Cantinflas

cantinflas caricatures

When I saw Pixar’s Coco, I kept my eyes open, hoping to find the great Mexican comedian Cantinflas. I did spot him very briefly.  I had hoped for more, but perhaps they couldn’t find a part for him as they did for Frida Khalo.  He is also in this promotional image.

Cantinflas was the creation of Mario Moreno, and August 12 is his birthday. Moreno was a dancer and actor who became supremely successful in Mexico but found only minor success in the US. I first knew Cantinflas from the 1956 film, Around the World in 80 Days. Moreno played Passepartout, the manservant to Phileas Fogg. In my opinion, he steals the show. Particularly in his bullfighting scene. Years ago I wrote a post about it on John Towsen’s blog “All Fall Down.” You can read it HERE.

Back in 2014 a biopic was released, and I posted the trailer for it HERE. I went out to see the first night and learned a great deal. He was a good man who cared about the people he worked with. I recommend searching for it streaming online.

As I stated, Mario was a dancer, and I should share at least one sample of his moves. I chose this next piece for its high production quality. I love this clip. I will point out two things about their costumes.

  1. His low belted pants and short jacket emphasize his hip motion during the dance.
  2. She is literally wearing Jessica Rabbits gown.http://dgvivencias.com/

There was an animated TV show made from his character. The Cantinflas Show was an educational cartoon produced in Mexico in 1972. In 1982 Hanna Barbera recreated the show, with Moreno voicing the character in Spanish.  The HB version was called Amigo and Friends.  I find his caricature very appealing.

cantinflasshow08
cantinflas12

Moreno was a handsome man, with a friendly face.

Cantinflas portrait

While searching for images to use for this post, I found a great many caricatures of Cantinflas. Here are some that struck me as interesting. If anyone knows who created some of these, please let me know.

Cantinflas01

I believe this next one is from David Garcia Vivancos

cantinflas10
cantinflas07
cantinflas11

Perhaps someone could enlighten me about the  “Medell” in this next image.

cantinflas09

This next image is by Bruno Hamzagic 

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