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Mateo (1937 film)

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Wikipedia article




'Mateo' is a 1937 Argentine crime drama film directed by Daniel Tinayre, which he adapted from the play by Armando Discpolo. Starring Luis Arata, Enrique Santos Discpolo, Jos Gola and Alita Romn, it was the first successful film of Tinayre's.

Plot



An old carriage-driver who is rendered jobless by cars and progress is so desperate that he becomes a gangster. But when his own son starts a life of crime, he repents and gives himself to the authorities, setting an example for his family and especially for his son.

Cast



*Luis Arata as Mateo

*Enrique Santos Discpolo

*Jos Gola

*Alita Romn

*Oscar Casanovas

*Tony D'Algy

*Paquita Vehil

*Arturo Arcari

*Antonio Capuano

*Ada Cornaro

*Ren Cossa

*Antonio Medoya

*Arturo Palito

Production



Domingo Di Nbila says that Armando Discpolo's play was his workhorse, which the public never tired of seeing. An unusual combination of circumstances favored its filming. Natalio Flix Botana founded the Baires Studios and backed Tinayre's project, and although the adaptation was entrusted to Armando Discpolo himself, his brother Enrique, Homero Manzi and director Tinayre were also involved. For the filming, part of Lumiton's studios were rented while Botana built his own galleries.

Botana's financial capacity made it possible to hire a large cast, including Oscar Casanovas, an Olympic boxing champion who played the youngest son, and the Spanish actor Tony D'Algy as the daughter's boyfriend. The score was composed by Enrique Santos Discpolo with orchestration by Jos Vzquez Vigo. Ricardo Conord was responsible for the film's art direction.

Reception



Di Nbila wrote about the film:

"Mateo was not an easy pill to swallow in cinema because of its accumulation of depressing facts, fatalistic dialogues and terminal atmosphere, scarcely compensated by happy moments of the young people. But Arata's rapport with his character, Gola's strength and the images of Gerardo Httula, who had been sent from Berlin to film the activities of German companies in Argentina, pulled it through. Familiar with expressionism, its concepts and techniques, he gave Mateo a style and effects unheard of in Argentine cinema, which were accentuated by Tinayre's concerns in the handling of the cameras. On the other hand, it was the first public success of this director".

References




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