INFANTE, PEDRO

(1917-1957)

Sinaloa-born singer/actor, extremely popular with the mass audience before AND after his death in an airplane crash in Mérida in 1957. Infante worked as a carpenter before embarking on a singing career in the late 1930s; made his film debut in the early '40s and was soon one of the top stars in Mexico and the rest of Latin America. Father of a large number of children (more than dozen), in and out of wedlock, including Pedro Infante Jr., Cruz Infante, and Irma Infante, who all later became performers. His wife at the time of his death was actress Irma Dorantes (although the legality of their marriage was challenged in court). Infante's brothers Angel and José (Pepe) also had acting and/or singing careers. Pedro Infante earned numerous Best Actor Arieles nominations -Cuando lloran los valientes, Los tres huastecos, La oveja negra, Un rincón cerca del cielo, Pepe el toro, Tizoc- but only won one prize, forLa vida no vale nada.