Arturo García Rodríguez was born in Mérida, Yucatán. Most of Córdova's films were made in Mexico and he became a major motion picture actor in Latin America and Spain, winning three Silver Ariels and received four other nominations. Córdova starred in several American films during the 1940s including For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Frenchman's Creek (1944), Incendiary Blonde (1945), and New Orleans (1947).