Quotes

I was born in Sahuayo, on the southwestern coast of Mexico. From there my family moved to Mexico City, where I went to school. I dreamed of being a dancer and thus traveling the world. I wanted to study music and dance, but my father refused to give me his permission. My family had very strict, old-fashioned morals. He thought that when I grew up I would have no choice but to enter a convent. But I started working as a telephone operator to earn my own money.

[on film critic Emilio García Riera] I know he appreciated me as an actress. He knew how I have built my career without any training.

[on Rumba caliente (1952)] I love that movie, but filming it was not very pleasant. My co-star, Resortes, was already a star and had more dialogue than me. He was also a comedian, used to improvising, which for me was impossible. But the film was a great success.

[on Las tres alegres comadres (1952)] I was well paid, but top billing went to Amalia Aguilar, the Cuban dancer. We were on set when the publicity around the success of La montée au ciel (1952) exploded in Cannes, and the offers came in from Italy. Hordes of journalists came to the studios. I tried to get Amalia Aguilar and Lilia del Valle to also appear in the photos. But they were terribly jealous and tried to make my life miserable with all kinds of dirty tricks (despite the fact that life was already difficult enough).

[when asked, "How did you enter the world of film?"] That was destiny! I never did anything to get there, partly out of fear of my parents. But then one day I was walking down the street and a film producer saw me. He was talking to a group of people, and then he looked at me and said maybe I could be in one of his movies. One of the people present said that he knew my father and could put him in touch with him. Six months passed before they came to my house and talked to my mother. She convinced my father with the comment: "Leave her, she is not ready for that yet. Nothing will happen".

[on Las mujeres de mi general (1951)] The director, Ismael Rodríguez, had warned me that I had to study a lot for that role. But honestly, I'm too lazy to study. He knew it very well, because at the end of each working day, he would say to me: "Well done, but I know that this is due to your intuition only. I have years of experience in films; you do not fool me".

Before I had roles in which I danced and showed my body, while what I really preferred were serious roles. So I made La montée au ciel (1952), my first film with Buñuel, with whom I worked on three films. From that moment I rejected all musical films.

After those few supporting roles, including a very small one in Tarzan et les Sirènes (1948) (shot in Acapulco), I got my first leading role in Confidencias de un ruletero (1949), with Resortes. Since then I have not stopped working.

[recounting a offer from a French producer] I was in Cannes for the movie Le voeu (1956). Since my arrival at the Carlton, I noticed how he chased me with his eyes. And I knew that after seeing Talpa, he had asked to see La montée au ciel (1952). After Cannes, he invited me to dinner at his chalet in Switzerland. My dress had a deep neckline in the front and in the back. The producer, in the dark, put his hand on my stomach and I let out a loud cry. He was the leading film producer in France, and I was so young, so innocent. I was very surprised by these kinds of things that now make me laugh. Later, he let me know that he was sorry and that he really had an interest in me as an actress. But I didn't want anything to do with him. I also turned down an exclusive contract with a Hollywood producer. Everyone thought I was crazy. But I prefer to work in Mexico and I don't want to live far from my mother.

After the good reception of La montée au ciel (1952) in Cannes, I had offers from Italy: Dino De Laurentiis, Alberto Lattuada and Vittorio De Sica sent me scripts written especially for me. However, I rejected them. I realized that I still had a lot to do in Mexico.