Adalberto Rodríguez Torres (January 22, 1934 – April 16, 1995), better known as Machuchal, was a
Puerto Rican actor and comedian.
Rodríguez was born in the town of
Sabana Grande, in southwest Puerto Rico, to Luis Rodríguez Pérez and María Luisa Torres Vega. In his boyhood years he imitated animal sounds for his elementary school peers. His "Machuchal" stage name is that of the Sabana Grande barrio where he grew up. He enjoyed calling himself "El alcalde de Machuchal", (the Mayor of Machuchal). The joke not only prevailed, it also helped launch him into stardom.
At age 17 and following high school, (1951), Adalberto Rodríguez moved to Río Piedras to enter the
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...
with a view to obtaining a bachelor's degree in business administration, and then, to pursue the career of attorney. Shortly after and at the same time, he worked as an announcer on radio station
WIAC.
Machuchal was drafted to the military service in 1953 and served in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
with the
82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...
in
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...
. He also fought in the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. After his discharge in 1955 Rodríguez went back to Puerto Rico and resumed his studies earning a bachelor degree in business administration at UPR in 1957.
Rodríguez played the role of Puerto Rico's mountain man, known as ''
Jíbaro''. He would wear the typical Jíbaro straw hat and
the farmer's typical shirt for many years on his daily appearances on
Telemundo Puerto Rico's midday show, ''El Show de las 12''.
Rodríguez also participated in ''La Taberna India'', (The "India" Tavern), a show that was sponsored for many years by the Puerto Rican beer of the same name. When ''La Taberna India'' moved to
WAPA-TV
WAPA-TV (channel 4) is a Spanish-language independent television station in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is the flagship and namesake station of Guaynabo-based WAPA Media Group.
WAPA-TV maintains studio facilities on Luis Vigoreaux Avenue ...
in 1985-having by then become "La Taberna
Budweiser
Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, a brand of Belgian company AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. Budweiser is a filte ...
", ''Machuchal'' also moved to Telemundo Puerto Rico's fiercest rival.
Rodríguez once prompted Mexican comedian
Cantinflas
Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes (12 August 1911 – 20 April 1993), known by the stage name Cantinflas (), was a Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is considered to have been the most widely accomplished Mexican comedian and is well ...
to compliment him, saying that nobody in the world made him laugh like Machuchal did. Machuchal also participated in some movies, including ''Machuchal En Nueva York'' and ''El Agente 0''.
Rodríguez also worked alongside other Puerto Rican show business figures, such as
Tommy Muñiz
Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez (4 February 1922 – 15 January 2009), better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner. He is considered to be one of the pioneering figures of ...
,
José Miguel Agrelot,
Elin Ortiz,
Sonia Noemí, and
Eddie Miró.
In November 17 2024, Adalberto Rodríguez was posthumously inducted to the Puerto Rico Veterans Hall of Fame.
Filmography
Rodriguez participated in many movies,
most of them Puerto Rican productions but also in Mexican-Puerto Rican co-productions. He often played "Machuchal" or versions of the "Machuchal" character in them.
*
Lamento Borincano
*
El Alcalde de Machuchal (1964, as Triburcio Perez)
*
Los Expatriados (1964)
*
Millonario a Go Go (1965, as "Machuchal")
*
C.65 (1965, short film)
*
Rosa, La Tequilera (1967, he played two roles, those of "Machuchal" and of Graziano)
*
El Curandero del Pueblo (1968, as Machuchal)
*
Machuchal, Agente O en New York (1970, as "Machuchal", this time a policeman)
*''
Poor But Honest'' (1973)
*
Mulato (1974)
*''
Eva, ¿qué hace ese hombre en tu cama?'' (1975)
Death
Adalberto Rodríguez died on April 16, 1995, in
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
Hato Rey ( Spanish for ''king’s cattle farm''), often considered the central business district of Puerto Rico, is a highly urbanized financial, commercial, and residential district in San Juan, the capital municipality of the archipelago a ...
. He was buried at the
Sabana Grande Masonic Cemetery in his hometown
Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
Sabana Grande () is a Sabana Grande barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of Puerto Rico located north of Lajas, Puerto Rico, Lajas and Guánica, Puerto Rico, Guánica; south of Maricao, Puerto Rico, Maricao; east of ...
. It's unknown the cause of Machuchal's passing.
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are included, as the governm ...
*
Sonia Noemí
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Adalberto
1934 births
1995 deaths
People from Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican comedians
Puerto Rican male actors
Puerto Rican male film actors
United States Army personnel of the Korean War
United States Army soldiers
University of Puerto Rico alumni
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American comedians