The history of theCinema industry inPuerto Rico predatesHollywood, being conceived after the first industries emerged in some locations of the United States, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, France, Great Britain and Germany.[1] During theUS invasion of the island in 1898,American soldiers broughtcameras to record what they saw. By 1912,Puerto Ricans would begin to produce their own films. After the early images recorded by the American soldiers in 1898, most of the films produced in the island weredocumentaries. It wasn't until 1912 that Rafael Colorado D'Assoy recorded the first non-documentary film titledUn drama en Puerto Rico. After that, Colorado and Antonio Capella Martínez created the Film Industrial Society of Puerto Rico in 1916, producing their first film titledPor la hembra y el gallo. Other film companies formed during the time were the Tropical Film Company (1917) and the Porto Rico Photoplays (1919). Puerto Rico was the second Latin American market to produce a sound film, filmingLuis Pales Matos's script forRomance Tropical (1934).[2] The film featured Jorge Rodríguez, Raquel and Ernestina Canino, Sixto Chevremont and Cándida de Lorenzo.[2] In the late 1930s Rafael Cobián produced films starring Blanca de Castejón such asMis dos amores andLos hijos mandan at Hollywood.[3] In 1951, he would produceMi doble with San Juan as its setting. Mapy and Fernando Cortés would also participate in the Hollywood industry, as well as throughout Latin America.[4]
1986'sLa gran fiesta was the first attempt to formally compete in the Academy Awards.[5] Starting in the late 1990s the Puerto Rican film industry saw significant growth and the number of local productions has been on the increase every year. The island has produced several actors and actresses and one Academy Award nominated film (seeList of Puerto Rican Academy Award winners and nominees). A number of Puerto Rican actors and actresses, led byJosé Ferrer andRita Moreno, also established themselves in the foreign film industries.[4]
Cinema was first introduced to the island in limited form during the late 19th Century following theSpanish–American War, with the military action during it reportedly being filmed as well.[6] In 1899, Sigmund Lubin filmed a nationalistic recreation of thePuerto Rican Campaign titledCapture of Porto Rico as part of a series on the war, of which no copies are known to survive[7] The first showings depended on early technology like the Lumiere and Pathé projectors and were temporary in nature, touring the island and leaving to other markets.[6] It proved popular with the public, especially children.[8] The first full films shown were reportedly brought by European circuses and gypsy tropes.[8] In 1918, Hollywood Pathé Exchange used the island to filmAfter 20 years Puerto Rico.[9]
In 1909, local company Cine Pathé also held tours throughout the island led by Rafael Colorado and Conrado Asenjo, the latter of whom would later take charge and rename it Cine Puerto Rico.[8] Prior to the production of local films, most of those shown were of European origin.[10] By this year, the business had spread and permanent theaters had appeared at various municipalities including San Juan, Mayagüez and Ponce.[11] Some cinemas were established in municipalities like San Juan and Ponce.[12] The first attempt took place in 1912, whenJuan Emilio Viguié began filming the daily life of the Ponceños with aPathé camera.[13] His films were shown at Cine Habana, where he worked and producing them required a revelation technique that he invented.[12] Francisco Maymón made the second attempt, beginning a film based on thelegends surrounding pirate captainRoberto Cofresí, but complications prevented the culmination of the project.[14] Rafael Colorado, the owner of the first film rental on the island, would create the first film of its class when he filmedUn drama en Puerto Rico, which was able to recover its $700 investment in its first showing.[15] These early attempts gathered general interest and lead to the formal creation of a local film industry, leading to the creation of the Sociedad Industrial Cine Puerto Rico in March 1916.[16] Its creators, Colorado and Antonio Capella would employ actual jíbaros in their country film,Por la hembra y por el gallo, as had been the case in the former's first production.[17] The film debuted at Cine Tres Banderas with tickets being sold at 50 cents.[18] This company would produce religious filmEl milagro de la Virgen,Mafia en Puerta de Tierra, among others.[18] However, insufficient funding and foreign competition lead to the ceasing of functions.[19] Colorado was also involved in the filming of political activities involving José de Diego and Luis Muñoz Rivera.[20]
By 1912, Colorado producedUn drama en Puerto Rico which became the first drama and scripted film.[11] The producer and businessman had previously filmed short news films in the early 1910s.[21] That year, Cecil B. de Mille filmed several shorts at Ponce.[22] In 1917, the Tropical Film Company was created, featuring people such asLuis Llorens Torres,Nemesio Canales and director Ernesto López, it acquired the equipment from its predecessor and incorporated Colorado.[23] This company was incorporated with the intent of competing with other markets and attracting tourism by featuring local attractions.[23] Llorens Torres directedPaloma del Monte with Gabriel Tejel as lead actor, with a number of jíbaros and two Italian performers of the Zorda family in support.[24] Comedies featuring local actors such as Bety Varezal, were also filmed during this period.[25] A project namedLa viudita se quiere casar followed. During the filming ofEl tesoro de Cofresí Aquiles Zorda, the patriarch of the family, returned to Italy for personal reasons and the project was cancelled.[26] The political conflicts of the era complicated the purchase of new film and the company ceased operations as a consequence.[26] Swashbuckling was a popular genre, with the life of pirateRoberto Cofresí being a recurrent topic. Prior to joining Tropical Films, Rafael Colorado had begun the production ofLos misterios de Cofresí.[27] Following further studies and experience abroad, Viguié returned in 1919 and began another project about the pirate captain, this one starring Lino Corretjer, which was left inconclusive.[28] Afterwards, Viguié joined the nascent Puerto Rico Photoplay, filming for the American public projects such asThe Woman that Fool Herself (May Allison, Robert Ellis, Frank Currie) andEl hijo del desierto.[29] The company ceased functions after owner Enrique González was involved in disagreements with his family over it.[29]
This era was a difficult one to produce in Puerto Rico, due to its political status, the poverty that it brought and a skeptical approach from the local higher classes, securing capital proved a challenge to the nascent industry.[30] The limitations of the Motion Pictures Patents a Company also prevented the export of local material abroad.[30] The impact ofWorld War I on the production of silver nitrate was also responsible for limiting materials.[30] The dissolution of the MPPC in 1917 did nothing to benefit the local industry, since the open market and the proliferation of Hollywood benefitted larger and established companies with which the young locals could not compete.[22] Another fire destroyed the studios found at Calle San José, forcing SICPR to relocate to another part of Old San Juan, Calle Fortaleza.[31] A fire destroyed resources, equipment and films in 1917.[31] The first films were directed towards the local public and its topic remained relevant to local affairs.[32] Around 25 films were produced (of which nearly a dozen were fully scripted) during this early stage.[32] However, most of the films and material from this era has been lost.[32]
In 1919, an independent company filmedThe Sacloir of the Hills in Puerto Rico.[31] Based in Hato Rey, Porto Rico Photoplays was born of a joint investment by Puerto Rican investors led by Enrique and Eduardo González and George McManus.[33] Its studios were built in 1920 and contemporary notes state that they rivaled those of New York.[33] PRP produced romance dramaAmor Tropical (also known asCumbre de oro andPinacho de oro) in 1921, filming in Loíza and in its studios.[33] In 1922, PRP also producedEl hijo del desierto (a.k.a.Tents of Allah), in which an airplane engine was used to simulate a desert storm.[34] A number of short lived magazines emerged to cover the industry.[35] By the 1920s, theaters had proliferated throughout the island.[35] In 1924, FPL filmed Paramount'sAloma of the South Seas at Piñones, the first non-documentary Hollywood production to do so.[36] In 1941, a remake featured Evelyn Del Río in a supporting role.[36] Viguié participated in the project as cameraman.[37] He would begin the production of documentaries such asLa colectiva andLa malaria (the first of its kind to detail the progression of the disease), also making arrangements to introduce technicolor to the market two years later.[37] The plot of Warner Brothers' 1927The Climbers centers around Puerto Rico, but it is unknown if some of it was filmed locally.[36] In 1939, 20th Century Fox filmedMr. Moto in Puerto Rico (also known asMr. Moto in Danger Island).[36] Decades later, Henry Silva would portray the character of Mr. Moto in a reboot.[36] The plot of 1942'sAu Large de Porto Rico (also known asShip Ahoy) centers on transporting a magnetic bomb to Puerto Rico, but it is unknown if some was filmed on the island.[36]
The Tropical Film Company was founded by two intellectuals in the National Independence Movement and a veteran filmmaker that immigrated to Puerto Rico from Spain. Even though it is known that this company had produced four films, none of them have been retrieved. This however does not negate the founding base of the Tropical Film Company in Puerto Rican Cinema. It was through Tropical Film Company that the first discourses of educational, cultural, and economic aims were made within the limitations of financial and infrastructural resources that existed then, and still persist, for locally grounded cinematic production, distribution and exhibition in Puerto Rico.[38] In 1934, Viguié produced and directed the firstPuerto Rican film with sound titled,Romance Tropical. At a budget of $10,000, it was a hit at San Juan, but Viguié sold the rights after the father of the Canino sisters demanded more money, leaving the full-length film business after paying an investor.[39] It became the second sound film in Spanish to be distributed internationally.[40]Romance Tropical set a record at Campoamor Theatre in New York.[41] Distributed by Latina Picture Corporation, rights conflicts prevented the continuation of a series of pending projects and the negotiations of an agreement with MGM.[41] During the 1930s, Viguié began filming sound films of a number of interviews and events, with some of the productions being preserved at the General Archive of Puerto Rico.[42] Theatre owners such as Teodulo Llamas and Rafael Ramos Cobián were also involved in the growth of the industry. Local personalities continued being cast in foreign films, such as Ramón Rivero Diplo and Myrta Silva inUna Gallega en la Habana.[43]
| External videos | |
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 1953's movieLos Peloteros onYouTube | |
| Una Gallega en la Habana on YouTube |
No scripted films were produced during World War II. The Extensión de Servicios Agrícolas produced several documentaries covered with music byRafael Hernández, some historical and cultural, but with agricultural motives.[44] Immediately after the end of the war, the government sponsoredQuerer es Poder (1945). In May 1949, DIVEDCO was created through law No. 372 and placed in change of the Public Instruction Department. The government also fundedLa Rehabilitación del Obrero Lisiado (1950) andA Girl from Puerto Rico (1953).[45] The latter of these films reportedly received some consideration from the Academy Awards. In 1946, it also brought in Johhny Farnow to create a documentary.[46] The División de Educación de la Comunidad (DIVEDCO) a government agency with a stated purpose of educating the population began producing films in 1949.[47] Invested in an industrialization surge, the administration used these also for propaganda akin to that used by the Canadian National Film Board. The entity produced 38 films during the next fourteen years, some of which were exported.[45] Several Puerto Rican directors graduated from this initiative, during which they worked along Delano and Willard Van Dyke among others.[48]Los peloteros filmed in 1951 and featuring Ramón Rivero Diplo was its first non-documentary film. The following year, Amílcar Tirado'sUna voz en la montaña was recognized at the Edinburg and Venetia Film Festivals.[49] In 1953, the director'sEl puente would receive honorable mentions at festivals in Europe. In 1955, DIVEDCO produced 10 films. Women's right advocacy filmModesta (a.k.a.La huelga de las mujeres) received the first prize for a short scripted film at the Venetia Film Festival the following year. Tirado would directEl Santero (in collaboration with Ángel Rivera) andCuando los padres olvidan (his first in 35 mm), with the second being shown in three European film festivals.[50] Luis Maysonet'sIntolerancia (1959) was the final feature film produced by DIVEDCO.[51] This director would also complete slaveryEl resplandor two years later.Jack Delano and Edwin Rosskam were brought in for an educational project, which also trained several local figures in the medium, producingUna gota de agua (1947),Desde las nubes (1948) andLas manos del hombre.[52]
Between 1946 and 1969, over 60 foreign projects were filmed at Puerto Rico, mostly by American and Latin American producers motivated by the end of Hollywood's golden age.[47] These included noirThe man with my Face (a.k.a.Mi doble),Machete (which cast Juano Hernández),Crowded Paradise (with Miriam Colón),Counterplot,Season of Madness,Last Woman on Earth andBattle Cry (which cast Perry López),La chica del lunes,Lord of the Fliesd andThe private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell.[45]Flying Nun (1967) andChe were partially filmed.[53] For his filming of 1953'sEscombros and 1957'sTres vidas en el recuerdo, New York-based Rolando Barreras organized a heavily Puerto Rican cast, with the second completely depending on local talent.[54] Two years later, he produced romance dramaEntre Dios y el hombre, his first project filmed at Puerto Rico. The first truly Puerto Rican film,Los Peloteros (1953), featured a Puerto Rican cast and was based on a real story.Ramón Rivero (Diplo) starred as the inspirational coach of a children's baseball team. His impoverished team played with old, broken equipment and longed for uniforms. Known as a comedian, the role enabled Rivero to demonstrate his dramatic abilities. The children in the movie were not professional actors; they actually were poor children cast at the shooting locale. PhotographerJack Delano directed the film for the Puerto Rican government's Division of Community Education.
In 1957, Producciones Borinquen (PROBO Films) was created byVíctor Arrillaga,Axel Anderson and Jerónimo Mitchell as a cooperative between actors and other personnel.[46] The following year, the company producedMaruja starring Mario Pabón and Marta Romero among other native talents, which was exhibited at the Río Hondo Film Festival.[55] Two years later, the company producedEl Otro Camino, facing distribution issues which only allowed it a three-day showing due to the bankruptcy of the distributor. Two decades later, some copies that were casually found were restored by Guadalupe Gúzman and shown at the ICP with the collaboration of José Artemio Torres.[56] A splinter from PROBO would producePalmer ha muerto in 1961, featuring Ricardo Palmerola andHelena Montalban.[46] René Martinez would also produceAsí baila Puerto Rico in 1960.[55]Axel Anderson was a German ex-patriate who became a star in both Puerto Rican television and film. InMaruja, Anderson played opposite leading lady,Marta Romero, and inEl Otro Camino he played oppositeRosaura Andreu, future children's television host. A third movie was the American film noirMan With My Face (1951), a thriller centering on Americans living in Puerto Rico. Producer J. Harold Odell shot three films on the island,Machete,Counterplot, andFiend of Dope Island. In 1956,Modesta, a short film produced within the island's Division of Community Education, won the Best Short Film Award at the Venice Film Festival; in 1998,Modesta became the first Puerto Rican film named to the United StatesNational Film Registry. In 1963, Almílcar Tirado founded the Asociación de Productores Cinematográficos.[57]
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Ultimately, commercialization would fuel the expansion of the medium.[58] Most of the 63 films produced during the 1960s would be directed towards the Latin Americans in New York, which made most of them failed gambles. Co-productions with Latin American and European companies also targeted those markets. The decade, however, was difficult for producers and by 1968, only around 20% of the films had gathered enough success to break even and record earnings.[59]
In 1961,Mario Pabón directedObsesión.[58] Romantic musicals would be a recurrent failure, beginning with René Martínez'sCarnaval en Puerto Rico.[60] Television personality Paquito Cordero debuted in cinema with PAKIRA Films producingTres puertorriqueñas y un deseo. A saga of comedic films centering around Adalberto Rodríguez's Machuchal character was the produced includingEl alcalde de Machuchal (1964),El jíbaro millonario orMillonario a go-go (1965),Machuchal agente 0 orMachuchal en Nueva York (1966) andEl curandero del pueblo (1968).[61] PAKIRA also producedEn mi Viejo San Juan (1966),Luna de more en Puerto Rico (1967) and two films directed by Fernando Cortés in Mexico.[62] Codazos led by Osvaldo Agüero debuted withCon los pies descalzos (1961) before moving to television.[60]Damián Rosa would produce and co-produce films that were exhibited in foreign markets, such as romantic filmRomance en Puerto Rico (1961).[63] After gathering success with this film, he produced another hit in dramaLamento borincano (1962).[64] Rosa would then join José Díaz and co-produce military dramaNuestro regimiento (1964) and dramaCuando quiere un borincano (1967), neither of which achieved the same success.[65] 1966's romantic dramaBello amanecer (1964) and thrillerMientras Puerto Rico duerme did well at the box office. Rosa would then produceEl jíbarito Rafael(1968) based on the life of Rafael Hernández, which gathered favorable reviews but fared poorly in sales.
Barreras would also produceHuellas (1961) andLa canción del Caribe (1963).[66] Cooperativa de Artes Cinematográficas only managed to produce two films includingMás allá del capitolio (directed by Tirado) after the film failed to meet projections and loss money. PROBO alumni Jerónimo Mitchell would create Mitchell Productions and produce melodramasVencedora de Amor andAmor perdóname, noirHeroína, detective filmLa venganza de Correa Cotto and a film adaptation of hit television seriesLa criada malcriada.[67] Tony Felton would produce detective filmAroch y Clemente (directed by Miguel Ángel Alvarez) to close the decade.[68] Correa Cotto was also the subject of Argentinian Orestes Trucco'sCorrea Cotto: Así me llaman. The film sold around 1.5 million, but was also subjected to a lawsuit by actress Betty Ortega.[59] Trucco Productions would also release a drama titledMiami in 1967.
Spaniard Juan Orol produced several films throughout the decade, includingEl crimen de la hacienda (1963),La maldición de mi raza (1964),Organización criminal (1968),Pasiones infernalesHistoria de un gangster (1968).[69] His other productionsLa virgen de la calle (1965),Contrabandistas del caribe (1966) andAntesala de la silla eléctrica (1966) were filmed in part locally. In 1968, Arturo Correa would produce the comedyEl derecho de comer, which was sponsored by Fomento Económico.
During the 1960s, several short films were produced in Puerto Rico including Efraín López Neris'sEl Corral (1963), Amílcar Tirado'sZapatos nuevos (1963), Ramón Barco'sAngela (1966) and Maggie Bob'sLaguna Soltero (1967).[70] José Soltero engaged in experimental cinema withEl pecado original (1964) andJeroví (1965). DIVEDCO's Amilcar Tirado directed Mitchell Productions and Columbia Pictures'Ayer amargo (1960). After his political comedyEl gallo pelón was met with controversy, he incursioned into mainstream cinema, eventually returning withLa noche de Don Manuel (1965).[71] DIVEDCO would experience a sharp decline, with Tirado as its main director and Ricardo Alegría's script ofLa buena herencia (1967) being among the last before it systematically disappeared following the change in administration that took place the following year. Its format would later be adopted in Cuba's Cine-móvil and Nicaragua's INCINE.[72] Of the collection of over 137 films, several are preserved at the General Archive. A government sponsored initiative, TURABOX, producedLa venganza de Margarito.[73] Founded in 1968, Cine Pueblo began filming projects of social interest, includingLos barrios se oponen an environmentalist piece about mining in Puerto Rico.[74]
Co-productions with foreign producers were common during this decade and actors involved in these markets were also involved in their production. Fernando Cortés would produceMr. Dollar (1964),En mi Viejo San Juan (1966),La mujer del cura (1967) andVírgenes a go-go (1967). Jorge Mistral producedLa fiebre del deseo (1964) andLa piel desnuda (1964).[75] Other include Alfredo Crevenna'sUna mujer sin precio (1965),Juventud sin frenos (1965) written by Tony Rigus, Alfonso Corona'sLas pecadoras (1967) and Juan Bueno'sMulato (1967). Spain was a frequent collaborator leading to the production of Sebastián Almeida'sVacio en el alma, Federico Curiel'sJuicio a un ángel, José Díaz Morales'Los que nunca amaron (1965) and Miguel Marayta'sJoselito vagabundo puertorriqueño. Mexico was another, leading to co-productions such asCuando los salvajes aman,Operación Tiburón (1965, Mexico) by José San Antón and Braulio Castillo,Morir en Puerto Rico andPreciosa. 1965'sCaña Brava was a collaboration between local and Dominican investors. Ramón Peón producedBajo el cielo de Puerto Rico. Argentinian producers also participated in this exchange with Aldo Sambrell producingLa última jugada and Leopoldo TorresLa Chica del Lunes andLos traidores de San Ángel.[76] Also notable are theBob Hope comedyThe Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell (1968) when Hawaii was unavailable for Department of Defense cooperation and a film adaptation of William Golding's novelLord of the Flies.
During the 1970s, changes in the markets and costs combined with the emergence of new technologies, mixed with social unrest to impact the cinema industry.[77] In Puerto Rico, skepticism by potential investors lead to a shift from the commercial to the documental, influenced by political topics.[77] Publicity and independent productions were able to reach more notoriety than the production of feature films.[77] TheMovimiento Pro Independencia entered the medium to produce a number of pro-independence films including one about the political status namedPuerto Rico, paraíso invadido (1970) and another about proposed development in the natural reserve of Mona namedDenuncia de un embeleco (1975).
Sandino Filmes, named after Augusto Sandino, had been funded in the late 1960s by Diego de la Texera, Ellen Gordon, Roberto Gándara, Alfredo Matías and Antonio Rosario, filming publicity to fund its documentaries.[78] The company grew with the integration of several figures including Marcos Zurinaga, Luis Collazo, Alfonso Borrell and Luis Soto. Completing a documentary about Sandino himself, the company also producedCulebra (1971),Piñones va (1972),Julia de Burgos (1974) andAlicia Alonso y el Ballet Nacional de Cuba (1979), but left several projects inconcluse.[79] Sandino also participated in the production of Roberto Ponce'sA Step Away (1980) and a two episodes for Realidades namedGI José II (military) andOchú (about the Caribbean religion of santería). The company also participated in the filming of foreign films such asMaten al león and Dino Di Laurentis'Triumph. Sandino ceased to exist with the turn of the decade due to internal issues. In 1979, Texera went on to film the activities of the Salvadoran guerrilla for a documentary titledEl Salvador vencerá.
During the 1970s, at least 24 full-length films were produced.[74] Betty Ortega was cast by Tony Felton in several films, first to depicting the life of Luisa Nevarez Ortiz in his eponymous 1970 film, later personifying a fictional nationalist inLa masacre de Ponce (loosely based on that historical event) and then the romantic melodramaLa Tormenta.[74] Felton and collaborators Erick Santamaría and Tony Betancourt later producedEl barrio,Hijos del vicio andYeyo (1975).[80] During this decade, Rosa would produce the comedyFray Dollar (1970) with the collaboration of Vic Winner and Columbia Pictures andAdiós, Nueva York, adiós (1974) which flopped and ultimately distanced him from cinema after collaborating in the foreign co-productionLa noche de San Juan (1975).[80] Arturo Correa produced musical dramaLibertad para la juventud (1970) and romantic dramaTú mi amor (1971).[81]
Rubén Galindo produced the romantic musicalUn amante anda suelto (1970), another co-production with Mexican interests.[81] In 1974, Creative Films joined forces with Mexican Cineproducciones Internacionales to produceEl hijo de Angela María and placed Fernando Cortés as director.[81] This was WKAQ-TV's final film under this company, gathering economic success but receiving unfavorable reviews. In 1975, Tony Rigus filmed the romantic dramaThe machos in English, which won an award at the Cartagena a Film Festival.[82]The media presence of criminal Antonio García López (also known as Toño Bicicleta) led to competition between producers to secure rights and a number of low-budget films that received only limited release.[81] In 1974, Cine Centro de Puerto Rico producedEl fujitivo de Puerto Rico (Héctor Rosario, Betty López), which despite its intentionally amateurish approach gained some success in New York.[83] The incapacity of the Puerto Rico Police to capture the fugitive also had impact abroad, where two films began production by César Córdoba (in Guatemala) and Anthony Felton (in the Dominican Republic), of which only the second'sToño Bicicleta was completed.[83] Dominicans Glaucoma del Mar and Víctor Hugo López producedLa leyenda de Toño Bicicleta starring Colón Riozama and Alida Arizmendi among others.[83]
The United States produced more films in Puerto Rico in the 1970s than any other country did. Most of them were schlock movies typical of the time, such as producer Sydney W. Pink's last movieThe Man from O.R.G.Y. (1970). TheWoody Allen filmBananas, of 1971, is the only classic American film of the time to be filmed in Puerto Rico. Jacobo Morales played a supporting role on the film. Among local productions,Jacobo Morales's filmDios los Cría (1979) stands out. Morales had a solid background as an actor and writer, going back to the inception of Puerto Rican television in the 1950s.Dios los Cria marked the beginning of his work writing and directing for the big screen. The collection of five comedic tales earned him acclaim, as well as a slot in the 'Un Certain Regard' section of the 1979 Cannes Film Festival. Following up on his previous success, Morales has continued to write and direct his own films.Nicolas y los Demas (1986) andLo que le Pasó a Santiago (1989) both won audience appreciation. In addition, the latter received an Oscar nomination forBest Foreign Film. In 1994, he directedLinda Sara which didn't earn as much respect as his earlier works, although it's generally considered enjoyable. In 2004, he released a sequel to his 1979 hit,Dios los Cria 2.
During the 1980s, Puerto Rican began submitting films for consideration to theAcademy Award for Best Foreign Film. Some of the films submitted wereLa Gran Fiesta and the above-mentionedLo que le Pasó a Santiago. Despite these efforts, the industry wasn't booming like before.Una Aventura Llamada Menudo was a local film that gained international success during 1982, thanks in part to it being starred byMenudo, ateen idol band of the time. Menudo had participated in another film, the Puerto Rican-Venezuelan productionMenudo: La Pelicula in 1981, but La Pelicula was filmed entirely in Venezuela. Meanwhile, Menudo's main competitor, another teen-idol boy band namedLos Chicos de Puerto Rico, participated in a movie named "Coneccion Caribe", which was filmed in both Puerto Rico and theDominican Republic.
In 1991, Jacobo Morales won the ACE Best Director Award forLo que le pasó a Santiago. Tony Martínez would create the Instituto de Cine y Televisión de Puerto Rico.[84]
During the early 1990s, production of full-length film was inconsistent.[77] In 1991, DIVEDCO produced its last filmArt and identity. About 112 of the entity's productions are preserved by the ICP and at the Cornell University Library. Other initiatives built during the 1970s, such as dubbing studies, began closing.[77] The early to mid-1990s had Paramount Pictures'A Show of Force, whose cast includedAmy Irving,Robert Duvall,Andy García, andKevin Spacey;La Guagua Aérea, the aforementionedLinda Sara, andEl Poder del Shakti as theatrical releases on the island. 1997 broughtRobert Zemeckis and his team to the island to shoot sequences forContact andSteven Spielberg for a 2-day shoot forAmistad. 1998 had theatrical releases for the well-receivedHéroes de Otra Patria and for the not-as-well-receivedMi Día de Suerte, as well as a limited release forThe Face at the Window. 1999 had the theatrical premiere, but not a general theatrical release, for the English-languagePaging Emma. In 1998, Modesta was recognized by the National Film Registry's Preseevation Board.[85]Una voz en la montaña was awarded in the Edinburg Film Festival.El Puente won an honorific mention in the same festival.
By 2000, the Ateneo Puertorriqueño estimated that around 10% of the films produced or filmed in Puerto Rico were missing, the rest being part of their collection and distributed under the Cine Nuestro label.[86] During this decade, another filmmaking boom began.12 Horas enjoyed a decent, six-week theatrical run in 2001, and ever since then, the number of films made by Puerto Ricans has increased dramatically. So has the variety, including documentaries, short films, and animation.Voces inocentes (2004) co-produced by Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States, won several international awards. Both the Puerto Rico Film Commission and the Corporation for the Development of Arts, Science and Film Industry in Puerto Rico promote local and international film making, including loans and financial incentives.
Other recent films that have garnered praise areCelestino y el Vampiro,Ladrones y Mentirosos,Cayo, and Jacobo Morales'Angel. Unfortunately, people in Puerto Rico see most of these films asart house material and they don't get the box office reception as many American mainstream films.[87]
One notable exception to this trend of lukewarm reception at the box office occurred with the filmMaldeamores. Starting with its sold-out, one-week Oscar-qualifying run in late 2007, this film became a benchmark in Puerto Rican cinema for its combination of excellent critical reception, decent box office reception, and actual theatrical exhibition in the U.S. Nevertheless, in July 2009 the Puerto Rico Film Commission reported thatMaldeamores had only recovered about 50% of its costs.[87]
In 2008, directorSteven Soderbergh and actor – producerBenicio del Toro filmed most of the first part ofChe on the island; andGeorge Clooney,Jeff Bridges, andKevin Spacey (working in the island once more) shotThe Men Who Stare at Goats. Also in 2008, the filmTalento de Barrio, a movie based on the life of "Daddy Yankee", became the first Puerto Rican film to sell more than 300,000 tickets during its theatrical run, even though its critical reception was decidedly on the "rotten" side of the spectrum.
In 2009,Party Time: The Movie, directed by Juan Fernandez-Paris,Miente (Lie), directed and production-designed by Rafi Mercado, andKabo y Platon directed by Edmundo H. Rodríguez, received theatrical releases. Also,Johnny Depp visited the island to work inThe Rum Diary andJoel Silver took advantage of available incentives to shoot most ofThe Losers.
The year 2010 saw theatrical releases forQue Despelote, directed by Eduardo 'Transfor' Ortiz;Elite, directed by Andres Ramírez Molina, andCaos, directed by Raul García, and also saw the island serve as a production hub for a significant portion ofFast Five.
2011 was a somewhat tumultuous year for the film industry in Puerto Rico. It included a decision from the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences which eliminated Puerto Rico's participation in the race for theAcademy Award for Best Film in a Foreign Language.[88] Nevertheless, it did yield two theatrical releases:Que Joyitas, directed by Eduardo 'Transfor' Ortiz, which ultimately grossed over $700,000 at the box office, andMi verano con Amanda 2, written and directed by Benjamin 'Benji' López. Other releases includedThe Caller andThe Witness (El Testigo).
In 2012, the short filmMi santa mirada, directed by Alvaro Aponte Centeno, became the first Puerto Rican short film to compete for the Short FilmPalme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Locally, 2012 marked the two-week theatrical release of the filmLos Condenados and the seven-month theatrical release ofBroche de oro, directed by Raul Marchand.
During the 1960s, the medium of television counted with Telefilmo Orpa Televisión, which filmed more than a dozen 16mm productions includingLos héroes del polvorín,Mañana,Los perros de Barnard andTres en una fantasía, which were also exported to New York.[89] A niche public also emerged for experimental films, which began following Efrain López Neris' Cine Experimental Puertorriqueño and the debut ofEl corral (1963).[90] Another experimentalist, José Rodríguez Soltero producedEl pecado original (1964) andJeroví (1965) the following years. Ramón Barco'sAngela (1967) followed with an appearance at the 1968 Karlovy Vary Film Festival.[90] Experimental cinema attracted mainstream figure Jacobo Morales, who in 1970 collaborated with Víctor Cuchí inCinco cuentos en blanco y negro, which was later sponsored by the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña.[90] Another, José Orraca, led the Taller Bohite and indulged in the genre with several of his colleagues.[91]
TenorAntonio Paoli was the first performer to be filmed performing an entire opera when his rendition ofPagliacci at Milan was recorded in 1907. During the silent film era, Puerto Ricans and Latin American actors gained success, with Fernando Cortés, Armando Calvo, Blanca de Castejón and Alberto Morin performing at Europe and South America.[92] In 1899, a trio of unidentified women purported to be Puerto Rican were filmed in a risqué (for the era)mutoscope film titledHow the Porto Rican Girls Entertain Uncle Sam's Soldiers performing what is said to be a "traditional dance".[93]Alberto Morin was the first actor to become established abroad, appearing in Hollywood films since the 1928.[94] The first actress to do so was Blanca de Castejón. Other contemporaries include Evelyn del Río, Sammy Davis Jr. and Juano Hernández.[94] In Europe, Armando Calvo and Fernando Cortés starred in the silent cinema.[94]With the onset of sound films Latin American performers were usually castes as stereotypical characters such as dancers or other colorful entertainers.[92] Some Puerto Rican actors (such as Castejón) left Hollywood to continue their careers in Latin America and Europe, gathering local success and retaining presence in North America through dubbed films.[95]
In 1938, a co-production between local and Mexican interests lead toMis Dos Amores, featuring Blanca de Castejón and Evelyn Del Río among others.[2] As part of an agreement with 20th Century Fox, Rafael Ramos Cobián also producedLos Hijos Mandan directed byGabriel Soria and featuring Fernando and Julián Soler, Castejón and Arturo de Córdova.[96] That year, Mapy Cortés and composer Rafael Hernández were involved in Teoduro Llamas'Ahora Seremos Felices filmed atHabana.[96] During World War II, Evelyn Del Río, Josefina del Mar, Sammy Davis Jr. and Diosa Costello collaborated with the United Service Organization.[97] The HUAC era directly affected Latin Americans including José Ferrer and Dolores Del Río (who was not allowed to film in Hollywood for aiding those previously affected by the initiative).[98] Juano Hernández headlined one of the few productions that defied the HUAC, 1949'sIntruder in the Dust.[98] During the 1940s, Olga San Juan lead a group also composed by Diosa Costello, Mapy Cortés and Chinita Marín.[94]
Sociopolitical topics dominated the productions of local directors abroad.[99] The political status of Puerto Rico and the conditions faced by those that migrated to the United States were a recurrent topic. A longing within the diaspora is also a common topic.[100]After studying abroad, José Rodríguez Soltero produced the mediometraje (???)La Lupe (1966) based on the life ofLupe Vélez,Diálogo con el Che/Dialogue with Che (1968) based onChe Guevara,The People's Church (1969),Boletín número 1 (1970) based on theYoung Lords andDespierta Boricua (1971).[101] During the 1970s, José García producedLa patria es valor y sacrificio (1973), WNET'sDown These Mean Street a.k.a.El mundo de Piri Thomas (1973), a documentary on theManifest Destiny policy which featured Raúl Juliá as narrator titledDestino Manifesto (1974),Julia de Burgos (1974) and the feature filmFestival (1978).[99] This director also produced episodesGI José I (1974) andLa lucha (1973) for a series named Realidades that aired in New York, but facing political backlash he returned to Puerto Rico and adapted René Marquéz'sLa carreta.[101] His interest of connecting the Nuyorican and local industries was channeled through Sandino Filmes.[102]
Others like producer Tony Felton and directors Eric Santamaría, Tony Betancourt and Douglas Sandoval collaborated with the Latin Division ofColumbia Pictures in films likeHijos del vicio (1974) andEl Barrio (1975), employing their previous knowledge of filmmaking in Puerto Rico.[102] For 1975'sYeyo the distribution was instead produced by Chango Internacional Films.[103] After a hiatus, Rodríguez Soltero returned in 1978 withLetter from Roberta Borges.[101] Entering the 1980s, some of these films began being showed in Puerto Rico, including Diego Echevarría'sLos Sures (1983) andEl legado (1984), Vicente Juarbe'sPuerto Rico: Our Right to Decide (1980),La casa de Ramón Iglesias (1986) by Luis Soto, Pabón Figueroa'sCristina Pagán andHeart of Loizaida by Merci Raven and Bienvenida Matías.[100] Based in Philadelphia Francés Negrón producedAIDS in El Barrio orEsto no me pasa a mi (1986). The conflict over the presence of theUnited States Navy in the island municipality of Vieques was depicted by Zydnia Nazario in 1986'sLa batalla de Vieques. The decade closed withPlena, canto y trabajo (1989) by Pedro Rivera and Susan Zeig.
Local theater brands were present since the early 20th Century, but the cost and a slow start to the medium's popularity (during the first decade, the wealthier classes disregarded cinema as classless) allowed foreign productions to gain an retain control of the theaters in the region.[104] The industry retained niche until the introduction of sound, and the introduction of local films with regularity during the 1950s, there were over 195 locales during the local industry's prime.[105] However, the cost and influx of foreign theatre brands combined with a drop in attendance during the early 1980s, which displaced local brands and led to over 50 locales closing, a situation that remains to this day. The emergence of video clubs, and mall theaters during the 1990s lead to a brief increase in locales, which once again surpassed 100, despite only about 6 among the local ones favored Puerto Rican productions.[106] Following the arrival of the 21st Century, the decline of the video rental industry and the introduction of internet streaming services, have debilitated the theatres and allowed foreign-owned brandCaribbean Cinemas to consolidate on top[106]
In 1962, the short-livedCine y Cultura magazine was published.[107] TheRoman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico served as publisher for another magazine,Cine al Día, which was published between 1970 and 1972.[107] In 1983, independent producers organized the Asociación Puertorriqueña de Cineastas y Videoartistas, which was politically active in efforts to push legislation that favored the local productions.[108] They published a single issue of their magazine,Medios Modernos, in February 1984.[107] The Ateneo Puertorriqueño published the short livedEl Cineasta magazine during the 1990s.[104]
In 1971, Empresas El Mundo organized Creative Film Producers and acquired Viguié-Guastella, focusing on translation and localization efforts.[109] In 1974, the brothers purchased these facilities and renamed to Guastella Films.[109] Another translating company, Quality Dubbing, emerged and lasted until 1980.[109] The studios built during the 1970s faded, eventually closing by the early 1990s.[77]
In 1982, Taller de Cine La Red organized the Encuentro Internacional de Cine Super-8.[110] In 1984, Ivonne María Soto organized the Festival de Cine Puertorriqueño, which was followed by a similar effort byRicardo Alegría, leading to Festival CineSanJuan.[111] In 1990, Juan Gerard introduced the Cinemafest in response to Cinesanjuan, with both eventual merging to form the San Juan Cinemafest.[111] However, Gerard opted to create another entity to compete, the short lived Puerto Rico International Film Festival.[111]
After founding Puerto Rico Films in 1952 without much support, Juano Hernández would make another attempt to expand the industry during the final stages of his life, assigning terrains in Trujillo Alto to the future construction of studios. However, with his death a project aboutSixto Escobar was left inconclusive.
This was the first of several failed initiatives, with Puerto Rico still remaining without the adequate facilities despite hosting an increasing number of productions. In the 2010s the mayor of San JuanJorge Santini publicly discussed the construction of a municipal studio priced at 57 millions dollars, while the artist couple ofJennifer López andMarc Anthony considered Bayamón, Toa Baja and Dorado for their personal studios before their divorce.[112] In 2016, the chair of thePuerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC), Alberto Bacó, announced that investors were interested in building such a project in Santurce, Guaynabo or Dorado, but no further announcements were made.[112] In 2019,Ricardo Rosselló gave British investor Keith St. Clair the rights to build the Puerto Rico Film District as part of thePuerto Rico Convention Center district, but this project ended in a breach of contract and the government cancelling the agreement.[113]
Beginning in 1993, one year following its approval, the autonomous agency known as Corporación de Cine (lit. "Public Corporation for Cinema") began offering support for local producers to produce films of various lengths and formats, but this initiative only covered a fraction of the local industry and was dependent on a depuration process deeming the productions worthy.[114] Anna Navarro made attempts to bring inversion to the local industry, but did not gather much attention.
In 1985, senatorVelda González (herself an actress) introduced three proposals to promote and support the local cinema industry.[115] Legislation allowed societies formed to invest in film projects to receive tax exemptions, but the actual application proved ineffective.[115] Law No. 362 of 1999 and No. 121 of 2001 provided a tax credit of 40% for films produced locally. The Lucy Boscana Fund (WIPR) is used to assists local productions. Changes in political administration have also affected the continuity of initiatives, de-prioritizing, transforming or cancelling them. This combined with direct competition of foreign markets have affected the local industry, leaving it with weak support from the public.
Footnotes
García97 was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).Bibliography
