A Star Is Dead

Pedro Infante was dead. Editors all over Mexico broke the news last week with inch-high type. Radio and television stations cleared the air for the story. For in the eyes of his Spanish-speaking movie fans throughout the world, Infante, 39, was all stars in one-a Valentino who could croon.

A onetime barber and carpenter, Pedro Infante broke into the movies 15 years ago and quickly rose to fame as a last man with a gun or a girl, and a mellow man with a lyric. Dressed in his familia charro jacket and wide sombrero, he drew mobs wherever he went in Latin America --and most of the crowd was female, proudly claimed 14 children, legitimate and illegitimate. His wife Maria Luisa put up with his escapades for 18 years but he divorced her five years ago and married Actress Irma Dorantes. Just two weeks ago the Supreme Court nullified the divorce, invalidating marriage No. 2.

Though his record as a pilot was spotty, Infante was fond of flying and even owned a major interest in an air-freight line. One morning last week he set out from Merida, Yucatan as copilot on one of his transports, a converted B-24 carrying a load of fish. Three minutes after takeoff, the plane dived into a house, killing Infante, the pilot, the mechanic and two teen-agers in the house.

While the body lay in state in Mexico City for a day, 200,000 people jammed the street or filed slowly past the bier During the burial a huge mob pressed forward, knocking over tombstones and trampling graves. On the fringe of the crowd vendors hawked pictures, balloons, bean-filled tacos, lemonade and ice cream.

In the center of the crush, police clubbed back the mob to keep Infante's relatives from being pushed into the grave. In all, 114 were arrested and more than 100 injured. Widow Irma wept at the graveside, while Widow Maria Luisa mourned in a limousine near by. Still to be decided:

Which widow gets what share of Infante's million-dollar estate.

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