Joan Juliet Buck | 03/30/2009 8:00 pm
Joan Juliet Buck on 'Cougar' María Félix
In response to: What is the most exotic creature (animal, bird or insect) you have ever seen in its natural environment?
In 1980 in Deauville, I met the Mexican movie star María Félix at the Royal Hotel. She was living with a man described as a former room-service waiter. She wore giant necklaces in the shape of snakes — one emeralds, one diamonds. At 66 or 67, she had long, black hair, wore a poncho and smoked cigars. I knew I was looking at a cougar, a jaguar, a queen of the jungle, a merciless raptor and an idol of millions. And Deauville — home of gamblers, louche aristos, soldiers of fortune and babes of all stripes, was her natural home.
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I’m glad you reminded us of La Doña, there has never been such a beautiful woman on screen. Her first mexican movies made in the forties, in the stark, realistic style of those years, when there was no photo-shop or any other "improving" technique, still show us a woman so sensuous, magnetic and at the same time so free, that her powerful image was that of a cougar or in this case, a jaguar. Her appeal was not restricted to younger men. Male specimens of all ages went mad for her. Probably, only "la Dietrich" was in her category, but Marlene was an ice queen & Maria was like white heat. She died almost seven years ago on her birthday, in her bed surrounded by her favourite things, in her exotic mexican home. She is still missed, at least south of the Rio Grande & in France. A unique woman.