Delia Fiallo (4 July 1924 – 29 June 2021) was a Cuban author and screenwriter who lived in Miami, Florida. She was born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba. She was one of the most distinguished representatives of the contemporary romance novel, dabbling in various genres which appeared in her literary output.

Delia Fiallo
Fiallo in 2012
Fiallo in 2012
Born(1924-07-04)4 July 1924
Havana, Cuba
Died29 June 2021(2021-06-29) (aged 96)
Coral Gables, Florida, U.S.
OccupationAuthor, screenwriter[1][2]
LanguageSpanish
GenreRomance
Years active1960–1985
Notable works
  • Lucecita
  • La señorita Elena
  • Tu mundo y el mío
  • Esmeralda
  • Kassandra
  • Una muchacha llamada Milagros
  • La Zulianita
  • Guadalupe
  • Marielena
  • Leonela
  • Cristal
  • Monte calvario[3]
Spouse
Bernardo Pascual
(m. 1952; died 2019)
Children5

Due to the contributions she made to the rise of the melodrama genre in the late 1970s and mid–1980s, she is considered to be the "mother of the Latin American telenovela".[4][5] By the late 1980s, her shows had over 100 millions viewers combined.[6]

Biography

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Fiallo studied philosophy at the University of Havana, graduating in 1948.[7][6] She began writing radionovelas in Havana in 1949, making her first adaptation to a telenovela with Soraya, which was released in Cuba in 1957.[8][9] She left the country, together with her family, in 1966, for exile in Miami, where she would write most of her novels.

She lived for a time in Venezuela, to supervise productions of her works by Venevisión and later Radio Caracas Televisión.[10] Thanks to her compatriot Enrique Cuscó, she was able to contact the owners of the former, who broadcast her first telenovela in that country, 1967's Lucecita.[11]

Fiallo had not written an original telenovela since Cristal in 1985, since the last project she worked on, La Felicidad, was never completed and she decided to retire. At that time, she sold the rights to her works to Televisa. Their adaptations, as she had declared on several occasions, she had not liked.[11]

Personal life

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She married radio director Bernardo Pascual in 1952. They were married for 67 years, until he died in March 2019.[12] She was mother to five children, and had 13 grandchildren.

By Fiallo's account, she had not visited her native country Cuba, since she exiled nor Venezuela since the election of former President Hugo Chávez in 1998.[11]

Fiallo died in June 2021 at the age of 96, at her home in Coral Gables, Florida.[13][6]

Telenovelas

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Original

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El ángel perverso

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The protagonist of the original radionovela is Angelina, a wicked woman who impersonates an invalid to retain her husband Gustavo, and finally, after being discovered, is devoid of truth. However, to meet the standards of telenovelas, in which the protagonist must be good, Fiallo was forced to introduce a new character into the first teleplay – Lucecita, an illegitimate peasant daughter of Angelina's father. She starts working as a maid in the house and has a love affair with Gustavo.

The story was intended to end after the death of Angelina in an accident, with Gustavo and Lucecita happily married with a daughter, but because of its success, Fiallo wrote an extension in which Gustavo is left with amnesia after an accident, and Angelina's nurse Mirtha (who had secretly been in love with him) takes him and the girl from the country to make him believe she is his wife. Meanwhile Lucecita, without losing hope of finding her husband and daughter, comes to serve at the house of the Aldamas, a family of miserable millionaires who regain their happiness through Lucecita. Five years later, Gustavo, Mirtha, and the girl return, and Lucecita starts working as a maid in their house to be near her daughter. Gustavo, still amnesiac, falls in love with Lucecita not knowing that she is actually his true wife. This version of the story is the one which has remained in all subsequent adaptations, all very successful.

La señorita Elena

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Elena, a beautiful teacher, arrives at the mansion of an elegant judge to serve as governess. She works wonders, inspiring his children and changing the course of things, bringing true love through help and understanding.

Tu mundo y el mío

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Emilia, who lived in abundance for many years, is forced to live humbly through mismanagement and bad luck. Using her knowledge of English, she manages to support her family by performing translations. She finds love in the arms of a young man of good standing, and although her grandmother and sister do not support her, returns to her life of luxury.

Lisa, mi amor

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A secretary to a successful businessman secretly loves her boss and gives him loyalty, understanding, and support. It comes as a great surprise when he feels the same way about her.

Esmeralda

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The daughter of a powerful family is exchanged at birth with a poor country orphan. She is blind but very beautiful, and holds proof of her origin and fortune in the form of emerald earrings.

María Teresa

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A beautiful girl selling flowers meets a pianist who is actually a rich kid hiding a grudge against a woman he thinks murdered his father, and who turns out to be the lost aunt of María Teresa.

Peregrina

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A stepmother gets rid of her husband's granddaughter, delivering her to a circus. Years later the circus comes back to town, bringing this woman who inspires crazy love in their two spoiled and rebellious twins.

Una muchacha llamada Milagros

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A young girl lives traumatized after being raped by a man she later falls in love with – a somewhat strong story at the time.

Mariana de la noche

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Mariana is seen in the village as a future black widow because she has inexplicably bad luck with her suitors. What is actually happening is that her wicked stepfather is responsible for getting rid of them until her true love arrives to fight for Mariana.

La Zulianita

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A pretty girl, for reasons beyond her control, leaves her village for the city, becoming the maid of a wealthy family. She meets her true love, creating a passionate triangle that involves the whole family.

Rafaela

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Always ready to overcome, though her mother was very unlucky in love and lives mired in poverty, Rafaela becomes a doctor and meets the love of her life, discovers she is the daughter of a wealthy doctor, and lives happily.

María del mar

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María Celeste grows up alone without the protection of a father or mother. She does not know that her mother lost her mind after being raped by the evil Leonidas Parra Montiel and wanders the village streets desperately searching for her daughter. The handsome Victor Manuel Galindez arrives, and falls in love with Maria Celeste. At the same time, Victor Manuel rescues a beautiful but strange woman from the sea.

Ligia Sandoval

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Because of the irresponsibility of a man who cheated, Ligia Sandoval becomes a single mother and lives in a humble residential area with her godmother and a teenage sister. To everyone, Ligia's son is her younger brother. The male protagonist is Luis Gerardo, a young doctor devoted to research who has a fling with Lissette, who manages to bring him to the altar. The marriage is doomed from the beginning. He decides to divorce, but unfortunately a car accident blinds him and his wife.

Mi mejor amiga

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  • Mi mejor amiga – Venezuela (1981) with Flor Núñez and Félix Loreto

La heredera

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Cristina, an orphan girl, leaves her humble village for Caracas and the house of her wicked aunt Luisa Zambrano and her cousins. She hopes to become a successful puppeteer in the orthopedic children's hospital, despite having a disability in one foot. She does not know she is the daughter of Ezequiel Zambrano, a powerful businessman who has been desperately searching for her for years. Zembrano takes her to meet the love of her life, the lawyer Alfredo Mendez who seeks vengeance for his past which haunts him day and night.

Querida mamá

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This story was brought to the screen for the first time when Venezuela had a law limiting the number of chapters in telenovelas. Its success caused a sequel to be planned but it was, in the end, not made, leaving the telenovela with an open and incomplete ending. In later versions the unpublished second part was added, telling the whole story.

Siempre te he querido

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Leonela

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This telenovela was presented, in its first screen version, in two parts with different titles – Leonela and Miedo al amor. In the later version, the two parts were adapted into one telenovela.

Cristal

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Cristal lives with her friends and dreams of becoming a model. She achieves this at a prominent fashion house, where she happens to find the love of her life in the arms of the owner's stepson. The owner turns out to be her mother, who has spent years searching for her since his paternal grandmother took her away.[16]

La mujer que no podía amar

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Adapted

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Mi hermana gemela by Delia González Márquez

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Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

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Laura y Virginia by Enrique Jarnes

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  • Laura y Virginia [es] – Venezuela (1977) with Mary Soliani, Alejandra Pinedo, and Luis Abreu

Pobre diabla by Alberto Migré

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Awards

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A "Goddess of Telenovelas" award was created in Fiallo's name at the 9th annual Summit of the Telenovela Industry in 2011.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Cumbre de Telenovela crea premio Delia Fiallo" [Telenovela Summit creates Delia Fiallo prize]. El Universo (in Spanish). 6 November 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2016.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Premios Delia Fiallo en la proxima IX Cumbre Mundial de la Industria de la Telenovela y Las Series de Ficcion" [Delia Fiallo Prizes at the 9th Summit of the Telenovela and Fiction Series Industry]. TVMAS (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  3. ^ Delia Fiallo al Mundo del Cine
  4. ^ "¡Delia Fiallo cumple 90!" [Delia Fiallo turns 90!]. El Nuevo Herald (in Spanish). 29 June 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2016 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ Gonzalez, Lorena. "Los 15 más... Escritores de Telenovelas" [15 more... telenovela writers]. About.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 October 2016.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ a b c Green, Penelope (4 July 2021). "Delia Fiallo, Master of the Telenovela, Is Dead at 96". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  7. ^ Diario, Raul (15 November 2008). "Mundo de las telenovelas: Datos biograficos de Delia Fiallo" [World of telenovelas: biographical data of Delia Fiallo]. Blogspot (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 October 2016.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Yanel, Lydia S. "'1.600 millones de personas ven "culebrones"', afirma la cubana Delia Fiallo, autora de 'Cristal'" ['1.6 million people watch telenovelas', says Cuban Delia Fiallo, author of 'Cristal']. El Mundo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 March 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  9. ^ Correa Guatarasma, Andrés (16 August 2015). "Adiós, Cuba (por Delia Fiallo)". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  10. ^ Espinosa, María Elisa. "Delia Fiallo: Madre sólo hay una". Estampas (in Spanish). El Universal. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  11. ^ a b c "Delia Fiallo cumplió 90 y celebró en familia" [Delia Fiallo turns 90 and celebrates with family]. Últimas Noticias (in Spanish). 6 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  12. ^ "Delia Fiallo, escritora de novelas" [Delia Fiallo, writer of novels]. Fotogramas (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 October 2016.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ TIM, Televisa. "Muere Delia Fiallo, escritora de 'El privilegio de amar' y 'Esmeralda', a los 96 años". Las Estrellas TV (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Delia Fiallo protagoniza la Cumbre Mundial de la Industria de la Telenovela" [Delia Fiallo stars in the Summit of the Telenovela Industry]. Hormiga Analítica (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Delia Fiallo: "Siento que en Televisa hacen telenovelas como para retrasados mentales"". El Megáfono (in Spanish). 15 April 2004. Retrieved 5 October 2016.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ Villasmil, Elvira (24 October 2015). "Telenovela Cristal Regresa Como Una Película" [Telenovela 'Cristal' returns as a film]. Diario Panorama (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 October 2016.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Cristal: 'El amor todo lo supera'" [Cristal: love conquers all] (in Spanish). PP Digital. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  18. ^ Azuero, Rossana (28 October 2011). "Delia Fiallo: 'Gracias por este reconocimiento cuando ya quedaron atrás glorias y aplausos'" [Delia Fiallo: 'Thank you for this recognition when glory and applause were already left behind']. El Popular (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2016.[permanent dead link]
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