Manuel Romeo (September 21, 1891 – October 3, 1954 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine film director, screenwriter, dramatist and score composer, and one of the influential directors in the cinema of Argentina of the classic era. He directed and wrote over 50 films between 1931 and 1951 even composing the musical scores for several.
He was a pioneer of Variety Theatre, and one of the few tango lyrical writers that has reached timeless classical success. When he was a teenager, he began his journalist job in the Magacine Fray Mochoy, and in the newspapers Crítica y Última Hora.
His first play, "Teatro breve" is from 1919 with the collaboration of Ivo Pelay. He wrote 180 more. In 1922 the most famous, "El bailarín del cabaret", was staged with the César Ratti's company, where Corsini triunfó (had a success) with "Patotero sentimental".
In 1923 he travelled to Europe with Luis Bayón Herrera. In Paris, where he acted on several plays, he met Carlos Gardel and the idea of filmmaking was born. He wrote the plot and songs for "Luces de Buenos Aires", directed by Adelqui Millar. It starred Gloria Guzmán, Sofía Bozán, Pedro Quartucci and the Julio De Caro musical group.
He returned to Buenos Aires, where he introduced the new ideas taken from music hall and varieties shows. He started to work at the Lumitón cinema company, with Enrique Telémaco Susini . With that film company, released in February 1935, "Noches de Buenos Aires", written and directed by Romero, his cinema career began. The film starred Tita Merello, Irma Córdoba, Enrique Serrano and Fernando Ochoa.
He filmed very quickly, he only wanted to have it finished as soon as possible and achieve a good box office outcome. His films were rejected by critics and intellectuals as a result, but ordinary people liked his style because they knew him from radio of variety shows.
He directed films such as Adiós pampa mía in 1946.
Filmography
edit- 1931 The Pure Truth
- 1932 When Do You Commit Suicide?
- 1935 Buenos Aires Nights
- 1935 The Favorite
- 1936 Don Quijote del altillo
- 1936 La muchachada de a bordo
- 1936 Radio Bar
- 1937 El cañonero de Giles
- 1937 La muchacha del circo
- 1937 La vuelta de Rocha
- 1937 Outside the Law
- 1937 The Boys Didn't Wear Hair Gel Before
- 1938 La rubia del camino
- 1938 Three Argentines in Paris
- 1938 Women Who Work
- 1939 Gente bien (Affluent People)
- 1939 Muchachas que estudian (College Girls)
- 1939 Divorce in Montevideo
- 1939 La vida es un tango
- 1939 The Model and the Star
- 1940 Carnaval de antaño
- 1940 Isabelita
- 1940 Los muchachos se divierten
- 1940 Honeymoon in Rio
- 1940 Marriage in Buenos Aires
- 1941 El tesoro de la isla Maciel
- 1941 I Want to Be a Chorus Girl
- 1941 Un bebé de París
- 1941 You Are My Love
- 1942 A Light in the Window
- 1942 Elvira Fernández, vendedora de tiendas
- 1942 Historia de crímenes (Tale of Crimes)
- 1942 Ven mi corazón te llama (When My Heart Calls)
- 1943 El fabricante de estrellas
- 1943 La calle Corrientes
- 1944 Hay que casar a Paulina
- 1946 Adiós pampa mía
- 1946 El diablo andaba en los choclos
- 1947 Christmas with the Poor
- 1948 El rey del cabaret
- 1948 La rubia Mireya
- 1948 Porteña de corazón
- 1948 The Tango Returns to Paris
- 1949 Morir en su ley
- 1949 Mujeres que bailan
- 1949 La historia del tango (The Story of the Tango)
- 1949 Un tropezón cualquiera da en la vida
- 1950 Juan Mondiola
- 1950 Valentina
- 1951 Arriba el telón o el patio de la morocha
- 1951 Derecho viejo
- 1951 The Fan
- 1953 Ue... paisano!
