''Medio millón por una mujer'' (''Half a Million for a Woman'') is a

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * Januar ...

Argentine film.

Production

The 91-minute black and white film was directed for

Lumiton Lumiton is a former film production company and current museum located in Munro, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lumiton Studios was founded in 1932 at the start of the golden age of film in that country. Its lowbrow, populist films appealed to local aud ...

Francisco Múgica Francisco Múgica (10 April 1907 – 1985) was an Argentine film director, film editor and cinematographer. He was born and died in Buenos Aires. Múgica initially began his career in film as a cinematographer in the mid-1930s but by 193 ...

. The script was written by Arturo Cerretani. The comedy was based on a play by

Louis Verneuil Louis Jacques Marie Collin du Bocage (14 May 1893 – 3 November 1952), better known by the pen name Louis Verneuil, was a French playwright, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Born in Paris, Verneuil wrote approximately sixty plays and was be ...

, and retained its theatrical structure despite being filmed with a moving camera. The film starred

Eva Franco Eva Franco (1906–1999) was an Argentine stage, film and television actress.Finkielman p.51 Selected filmography * '' Medio millón por una mujer'' (1940) * ''Grandma Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, are the ...

Elías Isaac Alippi Elías Isaac Alippi (January 21, 1883 – May 3, 1942) was an Argentine actor, theatrical impresario, film director and theater director, who was born and died in Buenos Aires. He is also remembered as an excellent tango dancer. His wor ...

and

Enrique Serrano Enrique Serrano (1891–1965) was an Argentine actor and comedian in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in many films of the 1940s and 1950s including '' Muchachas que estudian'', '' Asi es la vida'' (1939). He starred in some 40 films between 193 ...

Synopsis

The film is a sophisticated comedy where Elías Alippi plays a playboy who plans the kidnapping of Eva Franco, unhappy wife of millionaire miser. He poses as a doctor. The consequences are unexpected.

Reception

In the 1940s established film producers were looking to capture foreign markets, while others felt that films should be authentic to local traditions. The critic Raimundo Calcagno ("Calki") saw no conflict. In his view ''Medio millón por una mujer'' was an example of a film with a local theme that could be shown in foreign markets and that would give prestige to the Argentine film industry. It could compete with any frivolous comedy made in Hollywood.

Cast

The cast included: *

Elías Alippi Elias is the Greek equivalent of Elijah ( he, אֵלִיָּהוּ‎ ''ʾĒlīyyāhū''; Syriac: ܐܠܝܐ ''Eliyā''; Arabic: الیاس Ilyās/Elyās), a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several holy ...

* Teresa Serrador * Juan Mangiante * José Ruzzo * Cirilo Etulain * Alfredo Fornaresio * Carlos Rodríguez

References

Citations Sources * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Medio millon por una mujer 1940 films 1940s Spanish-language films Argentine black-and-white films Films based on works by Louis Verneuil Films directed by Francisco Múgica Remakes of British films