Editing Cantinflas (section)

=== Film career ===
[[File:Manuel Medel and Cantinflas, circa 1938.jpg|upright|thumb|left|Cantinflas (left) with [[Manuel Medel]], {{circa|1938}}]]
In the mid-1930s, Cantinflas met publicist and producer Santiago Reachi and subsequently partnered with him to form their own film production venture. Reachi produced, directed, and distributed, while Cantinflas acted. Cantinflas made his film debut in 1936 with ''No te engañes corazón'' (''[[Don't Fool Yourself Dear]]'') before meeting Reachi, but the film received little attention. Reachi established Posa Films in 1939 with two partners: Cantinflas and Fernandez. Before this, Reachi produced short films that allowed him to develop the Cantinflas character, but it was in 1940 that he finally became a movie star, after shooting ''[[Ahí está el detalle]]'' ("There's the rub", literally "There lies the detail"), with [[Sofía Álvarez (actress, born 1913)|Sofía Álvarez]], [[Joaquín Pardavé]], [[Sara García]], and [[Dolores Camarillo]]. The phrase that gave that movie its name became a "Cantinflas" (or catchphrase) for the remainder of his career. The film was a breakthrough in Latin America and was later recognized by ''[[Somos (magazine)|Somos]]'' magazine as the 10th greatest film produced largely in Mexico.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://cinemexicano.mty.itesm.mx/pelicula1.html|title=Las 100 mejores películas del cine mexicano|journal=Somo Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208075046/http://cinemexicano.mty.itesm.mx/pelicula1.html |archive-date=8 February 2010 |access-date=28 January 2006}}</ref>

In 1941, Moreno first played the role of a police officer on film in ''[[El gendarme desconocido]]'' ("The Unknown Police Officer" a play on words on "[[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier|The Unknown Soldier]]). By this time, he had sufficiently distinguished the ''peladito'' character from the 1920s-era ''pelado'', and his character flowed comfortably from the disenfranchised, marginalized, underclassman to the empowered public servant. The rhetoric of ''cantinflismo'' facilitated this fluidity.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} He would reprise the role of Agent 777 and be honored by police forces throughout Latin America for his positive portrayal of law enforcement.

''Ni sangre, ni arena'' ("Neither Blood, nor Sand" a play on words on the bullfighter/gladiator phrase ''[[Blood and Sand (1941 film)|Blood and Sand]]''), the 1941 bullfighting film, broke box-office records for Mexican-made films throughout Spanish-speaking countries. In 1942, Moreno teamed up with Reachi, [[Miguel M. Delgado]], and Jaime Salvador to produce a series of parodies, including [[The Circus (1943 film)|El Circo]], an interpretation of Chaplin's ''[[The Circus (silent film)|The Circus]]''.

The 1940s and 1950s were Cantinflas' heyday. In 1941, Reachi, the Producer rejected Mexican Studios companies and instead paid [[Columbia Pictures]] to produce the films in its Studios in Hollywood.<ref name="lyt" /> By this time, Cantinflas' popularity was such that he was able to lend his prestige to the cause of Mexican labor, representing the National Association of Actors in talks with Mexican President [[Manuel Ávila Camacho]]. The talks did not go well, however, and, in the resulting scandal, Moreno took his act back to the theatre.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}