María Eugenia is a 1943 Mexican drama film written and directed by Felipe Gregorio Castillo and starring María Félix, alongside Manolita Saval and Rafael Baledón. The film's sets were designed by the art director Manuel Fontanals.
Contents
Cast
María Félix as María Eugenia
Manolita Saval as Raquel
Rafael Baledón as Carlos
Jorge Reyes as Ricardo
Virginia Manzano as Julia
Mimí Derba as Doña Virginia
Eugenia Galindo as Doña Matilde
Salvador Quiroz as Doctor
Alejandro Cobo as Jefe de María
Alfredo Varela as Martín
Ignacio Peón as José María
Consuelo Segarra as Rosa
Carolina Barret as Mulata
Antonio Bedolla as Pedro
Julio Ahuet as Emeterio
Toña la Negra
Eva Beltri
Trío Calaveras
Son Clave de Oro
Hermanos Huesca
Alfonso Bedoya
Roberto Cañedo
Production
María Eugenia was the first film María Félix made after her film debut in El Peñón de las Ánimas. During filming, Félix caused a stir while shooting the opening scene of the film, which featured her in a white bathing suit, attracting publicity to Félix. It is the only film in Félix's filmography where she appeared in swimwear.
It was the only film directed by Felipe Gregorio Castillo, who afterwards became a film censor.
Reception
In his book Más allá de las lágrimas: Espacios habitables en el cine clásico de México y Argentina, Isaac León Frías collects Emilio García Riera's view of the film, calling it a "terrible melodrama." The book Archivos de la Filmoteca refers to the film as a sign of how "the Mexican melodrama [was] so subject to conventions and norms" at the time, noting that the film was directed by a later film censor. María Félix herself would later refer to the film in her autobiography as "a film that had no other importance than to give me experience."