12 Cantinflas Movies Today

The Church preemptively condemned the film. Bishops warned the faithful it would mock the clergy. The Legion of Decency gave it a "C" (Condemned) rating.

By the end of the film, The Papal Nuncio reportedly turned to Cantinflas and said: "You have taught us more about humility than our own seminaries." 12 Cantinflas movies

Here’s where it gets interesting: The Secret Screening Instead of fighting the Church, Cantinflas rented a small theater in Mexico City and personally invited 12 bishops, three archbishops, and the Papal Nuncio to a private screening. He didn't speak. He just sat in the back, wearing his signature porkpie hat. The Church preemptively condemned the film

In El Padrecito , Cantinflas’s character never once mocks a sacrament, never kisses a woman, never gets drunk. Instead, he uses his trademark "ahí está el detalle" (there’s the detail) wordplay to expose the hypocrisy of wealthy parishioners who ignore the poor—not the faith itself. At one point, his character says: "I may not know Latin, but I know hunger—and hunger speaks every language." By the end of the film, The Papal

The film played.

Without hesitation, Cantinflas answered: —but not for the reason anyone expected.