Mecha Ortiz(1900-1987)

Mecha Ortiz is a legendary Argentinean actress whose real name was María Mercedes Varela Nimo Domínguez Castro de Ortiz. She was considered the Greta Garbo of the Argentine films and theatre world; born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 24, 1900. Her parents were Vicente Varela Nimo and Josefa Domínguez Castro. She married Julián Ortiz, a small farmer with whom she had a son, Julián, diplomatic, translator and playwright who was married to Violeta Bertina. She had a brother called José, who was a theatre director and a sister, Amanda who also was an actress. She had two more sisters called Josefa and Aurora. She was Argentine President Roberto M. Ortiz' relative. She attended courses at the National Drama School. Her debut was in 1929 and she made audiences familiar with plays written by several famous authors, among them: Terence Rattigan, Frank Voksper, Agatha Christie, James Barrie, W. Somerset Maugham, and Noël Coward. Amongst her films were: Mujeres que trabajan (1938), Safo, historia de una pasión (1943), Camino del infierno (1946), Madame Bovary (1947), Bendita seas (1956) and Piedra libre (1976).