Marina Esther Traveso (June 1, 1903 – March 18, 1996), known by her stage name Niní Marshall, was an Argentine humorist, comic actress and screenwriter; nicknamed ''The Chaplin with a skirt'' and ''The Lady of Humour''.

Life and work

She was born in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

to Pedro and María Ángela Traveso, a well-to-do family in 1903. Losing her father at two months of age, she was raised by her mother, who affectionately called her "Niní." They relocated to the Buenos Aires neighborhood of

Caballito Caballito (; Spanish for "little horse") is a '' barrio'' (neighborhood) of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It is the only ''barrio'' in the administrative division ''Comuna'' 6. It is located in the geographical centre of the city, limite ...

when Niní was in her teens, and she began a career in

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

. She met Felipe Edelman, an

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

, while in her senior year in secondary school, and they married in 1922, a few months after the birth of their only daughter, Ángeles. The happy occasion was followed by her mother's untimely death, a tragedy compounded by Felipe Edelman's decline into

compulsive gambling Problem gambling or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to ''DSM-5'' if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological gambling is ...

. Facing economic ruin, the couple were separated shortly afterwards and she remarried.MediaLab Rosario: Niní Marshall
/ref> Traverso drew on her advertising experience and wit to secure work in ''La Novela Semanal'', a well-known women's leisure magazine, in 1933. She also contributed to the radio

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp ...

, ''Sintonía'', as an entertainment critic and publicist until 1934 and appeared in numerous other

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...

programs. A multi-lingual and prolific writer, she began signing her varied articles as "Mitzi." Traveso debuted as a singer on Radio Municipal in 1936, and met her second husband, the Paraguayan entrepreneur Marcelo Salcedo, at that time. She soon began appearing in Buenos Aires' vibrant

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

, where she developed two satirical characters, ''Cándida'' and ''Catita''; by then, she had adopted another pseudonym: "Niní Marshall."Marrazzi, Eduardo (''Revista Flash'', 1996). ''Se nos fue redepente''. Mirtha Niní Silvia

These roles led to a prestigious ''Sensación Radiofónica'' award in 1937 for her work in ''Sintonía'' and to a film deal with Enrique Susini's Lumiton Studios in 1938. Portraying her character "Catita" (an

Italian Argentine Italian Argentines ( it, italo-argentini; es, ítalo-argentinos, or ''tanos'' in Rioplatense Spanish) are Italian-born people (born in Argentina or Italy) or non-Italian citizens of Italian descent residing in Argentina. Italian is the largest ...

cook), opposite Mecha Ortiz and Tito Lusiardo (Catita's fastidious employers), in '' Mujeres que trabajan'' (''Working Women''), the comedy's success led to an offer the following year to portray Catita's par, '' Cándida'' (an antiquated Galician maid), for which she also wrote the screenplay.Cine Nacional
/ref> Her thickly-accented characters and use of ethnic humor were not without their detractors, however. The conservative government in power in Argentina at the time ordered her banned from the radio in 1940 and, in 1943, newly installed dictator Gen. Pedro Ramírez had her banned from the cinema, on the charge of "deforming the language," leading to her exile in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

.''Clarín''
/ref> A leading box office draw, she portrayed either Catita or Cándida in numerous more films, as well starring in other notable comedy roles such as Conrado Nalé Roxlo's adaptation of

Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 18318 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-centur ...

's '' Madame Sans Gêne'', in 1945. Following President Juan Perón's 1955 overthrow, Marshall returned to Argentina and to her comedy standby for her first post-exile role in

Julio Saraceni Julio Saraceni (October 10, 1912 – October 12, 1998) was a prolific Argentina, Argentine film director whose career in the Cinema of Argentina as a movie director spanned six decades. He was an aviator as a young man, but later found a car ...

's ''Catita es una dama'' (''Catita is a Lady'', 1956). Continuing to perform in the radio and theatre, she went on to create numerous other comedy characters, among them: Cosme, Doña Caterina, Doña Pola, Mingo, the aristocratic Mónica Bedoya Hueyo de Picos Pardo Unzué Crostón, Niña Jovita, Pedantina, Sabelotodo and Ursilina (all satires of stereotypically Argentine types, and some male). Her work in the theatre helped make household names of young colleagues of hers such as

Zully Moreno Zulema Esther González Borbón, better known as Zully Moreno (October 17, 1920 in Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires – December 25, 1999 in Buenos Aires), was an Argentine film actress of the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema (1940–1960). She ...

, Enrique Pinti, Antonio Gasalla and Juan Carlos Altavista, as well making successes of theatre pieces such as ''Coqueluche'' (with Thelma Biral) and a 1972 monologue, (''Left Suddenly''). Her last film role starred opposite veteran comic

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 ...

in ''¡Qué linda es mi familia!'' (''My Family's Beautiful!''). The 1980 yarn on a quiet, elderly couple's brush with fame would be the ailing Sandrini's last, as well. She earned a

Konex Award Konex Foundation Awards, or simply Konex Awards, are cultural awards from the Konex Foundation honouring Argentine cultural personalities. History and purpose Konex Awards are granted by the Konex Foundation, created in 1980 in Argentina. The pur ...

in 1981, and retired from show business the following year. She penned her memoirs in 1985 and reemerged in the theatre briefly for a friend, dramatist Antonio Gasalla, in 1988. The acclaimed role earned her a recognition as an Illustrious Citizen of Buenos Aires in 1989. Given the award not by the mayor, but by newly elected President Carlos Menem, he apologized to her for the persecution she endured 40 years earlier.

Argentine cinema Cinema of Argentina refers to the film industry based in Argentina. The Argentine cinema comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of Argentina or by Argentine filmmakers abroad. The Argentine film industry has histor ...

standards

Norma Aleandro Norma Aleandro (born 2 May 1936) is an Argentine actress. She is considered one of the most celebrated and prolific Argentine actresses of all time and is recognized as a cultural icon in her home country. Aleandro starred in the 1985 film '' T ...

and

Alfredo Alcón Alfredo Félix Alcón (; 3 March 1930 – 11 April 2014) was an Argentine theatre and film actor born in Buenos Aires. Widely regarded as one of the best and most important Argentine actors of the 20th century. He worked in more than 50 movies s ...

presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992 and theatre revivals of her work were produced from 1992 to 1995 locally and in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, including two works written in her honor. The ''grande dame'' of Argentine humor to three generations, Niní Marshall died in Buenos Aires in 1996. She was 92.

Filmography

References and external links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marshall, Nini 1903 births 1996 deaths Actresses from Buenos Aires Argentine people of Spanish descent Argentine women comedians Argentine radio presenters Argentine women radio presenters Argentine stage actresses Argentine satirists Illustrious Citizens of Buenos Aires 20th-century Argentine actresses Women satirists 20th-century Argentine screenwriters