
Ignacio Retes
Acting
Biography
José Ignacio Retes Guevara was a Mexican playwright, film, theater and television actor, director, and writer. Two-time winner of the Ariel Award. He studied at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in the 30s, where he was able to meet other prominent playwrights and directors of the time such as Rodolfo Usigli, Seki Sano and José Revueltas. He founded the University Theater of San Luis Potosí in 1937 and the theater company Lantern Magic with workers from the Mexican Union of Electricians. With Usigli he founded the company Midnight Theater (in reference to the free time that both had to collaborate in it); with Sano he would work as an assistant. In 1950 he made his directorial debut with "Los cuadrantes de la soledad" by José Revueltas, which reached 100 performances. Said montage also featured scenography designed by Diego Rivera. In 1944 he wrote his first play, "El día de Mañana". As a film actor, he made his debut in the 1950s and was directed by directors such as Jorge Fons, Felipe Cazals, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, Sergio Olhovich and Arturo Ripstein. In his role as a screenwriter, he wrote the scripts for films such as Anguish Nights and Journey to Paradise, among others. He was also a public official, as director of the theaters of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), where he promoted the massive construction of public theaters, reaching 38 venues. In the 1960s he collaborated closely with the writer Vicente Leñero, with whom he made various works such as the theatrical version of Los albañiles and Los Niños de Sánchez, among others. The Hidalgo-Ignacio Retes Theater in Mexico City has been named after the actor since 2006 His son, Gabriel Retes, became a prominent actor, director and writer.
Known For

Aging politicians who have faded from the public eye hold a cocktail party to celebrate one friend's appointment to the President's Cabinet. Illusions are indulged, illusions are shattered.
The Eve

The arrival of Aunt Alejandra triggers a series of nightmarish events that will put the life of a family at mysterious risk.
Aunt Alejandra

Three childhood friends; when they grow up, the poor boy is shut out from the possibility of romancing the girl because of class issues. He leaves town, learns to play pro-level poker, wins a fortune, then goes home to ruin his rival's life.
The Gambler

Life unravels when famous radio talk-show host Carmen (Sylvia Pinal) discovers she has just months to live. To tie up the loose ends of her life, she hires a chauffeur to drive her around Mexico City and visit her old haunts. But he does far more than that; instead, he gives her life a much-needed spark and shows her the road to happiness. Alonso Echanove and Raul Araiza Jr. co-star.
Vintage Model

Liberal farmer Pepe has arrived in Santa Fe to visit his aunt, Dona Perfecta. While he's there, Pepe is eager to teach the traditional-minded townspeople a new way of living. Unfortunately for Pepe the people of Santa Fe aren't eager to embrace change, and when the citizens begin to voice resentment Pepe is forced to seek refuge with his sympathetic aunt. Dona Perfecta is just as traditional as any of the other townspeople though, and only suffers Pepe due to the fact that he is family. When Pepe and his cousin Rosario fall deeply in love, the situation quickly comes to a head.
Doña Perfecta

Narration of one of the bloodiest episodes of the Mexican national history, The Tragic Ten, beginning when General Victoriano Huerta sent to kill President Francisco I. Madero, Vice President José María Pino Suárez and Senator Belisario Dominguez. The film recreates the moment of the execution at the hands of Huerta and his accomplices Bernardo Reyes, Félix Díaz and Manuel Mondragón.
Cuartelazo

A gritty tale of survival set against a city ripe with violence and corruption. The Naked City tells the tale of Alfonso and Aurelia, who with their infant daughter flee the scene of a traffic accident they inadvertently caused, leaving several people seriously injured. On the run, they check into a hotel in a different part of the town. By coincidence, or fate, the hotel is about to be attacked by a violent gang, who resume to hold everyone hostage, moving room to room raping, killing and brutalizing the guests. When it is turn to visit with the young couple it is their time to decide to succumb to the violence, or fight back.
The Naked City

A terrible disease is found in a Mexican town. A doctor tries to alert the authorities when he discovers its epidemic nature. No one listen to him and soon after the disease spreads. The government tries to control the information in order to prevent panic.
The Year of the Plague

Rodrigo Zaracho, once a promising boxer, is in decline. While fleeing from a gang that is chasing him, he remembers his past.
Knock Out

The story runs in the 1940s Mexico City. A schoolboy (Carlos) falls in love with his best friend's mother (Mariana). Carlos is impressed because this family is not like the ordinary mexican families of the time, because they have many expensive American things, although they are not rich. The drama begins when Carlos gets out of school to go to declare his love to Mariana, and is discovered by his teachers.
Mariana Mariana

When a group of young filmmakers witness and film a crime of passion, the most outrageous blackmail of the century begins. By means of a fantastic plan, the filmmakers send to the murderer, a financial and industrial big shot, a copy of the movie that incriminates him and they demand him an improvement of the standard of living for the working class.
Broken Flag

A fire started by Harry Thompson destroys the Liguria, a legendary ship of the 19th century, and its treasure of gold and diamonds sinks in the sea. Thompson manages to escape unaware that Albizetti sleeps in the same lifeboat he uses. They manage to arrive at a deserted island, which has also been reached on the opposite shore– by the other survivors of the shipwreck: three children, a woman and three men.
The Castaways of Liguria

Retired international police agent, now suburban housewife, is asked by her former partner to help him catch a serial killer.
Lovers, Partners & Spies

The sexual misunderstandings caused by the real identity of a rich woman serve Hermosillo to satirize the moral and social hypocrisy of the provincial that every Mexican carries inside.
Deceitful Appearances

Towards the end of the 16th century, the Spanish conquerors living in the New World faced a serious problem: the evangelization of the indigenous people, who did not understand or accept Christianity due to their unshakable faith in their own religion. The court of the Inquisition cracks down on heretics and the natives prepare for a general uprising ...
New World

The husbands of a charismatic nurse devise a plan to free her from prison when she is arrested for being a polygamist.
Esmeralda Comes by Night

The inner demons of an aspiring writer, whose dissatisfaction has pushed him to alcohol and drugs, lead him to his self-destruction under the guise of confusing political positions.
Everyone's Hell So Feared

Mythical and fantastic story on the wishes of a peasant boy, Diego, who become reality in the course of a day and a night. On the eve of his birthday, the child's godfather gives her a shot of cardboard. At night, the little dreams that is mounted on the horse and find a nymph that describes the exact location of much needed water does to your family.
The Flying Pony

In a small town a dead dog lays on the middle of the main street. A bureaucratic process begins to determine who is responsible for removing it
The Big Dead Dog

A politician accused of fraud seeks refuge in a remote, hotel he owns. Joined by his wife, and children he requests aid from his friends. His friends refuse to help, and eventually his family leave him, leaving him with few options.