Gardel and the Movie Business
By Marcos Detry

Gardel and the Movie Business
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Fourteen years after his adventure with silent films, Gardel, encouraged by Eduardo Morera, recorded ten sound short films; the first ones in the Latin American filming industry, in an old shed located at 832 Mexico St. Apart from singing tangos, waltzes and songs and from appearing with his guitar players, he included the participation of Enrique Santos Discepolo, Celedonio Flores, Francisco Canaro and Arturo de Nava. Furthermore, in one of them the singer plays a sketch with the actor Cesar Fiaschi. After his adventures with De Filippis Novoa and Morera, Gardel, decided that the movies were his future. The public not only wanted to listen to him but to watch him as well. They represented the possibility of broadening his horizons, his gestures and his legendary smile in a story supported by a film.

After obtaining a loan from Sadie Baron Wakerfield, he reached an agreement with the Paramount company to make his first feature length film "Luces de Buenos Aires". From this moment he spent most of his time in the studies of the company in Joinville, 40 km from Paris, near the Marne river.

The reviews were not good, as is described in the El Mundo newspaper in an article published on September 23, 1931: "Luces de Buenos Aires" is a poor film that is saved by its excellent performers. The quite merciless review satirizes the vision the studies had of the Argentine and the author said it with humor: "Only the native songs and the tangos that were so sensitively performed by Carlitos Gardel and Sofia Bozan and so well played by the orchestra of Julio de Carlo, together with the undeniable charm of Gloria Guzman who adopted the Argentine citizenship, and the "criolla" gracefulness of the gaucho Vicente Padula, efficiently accompanied by Pedrito Quartucci and other members of the band, made the miracle of turning the absurd
argument into something bearable, where a 'gaucho' lassos a dancer who was on stage from a box in a theater of Buenos Aires, raising her as if she were a cow and then, to cap it all, stands at the door of the theater and keeps the public inside with his bolas, and he even slings one of the characters with them..." 

The movies filmed in Joinville never received good review. It tried to become a European "Hollywood", with very low production costs. The successful films came from the United States, and the fact of working there was like being next to the top. It was the authentic dialogue with all the world. It is probable that Gardel felt this way on December 28, 1933, when he arrived dock 57, New York on the John Plaine transatlantic that was coming from the French port of Cherburgo, together with the maestro Alberto Castellano and the guitar player Alfredo Petrossi. Immediately after arriving, Gardel and his party lodged at the Waldorf Astoria.

During the thirties, the Paramount had its studies in Long Island. This company considered that Carlos Gardel should replace the unequaled Rodolfo Valentino. The Italian star had been adored by a whole generation because of his exotic, glamorous and Latin type, and it was from his burst in to the movie industry that the phrase "Latin lover" began being used in Hollywood. He was a great success until he died because of peritonitis. Carlos Gardel could undoubtedly fill this vacancy, although he knew that he should improve the quality of his films. As he was aware of his artistic limitations, he expressed his concern to Armando Defino in a letter dated in 1931. "At present, the Paramount people are attending a large convention and when they come back, at the end of this month, they will decide about my next two films. They plan to record them in Paris, but no concrete decision has been made yet. Of course, once I know the date when they will start being recorded and if they make the corresponding decisions, I will fix the date when you and the other boys can travel so as to begin the tour. I'm looking forward to the return of the officers of the Paramount. You know that I will be paid 37,500 dollars for the next two films, free of expenses incurred by manager and lawyers. It's a good opportunity."

The Paramount company bet on Gardel and filmed five movies. As the projects increased the singer's participation grew. In a letter dated April 10, 1934, Carlos Gardel wrote that he had achieved a 25% share of the profits of each film. A really incredible agreement in those times.

"I've entered an agreement for six films, in three series of two... I'll start the first one in ten days, and for the second project we will hire actors and actresses, a total of three or four. He have been thinking about Tito Lusiardo, Tita Merello and some others that you or Arturo Mom may think convenient ... A smart gentleman is in charge of my present film agreements. He pays permanent attention to me and I find him really intelligent, as proved by the signed agreement. As you know, no movie artist receives a percentage and even the Hollywood stars such as Greta Garbo, among others, never obtain more than eight or ten per cent. And I've got 20%..."

In the same year, 1934, Gardel went to the premiere of "Cuesta Abajo" in the Campoamor cinema-theater located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and the 116 St., in the middle of the Latin neighborhood.

"Mi Buenos Aires querido" On February 8, 1935: "I couldn't write to you before because I've been working hard in the studios. The film that should have lasted thirteen days lasted eighteen and, in general, the work was harder than usual. But I am very pleased with the outcome and I think that the movie called "El día que me quieras" is superior than everything that has been made up to the present. Rosita Moreno and Tito Lusiardo are my counterparts. The former is a very good actress and Lusiardo proved to be efficient and funny. On February 18 we will start filming the fourth movie, whose temporary name is "Tango Bar", Enrique de Rosas will surely participate...

Gardel was sensitive to reviews, specially when they were related to his work as an actor. However, the comments were favorable for him, and specially for his role of singer, but not for his films. On June 20, 1935: "I was very pleased about the news about "El día que me quieras". I watched the film in Bogotá and Paramount is crazy about it. It is going to launch it in five theaters at the same time and in a city where there are only fifteen cinemas... I had an unbeatable impression about the film and I still think that it was my best work in a movie. It's a pleasure to know that it is going to be opened in June and I hope I'll arrive in Buenos Aires as a successful actor."

With respect to "Tango Bar", it did well in a private function in New York. It was the first time the audience applauded a Spanish film in a private performance, and I was congratulated. Paramount of New York sent me a cable saying that it was my best film and that it had nothing to envy to the previous one. I hope it is true ..."

Gardel filmed five movies in the city of New York: "Cuesta Abajo", with Mona Maris, "El Tango En Broadway", with Blanca Vischer and Trini Ramos; "El Día Que Me Quieras", with Rosita Moreno and, finally, in 1935, "Cazadores De Estrellas" with the participation of all the members of the company, and "Tango Bar". The first two movies were directed by Louis Gasnier and the main masculine coprotagonist was Vicente Padula. The last two ones were directed by John Reinhardt and the masculine support was Tito Lusiardo. 

His success and fortune increased, and the singer decided to support the Argentine filming industry. For this purpose, he created Éxitos Spanish in the United States, an affiliate of Western Electric, film distribution would be made by Paramount.

Another curious element was his bad command of English. It was said that although he did not like to sing in this language, he knew he had to learn it. He had a teacher, José Plaja, who was always near him to teach him and help him in awkward situations. Plaja confirmed this version in an interview given to a Cuban radio station: "I met Gardel in New York. I was in Spain but had to go back because I was going to be recruited. As I wanted to avoid this, I boarded an American ship and traveled to the United States ... where I improved my English. As Gardel, and many other stars, did not have a good command of this language, he gave me the opportunity of joining his group. First, I worked as his translator, but then I became his secretary in the United States. I was soon his right-hand man." Although he had expressly asked to sing only in Spanish, during the last years when he lived in New York he included songs in English, to the satisfaction of the officers of NBC. It was obvious that Gardel's decision to become an international artist brought him the benefits he had  expected. However, he had to stand criticism and pressures, a difficult moment for El Morocho who had failures and even a lack of an audience. The reason for this was perhaps the ideological prejudices of those who wanted to keep Carlitos as the National Singer, or the audacious repertoire chosen by El Zorzal. In fact, after a long tour around Europe, he performed a song in Neapolitan in the Broadway cinema-theater. It was a failure, at least that is what the journalist Carlos de la Púa or the "Malevo Muñoz" wrote in the article "Che Carlitos, Larga La Canzoneta" published in the Jornada newspaper on September 15, 1931: "Boy, don't profane our things that gave you glory and money, don't turn them into a French, Neapolitan mixture we are not interested in and we do not feel." And the last sentence of the article said: "Your dear Buenos Aires, the Corrientes Avenue, the horse races, the tango, the milonga are your life, your real life, the rest is a lie. Leave those strange things and you will feel grateful." More than criticizing, the article was a summary of principles against the singer's internationalization. However, it was not his worst failure. In his last show in Argentina, in the Opera Theater, he performed "De Gabino a Gardel". It was a flop, as only three rows were full. Gardel, really hurt, told his closest friends that he would never perform in Argentina again.

Copyright © 1996 "GARDEL ON CD-ROM"
Contributor: Marcos Detry

NOTE: This material is from: GARDEL ON CD-ROM and I (Marcos Detry) have been authorized to post it to this listserver but take note that it is copyrighted. 

In the Cd-Rom there are many photos, and video links that make this text much richer, but I think it will be of interest for TANGO-L Readers

• Carlos Gardel and the Cinema. By Gardel's Biographer, Simon Collier.
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