<strong>Cantinflas and the Chaos of Mexican Modernity</strong> is a revealing probe into thelife and times of Mario Moreno Latin Americas most famous film star ... » 

Cantinflas and the Chaos of Mexican Modernity is a revealing probe into thelife and times of Mario Moreno Latin Americas most famous film star from the1940s to the 1970s. This book helps to illuminate the social and culturalhistory of twentiethcentury Mexico. Cantinflas Morenos film persona was themost popular movie star in Mexican history. A fasttalking nonsensicalcharacter he helped Mexicans embrace their rich mestizo identity and cope withthe difficulties of modernization. For thirty years he served as a _weapon ofthe weak_ satirizing corrupt officials and pompous elites who victimizedMexicos urban poor.This is a valuable text for courses on Mexican history and Latin American film. «