In Remembrance: Maria A. Pons

     Marie A. Pons, the Cuban-born actress who helped define the 1940s rumbera genre of films, passed away Friday August 20, 2004 in Mexico City. She was 82.

     Born June 11, 1922 in Havana, Cuba, Pons, along with Ninon Sevilla, Mary Esquivel, Amalia Aguilar and Rosa Carmina among other actresses, earned themselves the nickname "Tropical Queens" for their work in what would be known as rumbera films. Highlighted by elaborate costumes and Latin dance numbers, rumbera films told the stories of fallen women and the nightclubs they frequent.

     Although Pons never made an English language film, she was a big Spanish-language star, appearing in 54 films between 1942 and 1965, including Noche de Ronda (1942) and Mujer del Puerto (1949). Pons also danced in several stage shows, including shows at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles.

     Her final film appearance was in Mexico De Mis Amores (Mexico 1979), a Mexican documentary that country's film industry.