Angelitos negros (1970 film)
Angelitos negros (English: "Little Black Angels") is a 1970 Mexican drama film written and directed by Joselito Rodríguez and starring Manuel López Ochoa, Martha Rangel, Titina Romay, and American actress Juanita Moore.[1][2][3] It is a remake of the 1948 film of the same name, also directed by Rodríguez.[2]
| Angelitos negros | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Joselito Rodríguez |
| Written by | Joselito Rodríguez |
| Starring | Manuel López Ochoa Martha Rangel Titina Romay Juanita Moore |
| Music by | Enrico C. Cabiati |
| Cinematography | Eduardo Rojo |
| Edited by | Raúl J. Casso |
Production company | Cinematográfica Roma |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | Spanish |
Plot
Jose Carlos Ruiz (Manuel López Ochoa) is a singer who meets Ana Luisa de la Fuente (Martha Rangel), an assistant manager of a girls school. José Carlos begins to court Ana Luisa and they quickly become engaged. Ana Luis soon starts to demonstrate prejudice against black people, such as criticizing the fact that Jose Carlos performs alongside mulatto artists such as Isabel (Titina Romay), despite the fact that Ana Luisa herself has a nanny called Merce (Juanita Moore) that has cared for her all her life and is a black woman; Ana Luisa is accustomed to her but openly dislikes her.
Ana Luisa soon gives birth to a daughter, named Belen, who to Ana Luisa's surprise and horror turns out to be dark-skinned. Belen suffers a lot because her mother does not accept her because of her color. Because of that, Belen paints her face white at one point, trying to be accepted by her mother. Ana Luisa blames Jose Carlos's family, believing them to having African ancestry. However, José Carlos learns the truth from Father Francisco (Carlos Martínez Baena), who reveals to him that Ana Luisa's real mother is Nanny Merce, who in her youth had an affair with her boss, Mr. de la Fuente. In order for her daughter to receive the benefits of inheriting a rich position, Merce renounced her motherhood, but to be close to her daughter, she took a role as a servant in the household. Ana Luisa inherited her father's fair skin, and as a result can pass for white.
When Merce falls ill, Jose Carlos tries to bring Isabel to take care of Belen because her mother does not give her any attention. Tragedy occurs when Ana Luisa, mistakenly believing that Isabel is Jose Carlos's lover, reacts violently and throws Merce down the stairs by accident. On her deathbed, Merce tells Ana Luisa the truth about her parentage. After the reveal, Ana Luisa accepts her heritage and cries for her mother after she dies. Ana Luisa also decides to start loving her daughter and the two embrace.
Cast
- Manuel López Ochoa as Juan Carlos Flores
- Martha Rangel as Ana Luisa de la Fuente
- Titina Romay as Isabel Contreras
- Juanita Moore as Nanny Mercé
- Juanita Hernández Mejia as Belén
- Neftalí López Paez as Mr. López Paez
- Norma Jiménez Pons as Maru Espinosa
- Carlos Martínez Baena as Father Francisco
- Fedora Capdevila as Nurse
- Carlos Bravo y Fernández as Carlillos, reporter (uncredited)
- Joselito Rodríguez as Don Mauricio Badú (uncredited)
References
- McCann, p. 236
- Staggs, p. 217
- García Riera, p. 1967
Bibliography
- McCann, Bob. Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland, 2009.
- Staggs, Sam. Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of Imitation of Life. St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2009. ISBN 978-0-312-37336-8 OCLC 234176069
- García Riera, Emilio. Breve historia del cine mexicano: primer siglo, 1897–1997. Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía, 1998.