Bond's ally, Kerim Bey. Armendáriz was terminally ill with cancer during the filming of From Russia with Love, and towards the end of shooting he was too ill to perform his part; his final scenes were performed by his double, director Terence Young.[2] Armendáriz died four months before the release of the film.

Personal life

Armendáriz was married to actress Carmelita Bohr (née Pardo). He had one son, Pedro Armendáriz, Jr., who was also an actor and appeared in the James Bond film Licence to Kill in 1989, and a daughter, Carmen Armendáriz, a TV producer.

Later life and death

In 1956, Armendáriz had a role in the film The Conqueror produced by Howard Hughes. This movie was filmed in the state of Utah during the time when the US government ran nuclear tests in the neighboring state of Nevada. Ninety-one of the 220 people involved in the production of the film contracted cancer within 25 years, and 46 of these died as a consequence of this illness. In rebuttal, Pilar Wayne (John Wayne's widow) later wrote in her autobiography that she did not believe radiation was involved in the deaths of those associated with this film. She claimed she had visited the set many times as had others and did not become sick. In her opinion, she believed the real cause of death of her husband and the others was solely due to smoking.

Armendáriz began to suffer pain in his hips and years later it was discovered that he had cancer in this region. He learned his condition was terminal while at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He reportedly acted in From Russia with Love while enduring great pain (he visibly limps in most scenes) in order to leave behind financial resources for his family after his impending death. On June 18, 1963, Armendáriz shot himself in the chest with a gun he had smuggled into the hospital. He was buried in Panteón Jardín, Mexico City, Mexico.

Filmography

Hollywood

Year Film Role Other notes
1947 The Fugitive A lieutenant of police aka El Fugitivo (Mexico)
1948 Fort Apache Sgt. Beaufort as Pedro Armendáriz
3 Godfathers Pedro "Pete' Roca Fuerte as Pedro Armendáriz
1949 Tulsa Jim Redbird
We Were Strangers Armando Ariete
1950 The Torch José Juan Reyes aka Del odio nace el amor (Mexico)
1954 Border River General Eduardo Calleja
1955 The Littlest Outlaw Gen. Torres
1956 Diane King Francis I
The Conqueror Jamuga as Pedro Armendáriz
1957 The Big Boodle Col. Mastegui as Pedro Armendáriz
1959 Little Savage El Tiburón
The Wonderful Country Cipriano Castro
1961 Francis of Assisi The Sultan
1963 Captain Sindbad El Kerim as Pedro Armendáriz
From Russia with Love Ali Kerim Bey as Pedro Armendáriz, (Last appearance)

Italian cinema

Year Film Role Notes
1955 Tom Toms of Mayumba Martinez
1957 Uomini e lupi Giovanni aka The Wolves
1962 Arrivano i titani Cadmo aka My Son, the Hero (USA)

French cinema

Year Film Role Notes
1953 Lucrèce Borgia César Borgia aka Lucretia Borgia
1955 Fortune carrée Igricheff

Mexican cinema

Year Film Role Other notes
1935 Rosario Enrique
1936 Irma la mala
María Elena Eduardo
1937 Las cuatro milpas
Jalisco nunca pierde Pedro González
Amapola del camino Juan Padilla
1938 Mi candidato Pancho García
La Adelita Sabino Estrada
Los millones de Chaflán Antonio
Canto a mi tierra Antonio
1939 El indio Felipe
La reina del río Pescador joven
La china Hilaria Apolonio
Una luz en mi camino Daniel
Con los Dorados de Villa Mayor Pedro Mondragón
1940 Los olvidados de Dios Zenón Rojas
Poor Devil Raúl Solares
El charro negro Ramón
Mala yerba Chuy Rodríguez
El jefe máximo
1941 El secreto del sacerdote
El zorro de Jalisco Leonardo
Neither Blood nor Sand Frank
1942 Allá en el bajío Juan Hernández
La epopeya del camino Raúl
Del rancho a la capital Pedro Rodríguez
Simón Bolívar General Briceño Méndez
La isla de la pasión (Clipperton) El Toro
Soy puro mexicano Guadalupe Padilla
1943 Wild Flower Jose Luis Castro
Tierra de pasiones Porfirio
Guadalajara Pedro
Red Konga
Another Dawn Octavio
1944 María Candelaria Lorenzo Rafael
La guerra de los pasteles Antonio del Valle
El corsario negro El corsario negro
Las calaveras del terror Rolando
Alma de bronce
1945 Entre hermanos
Las Abandonadas Juan Gomez Nominated — Ariel Award for Best Actor
El Capitán Malacara Capitán Leonardo Buenrostro
Bugambilia Ricardo Rojas
1946 Rayando el sol Pedro, adulto
Enamorada Gen. José Juan Reyes Nominated — Ariel Award for Best Actor
1947 La casa colorada Gaspar
Albur de amor
The Pearl Quino Ariel Award for Best Actor
1948 Juan Charrasqueado Juan Robledo / Juan Charrasqueado
En la hacienda de la flor Juan Robledo - el hijo de Juan Charrasqueado
Maclovia José María
1949 Al caer la tarde Sebastian del Llano

Year Film Role Other notes
1949 El abandonado Dámian López
The Unloved Woman Esteban
El charro y la dama Pedro Meneses
1950 Vuelve Pancho Villa Pancho Villa
La loca de la casa José María Cruz
Por la puerta falsa Bernardo Celis
Rosauro Castro Rosauro Castro Nominated — Ariel Award for Best Actor
1951 Tierra baja Manelic
Bodas de fuego Rodolfo Carrera
Camino del infierno Pedro Uribe
Por querer a una mujer José Renteria
Ella y yo Pedro Múñoz
1952 Los tres alegres compadres Baldomero Mireles
La noche avanza Marcos Arizmendi
Carne de presidio Pablo González
El Rebozo de Soledad Roque Suazo Ariel Award for Best Actor
1953 Lovers of Toledo Don Alvaro Blas Basto y Mosquera
El Bruto Pedro
1954 Reto a la vida Diego Maldonado
Mulata Captain Martín
La rebelión de los colgados Cándido Costa Nominated — Ariel Award for Best Actor
Dos mundos y un amor Ricardo Anaya
1956 La Escondida Felipe Rojano
Canasta de cuentos mexicanos Carlos Cosio (segment "Tigresa, La")
Viva revolución
1957 Así era Pancho Villa Pancho Villa
Manuela Mario Constanza
La mujer que no tuvo infancia Lic. Alberto Garza Cifuentes
Los salvajes Pedro Matías
1958 Quiero ser artista Himself
1959 Ando volando bajo Pedro
Café Colón General Sebastián Robles
Las Señoritas Vivanco Gen. Inocencio Torrentera
El zarco El Zarco
Flor de mayo Pepe Gamboa
Sed de amor Pedro Ortiz
La Cucaracha Coronel Valentín Razo
Yo pecador Francisco Bracamontes
Hambre nuestra de cada día Macario Férnandez
1960 Los desarraigados Joe Pacheco
Verano violento Francisco Peña
Dos hijos desobedientes Pedro
Calibre 44 Don Pedro
Pancho Villa y la Valentina Pancho Villa
Aquí está Pancho Villa Pancho Villa
El impostor Profesor César Rubio
La cárcel de Cananea Pedro
1961 El indulto Lucas
Los hermanos del hierro General
1962 El tejedor de milagros Señor cura
Los valientes no mueren
1963 La bandida Roberto Herrera

Bibliography

References


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