Pedro Armendáriz

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Pedro Armendáriz
Born	Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings May 9, 1912 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Died	June 18, 1963 (aged 51) Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Years active	1935–1963
Spouse(s)	Carmelita Bohr (1917-1963) (his death)

Pedro Armendáriz (May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was a Mexican actor of the Cinema of Mexico and Hollywood.

Biography

Born Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico to Pedro Armendáriz García-Conde (Mexican) and Adela Hastings (American). He was also the cousin of actress Gloria Marín. Armendáriz lived with his parents in Texas and studied in California, where he graduated with an engineering degree at the California Polytechnic State University.

Acting career

When Armendáriz finished his studies, he moved to Mexico where he worked for the railroad, as a tour guide and as a journalist for the bilingual magazine México Real. He was discovered by film director Miguel Zacarías when Armendáriz recited the monologue from Hamlet to an American tourist. He obtained his first role in a movie at the age of 22 and after that he made many films in Mexico, the United States, France, Italy and England. Under the direction of Emilio Fernandez, and with Dolores del Río, represented to the Mexican Cinema in all the world. He received a Silver Ariel Award in 1948 in the category of Best Actor for his role in La Perla and another in 1952 for El Rebozo de Soledad. In 1947, he was the recipient of a Special Ariel for his works.

Armendáriz's last appearance was in the second James Bond film, From Russia with Love (1963) as Bond's ally, Kerim Bey. His son Pedro Armendáriz Jr. is also an actor, who appeared in the James Bond film Licence to Kill in 1989.

The Conqueror

In 1954, Armendáriz had a role in the film The Conqueror produced by Howard Hughes. This movie was filmed in the state of Utah during the time when the US government ran nuclear tests in the neighboring state of Nevada. 91 of the 220 people involved in the production of the film contracted cancer within 25 years, and 46 of these died as a consequence of this illness, among them:

• John Wayne (stomach and lungs)
• Susan Hayward (brain)
• Agnes Moorehead (uterine cancer)
• John Hoyt (lungs and prostate)
• Dick Powell (lymph glands)

However, in rebuttal, Pilar Wayne later wrote an autobiography about her years as John Wayne's wife. She said she did not believe radiation was involved in the deaths of those associated with this film. She mentioned she had visited the set many times as had others and not become sick. Ms. Wayne said she believed the real cause of her husband's death and the others was their smoking and nothing else.

Armendáriz began to suffer pain in his hips and years later it was discovered that he had cancer in these regions. He learned his condition was terminal while at UCLA Medical Center. He reportedly acted in From Russia with Love while enduring great pain (he visibly limps in most scenes) in order to leave behind financial resources for his family after his impending death. He committed suicide soon after production of that film ended,^[1] on June 18, 1963, in Los Angeles, California.

Filmography

Hollywood

Mexican cinema

References

External links

• Pedro Armendáriz at the Internet Movie Database
• Pedro Armendáriz at Allmovie
• Pedro Armendáriz at the TCM Movie Database
• (Spanish) Pedro Armendáriz at the Cinema of Mexico site of the ITESM
• Pedro Armendáriz at Find a Grave

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