''Salón México'' is a 1949

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

directed by

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 ...

and written jointly by Fernandez and

Mauricio Magdaleno Mauricio Magdaleno Cardona (13 May 1906 – 30 June 1986), better known as Mauricio Magdaleno, was a Mexican screenwriter and occasional director of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. He was nominated for six Ariel Awards and won for his sec ...

. It stars

Marga López Catalina Margarita López Ramos (; June 21, 1924 – July 4, 2005), known professionally as Marga López, was an Argentine-born Mexican actress. Biography Born Catalina Margarita López Ramos on June 21, 1924, in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argenti ...

as a dance hall prostitute struggling to support her younger sister at an exclusive upscale school. It earned Lopez the 1950

Ariel Award for Best Actress The Ariel Award for Best Actress (Spanish: Premio Ariel a Mejor Actriz) is an award presented by the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas (AMACC) in Mexico. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding p ...

and a nomination for the

Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actor The Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actor (Spanish: Premio Ariel a Mejor Coactuación Masculina) is an award presented by the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas (AMACC) in Mexico. It is given in honor of an actor who has deliv ...

for

Rodolfo Acosta Rodolfo Pérez Acosta (July 29, 1920 – November 7, 1974) was a Mexican-American character actor who became known for his roles as Mexican outlaws or American Indians in Hollywood western films. He was sometimes credited as Rudolph Acosta ...

. The film is cited as a classic example of the Mexican genre of ''Cabaretera'' (Dance Hall film) about "a sympathetic character, a good woman forced into a bad life by circumstances beyond her control." It was remade as a 1996 film of the same title starring

María Rojo María de Lourdes Rojo e Incháustegui, commonly known as María Rojo (; born August 15, 1943), is a Mexican actress and politician. She was Senator of the Republic in the upper house of Mexican Congress. She debuted during the Golden Age of M ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Jesús Bracho.

Synopsis

Mercedes works at the "Salón México" dance hall as a singer, dancer and prostitute. She is secretly supporting Beatriz, her younger sister, at an exclusive all-girls' college. Beatriz does not suspect what Mercedes is doing and dreams of marrying Roberto, a young Air Force pilot, who is the son of her school's principal. A dance contest with a large money prize of 500 pesos is announced and Mercedes enters it with Paco, her pimp. When they win, Paco refuses to share the prize money, giving her only the cheap trophy. A desperate Mercedes steals Paco's wallet while he sleeps. Lupe, a policeman, sees Mercedes discard the wallet. The next day, Lupe confronts Mercedes who is visiting Beatriz outside the school. Lupe decides to help Mercedes instead of arresting her. Having fallen in love with Mercedes, Lupe pleads with her to marry him, and Mercedes accedes. However, Paco blackmails Mercedes, threatening to reveal her past to Beatriz and Roberto if she does not return with him. Mercedes stabs Paco who, while dying, shoots and kills Mercedes. Roberto and Lupe go together to collect her body from the morgue. Lupe does not reveal her past.

Cast

as Mercedes Gómez *

Miguel Inclán Miguel Inclán (1897–1956) was a Mexican film actor.Agrasánchez p.159 He became known for his villainous roles during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. His sister was the actress Lupe Inclán. Selected filmography * ''Nobleza ranchera'' (193 ...

as Lupe López *

as Paco *

Roberto Cañedo Roberto Cañedo Ramírez (30 March 1919 – 16 June 1999), better known as Roberto Cañedo, was a Mexican actor of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. During his career, he appeared in over 300 films. Cañedo received two Ariel Award for Best Ac ...

as Roberto *

Mimí Derba María Herminia Pérez de León, better known as Mimí Derba (9 October 1893 – 14 July 1953) was a Mexican actress, screenwriter, and film director, considered the first female film director in Mexico. Early life At the age of seventee ...

as Señora directora *Carlos Múzquiz as Dueño cabaret *

Fanny Schiller Fanny Schiller Hernández (3 August 1901 – 26 September 1971) was a Mexican award-winning character actress and television star, who also acted in operettas and musicals, during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. She won two Ariel Awards for be ...

as Señorita prefecta *Estela Matute as cabaretera *

Silvia Derbez Lucille Silvia Derbez Amézquita, better known as Silvia Derbez (March 8, 1932 – April 6, 2002) was a Mexican film and television actress. She was the lead actress in the first telenovela produced in Mexico, ''Senda Prohibida''. Biography D ...

as Beatriz

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Salón México 1949 films 1949 drama films Mexican drama films 1940s Spanish-language films Films directed by Emilio Fernández Mexican black-and-white films 1940s Mexican films Spanish-language drama films

Synopsis

Cast

Further reading

References

External links