| Doña Clotilde | |
|---|---|
| El Chavo del Ocho character | |
 Angelines Fernández as Doña Clotilde | |
| First appearance | 1972 2006 (animated series) |
| Last appearance | 1991 2014 (animated series) |
| Created by | Roberto Gómez Bolaños |
| Portrayed by | Angelines Fernández |
| Voiced by | Erika Mereles (El Chavo Animado) Mona Marshall (El Chavo Animado; English dub) Helena Samara (Brazilian dub) |
| Motion capture | Andrea Noli |
| In-universe information | |
| Nicknames | La Bruja del 71 |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | None |
| Family | Unnamed sister in France Unnamed niece |
| Children | None |
| Home | Flat N° 71 of the neighborhood |
| Nationality | Mexican |
Doña Clotilde, known asLa Bruja del 71 (Spanish:The Witch from Number 71), is afictional character of the Mexican televisionsitcom seriesEl Chavo del Ocho. An eccentric and flamboyant single woman, she is portrayed by Spanish-Mexican actressAngelines Fernández.
Fernández's character first appeared on the series in 1972 and was part of themain cast for almost all of it, leaving the series in 1991, one year before its end.
Fernández was a Spanish-born actress who had to flee her native Spain in 1947 amid increasing persecution of political opponents by the regime ofFrancisco Franco.[1] She had been supportive of theRepublicans during theSpanish Civil War and its aftermath, and she was concerned that her undercover support for theMaquis could put her life at risk.[2][3] She first lived inCuba,[3] where she was givenrefugee status, and later moved toMexico, where she settled and remained until her death in March 1994.[4]
In Mexico, Fernández began to work in thenational cinema, becoming acquainted and befriending Mexican actorRamón Valdés, with whom she was cast in several films.[2] In 1971, Fernández asked Valdés to help her find an important role in an acting project. Valdés spoke withRoberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito), who was assembling a cast for his project ofEl Chavo. Fernández subsequently met with Chespirito, who decided to hire her in that same first interview.[2][5]
Living in the apartment Number 71 of thevecindad,[6] Doña Clotilde is a middle-aged single woman who tends to dress and act like a much older woman, leading the children and adults alike to frequently mock her.[3] Due to her usual bad mood, reclusive and secretive life, plus erratic behaviors like a romantic infatuation withDon Ramón (portrayed by Valdés), Doña Clotilde is dubbedLa Bruja del 71 by the kids in thevecindad, who both mock and fear her.[3][6][7]
She says to have relatives inGuanajuato and once said to be fromCampeche,[8] and has a younger sister living inParis, France.[9] Unemployed or retired, Doña Clotilde enjoys a relatively good economic status and travels to see her sister in France.[9][10] In one episode of 1973 (later remade in 1978 and in 1983), Doña Clotilde takes care of her niece, who is sent to her by the baby's mother.[8]
The character, regardless of the kids mocking her appearance, develops close bonds with them, inviting them for a meal, gifting them withlollipops and chocolates. Doña Clotide's feelings for Don Ramón are never reciprocal, with Don Ramón experiencing shudders, awkwardness, embarrassment, and pity for her.[7] Doña Clotilde's advances usually end with Don Ramón escaping or avoiding her.[11] She is nonetheless undeterred by this rejection and often bakes cakes, purchases food and medications for Don Ramón, with his daughter (La Chilindrina) believing that she wants to perform witchcraft on her father.[6][12]
In a 1981 episode (as part of a sketch inChespirito), Doña Clotilde marries Don Ramón in a classicCatholic ceremony.[13] The 10-minute sketch shows in the end that it was adaydream ofEl Chavo. The short video was broadcast only once byTelevisa after it sparked backlash from theMexican Catholic Church, which saw it inappropriate that a singlelay man (Professor Jirafales, portrayed byRubén Aguirre) who showed strong romantic feelings forDoña Florinda (Florinda Meza) acted as the imaginary wedding'spriest.[14][15]
Doña Clotilde is depicted only once as a true witch, when she is shown inside her house preparing alove potion for Don Ramón. The episode ends by showing (similar to the marriage sketch) that it was the imagination of El Chavo and other kids.[16]
In a single episode titledLos espíritus chocarreros (a Spanish-language reference topoltergeists),[17] Doña Clotilde believes that a series of mysterious disappearances of plates from Don Ramón's flat is linked toparanormal activity.[18] She convinces Don Ramón and Doña Florinda to perform a ritual to solve the issue, only making it worse by causing fear and superstition in the characters, including the children. The source of the mystery is revealed to be Don Ramón'ssleepwalking.[19]
Despite her name being Clotilde, Don Ramón calls her Cleotilde.[5]
For most of the series, Doña Clotilde wears acerulean blue dress, black shoes, and a battered matching blue party hat with her white hair gathered in a bun.[3] In a few episodes she wears a shiny black blazer and, beginning in the 1980s, she replaces the cerulean hat for afuchsia one.[20]
In a 1973 episode, Doña Clotilde was replaced for a nearly identical character portrayed byJanet Arceo; Doña Eduviges, wearing similar clothing, exposing eccentric behavior and an infatuation with Don Ramón, drew an immediate analogy with Fernández's character. Arceo replaced Fernández during a health episode that forced her to take rest. The kids make fun of Doña Eduviges and nickname her asThe crazy lady upstairs due to her apartment being located on an upper level in the main patio.[21]
In the animated seriesEl Chavo Animado (2006–2014), Doña Clotilde was voiced by Erika Mireles in the Spanish version and byMona Marshall in theEnglish dubbing, where she is known as "Miss Pinster".[22][23]
Doña Clotilde also appears in the 2025HBO Max biographical television seriesChespirito: Not Really on Purpose, where she is portrayed by actressAndrea Noli.[24][25]
Marisa Avigliano, writing for Argentine newspaperPágina 12, said that Doña Clotilde vindicates the image of being a single and independent woman. Avigliano adds that, according to the humor of those times, she was the subject of mockery because of being single and childless, as well as for the typical ostracization of age in women and women in general in the 1970s.[3]
In September 2017, Fernández's daughter, Paloma, announced that one of her original blue dresses from the series would be auctioned.[26]
In March 2017, some Latin Americannetizens asked for thecancellation of Doña Clotilde, arguing that her persistent advances on Don Ramón and the insistence on seducing him amounted toharassment due to Don Ramón not consenting to said advances.[27] The campaign followed the removal ofPepé Le Pew from the filmSpace Jam: A New Legacy due to allegations that the character "promoted harassment."[28][29][30][16]