Carmen Molina (20 January 1920 – 17 October 1998) was a Mexican actress, singer, and dancer. She was considered a popular star of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Throughout her acting career, she was nominated for an Ariel Award for her supporting role in Las mañanitas (1948).
Biography and career Carmen Molina was born in Mexico City in 1920. She studied at the Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles school and made her film debut at the age of 16 with a small role in the movie ¿Qué hago con la criatura? (1936). Her subsequent projects would see her working with actors such as Cantinflas, Emilio Fernández, Sara García, Gloria Marin, Julián Soler, and Pedro Armendáriz in films such as No te engañes corazón (1937), Adiós Nicanor (1937), La gallina clueca (1941), and Simón Bolívar (1942). In 1944, she worked on Walt Disney's American production The Three Caballeros, a film that combined animation with live actors. The following year, she appeared in the film Song of Mexico, but despite these opportunities in Mexico, she was unable to land a leading role and had to settle for supporting roles in which she demonstrated her acting skills, as was the case with the film Las mañanitas (1948), starring the real-life couple Esther Fernández, one of the greatest divas of the previous decade, and Antonio Badú. For this performance, she received an Ariel Award nomination, losing to Columba Domínguez for her performance in Maclovia. Other important roles were in films such as Soy charro de levita (1949), starring Tin Tan and Rosita Quintana, Hipócrita (1949), alternating with Leticia Palma and Antonio Badú, Vino el remolino y nos alevantó (1950), No desearás a la mujer de tu hijo (1950), with Pedro Infante and Fernando Soler, and El hombre sin rostro (1950) with Arturo de Córdova.
Disappointed at not receiving the starring roles she felt she deserved, she took refuge in the theater and bid farewell to cinema with the film El mártir del calvario (The Martyr of Calvary, 1952). She returned ten years later, persuaded by her friend Mario Moreno Cantinflas to appear in one of his films, El extra (The Extra), and went on to make minor appearances. She enjoyed her greatest success on television, appearing in soap operas and television theater. In 1961, she was voted most outstanding actress and later best actress.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1936 ¿Qué hago con la criatura? Rosa, Juan's husband1937 Don't Fool Yourself Dear Carmencita Adiós Nicanor Lupe 1941 La gallina clueca Pita 1942 Simón Bolívar María Teresa1944 Saint Francis of Assisi Sta. Clara de Asis The Three Caballeros Mexican Girl 1945 Canção do México Specialty Dancer 1946 Palabras de mujer Bailarina Uncredited 1947 Por culpa de una mujer1948 The Well-paid Julieta Rute La casa de la Troya Moncha Las mañanitas Dueña y señora Toña joven1949 Carta Brava Nora Rough But Respectable Carmelita Hypocrite Aurora Cuatro vidas1950 Vino el remolino y nos alevantó Toña Ramírez You Shall Not Covet Thy Son's Wife Josefa The Man Without a Face Ana María 1951 La hija de la otra Mercedes de Castroviejo 1952 El mártir del calvario Marta1962 Twist, locura de juventud Tía Rita The Extra Actress who plays Margarita Gautier 1963 Rostro infernal Dr. Mendez Braun 1965 Aventura al centro de la tierra Julia 1969 Amor y medias 1979 Naná 1981 Lagunilla, mi barrio Hortensia Braniff 1982 Lagunilla 2 Hortensia 1983 Los dos carnales Doña Manuela (final film role)
References Emilio García Riera, México visto por el cine extranjero, Volume 3, Ediciones Era, 1988, José Rogelio Álvarez, Enciclopedia de México, Volume 9, Edition 4, 1978
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