''¡Tango!'' is a 1933 Argentine musical romance film, the first film to be made in Argentina using

optical sound Optical sound is a means of storing sound recordings on transparent film. Originally developed for military purposes, the technology first saw widespread use in the 1920s as a sound-on-film format for motion pictures. Optical sound eventually ...

technology (but not the first sound film.) Many existing stars of the Argentine stage and radio appeared in the film, but its success was limited due to poor sound quality and weak acting. ''¡Tango!'' established a formula that would be used by many subsequent tango films.

Synopsis

''¡Tango!'' follows a formula established by

Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inte ...

with films such as '' Luces de Buenos Aires'' (''The Lights of Buenos Aires'', 1931) in which a melodramatic story is interspersed with tango songs. However, the film had less dialog and more music, making it more like a musical revue. This format would be copied by many subsequent films. The plot is derived from tango songs. Many of these songs tell of the seduction of an innocent slum girl by a rich man who promises her a glamorous life, but who abandons her when her looks fade. The stylized and sentimental plot of ''¡Tango!'' revolves around a young man who is abandoned by his girlfriend for an older rich man and is heartbroken. The film follows his misfortunes. The final scene has the hero, dressed as a typical ''compadrito'', singing ''Milonga del 900''. The song, by

, ends:

Cast

Libertad Lamarque Libertad Lamarque Bouza (; 24 November 1908 – 12 December 2000) was a Mexican-Argentine actress and singer, one of the icons of the Golden Age of Argentine and Mexican cinema. She achieved fame throughout Latin America, and became known as " ...

as Elena * Pepe Arias as Pepe el Bonito * Tita Merello as Tita * Alberto Gómez as Alberto * Alicia Vignoli as Alicia *

Luis Sandrini Luis Sandrini (22 February 1905 – 5 July 1980) was a prolific Argentine comic film actor and film producer. Widely considered one of the most respected and most acclaimed Argentine comedians by the public and critics. He has made over 80 appea ...

as Berretín * Meneca Tailhada as Mecha * Juan Sarcione as Malandra * Azucena Maizani as herself *

Mercedes Simone Mercedes Simone (April 21, 1904, Villa Elisa, Buenos Aires - October 2, 1990) was an Argentinian singer and actress, known as "''La Dama del Tango''" ("The Lady of Tango"). Filmography * '' ¡Tango!'' (1933) * ' (1936) * '' La vuelta de Rocha'' ...

as herself * Juan d'Arienzo *

Juan de Dios Filiberto Juan de Dios Filiberto (8 March 1885 11 November 1964) was an Argentine violinist, conductor, poet and composer who became prominent in the Argentine tango genre. Life and work He was born Óscar Juan de Dios Filiberti in 1885 to Josefa Roballo, ...

Edgardo Donato Edgardo Donato (; April 14, 1897 – February 15, 1963) was a tango composer and orchestra leader, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, raised from a young age and musically trained in Montevideo, Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Repu ...

* Osvaldo Fresedo * Pedro Maffia

Production

The 80-minute black and white film was directed by

Luis Moglia Barth Luis Moglia Barth (12 April 1903 - 18 June 1984) was an Argentine film director and screenwriter, and one of the influential directors in the Cinema of Argentina of the classic era. He directed some 30 films between 1927 and 1959, often scree ...

, who co-wrote the script with Carlos de la Pua. It was Argentina Sono Film's first production. The film showed strong Hollywood influence in its cinematic techniques. It was the first

feature film to be produced in Argentina, at Argentina Sono Film's new optical sound studio. The stars included the singer and actress

, the stage actor Pepe Arias, the singer Azucena Maizani and the comedian Tita Merello, all well-known theatre or tango performers. The film featured the tango orchestras of

, Osvaldo Fresedo and Pedro Maffia. ''¡Tango!'' was released in Argentina on 27 April 1933.

Reception

The approach of hiring well known performers ensured that devotees of popular theater and of ''radionovelas'' would form a ready audience for sound films.

, who played "the poor kid from the barrio, immature and insecure," became the first Argentine film star. However, ''¡Tango!'' had poor sound quality, which made it less successful than it should have been given its star-studded cast.

References

Notes Citations Sources * * * * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tango 1933 films 1930s Spanish-language films Films directed by Luis Moglia Barth Argentine romantic musical films 1930s romantic musical films Argentine black-and-white films