Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings (May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was a Mexican actor. With the actresses Dolores del Río and María Félix, he was one of the best-known Latin American movie stars of the 1940s and 1950s. He won the Ariel Award for Best Actor twice (out of six nominations), for The Pearl (1948) and Soledad's Shawl, a year after its 1952 release.
Early life and education Armendáriz was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father, Pedro Armendáriz García Conde, and an American mother, Adela Hastings. He was also the cousin of actress Gloria Marín. Armendáriz and his younger brother Francisco lived with their uncle Henry Hastings Sr. in Laredo, Texas, after their mother died. He later studied in California, attending the California Polytechnic State University from September 1928 to May 1932. At Cal Poly, he studied mechanics and in May 1931 graduated from the academic course of the school. He remained an additional year as a freshman in the Junior College division, but in 1932 returned to Mexico after the end of the school year. While at Cal Poly, Armendáriz was active in student activities, including editing the student newspaper and the student yearbook and acting in several student dramatic productions.
Career
When Armendáriz finished his studies, he moved to Mexico, where he worked for the railroad, as a tour guide, and as a journalist for the bilingual magazine México Real. He was discovered by film director Miguel Zacarías when Armendáriz recited a soliloquy from Hamlet to an American tourist. His meeting with the director Emilio Fernández was providential, whereupon the actor and director began working in numerous films: Soy puro mexicano (1942), Flor silvestre (1942) and specially María Candelaria (1943) were the first films of intense common path. Under the guidance of Emilio Fernández, Pedro Armendáriz developed the film personality traits of a strong nationalist; often, he played tough and manly men, indigenous, peasants and revolutionaries. Amendáriz repeatedly portrayed Pancho Villa and played opposite actresses such as Dolores del Río and María Félix.
With Dolores del Río, Amendáriz formed one of the most legendary couples of the Mexican cinema. María Candelaria provided Armendáriz with international visibility. The film was awarded the Palme d'Or at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. Other prominent titles where Armendáriz appeared with Dolores del Río were Las Abandonadas (1944), Bugambilia (1944) and La Malquerida (1949). Maria Felix was his other partner in such films as Enamorada (1946) or Maclovia (1948).Pedro Armendáriz Biography
In the late 40s, he made the jump to Hollywood by the hand of John Ford. Armendáriz was a favorite of Ford, appearing in three of his films: The Fugitive (1947), Fort Apache and 3 Godfathers (both 1948).
Besides his career in the Mexican cinema, Armendáriz made a remarkable career in Hollywood and Europe. His other prominent films in Hollywood were: We Were Strangers (1949, directed by John Huston), The Torch (1950), Border River (1954), The Conqueror (1956) and Diane (1956), among others. In Europe, highlighted his participation in the film Lucrèce Borgia (1953), filmed in France. In Mexico, his participation highlighted such notable films such as El Bruto (1953, directed by Luis Buñuel), La Cucaracha (1959) and La Bandida (1962).
Armendáriz's last appearance was in the second James Bond film, From Russia with Love (1963), as Bond's ally, Kerim Bey. Armendáriz was terminally ill with cancer during the filming of From Russia with Love, and towards the end of shooting he was too ill to perform his part; his final scenes were performed by his double, director Terence Young.BondMovies.com Armendáriz died four months before the release of the film.
Personal life
Armendáriz was married to actress Carmelita Bohr (née Pardo) with whom he had one son and one daughter. His son Pedro Armendariz Bohr (April 6, 1940 – December 26, 2011), also became an actor and appeared in the James Bond film Licence to Kill (1989). His daughter, TV producer Carmen Armendáriz Bohr (b. 1946, Mexico City), was married and then divorced Michel Pierson Cuadra, a Nicaraguan national.
Illness and death
In 1956, Armendáriz had a role in The Conqueror, produced by Howard Hughes. It was filmed in the state of Utah at the time when the US government was conducting atmospheric nuclear testing in neighboring Nevada. Within 25 years, 91 of the 220 people involved in the production (41%) developed cancer, 46 of whom died of cancer or complications related to it.
Armendáriz began to suffer pain in his hips; years later it was discovered that he had neck cancer. He learned his condition was terminal while at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, and reportedly endured great pain to film From Russia with Love in order to assure his family financial resources.
On June 18, 1963, Armendáriz died by suicide by shooting himself in the chest with a gun he had smuggled into the hospital. He was 51 years old. He is buried in the Panteón Jardín cemetery in Mexico City, Mexico.
Filmography Hollywood Year Title Role Notes1947The FugitiveA lieutenant of policea.k.a. El Fugitivo (Mexico)1948Fort ApacheSgt. Beaufortas Pedro Armendáriz3 GodfathersPedro "Pete" Roca Fuerteas Pedro Armendáriz1949TulsaJim RedbirdWe Were StrangersArmando Ariete1950The TorchJosé Juan Reyesa.k.a. Del odio nace el amor (Mexico)1954Border RiverGeneral Eduardo Calleja1955The Littlest OutlawGen. Torres1956DianeKing Francis IThe ConquerorJamugaas Pedro Armendáriz1957The Big BoodleCol. Masteguias Pedro Armendáriz1959Little SavageEl TiburónThe Wonderful CountryCipriano Castro1961Francis of AssisiThe Sultan1963Captain SindbadEl Kerimas Pedro Armendáriz
British cinema Year Title Role Notes1957ManuelaMario Constanza1963From Russia with LoveAli Kerim Bey Released posthumously
Italian cinema Year Title Role Notes1955Tom Toms of MayumbaMartinez1957Uomini e lupiGiovannia.k.a. The Wolves1962Arrivano i titaniCadmoa.k.a. My Son, the Hero (USA)
French cinema Year Title Role Notes1953Lucrèce BorgiaCésar Borgiaa.k.a. Lucretia Borgia1955Igricheff
Mexican cinema Year Title Role Notes1935RosarioEnrique1936Irma la malaMaría ElenaEduardo1937Las cuatro milpasJalisco nunca pierdePedro González Poppy of the RoadJuan Padilla1938Mi candidatoPancho GarcíaLa AdelitaSabino EstradaLos millones de ChaflánAntonioCanto a mi tierraAntonio1939El indioFelipe The Queen of the RiverPescador jovenLa china HilariaApolonioUna luz en mi caminoDaniel With Villa's VeteransMayor Pedro Mondragón1940Los olvidados de DiosZenón RojasPoor DevilRaúl SolaresEl charro negroRamónMala yerbaChuy RodríguezEl jefe máximo1941El secreto del sacerdoteEl zorro de JaliscoLeonardoNeither Blood nor SandFrank1942Allá en el bajíoJuan HernándezLa epopeya del caminoRaúlDel rancho a la capitalPedro RodríguezSimón BolívarGeneral Briceño MéndezLa isla de la pasión (Clipperton)El ToroI'm a Real MexicanGuadalupe Padilla1943Wild Flower Jose Luis Castro Land of PassionsPorfirioGuadalajaraPedroRed KongaFederico RoblesAnother DawnOctavio1944María CandelariaLorenzo Rafael The War of the PastriesAntonio del ValleEl corsario negroEl corsario negroLas calaveras del terrorRolandoAlma de bronce1945Entre hermanosLas AbandonadasJuan Gomeznominated — Ariel Award for Best ActorEl Capitán MalacaraCapitán Leonardo BuenrostroBugambiliaRicardo Rojas1946Rayando el solPedro, adultoEnamoradaGen. José Juan Reyesnominated — Ariel Award for Best Actor1947La casa coloradaGasparAlbur de amorThe PearlQuinoAriel Award for Best Actor1948Juan CharrasqueadoJuan Robledo / Juan CharrasqueadoEn la hacienda de la florJuan Robledo - el hijo de Juan CharrasqueadoMacloviaJosé María1949Al caer la tardeSebastian del Llano1949El abandonadoDámian LópezThe Unloved Woman EstebanEl charro y la damaPedro Meneses1950Vuelve Pancho VillaPancho VillaLa loca de la casaJosé María CruzPor la puerta falsaBernardo CelisRosauro CastroRosauro Castro nominated — Ariel Award for Best Actor1951Tierra bajaManelicBodas de fuegoRodolfo CarreraCamino del infiernoPedro UribePor querer a una mujerJosé Renteria She and IPedro Múñoz1952The Three Happy CompadresBaldomero MirelesLa noche avanzaMarcos ArizmendiCarne de presidioPablo GonzálezEl Rebozo de SoledadRoque Suazo Ariel Award for Best Actor1953 Lovers of Toledo Don Alvaro Blas Basto y MosqueraEl BrutoPedro1954Reto a la vidaDiego MaldonadoMulataCaptain MartínLa rebelión de los colgadosCándido Costa nominated — Ariel Award for Best ActorDos mundos y un amorRicardo Anaya1956La EscondidaFelipe RojanoCanasta de cuentos mexicanosCarlos Cosiosegment "Tigresa, La"Viva revolución1957La mujer que no tuvo infanciaLic. Alberto Garza CifuentesLos salvajesPedro MatíasAsí era Pancho VillaPancho Villa1958Quiero ser artistaHimself1959Ando volando bajoPedroCafé ColónGeneral Sebastián RoblesLas Señoritas VivancoGen. Inocencio TorrenteraEl zarcoEl ZarcoFlor de mayoPepe GamboaSed de amorPedro OrtizLa CucarachaCoronel Valentín RazoYo pecadorFrancisco BracamontesHambre nuestra de cada díaMacario Férnandez1960Los desarraigadosJoe PachecoVerano violentoFrancisco PeñaDos hijos desobedientesPedroCalibre 44Don PedroPancho Villa y la ValentinaPancho VillaAquí está Pancho VillaPancho VillaEl impostorProfessor César RubioLos hermanos del hierroGeneralLa cárcel de CananeaPedro1961El indultoLucas Sánchez Parrondo1962El tejedor de milagrosSeñor curaLos valientes no muerenPedroLa BandidaRoberto Herrera
Bibliography
Tierney, Dolores (2012). "Latino Acting On Screen: Pedro Armendáriz Performs Mexicanness in Three John Ford Films". Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hispanicos, 37 (1). pp. 111–134. .
References
External links
Pedro Armendáriz at the Cinema of Mexico site of the ITESM