12: Cantinflas Movies

Without hesitation, Cantinflas answered: —but not for the reason anyone expected.

Here’s a fascinating story about Cantinflas—specifically about his 1956 film Around the World in 80 Days (which, while a Hollywood production, was the pinnacle of his international fame and connects directly to his earlier Mexican classics). Mario Moreno, known universally as , was once asked by a reporter: "Of your 12 most famous films, which one truly captures your soul?"

The Church preemptively condemned the film. Bishops warned the faithful it would mock the clergy. The Legion of Decency gave it a "C" (Condemned) rating. 12 Cantinflas movies

In El Padrecito , Cantinflas’s character never once mocks a sacrament, never kisses a woman, never gets drunk. Instead, he uses his trademark "ahí está el detalle" (there’s the detail) wordplay to expose the hypocrisy of wealthy parishioners who ignore the poor—not the faith itself. At one point, his character says: "I may not know Latin, but I know hunger—and hunger speaks every language."

The Church lifted its condemnation the next week. El Padrecito became one of the top-grossing Mexican films of the decade. When asked later why he risked his career for that one film, Cantinflas revealed the truth: His own mother had wanted him to become a priest. After she died in 1953, he found a letter she’d written: "Mario, if you cannot be a priest, then be a clown who makes people understand God's mercy—because laughter is the only prayer that never fails." Without hesitation, Cantinflas answered: —but not for the

The film played.

Here’s where it gets interesting: The Secret Screening Instead of fighting the Church, Cantinflas rented a small theater in Mexico City and personally invited 12 bishops, three archbishops, and the Papal Nuncio to a private screening. He didn't speak. He just sat in the back, wearing his signature porkpie hat. Bishops warned the faithful it would mock the clergy

Here’s the interesting story behind that film and its connection to the others. In the early 1960s, Cantinflas was already a god. His films— Ahí Está el Detalle (1940), El Gendarme Desconocido (1941), El Señor Fotógrafo (1953)—had made him the highest-paid comedian in Latin America. But the Catholic Church in Mexico was deeply suspicious of him. Why? Because in El Padrecito , he played a bumbling, accidentally wise priest named Sebastián who gets assigned to a wealthy parish as punishment.