Pedro Infante: the successes, loves and heartbreaks of a legend

Like many other artists Pedro Infante did not have an easy childhood. He was the third of 15 siblings and his family was not exactly millionaires. His father was a music teacher in the midst of the Mexican Revolution, while his mother took care of the household and occasionally did sewing work to help her husband with expenses.

The precarious situation forced the family to constantly move from one city to another. This caused Pedro to stop his elementary school studies on many occasions.

Finally little Pedro found some stability. In 1928 his family moved to Guamúchil, Sinaloa. In this city the Infantes settled for a long time. Pedro was able to finish the fourth year of elementary school, however, the economic needs of his family forced him to abandon his studies and start working.

Pedro Infante’s first job was in a carpentry shop. He started as a helper and little by little became skilled in the trade.

Although Pedro had the need to work in carpentry to help his family, he was very clear that his true passion was music. Of course, this passion was instilled by his father, who dedicated his life to teaching music.

Pedro always had the desire to sing professionally, however, he didn’t have a guitar to accompany his singing and he didn’t have the money to buy one either. But that didn’t stop him! In the carpentry shop where Pedro worked, he made his first guitar. Thus began his musical career.

Pedro Infante’s romantic life began at a very young age. As a teenager he met Guadalupe Lopez, a young woman who lived near his family. Without much ado the boys fell in love and in 1934 the singer’s first born was born.

The girl was baptized as Guadalupe Infante Lopez, in honor of her mother, and would be the first of many children that Pedro Infante would have, with different women. It is still not known exactly what were the reasons for the culmination of the romance with Guadalupe.

After ending his relationship with Guadalupe López, Pedro met María Luisa León, a woman 10 years older than him who would help him boost his musical career. When the singer achieved some recognition in Sinaloa, Maria Luisa convinced him to move to Culiacan.

They did it all with her financial support, because Pedro on his own was still very poor. Eventually, María Luisa herself convinced him to move to Mexico City.

Since he moved to Culiacán Pedro Infante began to take giant steps in his career. The singer not only formed part of different bands, but also sang and played guitar in the radio station XEB.

In addition, Pedro had presentations in important theaters and other places that helped his fame to grow and his music to be known in several states of the country. It can be said that in this stage the singer’s success began, although the best was yet to come.

And the long-awaited moment finally arrived. In 1939, after several years of relationship, Pedro Infante married María Luisa León. The woman had supported him emotionally and financially at all times, so the love between the couple had been consolidated.

Of course, many of the singer’s fans considered the marriage to be crazy, because, although María Luisa was a great woman, she was 10 years older than him. Many thought the union was doomed to failure.

Everything seems to indicate that Pedro was not satisfied with little. The singer not only exploited his musical talent, but also decided to experiment in the world of acting. In 1939 he conquered his first film role, in the movie En un burro tres baturros.

Eventually, he also participated in other movies but with supporting roles that did little to boost his acting career. This is how Pedro began to share his time between acting and music.

They say that he who marries is because he wants to marry and, of course, any newlywed couple wants to build a family. Well, shortly after María Luisa and Pedro got married, the couple discovered that she was sterile, so she would not be able to give children to the singer.

At first he was very sympathetic to her, because the news was not easy to digest. However, little by little the fact that she could not have children was affecting the couple.

Pedro’s big musical break finally came. In 1943 he recorded the song El soldado raso for the Discos Pearless company. That was the beginning of a long list of records and recorded songs that would leave the singer as a legacy.

There are also those who say that El soldado raso was not the first song that Pedro Infante recorded. Gossip has it that the waltz Mañana was his first recording, however, this song was not successful, so no one took it into account.

Pedro decided to continue experimenting in the world of acting. In 1943 he got a very important role in the movie La feria de las flores. This role boosted his career and led him to meet Ismael Rodriguez, one of the most important film directors of the time.

Ismael was key in the acting career of Pedro Infante, because, the director invited the singer to participate in very successful films such as, Mexicanos al grito de guerra, Escándalo de estrellas and Cuando lloran los valientes.

Also alongside Ismael Rodriguez, Pedro infante played, some years later, Pepe el Toro, in one of Mexico’s most successful film trilogies. Nosotros los pobres, Ustedes los ricos and Pepe el Toro, were the films that consolidated Pedro’s career and made him reach an international audience.

Of course, years later he would record other films that would win him international awards in Latin America and even in Europe. It should be noted that Pedro made all these recordings without neglecting his musical career.

In 1947 Pedro Infante met Lupita Torrentera, a dancer only 14 years old with whom the singer struck up a beautiful friendship. By that time Pedro was 30 years old. Little by little they got to know each other and the friendship became more and more solid.

It is completely unknown what was the reaction of Lupita’s parents to the friendly relationship between the dancer and the singer. But it is known that Pedro tried to keep the friendship a secret.

And what had to happen, finally happened. Pedro and Lupita ended up falling in love and establishing a secret relationship that only became known many years later.

The singer tried his best to keep the relationship a secret, because, not only was he still a married man but there was also a big age difference between him and Lupita. It is said that this romance was quite intense and that the singer considered leaving María Luisa León for the dancer.

Pedro and Lupita wasted no time. The same year they started their relationship their first daughter was born, whom they named Graciela Margarita. The singer was more than happy with the birth of the girl, because, although he already had a daughter from his relationship with Guadalupe López, his then wife, María Luisa León, could not give him children.

Of course, there were few people who knew of the girl’s existence, because by that time the relationship between Pedro and Lupita was still a secret.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all happiness for the clandestine couple. When little Graciela turned one year old she became seriously ill with poliomyelitis, a viral disease that attacks the nervous system and causes paralysis and difficulty breathing.

The girl did not resist the disease and passed away shortly after contracting it. This was a hard blow for both Pedro and Lupita, both expected the girl to recover, however, this never happened. Fortunately, the event ended up bringing the couple closer together.

Although Pedro and Lupita suffered a great loss with Graciela’s death, their love story did not end there. The relationship continued and together they had two more children. In 1950, little Pedro Infante Torrentera was born, the first son of the idol from Guamúchil.

But the couple was not satisfied with one child and a year later, in 1951, Lupita Infante Torrentera was born. The relationship between Pedro and Lupita was going well, however, the fact that the singer was still married to María Luisa affected them.

By 1950 Pedro Infante was one of Mexico’s most important singers and actors. It is said that fame never changed him and that he was always a humble person who tried to help those in need.

However, being famous, handsome and talented, there were many women who knocked on his door and, it seems that the singer did not hesitate to open them. Pedro was acquiring a reputation as a womanizer that would accompany him until his death. Of course, this fame was more than justified.

It is unknown if Maria Luisa Leon knew that the singer had a clandestine relationship with a girl 16 years younger than him and, that from that relationship three children had been born.

However, the woman did not lose hope of making her marriage work and decided to make one last desperate attempt to save her relationship. In 1948 Maria and Pedro adopted a girl they named Dora Luisa, biological daughter of the singer’s sister.

It is unknown exactly what happened to the relationship between Lupita Torrentera and Pedro Infante. Gossip has it that throughout the romance Pedro managed to hide from the young woman that he was a married man.

Eventually Lupita would find out about María Luisa León and would immediately separate from the singer. This version is a bit inconsistent, since, being famous, almost everyone knew that Pedro was already married. It was almost impossible for the young woman to ignore him.

In 1948 Pedro Infante discovered a new passion that years later would cost him his life. The singer began to experiment with aviation. First he started as a co-pilot and later he was the one who flew the planes.

Pedro didn’t waste his free time. When he wasn’t recording music or movies, he would get on a plane to experience the adrenaline of being up in the air. Of course, on several occasions he got a good scare from possible plane crashes.

In 1949 what everyone feared happened. In one of his aerial adventures, the small plane in which Pedro Infante was flying ran out of gas and crashed. The accident occurred in Michoacán and the singer almost lost his life.

It is said that the plane crashed into a tree and was practically useless. Pedro Infante was accompanied by Lupita Torrentera, who at the time was his partner. This accident was quite mediatic, as many thought that the singer would not survive.

Thanks to the accident Pedro Infante was in intensive care and had to undergo surgery for a large head injury. The singer had to have a platinum plate placed on his forehead to cover a large wound in his skull that almost cost him his life.

Lupita Torrentera had better luck, as she suffered only minor injuries. Fortunately, by that time none of the couple’s children had been born, so none of them were present at the accident.

But, aviation was not the only hobby that put Pedro Infante’s life at risk. Little by little, the singer also took a liking to fast cars and motorcycles.

In fact, the also actor came to have a car accident that is almost not talked about. Pedro was near the local airport in Guasave, Sinaloa and lost control of his vehicle. The car hit a wall and thanks to this accident the Sinaloa native suffered a chin injury.

Irma Dorantes, one of Mexico’s most recognized actresses, was one of the most intense loves in Pedro Infante’s life. The two met in 1948, while filming the movie Los tres huastecos, produced by Ismael Rodríguez.

At the time Pedro did not pay much attention to the actress. In fact, the two lost touch until, in 1949, they had to work together again, this time as the stars of the film You Shall Not Lust After Your Son’s Wife.

It seems that the reunion between Pedro and Irma was revealing for both of them. While filming the movie, a beautiful friendship was born between the two that little by little transformed into a relationship that started as a secret. Obviously, Pedro was still married to María Luisa León.

The charms of the young actress captivated Pedro Infante, who this time did not hesitate to make public his extramarital relationship. In fact, it was his love for Irma Dorantes that definitively ended the relationship between María Luisa León and the singer.

Irma Dorantes is said to have been the love of Pedro Infante’s life. Of course, it is easy to assume this when she was the last partner of the Sinaloan singer. The truth is that, for Irma, Pedro was capable of doing things he didn’t even do for Lupita Torrentera.

It is said that the actress owes her fame to Pedro Infante, because, although she had already participated in several films when their relationship began, the singer’s fame helped boost the young woman’s career.

After having married a woman 10 years older than him, Pedro Infante took a liking to young girls quite younger than him. In the case of Lupita Torrentera, both had a difference of 16 years. If we talk about Irma Dorantes, when they both met he was 31 years old, while she was a girl of 13.

Much of the singer’s public came to criticize him for starting a relationship with Irma, all because of the notorious age difference. However, the criticism never affected him.

It was clear to Pedro that his love for María Luisa had come to an end. In fact, he had already been unfaithful to her on several occasions and had had a couple of rather long extramarital affairs. However, María Luisa did not give up and refused to give the Sinaloan a divorce in the hope of recovering the relationship.

In 1951 Pedro decided to divorce his wife on the sly. The singer forged María Luisa’s signature on the divorce certificate, since she refused to sign.

It was obvious that the reason Pedro had illegally divorced María Luisa was to be able to live openly his relationship with Irma Dorantes. Well, in 1953 the couple married illegally, since Pedro’s divorce was not valid.

When Maria Luisa found out that Pedro had remarried she filed a legal suit to annul the marriage between her husband and the actress. Of course, the legal process was quite lengthy.

Everyone expected Pedro and Irma to start a family soon. Finally, in 1955 the couple entrusted the stork with their first and only baby. That same year little Irma Infante Dorantes was born, a beautiful baby girl who from the very first moment was loved by her parents.

Pedro seemed more than happy with his new family. It is completely unknown what was the singer’s relationship with the rest of his children and even with his “ex-wife”, María Luisa León.

1955 was a great year for Pedro Infante. Not only did he welcome his daughter, Irma Infante, but he also recorded some of the most iconic films of his career. Escuela de vagabundos and La vida no vale nada were the highlights.

In fact, this last film earned the actor an Ariel award for best actor. Although Pedro had already received other national awards, this one definitely consecrated his career. After all, it is a great honor to be considered the best actor in the country.

On April 13, 1957 Pedro received a call from Irma Dorantes. At that time the singer was in Mérida, in his second home. Irma, quite upset, informed Pedro that the Supreme Court of Justice had annulled their marriage and they were now being charged with the crime of bigamy.

Yes, María Luisa León’s lawsuit had finally taken effect. The actress begged the singer to return to Mexico City to solve this legal problem.

On April 15, 1947, a couple of days after receiving Irma’s call, Pedro boarded a cargo plane that he piloted himself. He was in the company of pilot Victor Manuel Vidal and the ship’s mechanic.

Unfortunately the plane crashed at 8:00 AM in a residential neighborhood in downtown Merida. All the crew members of the aircraft lost their lives, as well as Ruth Rosell, a young woman who was hanging laundry in the backyard of her house.

The news of Pedro’s death completely shocked the country and the continent. Nobody expected the singer to pass away so suddenly and much less at the age of 39, when he still had a lot to live for.

The singer’s remains were watched over at his home in Merida, Yucatan, and later would be taken to Mexico City, where more than 5,000 people waited for him at the airport to pay him a heartfelt tribute. Then, the body of the singer was taken to the Jorge Negrete theater.

As expected, Pedro’s death greatly affected Irma Dorantes, the singer’s official partner, and María Luisa León, who although she was not on very good terms with the singer, she still loved him unconditionally, so much so that she refused to give him a divorce.

After Pedro’s death there was no communication between the two women. However, when Pedro and Irma’s marriage was annulled, María Luisa was the one in charge of the singer’s funeral.

“We only had love, youth and misery. Three forces to go on”, those were the words of María Luisa León when talking about her relationship with Pedro Infante. After the singer’s death the widow did not show any rancor. On the contrary, she even stated in an interview that Pedro’s love was her most precious treasure.

Little did María Luisa say about the singer’s accident. Also, when asked about the relationship between Pedro and Irma Dorantes, she preferred to avoid the topic.

Irma Dorantes was possibly the person most affected by Pedro Infante’s death. First of all, she could not attend the singer’s funeral ceremonies by order of María Luisa León. In addition, the actress was stripped of the assets she shared with the singer after the annulment of their marriage.

According to the actress, both María Luisa León and the singer’s family prevented her from saying goodbye to her great love. For her, this was the most painful part of this experience.

In 1957 the press announced that Pedro Infante had won the Silver Bear award for best actor. This is a prestigious award given by the Berlin Film Festival and it was quite an honor that Pedro had won for his participation in the film Tizoc: Amor índio.

Of course, the award was presented posthumously. It was Ismael Rodriguez, Pedro’s great friend and also director of the film, who was in charge of receiving the recognition on behalf of Pedro Infante.

Pedro Infante’s death aroused great morbid curiosity among some of his fans. Along with this morbid curiosity also arose some conspiracy theories that justified his death in a gloomy way.

There were those who claimed that the plane was rigged to crash. It was also said that the singer knew he was going to die, since he once told Ismael Rodriguez that a plane crash would be the cause of his death. There were many crazy ideas about Pedro’s death.

Years after Pedro Infante’s death, the idea arose that the singer was alive, and that the plane crash was just an alibi to fake his death. It began to be said that Pedro was involved in illegal affairs and that he decided to fix everything to change his identity.

This theory was supported by the fact that Pedro’s body was unrecognizable after the accident. It was the platinum plate on his skull that allowed him to be recognized.

It may seem crazy, but, after Pedro’s death more than 40 young people appeared claiming that the Sinaloan was their father. All of them tried to make noise in the media claiming that the singer was their father, however, they could never prove it.

It is known that Pedro recognized six children: Guadalupe Infante, Graciela Margarita, Pedro Infante, Lupita Infante, Dora Luisa Infante and Irma Infante. Of course, being a casanova, we can’t rule out the idea that the charro may have had more children.

Pedro Infante accumulated a large fortune that after his death would be the cause of great discussions and conflicts. After the annulment of the marriage between Irma and Pedro, the actress lost all rights to claim part of the singer’s inheritance.

It was Maria Luisa Leon who was left with half of Pedro’s fortune. The other half was divided among his children, although Antonio Matouk, Infante’s manager, illegally kept some of his properties and money.

Pedro Infante became a national legend. The singer and actor is remembered not only by the people of his time, but also by the new generations. His talent, humility and good attitude always characterized him, which is why he became one of the most loved personalities by the Mexican public.

Pedro left us more than 60 films, some of them winners of national and international awards. In addition, the singer recorded more than 300 songs, with which we can remember him in the best way.

In 2019 Netflix released a movie called Like Fallen from the Sky, a fiction based on the life of Pedro Infante that highlighted the values that characterized the singer and his fame as a womanizer.

Many fans of the singer liked the film, while others criticized it for the way it portrayed the singer and made him look like a hopeless casanova. In any case, the intention of the filming was to pay tribute to Pedro Infante and remember him in the best way possible.