Portrait of Maria Reviews

Del Rio was already 40 years of age when she played a far younger peasant girl in this Mexican-made feature. She'd been around since the days of the silents and managed to preserve her legendary beauty. Del Rio plays the daughter of a woman who had once posed in the nude for a painting by artist Galan, causing her small town compadres to reward her efforts by stoning her to death. Now, Del Rio is affianced to Armendariz, and, when she comes down with malaria, he goes out to steal some quinine (which they can't afford to buy). He is sent to jail, and she needs money to get him out, as well as to buy a dress for their wedding. She goes to Galan and agrees to pose for a painting. After he finishes her face, he wants her to take off all her clothes, but she refuses. So Galan gets another woman, Cortes, to undress, and he adds her body to Del Rio's face. When the painting is exhibited, Del Rio is assumed to have posed for the nude portrait, so she suffers the same stoning death as her mother. (The people in that town are strict!) The movie was released in the States without titles and did some business in Spanish-speaking markets because both Del Rio and Armendariz were box office favorites at the time. Later, it was dubbed into English but didn't fare well. Armendariz, director-writer Fernandez and cinematographer Figueroa had far better success with a movie they made a short while later, THE PEARL. Here good small roles were handled by Ramos, as a reporter, and Icardo as the local priest. Inclan plays the heavy like a parody of every Mexican villain ever seen.