Comedy in the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema is a Mexican film that was popular during "El Porfiriato" which represents the reign of Porfirio Díaz as dictator in Mexico.
History
Film became popular and well known in Mexico during "El Porfiriato" which represents the reign of Porfirio Díaz as dictator in Mexico. On August 6, 1896 the first films began to be released and were called/known as "Vistas". In other words, views. At the time, the Catholic Church and the press were strongly opposed to the "vistas" because of the violence and women that was portrayed. They protested against them. Another important aspect was the projection of the Mexican Revolution to the public through film. It was a way for many to understand what was happening politically. Many agree that rather than the Mexican Revolution being a repression for the film industry, it was more of a motivator in the way it portrayed every battle and struggle. With the positive energy that the Mexico's film industries was receiving, it began to evolve into "El Cine Sonoro" which translates to the cinema of sound. This was the era in which sound was being added into the silent films. It was not as successful as many directors and film maker though it would be. Many failed to correctly synchronize the audio with the picture. Although to some extent it may have been unsuccessful, it is agreeable that it helped revolutionize film in Latin America. Mexico's film industry takes its height post "El Cine Sonoro" to what is known as "The Golden Age". Many film members consider this one of the most successful eras in the history of Mexican cinema. Many recognize the films of this era when they see black and white. It is also important to note that the films also portrayed social issues. Some of the most influential directors and actors are Emilio Fernández, Raul De Anda, Roberto B. Cervenna, Cantinflas, Vitola, Tin Tan, etc. The focus of this article will be on some of top grossing comedian actors of the time Cantinflas, Tin Tan, Clavillazo and others.
The evolution of comedy in Mexican cinema
Silent films
The first films presented in Mexico were possible through the agents of the Lumiére brothers (the earliest filmmakers in the history of cinema) and through the progressivists of Porfirio's regime. These progressivists included wealthy businessmen who had a vision of a modern Mexico and so they bought films, camera equipment and accessories for production for pioneers in the metropolitan regions of Mexico. Pioneers that stood out with their filmmaking were Salvador Toscano, Enrique Rosas y Carlos Mongrand. Their moving pictures included Porfirios family activities, festivals, but also other pieces including argumental works. Given that Pathé (a famous film production at the time) did not build any studios in Mexico like it did in other countries and business people took advantage of this to run production at a national level. In the early 1900s cinematography had a prominent presence in Mexico city and by 1910 "the mayor part of production, exhibition and distribution of movies was in the hands of the nation Mexico (King 1990). Silent films in general were popularized by specifically toward comedy by legendary actors such as Charlie Chaplin and the Marx brothers in the United States. In fact, Chaplin has become the staple for the image of comedy in film and he was able not only to bring comedy to life on film but to raise awareness on social issues such as poverty. Easy Street (1917) and The Kid (1921) are examples which depict the social issues of violence as well as poverty within comedy films. Similarly, legendary Mexican comedians such as Cantinflas have used this same approach during the Cine de Oro. When it comes to the quantity of films in comparison to other countries, silent films there are few films that were made and thus fewer that were preserved but some of the most famous ones include El autómovil gris (The gray automobile) (1919), as well as Tepeyac (1917), a film about Juan Diego and the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Other classics include El tren fantasma (The Ghost Train) (1927) and El puño de hierro (The Iron Fist) (1927) (Urbanora 2010).