Emelia Pérez Castellanos (10 November 19211 January 2015), known professionally as Ninón Sevilla, was a Cuban-Mexican actress and dancer.
Early life
Sevilla was born and raised in Centro Habana, a popular section of
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Ninon de l'Enclos and began to work in the chorus of the Cuban comedians Mimí Cal and Leopoldo Fernández, respectively known as "Nananina" and "Tres Patines".
Career
Sevilla came to Mexico as part of a show starring the Argentinean singer Libertad Lamarque. Her number in the show was so successful that she was soon booked in other spectacles in Mexico City. While performing in the Teatro Lírico, producer Pedro Arturo Calderón saw Sevilla on stage and offered her a film contract. Her debut in cinema was in 1946 in ''Carita de Cielo'' with María Elena Marqués and Antonio Badú. From that moment, Sevilla became the exclusive star of Producciones Calderón, and although she had offers from
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
and
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
, she turned them down because she was not interested in working in Hollywood.
Although from the beginning Sevilla was marked by the eccentricity of her hairdos and gowns, it was director Alberto Gout who established her as one of the ultimate erotic figures of Mexican cinema, leading her in legendary films as ''
Aventurera
''Aventurera'' ("Adventuress" in English) is a 1950 Mexican drama film directed by Alberto Gout and starring Ninón Sevilla and Andrea Palma. It's considered a masterpiece of the '' Rumberas film''. The film features Pedro Vargas and Ana Marí ...
'' (1949), and '' Sensualidad'' (1950). Besides being directed by Gout also in ''Mujeres sacrificadas'' (1952) and '' Aventura en Río'' (1953), she also worked with
Emilio Fernández
Emilio "El Indio" Fernández Romo (; 26 March 1904 – 6 August 1986) was a Mexican film director, actor and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific film directors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. He is best know ...
Yambaó
''Yambaó'' (also known as ''Cry of the Bewitched'') is a 1957 Mexico, Mexican-Cuban drama film directed by Alfredo B. Crevenna and starring Ninón Sevilla.
In other media
On June 27, 2014, ''Yambaó'' was released as a Video on demand, VOD titl ...
'' (1956).
In the musical Rumberas film, Ninón Sevilla internationalized the icon of the rumbera like no other of her peers: she was the perfect archetype in several films, in which a "fallen woman" was dignified through dance. She staged the many choreographies of her films, and was the first performer to introduce plots from Santeria rituals in her movies. When she was on top, she had the biggest forums, spectacular sets, dazzling costumes, first-rate technicians and alternated with great figures of Latin American cinema as Joaquín Pardavé, Andrea Palma, Fernando Soler, Pedro Armendáriz, Anita Blanch,
Agustín Lara
Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino (; ; October 30, 1897 – November 6, 1970), known as Agustín Lara, was a Mexican composer and performer of songs and boleros. He is rec ...
David Silva
David Josué Jiménez Silva (born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish former professional Association football, footballer who played mainly as a Midfielder#Central midfielder, central or an Midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfielder and o ...
Los Panchos
Originally, Trio Los Panchos were a '' trío romántico'' formed in New York City in 1944 by Alfredo Gil, Chucho Navarro, and the Puerto Rican Hernando Avilés. The trio became one of the leading exporters of the bolero and the romantic balla ...
, as well as Mendive and Perez Prado.
By 1950, Ninón Sevilla had consolidated her sex symbol status and was a superstar. Her success led to her being recognized in countries like
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
and France. In 1955, the future French director
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French filmmaker, actor, and critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. He came under the tutelage of film critic Andre Bazin as a ...
made a review of ''Llévame en tus brazos'', in which he wrote: ''"Is Ninón dancing for glory? No way, never. It is quite clear Ninón is dancing for pleasure!"''
With the decline of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, Ninón Sevilla retired from the industry, but returned in 1981 by the hand of Mario Hernández, who directed her in the 1981 film ''Noche de Carnaval'', for which she received the
Silver Ariel
The Ariel Award () is an award that recognizes the best of Mexican cinema. Given annually, since 1946, by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC), the award recognizes artistical and technical excellence in the Mexic ...
Award for Best Actress of the Year.
Ninón Sevilla debuted on television in 1965 with a small role in the soap opera ''Juicio de almas'', produced by Ernesto Alonso. After the revival of her career, she was invited in 1987 to appear in the telenovela '' Rosa salvaje'', alongside Verónica Castro. She was cast in numerous supporting roles in several
telenovelas
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 (film and television), drama genres around the w ...
, as ''
María la del Barrio
''María la del Barrio'' (Literal translation, Lit: ''Maria From the Hood''/English title: ''Humble Maria'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Angelli Nesma Medina for Televisa in 1995. The series is a remake of ''Los ricos también lloran'' ...
Qué bonito amor
''Qué bonito amor'' (''International Title'':''Beautiful Love'', ''Literally'':What a Beautiful Love) is a Mexican telenovela produced by Salvador Mejía Alexandre for Televisa that aired on Canal de las Estrellas from 22 October 2012, to 2 J ...
'' (2012), among others.
In 2014, Ninon Sevilla was the subject of tributes from the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences and the Cineteca of Mexico for her career and influence in their national cinema.
Personal life
Ninon Sevilla had a long relationship with film producer Pedro Arturo Calderón. Eventually, she married Cuban doctor José Gil. When Gil died, she started another relationship and had her only son, the musician Genaro Lozano.
Ninon died on 1 January 2015 at the age of 93.
Aventurera
''Aventurera'' ("Adventuress" in English) is a 1950 Mexican drama film directed by Alberto Gout and starring Ninón Sevilla and Andrea Palma. It's considered a masterpiece of the '' Rumberas film''. The film features Pedro Vargas and Ana Marí ...
Yambaó
''Yambaó'' (also known as ''Cry of the Bewitched'') is a 1957 Mexico, Mexican-Cuban drama film directed by Alfredo B. Crevenna and starring Ninón Sevilla.
In other media
On June 27, 2014, ''Yambaó'' was released as a Video on demand, VOD titl ...
'' (1957)
* ''Mujeres de fuego'' (1959)
* ''Zarzuela 1900'' (1959)
* ''Noche de carnaval'' (1981)
* ''Las noches del Blanquita'' (1981)
* ''Viva el chubasco'' (1984)
* ''El cabaretero y sus golfas'' (1985)
* ''Hoy como ayer'' (1987)
* ''Jóvenes delincuentes'' (1988)
* ''Rumbera caliente'' (1989)
Yo no creo en los hombres
''Yo no creo en los hombres'' is a Mexican telenovela produced by Lucy Orozco in association with Isabelle Tardán for Televisa in 1991. It is based on the radionovela ''Yo no creo en los hombres'' written by Caridad Bravo Adams.
Plot
The pr ...
'' (1991)... Emelia
* ''
Las secretas intenciones
''Las secretas intenciones'', is a Mexican telenovela produced by Lucy Orozco for Televisa in 1992. Starring by Cristián Castro and Yolanda Andrade with Helena Rojo, Silvia Pasquel and David Ostrosky as the main antagonists.
Cast
* Cristi ...
'' (1992)... Julieta
* ''
María la del barrio
''María la del Barrio'' (Literal translation, Lit: ''Maria From the Hood''/English title: ''Humble Maria'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Angelli Nesma Medina for Televisa in 1995. The series is a remake of ''Los ricos también lloran'' ...
Como dice el dicho
''Como dice el dicho'' (translation: As the saying goes) is a Mexican anthology drama series produced by Genoveva Martínez for Televisa. The series premiered on 1 February 2011, on Las Estrellas.
The series covers a variety of stories in whi ...
'' (2012)... Pola
* ''
Qué bonito amor
''Qué bonito amor'' (''International Title'':''Beautiful Love'', ''Literally'':What a Beautiful Love) is a Mexican telenovela produced by Salvador Mejía Alexandre for Televisa that aired on Canal de las Estrellas from 22 October 2012, to 2 J ...
'' (2012)... Donia Remedios
Bibliography
*
*''Las Rumberas del Cine Mexicano'' (''The Rumberas of the Mexican Cinema'') (1999). In SOMOS. México: Editorial
Televisa
Grupo Televisa, S.A.B., simply known as Televisa, is a Mexican telecommunications and broadcasting company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content.
In April ...
Cinema of Mexico
The cinema of Mexico dates to the late nineteenth century during the rule of President Porfirio Díaz. Seeing a demonstration of short films in 1896, Díaz immediately saw the importance of documenting his presidency in order to present an ...
site of the
ITESM
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM; ), also known as Technological Institute of Monterrey () or just Tec, is aresearch university based in Monterrey, Mexico, which has grown to include 35 campuses located across 25 cit ...