El peñón de las ánimas (The Rock of Souls). 1942. Mexico. Directed by Miguel Zacarías. Screenplay by Miguel Zacarías, Jesús Cárdenas. With María Félix, Jorge Negrete. In Spanish; English subtitles. DCP courtesy of Cineteca Nacional. 101 min.
Felix made her film debut under Miguel Zacarías’s direction in this ranchero melodrama as María Angela Valdivia, a young woman caught between a family vendetta and her love for charro-singer Felipe (Jorge Negrete). The production marks Félix’s first encounter with Negrete, a major Mexican star with whom she maintained an antagonistic relationship before their marriage a decade later. Though still developing the screen presence that would define her cinematic persona, Félix shows clear assurance before the camera. This formative work begins the career trajectory that would transform her from a discovered beauty into "La Doña," a central figure of Mexican Golden Age Cinema.