Cine Cortes

Miguel Angel Cortes was one of the most decent persons I ever met. He was the brother of Fernando Cortes, the Puerto Rican film director who became famous in Mexico and married Mapy Cortes (Maria del Pilar Cordero) a famous PR vedette who made several films in Hollywood and was my neighbor when I was a child; and the aunt of Mapita Cortes (born Maria de Pilar Mercado) who married Chilean singer Lucho Gatica and is the mother of Luis Gatica a Mexican TV soap opera star.
When TV came to PR, Telemundo, the first TV station in PR, hired Fernando as program director. So much for antique hstory.
Miguel Angel Cortes distributed Mexican and Spanish films and in the 60’s bought or leased the Encanto theater on Fernandez Juncos Ave. in the Miramar section of San Juan, renovated it and renamed it the Cortes Cinema. It was a charming little theater with 70mm equipment but the screen was small, so he lost all the bids for spectaculats like Lawrence of Arabia and Cleopatra to Cobian’s Metropolitan, a bigger theater with a big screen and a very good track record for spectacular films. He eventually played them in second run after they premiered at the Metropolitan. The rest of the story is above posted by Jose Mendez. Miguel Angel, you were a good competior and a good friend. Rest in peace my friend. Andres.