Comments on: Viva El Indio

By: wendy crawford

wendy crawford — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:56:56 +0000

looking for LA PERLA FOR MY MOTHER IN LAW ANY IDEAS NEED FOR CHRISTMAS SHE REMEBER IT AS A CHILD PLEASE HELP !
THANK YOU

By: suzidoll

suzidoll — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:58:27 +0000

Donna: I looked at the Turner schedule and could not figure out what your film might be. It might be best to write to the TCM website directly instead of going through the blog. If it was short, odds are against finding it available for home viewing, but never say “never.”

By: Lisa Wright

Lisa Wright — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:43:57 +0000

Wow! Like Jenni, I, too, read the Pearl by Steinbeck in my 7th grade English class and it made me a Steinbeck lover. I loved that book and don’t run into many people who’ve read it. I had no idea there was a film version ever made! Count me in on wanting to get ahold of a copy to see it, though! GREAT info! Thanks, Suzi!

By: Donna Zaitz

Donna Zaitz — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:31:26 +0000

I caught the end of wonderful short film last Monday night at 7:30, 5/11. It was instructing an Mexican on how to make a good life, building a shelter for his animals, then making adobe bricks for his house, how to make compost and use it to increase production in his fields and sell his flowers to get money. Instead of plowing, cultivate. What is the name of this wonderful movie, and where can I get a copy?

By: Feaito

Feaito — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:17:19 +0000

Great, interesting article Suzidoll. Congratulations! Fernández’s “La Perla” is one of my favorite Latin American films. Still, I have yet to see “María Candelaria” which has eluded me for many years. I have watched “Bugambilia”, “Las Abandonadas” and “Flor Silvestre”, which are interesting dramas, especially Bugmabilia, but not up to the level of “La Perla”, which is a masterpiece.

By: Claud

Claud — Sun, 17 May 2009 13:43:52 +0000

suzidoll;

That’s pretty much been my experience in tracking down info about
Senor` Fernandez. I have long held the opinion that there was one helluva biopic there, if the right people got put on the project. Recently I spotted him in one of his Huston-related projects. He had a cameo in “Under The Volcano” as a man who dropped in for a drink at a bar where Albert Finney was rapidly
going to seed. He had a rooster with him — a champion fighting
cock of which he was very proud. The character’s wife wanted the bird destroyed; their infant son had strayed into the chicken run, and the cock had pecked the lad’s eyes out. But he wasn’t going to sacrifice a champion over that. And the commentary DVD to “The Wild Bunch” passes along this item: In the opening scene, as the outlaws are riding into town they pass by some children engaged in a little animal cruelty. It was Fernandez, calling up childhood memories, who described to Mr. Peckinpah the game of throwing a scorpion onto an ant hill to watch the resulting fight to the death. The director loved it, and put that sequence into the film.

My reason for logging on again is to ask: Is there any source for getting a copy of “La Perla”? I’ve tried my usual sources,
but nothing seems available. Do you, or anyone, have any suggestions on this?

Claud

By: suzidoll

suzidoll — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:13:30 +0000

Hi Claud:

I spent some time looking for the cause of El Indio’s death, or even if he was ever shot by his wife, and I could not verify your colorful story. On the one hand, it sounds too good to be true but on the other, no one states exactly what he died of. I am leaning toward it NOT being true, simply because it would be the kind of story writers would include in a bio alongside other larger-than-life exploits. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

By: Claud

Claud — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:58:47 +0000

Re: “Stories swirling about”: Actor-scriptwriter Sam Shepard, in
a piece in a book of short articles, tells a story of working on a project in Mexico, where he met a man who had worked in film with Fernandez. His account includes a comment that Fernandez’
career (it does not say his life) came to an end when he brought home three hookers and told his wife to cook breakfast for them.
She shot him with his own pistol, hitting him in the throat.
Is there [u]any[/u] conformation on that item from [u]any[/u] source?

By: Juana Maria

Juana Maria — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:09:05 +0000

Hola! I really enjoyed this article. Muchos gracias! I had no idea that “Mapache” from “The Wild Bunch” was such a talented director.I have seen him in lots of movies,especially the ones you listed. I love the movie “The Fugitive”(1947). I really enjoyed when TCM featured Mexican cinema in May 2005. I’ve watched some of the films you mentioned. Especially the ones with Delores del Rio and Pedro Armendariz. I have a lot favorite Mexican actors:Anthony Quinn, Cantinflas, Alfonso Bedoya, Alfonso Arau,Katy Jurado, Gilbert Roland,Ricardo Montalban and plenty of others too.Wow!Mexico sure has alot of excellent actors. Adios!

By: Jenni

Jenni — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:55:23 +0000

I was forced to read The Pearl in 7th grade English class. If only our teacher had been able to find La Perla for our class to view! I would probably have appreciated the book more, and to see Pedro Armendariz act in that story would have been the icing on the cake!! Very interesting post.