Golden Age Films

On the 111th anniversary of her birth—and 23 years since her passing—we pay tribute to María Félix, the indomitable icon of Mexican cinema whose beauty, presence, and power transcended borders. With her unmistakable poise and ferocity, La Doña lit up every screen she graced, even beyond Mexico’s golden age of film. Among her lesser-known yet striking performances is her role as La Belle Abbesse in French Cancan (1955), directed by the legendary Jean Renoir. Cast alongside European stars Jean Gabin and Françoise Arnoul, María embodied a mesmerizing showgirl whose exotic Arabian dances enraptured the nocturnal elite of Belle Époque Paris. The film, a vibrant homage to the origins of the Moulin Rouge and the fervor for cancan and oriental spectacles, placed a proudly Mexican star at the heart of the French cabaret mythos. Often overlooked is María’s recurring role as the archetypal vedette—a commanding figure of femininity and allure. In La Bella Otero (1954), she portrayed the famed Spanish courtesan and showgirl Carolina Otero. In La Diosa Arrodillada and La Bandida (1963), she reappeared as a cabaret singer and a brothel-owning chanteuse, respectively. In each,