MARIA FELIX
Tired of her father’s macho domination, she met and married EnriqueAlvarez, businessman at the age of 16 but due to unreasonable jealousy Maria divorced Enrique shortly after the birth of her one and only child Enrique Jr. Maria sent Enrique to Canada to study and later he entered the theater becoming a successful actor in films and televisión.
In 1940 Fernando Palacios, Talent Scout, invited her to do a film test and in 1942 she co-starred with Jorge Negrette in her first film, “El Penon de Las Animas”. During her career she starred in 47 movies, 40 in Mexico and 7 in France. Her fame spread throughout Europe and Latin America but she never wanted to star in a Hollywood film. During an interview she was asked why she did not want to go to Hollywood and she replied “They offered me subservient roles and I am not and never was a subservient woman”!
Her second marriage was to song-writer, musician Agustín Lara, whom she had admired since childhood. Agustín was not handsome, but Maria was totally in love. “He was handsome to me. Being handsome is not just looking attractive – he must also use words of love!.
While they were married Agustín composed many beautiful songs, most of them inspired by Maria. ”El Chotiz Madrid”, Humo en Los Ojos” and “Maria Bonita” – the latest becoming “Maria’s song” which was played for her whenever she made a public appearance. Unfortunately Agustín was extremely jealous and they were divorced shortly afterwards.
Maria left Mexico to make a movie in France and upon her return once again met Jorge Negrette and they were married October 18, 1952. The Mexican people were ecstatic! Mexico’s most beautiful woman and Mexico’s most handsome ”charro” together. A few months later Maria left for France again to film ”La Bella Otero” and while in Europe received word that Jorge was seriously ill in Los Angeles, California. When Maria arrived he was in a coma and died December 6, 1953.
In 1955 Maria met Swiss businessman Alex Berger and they were married December 20,1956. It was in this marriage that Maria was the happiest. They divided their time between Mexico and Europe. Sharing an extreme love of horses they owned and raced 87 racehorses winning several international prizes – the French Derby, the Jockey Club, the Great Derby of Dublín, Ireland, the Prix Round Point and the Steeplechase of Paris.
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On December 31, 1974 after 18 years of marriage Alex died leaving Maria extremely depressed until one morning she said to herself ”Either you die and go to the other life, or stay in this life and endure whatever may come”.
In 1981 she met and fell in love with Antoine Tzapoff a Russian-French artist 20 years younger and shared the last 21 years of her life with him.
Her life and career inspired several writers to publish books in her honour – “The Mexican” by Henry Burdin, France 1981 followed by Spanish Luis Gasca’s “Bad Girls, Evil Women” who dedicated several pages to Maria.
In 1993 she published her autobiography “All My Wars” which became a best seller.
Her son Enrique died in 1996 at the age of 35 from a massive heart attack leaving her devastated. In his honor she published “A Line on the Water” which included a vast collection of photos and a letter she had written to Enrique to be read on her death, but ironically he was never able to read it.
Maria adored clothes and jewellery and during 1984 was named “One of the World’s Best Dressed Women” by National Fashion Chamber, Italy and French HauteCouture Federation of Paris. In 1986 she received the award “Diona de Plata” and Hermes of Paris dedicate 2 pages in their 1955 design publication to “La Dona”.
She received 3 Ariel Awards for “Best Actress” for her roles in Enamorada 1947, Rio Escondido 1949 and Dona Diabla 1951 and was nominated for El Monje Blanco in 1946 and Camelia 1955.
In 1996, in Creteil, France, she received tribute at the XV111 International Film Festival of Films Directed by Women and in the same year received the “National Art and Literature Order of France” award.
In 1997 she was guest of honor at the First Film Festival in Madrid, Spain.
A beautiful, intelligent, powerful and outspoken woman, far ahead of her time, she lived her life to the fullest with style, pizazz and without fear to the day she died, April 8, 2002, exactly 88 years from the day she was born.
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