Esther Sandoval (28 December 1928 – 6 February 2006) was a Puerto Rican actress and a pioneer in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
's television.
Early years
Sandoval was born Esther María González in Ponce where she received her primary and secondary education. After graduating from Salinas High School, she attended Colegio Percy de Ponce (Percy College of Ponce) and earned a degree in secretarial sciences.El Vocero, Feb 8, 2006 pg.45 article:"Impacta a clase artistica deceso Esther Sandova" by Jorge Rodriguez
Radio actress
Sandoval went to work for ''El Día'', a local newspaper in Ponce. She first came into contact with the field of communications when she went to work as a secretary for Emilio Huyke in the radio station
WPAB
WPAB (550 AM broadcasting, AM, "550 Ponce") is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish News/Talk format. Licensed to Ponce, Puerto Rico, it serves the greater Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by WPAB, Inc. Its call letters, PAB, ...
. She auditioned and was named director of a program directed towards a female audience. In 1949, she informed her parents that she wanted to become an entertainer and she left for San Juan, despite their protests, and went to work for Ángel Ramos' "Radio El Mundo", which later became known as WKAQ. She was given the surname "Sandoval" by the Argentine actress Queca Guerrero. Sandoval landed roles in radionovelas (radio soap operas) and became known in Puerto Rico as "The Queen of the Radio Operas". El Vocero - Adios a Esther Sandoval /ref>
Television debut
In 1954, Sandoval became a pioneer in the island's television when she participated, alongside
Mario Pabón
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
and Lucy Boscana, in Puerto Rico's first televised
telenovela
A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...
''Ante La Ley'' which was transmitted through
Telemundo
Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by Comcast. It provides content nationally with pr ...
. The soap opera caused a national scandal in Puerto Rico because in one scene she kissed her co-star Pabon in the mouth, an act that was totally unheard of in those days.
Theater in New York City
Sandoval traveled to New York City, where she joined
Míriam Colón
Míriam Colón Valle (August 20, 1936 – March 3, 2017) was a Puerto Rican actress. She was the founder and director of New York City's Puerto Rican Traveling Theater. Beginning her career in the early 1950s, she performed on Broadway and on ...
's theatrical group "El Circulo Dramatico" (The Drama Circuit). Later she founded her own theatrical group and named it "Experimental Hall of Theater". They were located at the Lucerne Hotel of New York. There she produced and starred in ''Té y Simpatía'' (''Tea and Sympathy'') and ''Dondé esta la Luz?'' (''Where is the Light?''). Before returning to Puerto Rico, Sandoval made several presentations in the Teatro Puerto Rico.
Return to Puerto Rico
In 1959, Sandoval returned to the island and married Ivan Goderich, a
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
n soap opera musical director. They had two daughters, Yara Goderich and
Ivonne Goderich
Ivonne del Rosario Goderich Gonzalez, better known as Ivonne Goderich (born 7 October, 1952) is a Puerto Rican actress, show host and playwright. Goderich is considered, along with Sully Diaz, Von Marie Mendez, Millie Aviles and Giselle Blondet, ...
. Ivonne would follow her mother's footsteps and become an actress herself. Sandoval continued working in soap operas, such as ''Bodas de Sangre'' (''Blood Wedding''), ''La Novia'' (''The Bride''), ''La Rosa Taluada'', ''Un Tren Travia llamada Deseo'', ''Santa Juana de America'' and ''Los Soles Truncos'', where she acted alongside her daughter Ivonne and her son-in-law Xavier Cifre. She also lent her voice in the Spanish translation of movies. She was the voiceover of
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was si ...
Rosalind Russell
Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedienne, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the H ...
. In 1978, her supporting role in the
Telemundo
Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by Comcast. It provides content nationally with pr ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
Johanna Rosaly
Raquel Johanna Rosaly Guillermety (born January 13, 1948) is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, and television host.
Early years
Johanna Rosaly was born in Santurce, a district of San Juan. In 1956 at the age of eight, she started taking acting le ...
. In 1979, she participated alongside
Norma Candal
Norma Daniela Candal Penedo (April 10, 1927 – February 5, 2006), was a Puerto Rican actress and comedian who was best known for her role as Petunia on ''La criada malcriada''.
Early years
Norma Daniela Candal Penedo was born in 1927 in Fajar ...
Otilio Warrington
Otilio Warrington, known popularly as Bizcocho (born February 26, 1944) is a comedian, best known for his roles of "Bizcocho" and "Cuca Gómez".
Early years
Warrington was born in the Barrio Obrero area of Santurce, Puerto Rico. When he was nin ...
in
Jacobo Morales
Jacobo Morales (born 12 November 1934) is a Puerto Rican actor, poet, writer, playwright, filmmaker, and auteur.
Awards and recognitions
According to ''
El Vocero
''El Vocero de Puerto Rico'' is a Puerto Rican free newspaper that is published in San Juan. Published since 1974, ''El Vocero'' was at first the third of the four largest Puerto Rico newspapers, trailing '' El Mundo'' and '' El Nuevo Día'' and ...
'' (See reference) Sandoval received many awards and recognitions, including:
* Best Actress and Best Actress of the Year (1955)
* Golden Coqui for Best Actress (1966)
* Golden Aqueybana (1968 and 1974)
* Selected amongst the most distinguished Puerto Rican women during the celebration of the International Year of the Women
* The Golden Coral Award from the Festival of the New Latin Movie in
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.
for her role in ''Díos los Cría''
* The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved a life pension for her in 1998 in honor of her valuable contributions to the Puerto Rican theater
* The Puerto Rican Institute of Culture dedicated its 46th Festival of the Puerto Rican Film industry to her (1998)
Amongst the movies in which she participated are:
* ''Creature from the Haunted Sea'' (1961)
* ''Thunder Island'' (1963) - Rena
* ''Traitors of San Angel'' (1967) - Doña Consuelo
* '' Las Pasiones Infernales'' (1969)
* ''"Cristina Bazán'' (1978) TV series - Rosaura Alsina
* '' Dios los Cría'' (1979) - Old Prostitute
* ''La Otra Mujer'' (1980) TV series
Later years
In the late 1990s, Sandoval suffered from the complications of various health problems such as Alzheimer's disease, chronic
diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
and a cerebral hemorrhage, which left part of her body paralysed. She had been hospitalized at the Antiilas Hospital of Rio Piedras for several years, before dying on February 6, 2006. Her body was cremated on February 10, in accord with her wishes.
History of women in Puerto Rico
The recorded history of Puerto Rican women can trace its roots back to the era of the ''Taíno'', the indigenous people of the Caribbean, who inhabited the island that they called "Boriken" before the arrival of Spaniards. During the Spanish c ...