| María Eugenia | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Felipe Gregorio Castillo | 
| Written by | Felipe Gregorio Castillo | 
| Produced by | Felipe Gregorio Castillo | 
| Starring | María Félix  Manolita Saval Rafael Baledón  | 
| Cinematography | Víctor Herrera | 
| Edited by | José W. Bustos | 
| Music by | Manuel Esperón | 
Production company  | Clasa Films Mundiales  | 
Release date  | 1 April 1943 | 
Running time  | 101 minutes | 
| Country | Mexico | 
| Language | Spanish | 
María Eugenia is a 1943 Mexican drama film directed by Felipe Gregorio Castillo and starring María Félix,[1] alongside Manolita Saval and Rafael Baledón. The film's sets were designed by the art director Manuel Fontanals.[2]
Cast
- María Félix as María Eugenia
 - Manolita Saval as Raquel
 - Rafael Baledón as Carlos
 - Jorge Reyes as Ricardo
 - Virginia Manzano as Julia
 - Mimí Derba as Doña Virginia
 - Eugenia Galindo as Doña Matilde
 - Salvador Quiroz as Doctor
 - Alejandro Cobo as Jefe de María
 - Alfredo Varela as Martín
 - Ignacio Peón as José María
 - Consuelo Segarra as Rosa
 - Carolina Barret as Mulata
 - Antonio Bedolla as Pedro
 - Julio Ahuet as Emeterio
 - Toña la Negra
 - Eva Beltri
 - Trío Calaveras
 - Son Clave de Oro
 - Hermanos Huesca
 - Alfonso Bedoya
 - Roberto Cañedo
 
Production
María Eugenia was the first film María Félix made after her film debut in El Peñón de las Ánimas.[1][3] During filming, Félix caused a stir while shooting the opening scene of the film, which featured her in a white bathing suit, attracting publicity to Félix.[1][3] It is the only film in Félix's filmography where she appeared in swimwear.[4]
It was the only film directed by Felipe Gregorio Castillo, who afterwards became a film censor.[4][5]
Reception
In his book Más allá de las lágrimas: Espacios habitables en el cine clásico de México y Argentina, Isaac León Frías collects Emilio García Riera's view of the film, calling it a "terrible melodrama."[4] The book Archivos de la Filmoteca refers to the film as a sign of how "the Mexican melodrama [was] so subject to conventions and norms" at the time, noting that the film was directed by a later film censor.[5] María Félix herself would later refer to the film in her autobiography as "a film that had no other importance than to give me experience."[6]
References
- 1 2 3 Pilcher, Jeffrey M. (2003). The Human Tradition in Mexico. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 192. ISBN 0-8420-2976-1.
 - ↑ Peralta Gilabert, Rosa (2007). Manuel Fontanals, escenógrafo: teatro, cine y exilio (in Spanish). Editorial Fundamentos. p. 336. ISBN 978-84-245-1110-4.
 - 1 2  Barajas Sandoval, Carmen (1992). Una mujer llamada María Félix: historia no autorizada (in Spanish). EDAMEX. p. 16. ISBN 968-409-673-9. 
Casi inmediatamente después de su primera película, María firma el contrato para la segunda que se llamó "María Eugenia" […] Con esta película se suscitó un gran escándalo que le dió a María mucha publicidad. En una escena ella aparecía en traje de baño; un traje de baño blanco […] [Almost immediately after her first film, María signed the contract for the second one, which was called "María Eugenia" […] With this film a great scandal arose that gave María a lot of publicity. In one scene she appeared in a bathing suit; a white bathing suit […]]
 - 1 2 3  León Frías, Isaac (2019). Más allá de las lágrimas: Espacios habitables en el cine clásico de México y Argentina (in Spanish). Fondo Editorial Universidad de Lima. pp. 323–324. ISBN 978-9972-45-486-8. 
Después, la actriz lució por única vez en traje de baño para María Eugenia (1943), pésimo melodrama que supuso la única experiencia en la dirección del después censor Felipe Gregorio Castillo. [Later, the actress wore for the only time a bathing suit for María Eugenia (1943), a terrible melodrama that was the only experience in direction of the later censor Felipe Gregorio Castillo.]
 - 1 2  Archivos de la Filmoteca: revista de estudios históricos sobre la imagen (in Spanish). La Filmoteca. 1999. p. 77. 
El melodrama mexicano está tan sometido a convenciones y normas que la segunda película de María Félix, María Eugenia, la dirige el mismísimo director de la censura, Felipe Gregorio Castillo. [The Mexican melodrama is so subject to conventions and norms that María Félix's second film, María Eugenia, is directed by the director of the censorship himself, Felipe Gregorio Castillo.]
 - ↑  Félix, María (1993). Todas mis Guerras (in Spanish). Clío. p. 69. ISBN 968-11-0556-7. 
Después de mi debut en El peñón de las ánimas hice una película que no tuvo otra importancia que la de darme experiencia: María Eugenia. [After my debut in El peñón de las animas, I made a film that had no other importance than to give me experience: María Eugenia.]