Pedro Infante

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    The man who came to be known as something much more than an actor and singer to the Latin community was born Pedro Infante Cruz on November 18, 1917 in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. At an early age, Pedro realized while working as a carpenter that his true passion was in music and spent two years using his carpentry skills to make his own guitar. However, it wasn't until Infante was 20 years old in 1937 that he performed for the very first time at a local festival in Sinaloa. By the persuasion of first wife, Maria Luisa Leon, he moved to the capital in hopes of starting his career in music. It was in Mexico City that Infante got a job-not for singing-but acting on radio station XEB, earning a small amount of money, but often sang in the concert halls and in 1943 recorded his first album, El Soldado Raso.  After making his first film ("La Feria de Las Flores") in 1942, a year before his album was recorded, he went on to star in countless films, including "Un Rincon Cerca Del Cielo" and its sequel "Ahora Soy Rico"  with Marga Lopez and "Nosotros Los Pobre"," Ustedes Los Ricos" and "Pepe, El Toro" with co-star Antonio Badu.

    In 1949, the Mexican community went into panic after Infante was involved in a plane crash that caused him serious head injury near Zitacuaro, Michoacan. However, this was not the first plane crash Infante experienced. It was only 2 years before that Infante was involved in a plane crash without any record of him suffering injury. After hours of surgery, following rehabilitation, he continued to star in more films like " A Toda Maquina," and its sequel "Que Te Ha Dado Esa Mujer" with co-star Luis Aguilar and also did a tour of the United States.  His next film project co-starred Sarita Montiel and Lalo Gonzalez in "Ahi Viene Martin Corona" following its sequel "El Enamorado".

    In 1952, Infante and Jorge Negrete (better known as the two idolos of Mexico) teamed up in the comedy "Dos Tipos de Cuidado", which would be the last film Infante would do with Negrete, who died only a year later. Infante performed for the famous radio station XEB years after only getting a job to act for the same radio station. While on one of his many tours in South America, Infante was the first foreigner to receive the Gold Medal of Simon Bolivar from the president of Venezuela. In 1956, Infante and co-star Maria Felix starred in "Tizoc" and his final movie "Escuela Para Rateros".

    "Ha muerto Pedro Infante" ("Pedro Infante has died")  were the words said by radio personality Manuel Bernal of XEW on April 15th, 1957 at  approximately 11:15  when Infante's plane, which he co-piloted, crash near Merida, Yucatan. "Pedro Infante Perished Yesterday in an Airplane he co-piloted", and "Astonishment, Mourning, and Pain from the Death of an Actor" were just two of the many headlines announcing his death to the Hispanic public.

    Even after 48 years, Pedro Infante is still remembered. Old movies that he's done in the past are still watched every Sunday afternoons by both the Hispanic and Latin community. He is known to have brought the bolero ranchero, which still used by mariachis and ranchera singers. The millions he made from his works never erased the poor carpenter he once was. He opened the doors for many Latin American artists and will never be forgotten.

Work Cited: www.fiestaweb.org