The Golden Age of Mexican cinema (in Spanish Época de Oro del Cine
Mexicano) is a period in the history of the Cinema of Mexico between 1933
and 1964[ when the Mexican film industry reached high levels of
production, quality and economic success of its films, besides having
gained recognition internationally. The Mexican film industry became the
center of commercial films in Latin America.
The Golden Age began symbolically with the film Let's
Go with Pancho Villa (1935), directed by Fernando de
Fuentes. In 1939, during World War II, the film industry
in the US and Europe declined, because the materials
previously destined for film production now were for the
new arms industry. Many countries began to focus on
making films about war, leaving an opportunity for Mexico to produce commercial
films for the Mexican and Latin American markets. This cultural environment
favored the emergence of a new generation of directors and actors considered to
date, icons in Mexico and in Hispanic countries and Spanish-speaking audiences.