''Mateo'' is a 1937 Argentine

crime drama film In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...

directed by

Daniel Tinayre Daniel Tinayre (14 September 1910 – 24 October 1994) was a French-born Argentine film director, screenwriter and film producer. Moving to Buenos Aires at a young age, Tinayre directed some 23 films between 1934 and 1974, directing films such ...

, which he adapted from the play by

Armando Discépolo Armando Discépolo (1887–1971) was an Argentine playwright. His most productive writing time spanned from 1910 to 1934 and thereafter, he produced theatrical performances of his plays. He is credited with creating and developing the Argentine ...

. Starring

Luis Arata Luis Arata (1895–1967) was an Argentine stage and film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as ...

Enrique Santos Discépolo Enrique Santos Discépolo (''Discepolín'') (27 March 1901 – 23 December 1951) was an Argentine tango and milonga musician and composer, author of famous tangos like ''Cambalache'' and many others performed by several of the most important s ...

José Gola José Gola (February 7, 1904 – April 27, 1939, in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine film actor of the 1930s. Born in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, Gola began acting for film in the 1934 film '' Mañana es domingo''. He began appea ...

and

Alita Román Alita Blanca Barchigia (24 August 1912 – 15 April 1989), better known as Alita Román, was an Argentine film actress of the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema (1940–1960). She appeared in nearly 50 films between 1934 and 1982 and was a sought-a ...

, it was the first successful film of Tinayre's.

Plot

An old carriage-driver who is rendered jobless by cars and progress is so desperate that he becomes a gangster. But when his own son starts a life of crime, he repents and gives himself to the authorities, setting an example for his family and especially for his son.

Cast

as Mateo *

* Oscar Casanovas *

Tony D'Algy Tony D'Algy (born Antonio Eduardo Lozano Guedes; 1897 – 29 April 1977) was a Portuguese film actor. He appeared in 57 films between 1924 and 1949, including '' The Boob'', a silent comedy where Joan Crawford makes one of her first appearan ...

Paquita Vehil ''Paquita'' is a ballet in two acts and three scenes originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier to music by Édouard Deldevez and Ludwig Minkus. Paul Foucher received royalties as librettist. History ''Paquita'' is the creation of French comp ...

Arturo Arcari Arturo is a Spanish and Italian variant of the name Arthur. People *Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1985), American-born Salvadoran footballer * Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1959), Mexican footballer * Arthuro Henrique Bernhardt (b. 1982), B ...

* Antonio Capuano * Ada Cornaro * René Cossa * Antonio Medoya * Arturo Palito

Production

Domingo Di Núbila says that Armando Discépolo's play was his workhorse, which the public never tired of seeing. An unusual combination of circumstances favored its filming. Natalio Félix Botana founded the Baires Studios and backed Tinayre's project, and although the adaptation was entrusted to Armando Discépolo himself, his brother Enrique, Homero Manzi and director Tinayre were also involved. For the filming, part of Lumiton's studios were rented while Botana built his own galleries. Botana's financial capacity made it possible to hire a large cast, including Oscar Casanovas, an Olympic boxing champion who played the youngest son, and the Spanish actor Tony D'Algy as the daughter's boyfriend. The score was composed by

with orchestration by José Vázquez Vigo. Ricardo Conord was responsible for the film's art direction.

Reception

Di Núbila wrote about the film: "Mateo was not an easy pill to swallow in cinema because of its accumulation of depressing facts, fatalistic dialogues and terminal atmosphere, scarcely compensated by happy moments of the young people. But Arata's rapport with his character, Gola's strength and the images of Gerardo Húttula, who had been sent from Berlin to film the activities of German companies in Argentina, pulled it through. Familiar with expressionism, its concepts and techniques, he gave Mateo a style and effects unheard of in Argentine cinema, which were accentuated by Tinayre's concerns in the handling of the cameras. On the other hand, it was the first public success of this director".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mateo 1937 films 1930s Spanish-language films Argentine black-and-white films Films directed by Daniel Tinayre 1937 drama films Argentine drama films 1930s crime drama films Argentine crime drama films