Ernesto Ramirez Alonso -- known as "Mr. Telenovela" for directing and producing scores of Mexican soap operas -- died early Tuesday, Mexico's Televisa network reported. He was 90.

As an actor, Alonso rose to the top in Mexico's film industry, starring alongside such greats as Maria Felix and Jorge Negrete and working as the narrator in Spanish filmmaker Luis Bunuel's 1950 classic "Los Olvidados," or "The Forgotten."

In 1959, Alonso turned to television and played a pivotal role in helping build Mexico's soap opera industry.

Televisa's telenovelas generated a total revenue of about US$3.45 billion (euro2.56 billion) in 2006. The programs shown around the globe have been dubbed into more than 50 languages, including Russian, Romanian and Korean.

He produced his first soap opera in 1960, called "El Otro," and went on to direct more than 20 and to produce far more. He claimed to be the first to make telenovelas based on historical events such as Mexico's War of Independence.

"You can't talk about Mexican television without mentioning the contribution and work of Ernesto Alonso," Televisa said on its Web site.

Alonso leaves behind a daughter, a son and eight grandchildren. He will be cremated Tuesday afternoon and Televisa plans to hold a memorial service at its studios on Wednesday.