Jorge Negrete - Biography
Jorge Negrete, also known as "el Charro Cantor," is one of the most popular Mexican singers and actors of all time. He was the first to die of the Tres Gallos Mexicanos, or 'Three Mexican Roosters' (as he, Infante and Javier Solís, were known). His opera-trained baritone was featured in many movies of Mexico's Epoca de Oro.
Jorge Alberto Negrete Moreno was born in Guanajuato on November 30th, 1911. He was the son of General David Negrete and Emilia Moreno. He was raised with his brother David and three sisters; Consuelo, Emilia and Teresa. He and David studied at Guanajuato's St. Mary Catholic school and the German School Alexander Von Humboldt, where he learned German, English, French and Italian. At fourteen, he enrolled in el Colegio Militar and at eighteen graduated with the rank of sub-lieutenant of administration of the Army.
Negrete worked at the Fábrica de Armas de la Ciudadela, where he performed administrative duties and he studied medicine. He subsequently worked as general manager of the the Hospital Militar de Puebla. In 1930 he requested his transfer to Mexico City, where he took vocal lessons from José Pierson, director of the Compañía Impulsora de Opera de México. A year later, he devoted himself to singing opera parts on Xetra-FM.
In 1936, he signed a contract with NBC to perform at New York's Teatro Hispano twice a week with fellow Mexican and Cuban musicians for televised broadcasts. The following year he returned to Mexico to act in his first film, La mariana del doable. In 1938, he appeared in La Valentina, El fanfarrón, Caminos de ayer and Perjura. In the latter he met Marina Tamayo, whom he began dating. The following year he starred in Una Luz en mi camino, Juntos, pero no revueltos, El Cementerio de las águilas and Juan sin miedo. In 1940, Negrete married Cuban actress Elisa Christy, whom he'd met during the filming of La Valentina, and who bore his only child, Diana. The couple moved to New York, where Negrete performed at La Conga with Desi Arnaz.
In 1941, his role in ¡Ay Jalisco, No Te Rajes! made him a star throughout the Spanish-speaking world and help popularize the charro film. During it's filming, he met Gloria Marín and began an affair. The same year, he appeared in Fiesta. Negrete capitalized on his stardom by touring Latin America singing rancheras in the trio, Los Tres Calaveras. During the filming of Seda, sangre y sol (1942), in which Negrete co-starred his his mistress, his wife divorced him. Although and Marín never married, they lived together for the next ten years and adopted a girl, Goyita.
In 1942, Negrete appeared in El Peñon de las Animas. Although he fought to have Marín co-star, he was instead paired with newcomer and future superstar, María Félix, who reportedly despised him.
In 1942, Negrete also appeared in Así se quiere en Jalisco, Historia de un gran amor and Cuando viajan las estrellas. In 1943 he appeared in El Rebelde, Una carta de amor, Tierra de pasiones, Aquí llegó el valentón and El Jorobado. In 1944, he acted in Cuando quiere un mexicano. In 1945 he filmed Canaima, Hasta que perdió Jalisco, Me he de comer esa tuna Mexico and Camino de Sacramento. In 1946, he starred in El Ahijado de la muerte, En tiempos de la inquisición and No Basta ser charro. In 1947, he starred in the great Spanish director Luis Buñuel's Gran Casino. In 1948, he filmed Si Adelita se fuera con otro. He ended the 1940s in 1949's Una Gallega en México, Jalisco canta en Sevilla and Allá en el Rancho Grande.
1950's Lluvia roja, La Posesión and Teatro Apolo were followed by a year off from acting. He returned to film in 1952 with Tal para cual, Un Gallo en corral ajeno, Los Tres alegres compadres, Hay un niño en su futuro and Siempre tea. His final films were 1953's El Rapto, Reportaje and Dos tipos de cuidado. To the surprise of some, the same year Negrete married María Félix. In November he travelled to Los Angeles where he died at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital on December 5th, 1953 of liver cirrhosis. Thousands attended his funnel in Mexico City and accompanied his coffin to the Panteón Jardin where he was buried in the Lote de los Actores.
