MOVIES - Aug. 10, 1987

Mario Moreno, better known as the comic actor Cantinflas, sick of reading that he’s sick, held a news conference last week in Mexico City to prove otherwise. “I am here to tell the people of Mexico that my health is better than ever, and if you don’t believe me I’ll do 50 push-ups for you right now,” said Cantinflas, who turns 75 this week. Mexican newspapers have reported twice this year that Cantinflas was hospitalized in the United States for serious health problems. In May, he denied reports that he had been hospitalized in Mexico City for a cerebral hemorrhage. In July, his visit to a Houston hospital for a checkup sparked rumors that he was suffering a grave illness. Cantinflas has appeared in 47 films since the 1930s.