Adhemar Gonzaga (26 January 1901 – 29 January 1978) was a Brazilian

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 film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, screenwriter, film producer, and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

Biography

Born into a wealthy family Gonzaga had a passion for cinema from an early age, and first appeared on screen in a short advertising film in 1920. He worked as a journalist for the film magazine ''

Cinearte ''Cinearte'' was a Brazilian magazine about cinema, which was founded in Rio de Janeiro on March 3, 1926. Its founders were Mario Behring and Adhemar Gonzaga. ''Cinearte'' was published on a weekly basis. The magazine first attempted to lay a br ...

'' (1926–1942) which advocated the creation of a more professional, commercial film industry in Brazil.Shaw & Dennison p.43–44 In 1928 he directed his first film, a silent. The film was a strong commercial success, and on the strength of it Gonzaga persuaded his father to financially back a film studio.Shaw & Dennison p.45 After a period of study in Hollywood, Gonzaga returned to Brazil and founded

Cinédia Cinédia (originally called the Cinearte studios) was a Brazilian film studio established on 15 March 1930 in Rio de Janeiro, and remained in continual operation until 1951. Between 1930 and 1945, Cinédia averaged two films a year, with a high o ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

-based company which quickly became the leading studio in Brazil. Cinédia specialised in producing Chanchadas, musical comedies with a

populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develop ...

appeal which often featured leading stage and singing stars. Chanchadas produced during Gonzaga's reign included ''

Hello, Hello Brazil! ''Hello, Hello Brazil!'' (Portuguese: ''Allô, Allô, Brasil!'') is a 1935 Brazilian musical film directed by Wallace Downey, Alberto Ribeiro and João de Barro. It stars Carmen Miranda and Adhemar Gonzaga; the latter also produced the film. Th ...

'' (1935), ''

Hello, Hello, Carnival! Alô, Alô, Carnaval (Hello, Hello Carnival) is a 1936 Brazilian musical comedy film directed and produced by Adhemar Gonzaga and Wallace Downey, and released by the Cinédia production company. ''Hello, Hello, Carnival'' was the first Brazil ...

'' (1936) and '' Samba in Berlin'' (1943). Many of Brazil's major stars appeared in Cinédia productions, including

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The Br ...

. The studio remained in continual operation until 1951.

Selected filmography

Producer

*'' Ganga Bruta'' (1933) *''

'' (1935) *'' Onde Estás Felicidade?'' (1939) *'' Samba in Berlin'' (1943) *'' Berlin to the Samba Beat'' (1944)

Director

*'' Barro Humano'' (1929) *''

'' (1936)

Actor

*''

Blood of Minas Gerais ''Blood of Minas Gerais'' (Portuguese: ''Sangue Mineiro'') is a 1930 Brazilian silent drama film directed by Humberto Mauro. The film is set around Belo Horizonte, where it was filmed. It was Mauro's final film for the small Phebo Filme company ...

'' (1930)

References

Bibliography

*Shaw, Lisa & Dennison, Stephanie. ''Brazilian National Cinema''. Routledge, 2014.

External links

* 1901 births 1978 deaths Brazilian journalists Brazilian film producers Brazilian film directors Brazilian male film actors Brazilian screenwriters Male actors from Rio de Janeiro (city) 20th-century Brazilian male actors 20th-century screenwriters 20th-century journalists {{Brazil-film-director-stub