Mapy Cortés
Encyclopedia
Mapy Cortés born Maria del Pilar Cordero in Santurce, Puerto Rico
, was a famous actress
that participated in many films during the Mexican film industry's golden era. Contrary to popular belief, Cortes was not Mexican; she was Puerto Rican
, but she adopted Mexico as her residential country from her youth and almost until she died.
During the early 1930s, Cortes decided to look for fame in other places, and she arrived in Mexico, where she met and married the already famous Puerto Rican actor and producer Fernando Cortes who has already adopted the Mexican citizenship. This marriage proved to be a blessing for the Puerto Rican actress, both romantically and professionally speaking. By 1933, Mapy Cortés participated in the first of over 50 films she would make in Mexico and in Puerto Rico
. Her film debut was in a movie named Dos Mujeres y un Don Juan (Two Women and a Womanizer). By the time this movie was released, Cortes had a nephew, Paquito Cordero
, who himself became a legendary figure in Puerto Rican show-business. Paquito was only two years old when Mapy's first movie was released.
The Cortes couple became a phenomenon across Latin America, when, after 1940, they set out to film movies in practically every Latin American country that was into the movie making industry. Mapy Cortés was able to gain celebrity in places like Cuba
and Argentina
, where she filmed some movies that are considered classics among those movies produced there. Cortes, who was also a comedian and a musicals actress, parlayed her acting career into a singing one, recording various album
s while still active as an actress. In 1944, she participated in La Picara Susana (Mischievous Susan), followed by 1945's La Corte del Faraon (Pharaon's Court).
The Cortes family spent much of the 1950s making movies and participating in a television show in Puerto Rico. Mapy and her husband Fernando returned to the island and presented an idea for a comedy show to Ángel Ramos
, owner of El Mundo Enterprises. On March 28, 1954, Puerto Rico received its first television transmission from Angel Ramos' WKAQ-TV Telemundo
Channel 2
. The first comedy show to go on the air was "Mapy Y Papi" which also included Maria Judith Franco and Paquito Cordero.
With a lot of wealth earned from their days as actors, the Cortes' decided to retire soon after their show came off the air in Puerto Rico. They travelled constantly between their houses in Puerto Rico and in Mexico. Her niece Mapita Cortés
, also born in Puerto Rico, became a renowned telenovela
actress in Mexico.
After Fernando Cortes died in 1982, Mapy Cortés led a relatively quiet life, without getting involved in many scandals or public activities.
She died at her home in Puerto Rico in 1998, of a heart attack
.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, was a famous actress
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
that participated in many films during the Mexican film industry's golden era. Contrary to popular belief, Cortes was not Mexican; she was Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
, but she adopted Mexico as her residential country from her youth and almost until she died.
Biography
Mapy Cortés began experimenting as an actress since an early age, working in various Puerto Rican radio shows, with lukewarm success. Never considered a superstar, glamour girl, or actress of merit, she was a beloved fan favorite.During the early 1930s, Cortes decided to look for fame in other places, and she arrived in Mexico, where she met and married the already famous Puerto Rican actor and producer Fernando Cortes who has already adopted the Mexican citizenship. This marriage proved to be a blessing for the Puerto Rican actress, both romantically and professionally speaking. By 1933, Mapy Cortés participated in the first of over 50 films she would make in Mexico and in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Her film debut was in a movie named Dos Mujeres y un Don Juan (Two Women and a Womanizer). By the time this movie was released, Cortes had a nephew, Paquito Cordero
Paquito Cordero
Paquito Cordero , was a comedian and television producer and also one of the pioneers of Puerto Rican television.-Early years:...
, who himself became a legendary figure in Puerto Rican show-business. Paquito was only two years old when Mapy's first movie was released.
The Cortes couple became a phenomenon across Latin America, when, after 1940, they set out to film movies in practically every Latin American country that was into the movie making industry. Mapy Cortés was able to gain celebrity in places like Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, where she filmed some movies that are considered classics among those movies produced there. Cortes, who was also a comedian and a musicals actress, parlayed her acting career into a singing one, recording various album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s while still active as an actress. In 1944, she participated in La Picara Susana (Mischievous Susan), followed by 1945's La Corte del Faraon (Pharaon's Court).
The Cortes family spent much of the 1950s making movies and participating in a television show in Puerto Rico. Mapy and her husband Fernando returned to the island and presented an idea for a comedy show to Ángel Ramos
Angel Ramos (industrialist)
Angel Ramos was the founder of Telemundo, the second largest Spanish-language television network in the United States.-Early years:...
, owner of El Mundo Enterprises. On March 28, 1954, Puerto Rico received its first television transmission from Angel Ramos' WKAQ-TV Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
Channel 2
Telemundo Puerto Rico
The name Telemundo Puerto Rico may represent:* WKAQ-TV, a Telemundo station in San Juan, Puerto Rico* Telemundo Puerto Rico , a former Spanish-language cable network...
. The first comedy show to go on the air was "Mapy Y Papi" which also included Maria Judith Franco and Paquito Cordero.
With a lot of wealth earned from their days as actors, the Cortes' decided to retire soon after their show came off the air in Puerto Rico. They travelled constantly between their houses in Puerto Rico and in Mexico. Her niece Mapita Cortés
Mapita Cortés
Mapita Cortés , was an actress of telenovelas and the cinema of Mexico. She is the mother of Mexican actor Luis Gatica, the wife of Lucho Gatica, the niece of Puerto Rican actress Mapy Cortés, and the niece in law of Mexican actor Fernando Cortés...
, also born in Puerto Rico, became a renowned telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
actress in Mexico.
After Fernando Cortes died in 1982, Mapy Cortés led a relatively quiet life, without getting involved in many scandals or public activities.
She died at her home in Puerto Rico in 1998, of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
Filmography
- Dos mujeres y un don Juan (1933)
- El paraíso recobrado (1935)
- El gato montés (1936)
- El amor gitano (1936)
- No me mates (1936)
- Centinela, alerta (1937)
- El gendarme desconocido (1941)
- Cinco minutos de amor (1941)
- La liga de las canciones (1941)
- Seven Days Leave (1942)
- Yo bailé con don Profirio (1942)
- El Conde de Montecristo (1942)
- Las cinco noches de Adán (1942)
- El globo de Cantoya (1943)
- Internado para señoritas (1943)
- La guerra de los pasteles (1944)
- El sexo fuerte (1945)
- Dos mujeres en la niebla (1947)
- Las tandas del principal (1949)
- Recién casados, no molestar (1950)
- Dormitorio para señoritas (1959)
- Lamento borincano
- Luna de miel en Puerto Rico