José A(gustín) Ferreyra (28 August 1889 – 29 January 1943), popularly known as "Negro Ferreyra" (Black Ferreyra, due to his partially African ancestry), was an early

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

and film producer. He was also sometimes credited as

production design In film industry, film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and ...

er. Ferreyra was one of the most notable directors of the silent period of Argentine cinema, and later became an influence and also a participant of the

Golden Age of Argentine cinema The Golden Age of Argentine cinema (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Época de Oro del cine argentino'' or other equivalent names), sometimes known interchangeably as the broader classical or classical-industrial period (Spanish: ''período clásico- ...

, famous for his melodramas with a strong tango content. Ferreyra was born in Vicente López,

Gran Buenos Aires Greater Buenos Aires (, GBA), also known as the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (, AMBA), refers to the urban agglomeration comprising the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and the adjacent 24 '' partidos'' (districts) in the Province of Buenos Ai ...

. His father was of White European descent, while his mother was

Afro-Argentine Afro-Argentines (), also known as Black Argentines (), are Argentines who have predominantly or total Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The Afro-Argentine population is the result of people being brought over during the Atlantic slave trade, transat ...

, likely descended from slaves. He began simultaneously directing and screenwriting for film in 1915, and moved on to success directing films such as '' Palomas rubias'' in 1920. His films tended to focus on lower-class family drama, most notably '' Perdón, viejita'' (1927), and were filmed on a low budget and with little to no script as a guide. Ferreyra prevailes through the 1920s and 1930s as a distinguished filmmaker of the masses, but was displaced in the late 1930s and early 1940s by big budget cinema. He directed over 40 films and wrote the scripts for the majority of them between 1915 and 1941, working with noted actors such as

Libertad Lamarque Libertad Lamarque Bouza (; 24 November 1908 – 12 December 2000) was an Argentine and Mexican actress and singer, became one of the most iconic stars of the Golden Age of cinema in both Argentina and Mexico. She achieved fame throughout Latin A ...

and

Mario Soffici Mario Soffici (14 May 1900 – 10 May 1977) was an Italian-born Argentina, Argentine film director, actor and screenwriter notable for his work during the Golden Age of Argentine cinema. Biography Mario Soffici was born in Florence, Florence, ...

on his screen debut, before moving on to directing. He died on 29 January 1943 from

laryngeal cancer Laryngeal cancer is a kind of cancer that can develop in any part of the larynx (voice box). It is typically a squamous-cell carcinoma, reflecting its origin from the epithelium of the larynx. The prognosis is affected by the location of the tumo ...

Filmography

*'' Chimbela'' (1939) *''

La Ley que olvidaron ''The Law They Forgot'' () is a 1938 Argentine musical melodrama film directed by José A. Ferreyra during the Golden Age of Argentine cinema. The film premiered in Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City ...

'' (1938) *''

Besos Brujos ''Bewitching Kisses'' () is a 1937 Argentine romantic drama film musical of the Golden Age of Argentine cinema directed and written by José A. Ferreyra, based on a story by Enrique García Velloso. Starring Libertad Lamarque Libertad Lamarqu ...

'' (1937) *''

Ayúdame a Vivir ''Help Me to Live'' (') is a 1936 Argentine musical melodrama film directed and written by José A. Ferreyra with Libertad Lamarque. Starring Libertad Lamarque and Santiago Gómez Cou, the film premiered on 26 August 1936 in Buenos Aires. A typi ...

'' (1936) *'' Puente Alsina'' (1935) * '' Streets of Buenos Aires'' (1934) *'' El Cantar de mi ciudad'' (1930) *'' Perdón, viejita'' (1927) *''Muchachita de Chiclana'' (1926) *''La costurerita que dio aquel mal paso'' (1926) *''La vuelta al Bulín'' (1926) *''Mi último tango'' (1925) *''El organito de la tarde'' (1925) *''El arriero de Yacanto'' (1924) *''

Mientras Buenos Aires duerme ''Mientras Buenos Aires duerme'' is a 1924 silent Argentine film directed and written by José A. Ferreyra. The film premiered in 1924 in Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is th ...

'' (1924) *'' Odio serrano'' (1924) *'' La Leyenda del puente inca'' (1923) *'' Melenita de oro'' (1923) *''

Corazón de criolla ''Corazón de criolla'' (English language: Heart of Criole) is a 1923 silent Argentine film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, storie ...

'' (1923) *'' La Maleva'' (1923) *'' La Chica de la calle Florida'' (1922) *'' La Muchacha del arrabal'' (1922) *'' Buenos Aires, ciudad de ensueño'' (1922) *'' La Gaucha'' (1921) *'' Palomas rubias'' (1920) *''De vuelta al pago'' (1919) *''Campo ajuera'' (1919) *''El tango de la muerte'' (1917) *''Venganza gaucha'' (1917) *''La fuga de Raquel'' (1916) *''La isla misteriosa'' (1916) *''Una noche de garufa'' (1915)

References

External links

* 1889 births 1943 deaths Argentine film directors Argentine film producers Argentine male screenwriters People from Vicente López Partido Argentine production designers Afro-Argentine people 20th-century Argentine screenwriters 20th-century Argentine male writers Deaths from cancer in Argentina Deaths from laryngeal cancer {{Argentina-film-director-stub