Adhemar Gonzaga (26 August 1901 – 29 January 1978) was a Brazilian

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, film producer, and director.

Biography

Born into a wealthy family Gonzaga had a passion for cinema from an early age, and first appeared on screen in a short advertising film in 1920. He worked as a journalist for the film magazine '' Cinearte'' (1926–1942) which advocated the creation of a more professional, commercial film industry in Brazil.Shaw & Dennison p.43–44 In 1928 he directed his first film, a silent. The film was a strong commercial success, and on the strength of it Gonzaga persuaded his father to financially back a film studio.Shaw & Dennison p.45 After a period of study in Hollywood, Gonzaga returned to Brazil and founded Cinédia a

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

-based company which quickly became the leading studio in Brazil. Cinédia specialised in producing Chanchadas, musical comedies with a populist appeal which often featured leading stage and singing stars. Chanchadas produced during Gonzaga's reign included '' Hello, Hello Brazil!'' (1935), '' Hello, Hello, Carnival!'' (1936) and '' Samba in Berlin'' (1943). Many of Brazil's major stars appeared in Cinédia productions, including

Carmen Miranda Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955), known professionally as Carmen Miranda (), was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", she was known for her signature ...

. The studio remained in continual operation until 1951.

Selected filmography

Producer

*'' Ganga Bruta'' (1933) *'' Hello, Hello Brazil!'' (1935) *'' Onde Estás Felicidade?'' (1939) *'' Samba in Berlin'' (1943) *'' Berlin to the Samba Beat'' (1944)

Director

*'' Barro Humano'' (1929) *'' Hello, Hello, Carnival!'' (1936)

Actor

*'' Blood of Minas Gerais'' (1930) *'' Lábios sem Beijos'' (1930)

References

Bibliography

*Shaw, Lisa & Dennison, Stephanie. ''Brazilian National Cinema''. Routledge, 2014. .

External links

* 1901 births 1978 deaths Brazilian film producers Brazilian film directors Brazilian male film actors Male actors from Rio de Janeiro (city) 20th-century Brazilian male actors 20th-century Brazilian screenwriters 20th-century Brazilian journalists {{Brazil-film-director-stub