Prudencia María Victoria Grifell Masip (27 December 1879 – 7 June 1970) was a Spanish-Mexican actress and comedian.

Biography

Early life

Grifell was born to Spanish stage actors and started her acting career herself at the age of ten in theater in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

and touring

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

. By the 1900s she had become very popular and moved to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

to continue her career in stage, after the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

she decided not to go back to that country but instead to relocate in Mexico permanently after 1940.

Career

Three years later, already at the age of 61, she appeared in her first film ''Internado para señoritas'' ("Girls Boarding School") with the stars

Mapy Cortés Maria del Pilar Cordero, better known as Mapy Cortés (Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico March 1, 1910Isla Verde, Puerto Rico August 2, 1998) was a Puerto Rican stage, film and television actress and dancer who participated in many films during the ...

Emilio Tuero Emilio Tuero Cubillas (5 April 1912 – 22 July 1971), known as Emilio Tuero, was a Spanish-Mexican actor, producer, and singer. He was considered a popular star of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Filmography * '' Cri Cri el grillito canto ...

and

Katy Jurado María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García (16 January 1924 – 5 July 2002), known professionally as Katy Jurado, was a Mexican actress. Jurado began her acting career in Mexico during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. In 1951, she was rec ...

. Just as

Sara García Sara García Hidalgo (8 September 1895 – 21 November 1980) was a Mexican actress who made her biggest mark during the "Golden Age of Mexican cinema". During the 1940s and 1950s, she often played the part of a no-nonsense but lovable grandm ...

, her co-star as the Vivanco sisters in two films, she mostly played feisty but lovable granny roles. In 1961 she made a jump to the television industry starring in her first of many

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'' ...

roles in ''Niebla'' with Amparo Rivelles and

Ernesto Alonso Ernesto Alonso (February 28, 1917 – August 7, 2007) was a Mexican producer, director, cinematographer and actor. He was nicknamed "''El Señor Telenovela''" ("Mr. Soap Opera") because most of his work centered on telenovelas known around the w ...

Personal life

She was married to actor

Paco Martínez Paco is a Spanish nickname for Francisco. According to folk etymology, the nickname has its origins in Saint Francis of Assisi, who was the father of the Franciscan order; his name was written in Latin by the order as ''Pater Communitatis'' (fath ...

until his death, and with whom she had five children, all of whom became actors:

Maruja Grifell Maruja Grifell (February 6, 1907 – March 27, 1968) was a Mexican film actress.Pilcher p.160 Selected filmography * '' Another Dawn'' (1943) * ''The Lieutenant Nun'' (1944) * ''Adultery'' (1945) * ''Cantaclaro'' (1946) * ''Everybody's Woman'' ...

, Amparo Grifell, Enrique, Dolores, and

Pepe Martínez Pepe Martínez (José Martínez León, 8 September 1922 – 1984) was a Spanish flamenco guitarist born into a musical family, in the Seville quarter of Macarena, Seville, Macarena. His mother, Isabel, was famous for her singing of religiousl ...

. She is considered one of the most notable people from Lugo, Spain and many have honored her life. A book in the Galician language was written about her life ''Prudencia Grifell, unha lucense no cine de ouro mexicano'' in 2005.

Telenovelas

* '' Plegaria en el camino'' (1969) * ''

Estafa de amor ''Estafa de amor'' (English title:''Love Scam'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Ernesto Alonso and transmitted by Telesistema Mexicano. Amparo Rivelles and Raúl Ramírez starred as protagonists. Cast *Amparo Rivelles *Raúl Ramírez * ...

'' (1967) * ''

El despertar ''El despertar'' is a Mexican telenovela produced by Ernesto Alonso for Telesistema Mexicano in 1966. Cast * María Rivas as Nora *Guillermo Murray as Freddy * Adriana Roel as Katia * Hector Andremar as Horacio *Fanny Schiller as Lola *Prudenc ...

'' (1966) as Doña Remedios * ''

Sonata de otoño ''Sonata de otoño'' is a Mexican telenovela produced by Televisa for Telesistema Mexicano in 1966. Cast *Prudencia Grifell *Carlos Navarro (Mexican actor), Carlos Navarro *Maruja Grifell *Angelines Fernández *Consuelo Monteagudo Reference ...

'' (1966) * ''

Las abuelas ''Las abuelas'' (English title:''The grandmothers'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Televisa and transmitted by Telesistema Mexicano. Cast * Prudencia Grifell *María Teresa Rivas *Irma Lozano *Jorge del Campo *Raúl Meraz *Ofelia Guilm� ...

'' (1965) * '' Corona de lágrimas'' (1964) * ''

Tres caras de mujer ''Tres caras de mujer'' is a Mexican telenovela produced by Ernesto Alonso for Telesistema Mexicano in 1963. Cast * Ernesto Alonso as Claudio * Amparo Rivelles as Laura * Ramón Bugarini * as Gustavo * Prudencia Griffel * Miguel Manzano * Gui ...

'' (1963) * '' Borrasca'' (1962) * ''

La cobarde ''La cobarde'' (English title:''The craven'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Televisa and transmitted by Telesistema Mexicano. Cast * María Rivas *Julio Alemán *Prudencia Grifell *Anita Blanch *Virginia Manzano *Ramón Bugarini *Jorg ...

'' (1962) * '' La madrastra'' (1962) * ''

'' (1961) * ''

La leona La Leona may refer to: *La Leona (guitar), a famous guitar owned by Miguel Llobet *La Leona, Costa Rica, a small town in Costa Rica *La Leona, Texas, a small settlement in Texas, USA *Paseo La Leona, a pass in Honduras *Parque La Leona, a park in H ...

'' (1961) * '' Niebla'' (1961) * '' Pensión de mujeres'' (1960)

Films

Prudencia Grifell y Tin Tan en Escuela para suegras (1958)

External links

*
Corona de lágrimas
at the

telenovela database 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'' (P ...

*
Biography
*
Presentation of a book of her life
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grifell, Prudencia 1879 births 1970 deaths Ariel Award winners Golden Age of Mexican cinema Mexican film actresses Mexican stage actresses Mexican telenovela actresses Mexican people of Galician descent Mexican vedettes Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in Mexico People from Lugo