Esther Sandoval
Encyclopedia
Esther Sandoval was an actress and a pioneer in Puerto Rico
's television.
where she received her primary and secondary education. After graduating from Salinas High School, she attended Colegio Percy de Ponce (Percy College of Ponce) and earned a degree in secretarial sciences.
, despite their protests, and went to work for Ángel Ramos
' "Radio El Mundo", which later became known as WKAQ. She was given the surname "Sandoval" by the Argentine
actress Queca Guerrero. Sandoval landed roles in radionovelas (radio soap operas) and became known in Puerto Rico as "The Queen of the Radio Operas".
, in Puerto Rico's first televised soap opera
Ante La Ley which was transmitted through Telemundo
. The soap opera caused a national scandal in Puerto Rico because in one scene she kissed her co-star Pabon in the mouth, an act that was totally unheard of in those days.
.
n soap opera musical director. They had two daughters, Yara Goderich and Ivonne Goderich. Ivonne would follow her mother's footsteps and become an actress herself. She continued working in soap operas, such as Bodas de Sangre (Blood Wedding), La Novia (The Bride), La Rosa Taluada, Un Tren Travia llamada Deseo, Santa Juana de America and Los Soles Truncos, where she acted alongside her daughter Ivonne and her son-in-law Xavier Cifre. She also lent her voice in the Spanish
translation of movies. She was the voiceover of Joan Crawford
, Barbara Stanwyck
and Rosalind Russell
. In 1978, her supporting role in the Telemundo
soap opera
Cristina Bazan
was thoroughly acknowledged, alongside José Luis Rodríguez and Johanna Rosaly
. In 1979, she participated alongside Norma Candal
, Alicia Moreda
, Gladys Rodríguez
and Otilio Warrington
in Jacobo Morales
' movie Dios los Cría (And God Created Them), where she played the role of a prostitute.
(See reference) Sandoval received many awards and recognitions, including:
Amongst the movies in which she participated are:
, chronic diabetes and a cerebral hemorrhage, which left part of her body paralysed. She had been hospitalized at the Antiilas Hospital of Rio Piedras for several years. Her body was cremated on February 10, in accord with her wishes.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's television.
Early years
Sandoval was born Esther Maria Gonzalez in PoncePonce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
where she received her primary and secondary education. After graduating from Salinas High School, she attended Colegio Percy de Ponce (Percy College of Ponce) and earned a degree in secretarial sciences.
Radio actress
Sandoval went to work for El Día, a local newspaper in Ponce. She first came into contact with the field of communications when she went to work as a secretary for Emilio Huyke in the radio station WPAB. She auditioned and was named director of a program directed towards a female audience. In 1949, she informed her parents that she wanted to become an artist and she left for San JuanSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, despite their protests, and went to work for Ángel Ramos
Angel Ramos (industrialist)
Angel Ramos was the founder of Telemundo, the second largest Spanish-language television network in the United States.-Early years:...
' "Radio El Mundo", which later became known as WKAQ. She was given the surname "Sandoval" by the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
actress Queca Guerrero. Sandoval landed roles in radionovelas (radio soap operas) and became known in Puerto Rico as "The Queen of the Radio Operas".
Television debut
In 1954, Sandoval became a pioneer in the island's television when she participated, alongside Mario Pabon and Lucy BoscanaLucy Boscana
Lucy Boscana was an actress and a pioneer in Puerto Rico's television industry.-Early years:Boscana was born in the city of Mayagüez which is located on the west coast of Puerto Rico. Her family moved to the United States when she was a child because of the economic crisis in the island...
, in Puerto Rico's first televised soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Ante La Ley which was transmitted through Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
. The soap opera caused a national scandal in Puerto Rico because in one scene she kissed her co-star Pabon in the mouth, an act that was totally unheard of in those days.
Theater in New York City
Sandoval traveled to New York City, where she joined Míriam Colón's theatrical group "El Circulo Dramatico" (The Drama Circuit). Later she founded her own theatrical group and named it "Experimental Hall of Theater". They were located at the Lucerne Hotel of New York. There she produced and starred in Té y Simpatía (Tea and Sympathy) and Dondé esta la Luz? (Where is the Light?). Before returning to Puerto Rico, Sandoval made several presentations in the Teatro Puerto RicoTeatro Puerto Rico
The Teatro Puerto Rico was to the Latino community in the South Bronx what the Apollo Theater was to the African American community in the Harlem section of Manhattan. During its 1940s to 1950s "golden era," it was the hub of la farándula, a vaudeville-style package of Spanish-language events, and...
.
Return to Puerto Rico
In 1959, Sandoval returned to the island and married Ivan Goderich, a CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n soap opera musical director. They had two daughters, Yara Goderich and Ivonne Goderich. Ivonne would follow her mother's footsteps and become an actress herself. She continued working in soap operas, such as Bodas de Sangre (Blood Wedding), La Novia (The Bride), La Rosa Taluada, Un Tren Travia llamada Deseo, Santa Juana de America and Los Soles Truncos, where she acted alongside her daughter Ivonne and her son-in-law Xavier Cifre. She also lent her voice in the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
translation of movies. She was the voiceover of Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
, Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
and Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame...
. In 1978, her supporting role in the Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Cristina Bazan
Cristina Bazán
Cristina Bazán is the name of a highly-famous and successful 1978 Puerto Rican telenovela starring Puerto Rican actress and singer Johanna Rosaly, and the Venezuelan singer/idol José Luis Rodríguez El Puma...
was thoroughly acknowledged, alongside José Luis Rodríguez and Johanna Rosaly
Johanna Rosaly
Johanna Rosaly is an actress, singer, and television host.-Early years:Johanna Rosaly was born in an area known as Santurce, a district of San Juan. In 1956 at the age of eight, she started taking acting lessons with Argentinians Luis A. Negro and Elba Mania, and dancing lessons with Beatriz...
. In 1979, she participated alongside Norma Candal
Norma Candal
Norma Candal , was an actress and comedian who was best known for her role as "Petunia".-Early years:Candal was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico and lived with her family in the Fajardo Sugar Co. sugar plantation where her father was an accountant...
, Alicia Moreda
Alicia Moreda
Alicia Moreda Tuya , was a soap opera actress, a natural comedian, and a pioneer in Puerto Rico's television.-Early years:...
, Gladys Rodríguez
Gladys Rodríguez
Gladys Rodríguez born June 4, 1943 in Santurce, Puerto Rico, is an actress, comedian and television host.-Early years:Rodríguez was born in Santurce, a section of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. Her parents moved to New York City when she was still a child. In New York, she received her...
and Otilio Warrington
Otilio Warrington
Otilio Warrington, known popularly as Bizcocho is a comedian, best known for his roles of "Bizcocho" and "Cuca Gómez".-Early years:...
in Jacobo Morales
Jacobo Morales
Jacobo Morales is an auteur, whom many consider to be the most influential film director in Puerto Rico's history.-Life and career:...
' movie Dios los Cría (And God Created Them), where she played the role of a prostitute.
Awards and recognitions
According to El VoceroEl Vocero
El Vocero is a Puerto Rican newspaper that is published in San Juan.Published since 1974, El Vocero was at first the third of the four largest Puerto Rico newspapers, trailing El Mundo and El Nuevo Día and leading The San Juan Star in sales...
(See reference) Sandoval received many awards and recognitions, including:
- Best Actress and Best Actress of the Year (1955)
- Golden Coqui for Best Actress (1966)
- Golden Aqueybana (1968 and 1974)
- Selected amongst the most distinguished Puerto Rican women during the celebration of the International Year of the Women
- The Golden Coral Award from the Festival of the New Latin Movie in HavanaHavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
for her role in Díos los Cría - The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved a life pension for her in 1998 in honor of her valuable contributions to the Puerto Rican theater
- The Puerto Rican Institute of Culture dedicated its 46th Festival of the Puerto Rican Film industry to her (1998)
Amongst the movies in which she participated are:
- Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961)
- Thunder Island (1963) - Rena
- Traitors of San Angel (1967) - Doña Consuelo
- Las Pasiones Infernales (1969)
- "Cristina Bazán (1978) TV series - Rosaura Alsina
- Dios los Cría...And God Created Them...And God Created Them is a 1979 Puerto Rican comedy film directed by Jacobo Morales. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival.- Synopsis :The film actually consists of five vignettes:...
(1979) - Old Prostitute - La Otra Mujer (1980) TV series
Later years
In the late 1990s, Sandoval suffered from the complications of various health problems such as Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
, chronic diabetes and a cerebral hemorrhage, which left part of her body paralysed. She had been hospitalized at the Antiilas Hospital of Rio Piedras for several years. Her body was cremated on February 10, in accord with her wishes.