Carlos Badías Collection

In 1910, Carlos Badías was born in Havana, Cuba. In the early 1930s he began his career with stage performance and was well received by audiences and critics alike. He performed in his first film La serpiente roja, the first Cuban movie with sound in 1937. Between 1937 and 1950, Badías also experienced a spike in popularity for acting in radio programs. He voiced a wide range of radio serials, including the widely listened radio soap opera El Derecho de Nacer (1948). He met Cuban actress Eva Vázquez when working at the Havana radio station Radio Ideas Pasos in 1938. They married in 1939, in what was called the wedding of the year. They were together for 45 years and had a daughter named Maria and a son named Carlos Alberto, who went on to become an actor.
One of the highlights of Badias career was playing Don Juan in the play Don Juan Tenorio, a role her performed for years by popular demand. With the advent of television in 1950 he began acting in some of the most popular soap operas of the time, such as Tensión and Senda prohibida, and hosting popular variety shows. Despite the roles he was taking on in this new format, he continued to work on radio and in movies in both Cuba and Mexico. He was chosen three times as president of the Cuban Association of Actors. During his terms as president of this association he negotiated to improve the salaries and benefits of workers in the performing arts with media and adverting companies. In the 50s he became involved in politics. He recieneved the nomination for Councilor of Havana by the Partido Auténtico (PRC). A few years later he was elected by a majority of votes to the Chamber of Commerce for the province of Havana
In 1959, when Castro’s revolution took over Cuba, Badías publicly opposed the communist regime and was imprisoned as a result. There he received injuries that made him unable to walk properly for the rest of his life. His family was also banned from working. Badías’ son, Carlos Alberto, fled the country, followed by his wife, Eva, and daughter, Maria. Badias however was not allowed to leave Cuba. In 1970, Mario Moreno “Cantiflas” intervened with help from the Mexican ambassador to Cuba and Badias was able to settle in Mexico. Later, he joined his family in Miami, FL. He died of cardiac arrest in Miami in 2011.