Alfredo Fernández Martínez (17 May 1911 in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

– 19 May 1985 in

Palma de Mallorca Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of Mallorca ...

) better known as Alfredo Mayo was a Spanish

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 (), lit ...

Biography

After studying medicine, in 1929 Mayo made his debut in the theatre with the company of

Ernesto Vilches Ernesto Vilches (February 6, 1879 in Tarragona – December 8, 1954 in Barcelona) was a Spanish film actor, director and screenwriter, known for his roles in Latin films, mainly in Argentina and Mexico. He first came to the attention of cinema ...

. He fought for

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 193 ...

in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

in aviation. He starred in propaganda films such as '' Escuadrilla'' (1941),

Harka Harka is a village in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, ...

(1941), '' A mí la legión'' (1942) but is perhaps best known for '' Raza'', written by

under the name of ''Jaime de Andrade''. He became a major star in comedies, dramas and historical films such as '' Malvaloca'' (1942), by Luis Marquina; '' Deliciosamente tontos'' (1943), by

Juan de Orduña Juan de Orduña y Fernández-Shaw (27 December 1900 – 3 February 1974) was a Spanish film director, screenwriter and actor. Subservient to the ideological tenets and preferences of Francoism, he was one of the regime's standout directors du ...

, or ''

La leona de Castilla ''The Lioness of Castille'' (Spanish: ''La leona de Castilla'') is a 1951 Spanish historical drama film directed by Juan de Orduña and starring Amparo Rivelles, Virgilio Teixeira and Alfredo Mayo. De Orduña had directed a number of the most ex ...

'' (1951). In the 1950s he acted in supporting roles in such films as '' El último cuplé'' (1957), '' Una muchachita de Valladolid'' (1958) and ''

55 Days at Peking ''55 Days at Peking'' is a 1963 American epic historical war film dramatizing the siege of the foreign legations' compounds in Peking (now known as Beijing) during the Boxer Rebellion, which took place in China from 1899 to 1901. It was produ ...

'' (1963), directed in Spain by Nicholas Ray. His career had a second golden age during his collaborations with

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (born 4 January 1932) is a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. He has a long and prolific career t ...

in ''

La Caza ''The Hunt'' (in Spanish ''La Caza'') is a 1966 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura. The film is a psychological thriller about three veterans of the Spanish Civil War who meet to go rabbit hunting. It was Saura's first international success, wi ...

'' (1966) and ''

Peppermint Frappé ''Peppermint Frappé'' is a 1967 Spanish psychological thriller directed by Carlos Saura, starring Geraldine Chaplin and José Luis López Vázquez. The story centers on a man who becomes obsessed with the wife of an old friend, believing her to ...

'' (1967). He appeared in more than 175 other films until his death. He acted in ''

El bosque del lobo ''The Ancines Woods'' ( es, El Bosque del Lobo, lit=The Forest of the Wolf also known as ''The Wolf's Forest'') is a 1970 Spanish drama/horror film co-written, produced, and directed by Pedro Olea. It is based on the novel by Carlos Martínez-B ...

'' (1970), by

Pedro Olea Pedro Olea (30 June 1938, Bilbao) is a Spanish screenwriter, film producer and film director. His 1984 film ''Akelarre'' was entered into the 34th Berlin International Film Festival. Selected directorial filmography * ''Días de viejo color'' (1 ...

, ''

Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional ( en, National Heritage) is a Spanish autonomous agency, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish State and used by the Monarch and the Spanish Royal F ...

'' (1980), by

Luis García Berlanga Luis García-Berlanga Martí (12 June 1921 – 13 November 2010) was a Spanish film director and screenwriter. Acclaimed as a pioneer of modern Spanish cinema, his films are marked by social satire and acerbic critiques of Spanish culture under t ...

. In Paul Naschy's ''

Los cántabros ''The Cantabrians'' (Spanish: ''Los Cántabros'') is a 1980 sword and sandal film about the Cantabrian Wars, starring and directed by Paul Naschy. The film describes the conflict between Cantabrian guerrilla leader Corocotta and Roman general Marcu ...

'' (1980), he played a druid. He was also in '' Bearn o la sala de las muñecas'' (1982), by

Jaime Chávarri Jaime Chávarri (born 20 March 1943) is a Spanish film director and screenwriter, best known for his films '' El desencanto'' and '' Las bicicletas son para el verano''. Life and career Chávarri comes from a prominent family. His mother Ma ...

and starred in the TV series '' Cañas y barro'' for

Televisión Española Televisión Española (acronym TVE, branded tve, "Spanish Television") is Spain's national state-owned public television broadcaster and the oldest regular television service in the country. It was also the first regular television service in ...

Selected filmography

Awards

Círculo de escritores cinematográficos The Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos (Cinema Writers Circle) (CEC) is a private non-profit that brings together writers and film critics in Spain in order to create, support, and promote cultural activities related to the various facets ...

in 1966 for ''La caza'' and in 1969 for '' Los desafíos''. * Sindicato Nacional del Espectáculo in (1973) for '' La campana del infierno''.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mayo, Alfredo 1911 births 1985 deaths Male actors from Barcelona Spanish male stage actors Spanish male film actors 20th-century Spanish male actors