Columba Domínguez Alarid (March 4, 1929 – August 13, 2014) was a Mexican actress, singer, and painter. She is remembered particularly for her performance in the film '' Pueblerina'' (1949).

Biography

Early life

Columba Domínguez Alarid was born on March 4, 1929, in

Guaymas Guaymas () is a city in Guaymas Municipality, in the southwest part of the List of states of Mexico, state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. The city is south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and from the Mexico – United States border, U.S. ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. She moved to

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

with her family when she was very young. While attending a party with one of her sisters, she was discovered by the Mexican film director

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 ...

, who started her acting career with small roles in films such as '' La perla'' (1945) and ''

Río Escondido Rio or Río is the Portuguese and Spanish word for "river". The word also exists in Italian, but is largely obsolete and used in a poetical or literary context to mean "stream". Rio, RIO or Río may also refer to: Places United States * Rio, Fl ...

'' (1947).

Career

In 1948, Fernandez gave her the antagonistic role in the film '' Maclovia'' (1948), with

María Félix María de los Ángeles Félix Güereña (; 8 April 1914 – 8 April 2002) was a Mexican actress and singer. Along with Pedro Armendáriz and Dolores del Río, she was one of the most successful figures of Latin American cinema in the 1940s and ...

. Her performance was praised by critics and, thanks to this film, Fernández entrusted with the leading role that would become her best film: '' Pueblerina'' (1948). Thanks to this movie Columba rose to stardom rapidly and became known worldwide to be presented at the

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (, KVIFF) is an annual film festival held in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has become Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern Eur ...

. In that same year she participated in ''

La Malquerida ''La malquerida'' (The Unloved Woman) is a Mexican telenovela created for Televisa by Ximena Suárez and produced by José Alberto Castro, based on the 1913 Spanish play titled '' The Unloved Woman'' by Jacinto Benavente. The series originally a ...

'', with

Dolores del Río María de los Dolores Asúnsolo y López Negrete (3 August 1904 – 11 April 1983), known professionally as Dolores del Río (), was a Mexican actress. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is regarded as the first major female Latin Am ...

and

Pedro Armendáriz Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings (May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was a Mexican-American film actor who made films in both Mexico and the United States. With Dolores del Río and María Félix, he was one of the best-known Latin American mo ...

. Following the success of ''Pueblerina'', Columba was contracted in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

to appear in the film '' L'edera'' (1950). That same year, she filmed '' Un día de vida'' (1952), which went unnoticed in Mexico, but became a huge success in the former

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

. Encased in native roles, Columba separates professionally from Fernandez in 1952, which allowed them to become one first figure and work under the orders of other filmmakers, such as

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish and Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians and directors to be one of the greatest and ...

(with whom she worked in ''

El río y la muerte ''The River and Death'' (Spanish: ''El río y la muerte'') is a 1954 Mexican film. It was written by Luis Alcoriza and directed by Luis Buñuel. The film is an adaptation of Miguel Álvarez Acosta's 1952 novel ''Muro blanco en roca negra'' (White ...

'' (1955)), Fernando Méndez (director of the cult film ''Ladrón de cadáveres'' (1957), considered one of the best Mexican horror films) and

Ismael Rodriguez Ismael may refer to: People * Ismael Khalid (born 2000), American live-streamer known as Johnny Somali * Ismael Balkhi, political activist from Afghanistan * Ismael Blanco (born 1983), Argentine professional footballer * Ismael Prego, Spanish Yo ...

(who took her to star in two masterpieces: ''Los Hermanos de Hierro'' (1961) and '' Ánimas Trujano'' (1962), with the Japanese actor

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career, he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He often played hypermasculine characters and was noted for his commandin ...

), among others. In 1962 she participated in '' El tejedor de milagros'', a film that represented Latin America in the IX

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

. Columba also made the first official nude in the Mexican Cinema in the film ''La virtud desnuda''. (1956). In 1961, she recorded an

LP record The LP (from long playing or long play) is an Analog recording, analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of revolutions per minute, rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use ...

titled ''La voz dulce y mexicana de Columba Domínguez'' (''The Sweet, Mexican Voice of Columba Domínguez'') for the RCA Víctor label, with orchestral arrangements by

Mario Ruiz Armengol Mario Ruiz Armengol (known as "Mayito" or "Mister Harmony") (March 14, 1914 in Veracruz, Mexico – December 22, 2002 in Cancun, Mexico), was a Mexican pianist, composer, arranger, conductor and music teacher. He was the son of pianist and con ...

and Chucho Ferrer. The album has ten tracks and was reissued in digital format by

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

in 2012. On television, Domínguez performed in

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar Drama (film and television), drama genres around the w ...

s like ''La tormenta'' (1967) and ''El carruaje'' (1972). Her last television appearance was in ''Aprendiendo a amar'' (1979). After her retirement in 1987, Columba devoted herself to dance, humanistic art, painting and piano. In 2008, after more than 20 years of retirement from cinema, the Mexican director Roberto Fiesco returned her to the screen in the short film ''Paloma''. That same year, Dominguez was honored by the International Film Festival de la Frontera, in

Ciudad Juarez Ciudad () is the Spanish word for "city". Ciudad or La Ciudad may also refer to: * La Ciudad (archaeological site), Hohokam ruins in Phoenix, Arizona * La Ciudad, district of Durango City, Mexico * ''La ciudad'', a novel by Mario Levrero published ...

, at which some of the most representative titles in which she performed were shown. In 2010, Domínguez made special appearances in the films ''La cebra'' and ''Borrar la memoria'', and in 2012 she appeared in the film ''El último trago''. In May 2013, Columba Domínguez was honored with the

Golden Ariel The Golden Ariel () is an award that “symbolizes the work of excellence that a member of the film industry has achieved throughout their career and that has contributed to the development and growth of Mexican cinematography”. The Golden Ariel ...

Award for her contributions to the Mexican film industry.

Personal life

In 1945, Domínguez was discovered by the famous Mexican film director Emilio Fernandez, who launched her career in film. She and Fernandez began a friendly relationship, which soon led to romance, and Columba later claimed that this resulted in their secret marriage. The couple had a daughter, Jacaranda, born in 1952. Personal differences, and infidelities by Fernández, prompted Domínguez to leave him in 1952, taking their daughter with her. A tragic event marred Domínguez' life when, in 1978, her daughter Jacaranda died after falling from the fourth floor of a building, in circumstances that were never clarified. Domínguez and Fernández resumed their relationship several times. She was with him in his last days, despite their having been apart many years, and she did not leave the hospital room until his body was removed. In March 1987 she wrote a book titled ''Emilio, the Indian that I love'' which was dedicated to her great love. After Fernández' death in 1986, a dispute over his will erupted, particularly concerning his stunning "fortress" home in the neighborhood of Coyoacan, in the south of Mexico City. Emilio died intestate, and his only surviving daughter, the writer Adela Fernandez y Fernandez, was automatically named the sole heir to the exclusion of Domínguez, who claimed property rights. According to Domínguez, Adela was not a biological daughter of Emilio, and he had never legally adopted her. These details, and the legal situation, were never clarified as Adela died in 2013. Her very Mexican beauty was portrayed in paintings by famous artists like

Miguel Covarrubias Miguel Covarrubias, also known as José Miguel Covarrubias Duclaud (22 November 1904 — 4 February 1957) was a Mexican painter, caricaturist, illustrator, ethnologist and art historian. Along with his American colleague Matthew W. Stirling, ...

Jesús Guerrero Galván Jesús Guerrero Galván (June 1, 1910 – May 11. 1973) was a Mexican artist, a member of the Mexican muralism movement of the early 20th century. He began his career in Guadalajara but moved to Mexico City to work on mural projects in the 1930s ...

and

Diego Rivera Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957) was a Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the Mexican muralism, mural movement in Mexican art, Mexican and international art. Between 1922 and 1953, Rivera painted mural ...

Death

Columba Domínguez died on August 13, 2014, in the Hospital Ángeles Santelena in Mexico City, as a result of a heart attack, after being hospitalized for several days due to complications from pneumonia. She was entombed at the Mausoleos del Ángel Graveyard, in Mexico City.

Selected filmography

Features

* '' The Mulatta of Cordoba'' (1945) * ''

I Am a Charro of Rancho Grande ''I Am a Charro of Rancho Grande'' (Spanish: ''Soy charro de Rancho Grande'') is a 1947 Mexican musical comedy drama film directed by Joaquín Pardavé and starring Sofía Álvarez, Pedro Infante and René Cardona. Avila p.189 It was shot at the ...

'' (1947) *'' La Perla'' (1947) *''

'' (1948) *'' Maclovia'' (1948) *'' Pueblerina'' (1949) *'' The Unloved Woman'' (1949) *'' L'edera'' (1950) *'' Un día de vida'' (1951) *''La Bienamada'' (1952) * ''

When the Fog Lifts ''When the Fog Lifts'' (Spanish: ''Cuando levanta la niebla'') is a 1952 Mexican mystery thriller film directed by Emilio Fernández and starring Arturo de Córdova, María Elena Marqués and Columba Domínguez. It was shot at the Churubusco Studi ...

'' (1952) *''

Reportaje ''Reportaje'' ("Report News") is a 1953 Mexican film. The film brought together an extraordinary ensemble cast of the most important stars of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and was held for charitable purposes for the A.N.D.A ''(Asociación Na ...

'' (1953) *'' Women Who Work'' (1953) *''Historia de un abrigo de mink'' (1953) *''

'' (1957) *''Esposas infieles'' (1956) *''La Virtud Desnuda'' (1956) *''

Ladrón de Cadáveres ''The Body Snatcher'' (, ), is a 1957 Mexican horror film directed by Fernando Mendez who also co-wrote the film with Alejandro Verbitzky. Plot In Mexico, Police Captain Carlos Robles (Crox Alvarado) has no leads to solving a series of grisly mu ...

'' (1957) *''Cabaret Trágico'' (1958) *''Pan, amor...y Andalucía'' (1959) *''Los hermanos Del Hierro'' (1961) *'' Ánimas Trujano'' (1962) *''Pueblito'' (1962) *'' El tejedor de milagros'' (1962) *''Paloma herída'' (1963) *''La Loba'' (1965) *''Las Momias de Guanajuato'' (TV) (1966) *''La tormenta'' (TV) (1967) *''Mi niño Tizoc'' (1972) *''

Los Ricos Tambien Lloran LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...

'' (TV) (1979) *''Aprendiendo a Amar'' (TV) (1979) *''Una gallina muy ponedora'' (1982) *''Paloma'' (2008) *''La Cebra'' (2010) *''Borrar la Memoria'' (2010) *''El último trago'' (2012) *''Ramona'' (2014)

Discography

;With Kitty De Hoyas: ''Cabaret Trágico'' (

Juan Garcia Esquivel ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philippi ...

, orchestration, arrangement) ( RCA Víctor, 1958) ;''La voz dulce y mexicana de Columba Domínguez'' (RCA Víctor, 1961) Side one: # "La pajarera" # "Pregones de México" # "Nunca" # "Se me hizo fácil" # "Dime si me quieres" Side two: # "Xochimilco" # "Te amaré vida mía" # "Nunca, nunca, nunca" # "Paloma mensajera" # "La barca de Guaymas"

References

External links

* *
Columba Domínguez en Cine Mexicano en ITESM
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dominguez, Columba Mexican film actresses Mexican telenovela actresses Mexican television actresses 1929 births 2014 deaths Ariel Award winners Best Supporting Actress Ariel Award winners Golden Age of Mexican cinema Golden Ariel Award winners Bolero singers Ranchera singers Mexican artists' models RCA Records artists People from Guaymas Actresses from Sonora Singers from Sonora 20th-century Mexican actresses 21st-century Mexican actresses 20th-century Mexican women singers 21st-century Mexican women singers