Roberto G. Rivera

Director & actor · born 1 April 1927 · Mexico City, Mexico

Roberto Gutiérrez Rivera (April 1st, 1927 - June 11th, 2016), better known simply as Roberto G. Rivera, was a Mexican actor, singer, producer, story writer, screenwriter, and film director. He began his artistic career as a singer in 1945 after winning a contest, and by 1950 he was performing ranchera music on television programs such as Noches Tapatías, Así es mi Tierra, and Estudio Raleigh on XEWTV’s Canal 2. He studied medicine for a little over a year at UNAM before leaving to enter cinema full-time, debuting as an actor in 1946 in El yugo (dir. Víctor Urruchúa).

Over his career he acted in 102 films alongside major stars including Jorge Negrete, Pedro Infante, and Tito Guízar; he also wrote for 20 films and produced 60. In 1959 he received his first opportunity as a leading man and writer with Ferias de México (dir. Rafael Portillo), and produced La ley de las pistolas and Pistolas invencibles (both dir. Benito Alazraki). After a long hiatus, he directed the short film Los marginados (1972), portraying harsh realities of social poverty in Monterrey.

Where to start: Cuatro pillos y un vivales (1991).