Schillinsky, Estanislao

(1910-1985)

   born in Lithuania (some sources list Poland), Estanislao Schillinsky and his brother were performers in a Soviet circus on a tour of Mexico in the early 1930s. Estanislao decided to stay, and worked his way up from the carpa theaters to the better-paying variety theaters, as a musician, straight man, and writer. He was closely associated with Mario Moreno "Cantinflas" from the mid-1930s through the mid-'40s (in fact, the two men were brothers-in-law: Schillinsky was married to Olga Ivanova and Cantinflas later married Olga's younger sister Valentina). Cantinflas and Schillinsky made their film debuts in the same movie in 1936, No te engañes, corazón. Schillinsky formed a comedy team with Manolín (Manuel Palacios) from the late 1940s to the 1960s, on radio, TV, and in films.