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Emilio Fernandez

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Filmmaker

The Resume

    (March 26, 1904-August 6, 1986)
    Born in Hondo, Coahuila, Mexico
    Birth name was Emilio Fernandez Romo
    Also known as 'El Indio'
    Directed Mexican films, 'Flor Silvestre' (1942), 'Maria Candelaria' (1943), 'Las Abondonadas' (1944), ''Bugambilia' (1944), 'La Perla' (1945), 'Enamorada' (1946), 'Pueblerina' (1946), 'La Malquerida' (1949), 'Islas Maria' (1951), 'Siempre tuya' (1952), 'El Rapto' (1953), and 'La Choca' (1974)
    Directed American films, 'The Fugitive' (1947) and 'The Torch' (1950)
    Shared directing credits with John Ford in the adaptation of Graham Greene's 'Power and the Glory'
    Acted in 'Flor Silvestre,' 'The Soldiers of Pancho Villa,' 'The Night of the Iguana,' 'Return of the Seven,' 'Appaloosa,' 'The Wild Bunch,' 'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid,' 'Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia,' and 'Under the Volcano'

Why he might be annoying:

    He allegedly shot a film critic in the testicles for dissing one of his films.
    He was hands-down the top director of Cine Mexicano's Golden Age, but is now only remembered for his role as the ill-fated General Mapache in Sam Peckinpah's 'The Wild Bunch.'
    He was sentenced to twenty years in prison for taking part in a failed coup to oust President Alvaro Obregon before escaping and fleeing to the United States (1923).
    He claimed that disgruntled Presidential candidate, Adolfo de la Huerta, who led the coup, urged him to go into filmmaking for the good of Mexico.
    His American film roles generally contributed to the gross caricature of the fat, stupid, and childlike Mexican 'bandito' or 'greaser.'
    He frequently made the claim that he posed nude for Cedric Gibbons for the design of the Oscar statuette after Gibbon's wife, Dolores Del Rio, introduced the two.
    This was virtually impossible, not only because Fernandez did not meet Del Rio until after her marriage to Gibbons had ended, but also because Del Rio married Gibbons after he had already designed the statuette.
    He was accused of showing a prettified, unrealistic view of Mexico in his films.
    His films fell out of style in the early 60s, as his reputation worsened, and he was relegated to a character actor.
    He was found guilty of manslaughter for the shooting and killing of a farm worker, but only served six months of a four and a half year sentence (1976).
    His death sparked a nasty legal dispute between his daughter and widow, who claimed that his daughter was adopted and therefore not entitled to his property.
    His violent reputation contributed to his getting typecast as 'violent Mexicans.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He lived out every film director's dream of literally shooting a movie critic in the cajones.
    He was the illegitimate son of a revolutionary general and a Kickapoo Indian mother.
    He was living out of his car before he found success as a film director.
    He was a stunt double for Douglas Fairbanks.
    He was granted amnesty by the Mexican government in 1933, enabling him to return to Mexico without being imprisoned.
    He was part of the winning team which produced the most prestigious films in Cine Mexicano (Pedro Armendariz, Dolores Del Rio, and Gabriel Figueroa).
    He had an intense affair with Del Rio during their partnership (he directed some of her finest films).
    He was awarded the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for 'Maria Candelaria' (1943).
    He won 3 Silver Ariels and 4 Golden Ariels (equivalents to Mexican Oscars) between 1947 and 1975.
    He successfully adapted the Steinbeck classic 'The Pearl' for the screen in 1947, as 'La Perla' and it went on to be his crowning achievement.
    'La Perla' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant' (2002).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 91.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying