Cantinflas and World Literature: Popular Cosmopolitanism and Comedic Adaptation in Mid-Century Cinema

  • Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    Abstract

    This paper explores two adaptations of world literature starred by Mexican comedian Cantinflas: Los tres mosqueteros (1942) and Romeo y Julieta (1943). Comedic adaptation of world literature is essential for the development of cinema as an instrument of popular cosmopolitanism, which democratizes and massifies world literature in Mexico. From this angle, I argue for the idea of popular cosmopolitanism as a category to describe film industries where the project of the nation state engages world literature and world cinema. I also posit this term as a way to address gaps and limits in Miriam Hansen's idea of "vernacular modernism".

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationContemporary Cinema
    PublisherBrill Rodopi
    Pages87-102
    Number of pages16
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 2025

    Publication series

    NameContemporary Cinema
    Volume11
    ISSN (Print)1572-3070

    Keywords

    • adaptation
    • Cantinflas
    • Mexican cinema
    • popular cosmopolitanism
    • vernacular modernism

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