''¡Tango!'' is a 1933 Argentine

musical romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

, the first film to be made in Argentina using

optical sound Optical sound is a means of storing sound recordings on transparent film. Originally developed for military purposes, the technology first saw widespread use in the 1920s as a sound-on-film format for motion pictures. Optical sound eventually ...

technology (but not the first sound film.) Many existing stars of the Argentine stage and radio appeared in the film, but its success was limited due to poor sound quality and weak acting. ''¡Tango!'' established a formula that would be used by many subsequent tango films.

Synopsis

''¡Tango!'' follows a formula established by

Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inte ...

with films such as ''

Luces de Buenos Aires ''The Lights of Buenos Aires'' (Spanish: ''Luces de Buenos Aires'') is a 1931 American-Argentine tango comedy film directed by Adelqui Millar. It was made at the Joinville Studios in Paris, where Paramount Pictures concentrated its foreign-lang ...

'' (''The Lights of Buenos Aires'', 1931) in which a melodramatic story is interspersed with tango songs. However, the film had less dialog and more music, making it more like a musical revue. This format would be copied by many subsequent films. The plot is derived from tango songs. Many of these songs tell of the seduction of an innocent slum girl by a rich man who promises her a glamorous life, but who abandons her when her looks fade. The stylized and sentimental plot of ''¡Tango!'' revolves around a young man who is abandoned by his girlfriend for an older rich man and is heartbroken. The film follows his misfortunes. The final scene has the hero, dressed as a typical ''compadrito'', singing ''Milonga del 900''. The song, by

, ends:

Cast

Libertad Lamarque Libertad Lamarque Bouza (; 24 November 1908 – 12 December 2000) was a Mexican-Argentine actress and singer, one of the icons of the Golden Age of Argentine and Mexican cinema. She achieved fame throughout Latin America, and became known as " ...

as Elena *

Pepe Arias Pepe Arias (''José Pablo Arias Martinez''; 16 January 1900 – 23 February 1967) was an Argentine actor and comedian. Early years José Pablo Arias Martinez was born in the former Mercado de Abasto district of Buenos Aires on 16 January 1900. ...

as Pepe el Bonito *

Tita Merello Laura Ana "Tita" Merello (11 October 1904 – 24 December 2002) was an Argentine film actress, tango dancer and singer of the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema (1940–1960). In her 6 decades in Argentine entertainment, at the time of her death, sh ...

as Tita * Alberto Gómez as Alberto * Alicia Vignoli as Alicia *

Luis Sandrini Luis Sandrini (22 February 1905 – 5 July 1980) was a prolific Argentine comic film actor and film producer. Widely considered one of the most respected and most acclaimed Argentine comedians by the public and critics. He has made over 80 appe ...

as Berretín * Meneca Tailhada as Mecha * Juan Sarcione as Malandra * Azucena Maizani as herself *

Mercedes Simone Mercedes Simone (April 21, 1904, Villa Elisa, Buenos Aires - October 2, 1990) was an Argentinian singer and actress, known as "''La Dama del Tango''" ("The Lady of Tango"). Filmography * ''¡Tango!'' (1933) * ' (1936) * '' La vuelta de Rocha'' ( ...

as herself * Juan d'Arienzo *

Juan de Dios Filiberto Juan de Dios Filiberto (8 March 1885 11 November 1964) was an Argentine violinist, conductor, poet and composer who became prominent in the Argentine tango genre. Life and work He was born Óscar Juan de Dios Filiberti in 1885 to Josefa Roballo ...

Edgardo Donato Edgardo Donato (; April 14, 1897 – February 15, 1963) was a tango composer and orchestra leader, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, raised from a young age and musically trained in Montevideo, Uruguay. External links *Donato notes at Totango.net

*
Osvaldo Fresedo Osvaldo Fresedo (May 5, 1897 - November 18, 1984), nicknamed ''El pibe de La Paternal'' ("the kid from La Paternal") was an Argentine songwriter and director of a tango orchestra. He had one of the longest recording careers in tango history, fro ...
*
Pedro Maffia Pedro Mario Maffia (August 28, 1899 – October 16, 1967) was an Argentine tango bandoneonist, bandleader, composer and teacher, as well as starring in several tango films. Maffia had a hard upbringing; he was beaten with a chain by his fat ...

Production
The 80-minute black and white film was directed by
Luis Moglia Barth Luis Moglia Barth (12 April 1903 - 18 June 1984) was an Argentina, Argentine film director and screenwriter, and one of the influential directors in the Cinema of Argentina of the classic era. He directed some 30 films between 1927 and 1959, ofte ...
, who co-wrote the script with Carlos de la Pua. It was
Argentina Sono Film Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
's first production. The film showed strong Hollywood influence in its cinematic techniques. It was the first
optical sound Optical sound is a means of storing sound recordings on transparent film. Originally developed for military purposes, the technology first saw widespread use in the 1920s as a sound-on-film format for motion pictures. Optical sound eventually ...
feature film to be produced in Argentina, at Argentina Sono Film's new optical sound studio. The stars included the singer and actress
Libertad Lamarque Libertad Lamarque Bouza (; 24 November 1908 – 12 December 2000) was a Mexican-Argentine actress and singer, one of the icons of the Golden Age of Argentine and Mexican cinema. She achieved fame throughout Latin America, and became known as " ...
, the stage actor
Pepe Arias Pepe Arias (''José Pablo Arias Martinez''; 16 January 1900 – 23 February 1967) was an Argentine actor and comedian. Early years José Pablo Arias Martinez was born in the former Mercado de Abasto district of Buenos Aires on 16 January 1900. ...
, the singer Azucena Maizani and the comedian
Tita Merello Laura Ana "Tita" Merello (11 October 1904 – 24 December 2002) was an Argentine film actress, tango dancer and singer of the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema (1940–1960). In her 6 decades in Argentine entertainment, at the time of her death, sh ...
, all well-known theatre or tango performers. The film featured the tango orchestras of
Juan de Dios Filiberto Juan de Dios Filiberto (8 March 1885 11 November 1964) was an Argentine violinist, conductor, poet and composer who became prominent in the Argentine tango genre. Life and work He was born Óscar Juan de Dios Filiberti in 1885 to Josefa Roballo ...
,
Osvaldo Fresedo Osvaldo Fresedo (May 5, 1897 - November 18, 1984), nicknamed ''El pibe de La Paternal'' ("the kid from La Paternal") was an Argentine songwriter and director of a tango orchestra. He had one of the longest recording careers in tango history, fro ...
and
Pedro Maffia Pedro Mario Maffia (August 28, 1899 – October 16, 1967) was an Argentine tango bandoneonist, bandleader, composer and teacher, as well as starring in several tango films. Maffia had a hard upbringing; he was beaten with a chain by his fat ...
. ''¡Tango!'' was released in Argentina on 27 April 1933.

Reception
The approach of hiring well known performers ensured that devotees of popular theater and of ''radionovelas'' would form a ready audience for sound films.
Luis Sandrini Luis Sandrini (22 February 1905 – 5 July 1980) was a prolific Argentine comic film actor and film producer. Widely considered one of the most respected and most acclaimed Argentine comedians by the public and critics. He has made over 80 appe ...
, who played "the poor kid from the barrio, immature and insecure," became the first Argentine film star. However, ''¡Tango!'' had poor sound quality, which made it less successful than it should have been given its star-studded cast.

References
Notes Citations Sources * * * * * * * *

External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tango 1933 films 1930s Spanish-language films Films directed by Luis Moglia Barth Argentine romantic musical films 1930s romantic musical films Argentine black-and-white films