René Cardona, Sr. Movies

Having begun his directorial career in 1932, Fernando De Fuentes had four years' experience -- and ten pictures -- under his belt when he helmed the Tito Guizar musical vehicle Alla en el Rancho Grande. The film has been hailed by historians as the vanguard of the Mexican "Charro"-movie genre, which concentrated upon singing cowboys, golden-hearted bandits and fair senoritas. Popular radio singer Guizar is cast as itinerant ranchhand Jose Francisco, who falls in love in spite of himself with duckling-turned-swan Cruz (Esther Fernandez). It's essentially a Cinderella story, with a bit of Mexican "action dancing" and even cockfighting thrown in. On the strength of the enormously successful Alla en el Rancho Grande, Tito Guizar went on to even bigger stardom, and was still at the top of his profession as late as the 1980s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Director René Cardona continues a short spate of successful children's movies (1958's Pulgarcito, and Santa Claus, 1959) with this drama that brings in child actor Josélito as a young boy in search of his father. Josélito and his mother are temporarily left back in Spain after his father goes to Mexico to pursue fame and fortune as a matador. But when his father does not come home after a long time, the little boy takes off across the Atlantic in a make-shift boat. Fortunately, he is rescued from this wobbly craft by a much better one and brought safely to the U.S. Once there, he continues his adventurous journey in search of his father and ends up in Vera Cruz, helped out by Pulgarcito. After all that determination, finding his father now is a definite shoo-in. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Mexican cinema icon Pedro Infante headlines this tale of intrigue and deceit concerning two young lovers who, despite the fact that their relationship was originally founded on greed, soon discover that their feelings for one and other have grown more genuine than they ever expected. They were never supposed to fall in love, but when an elaborate scheme to score a healthy inheritance doesn't go as planned, two criminal-minded grifters soon find their motivations for money taking a back seat to their newfound love. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this Mexican wrestling-horror movie, the bizarre experiments of a crazed scientist end in violence and death. The trouble begins when he transplants a gorilla's brain into a man's head. Next he transplants another into a female wrestler's head. She dies. Her sister, another wrestler, vows to get revenge. She recruits other wrestlers and the police to assist her. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexander Dumas' oft-filmed novel of adventure, intrigue, revenge and justice, was given a class-A treatment in this 3-hour Mexican production. Arturo de Cordova stars as Edmond Dantes, who, betrayed by a sinister conspiracy, is unjustly imprisoned in the Chateau D'If. After a long and laborious escape, Dantes returns to his hometown under the guise of the Count of Monte Cristo, intending to avenge himself against his enemies. Though largely successful in ruining those who wronged him, Dantes' resolve is eventually softened by his longtime sweetheart Mercedes, here renamed Haide and played by musical star Mapy Cortes. Most English-language prints of El Conde de Monte Cristo were severely edited, though a two-part version was prepared for selected showings. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Starring two well-known Mexican actors, the comic Clavillazo and Pulgarcito ("Tom Thumb"), this standard drama about an adoptive father-son relationship features good acting and directing (the latter by René Cardona). When the son of a decent family is bereft of his father he happens to make the acquaintance of a simple street vendor who sells balloons for a living. The vendor has no son of his own, and the son is without a father, and so the two quickly take to each other. Their relationship then becomes the focus of the rest of the tale. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The Mexican El Penon de las Animas (The Rock of Souls) was accurately described by several reviewers as a South-of-the-Border "Romeo and Juliet". The film's star-crossed lovers, separated by a variety of vendettas and family-feuds, find lasting peace only in death. Appearing as a rival lover is Rene Cardona, who also pursued a successful career as a director. All in all, the principal attraction of El Penon de las Animas was 27-year-old Maria Felix in her first film starring role. Felix would remain a Mexican movie favorite well into the 1960s, retiring in 1970 upon the death of her fifth husband. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A man facing almost certain death does his best to cheat the grim reaper in this Spanish-language classic starring Tin Tan, Valentin Trujillo, and Lina Santos. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi