1 9 5 6 - July to December - Libertad Lamarque / Yvonne De Carlo / Anne Baxter

9 September 1956 - Argentine sensation Libertad Lamarque, (born on 24 November 1908, in Rosário) had been living in Mexico since 1947, in a 1951 Pel-Mex production 'La marquesa del barrio'.

12 September 1956 - Thursday - 1955's 'Chico Viola não morreu' was a semi-biographic movie about singer Francisco Alves, who died in a car crash on Via Dutra, near Pindamonhangaba-SP, on 27 September 1952, when he was driving his Buick back to Rio de Janeiro after having performed for a big crowd in São Paulo. Cyll Farney plays Chico Viola, Francisco's moniker. Inalda, Eva Wilma & Heloisa Helena show to their best advantage, shown at Cine Coliseu & Cine Dom Pedro II, in Santos-SP; 'Chico Viola não morreu' had opened originally at Cine Marrocos in São Paulo 7 months earlier on 29 January 1956. It opened also at Cine Alhambra, Picolino, na Rua Augusta, Cine-Theatro Paramount, Cine Liberdade, São Pedro, in Barra Funda, Cine Piratininga, Cine Brasil on rua Theodoro Sampaio, Riviera, Roma, na Lapa, Star at Praça da Arvore, Saúde & São Caetano. 

23rd September 1956 - Cine Joia suddenly changes its programme and specializes in serials produced by Republic Pictures or Columbia (A Sombra do terror).

30 September 1956 - Sultry Yvonne De Carlo in Republic's 'Flame of the islands' (Um amor proibido) the last film she shot before she was chosen by Cecil B. De Mille to play Sephora in 'The 10 Commandments'.

30 September 1956 - Bewitching Anne Baxter in 'Bedevilled' (Dela guardei um beijo) in her MGM film before Cecil B. de Mille invited her to be Nefretiri in 'The 10 Commandments'.

30 September 1956 - Argentine-Mexican Libertad Lamarque's latest movie 'Historia de un amor' released in Mexico a few months before. The musical theme 'Historia de un amor', with Trio Los Panchos became an evergreen immediately after its release.

30 September 1956 - Old-timer Edward G. Robinson's latest film 'Illegal' (Trágica fatalidade) before he played the pusillanimous Dathan in Cecil B. de Mille's 'The 10 Commandments'. Nina Foch who plays Bithia in 'The 10 Commandments' plays the leading female role here... supported by Jayne Mansfield who was on her way up to super-stardom.

14 October 1956 - Old-timer James Cagney (born on 17 July 1899, in NYC) was 56 years old when he shot 'Run for cover' (Fora das grades) in 1955; Viveca Lindfors (born on 29 December 1920, in Uppsala, Sweden) was 25 years old when she arrived in the USA in 1946; John Derek (born on 12 August 1926, in Hollywood, CA) would also appear in Cecil B. de Mille's 'The 10 Commandments' as Joshua.

stunning Viveca Lindfors was 35 years old in 1955. 

18 November 1956 - George Sydney's 'The Eddy Duchin story' (Melodia imortal) was probably the most popular film of 1956 - reviving the popularity of old-timer Tyrone Power and enhancing Kim Novak's celebrity after her success in 'Pic nic' with William Holden and 'The man with the golden arm' with Frank Sinatra. Its sound-track album shot to Number One instantly.

18 November 1956 - At Cine Ritz 'Super Man's peril' (Os perigos de Super Homem) with George Reeves. This is a compilation of 3 episodes of the TV series 'The adventures of Superman' released in 1953 in cinemas in the USA. Episode # 32 (The defeat of Superman), #44 (The semi-private eye) and #47 (The golden vulture).

Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates), Superman (George Reeves) and bad-men in 1951's 'Superman and the Mole Men'. 

George Reeves as the Man of Steel; Noel Neill as Lois Lane... 

1 9 5 6 - January to June 'Os 7 samurais' / 'Les diaboliques' / 'Rose tatoo'

29 January 1956 - Roman Vignoli Barreto's 'Chico Viola não morreu' with Cyl Farney playing late singer Francisco Alves who died tragically in an automobile crash on 27 September 1952.

15 February 1956 - Carlos Manga's 'Vamos com calma' with Oscarito, Eliana & Cyl Farney...

29 January 1956 - Akira Kurosawa's 'Os 7 Samuarais' (Shichinin no Samurai) opens at 'regular' movie-houses - instead of being shown at the usual Japanese outlets.

2nd April 1956 - Allied Artists' 'A morte do fantasma' (Tonight's the night) with David Niven, Yvonne de Carlo & Barry Fitzgerald. 

2nd April 1956 (from 'A Gazeta Esportiva) Lisboa Filme's 'Serra Brava' with Antonio de Souza, Juvenal de Araujo, Arminda Vidal & Sacramento, having originally opened in Lisbon on 13 May 1948, comes back to Cine Paratodos screen after 8 years.

8 April 1956 - Victor Lima's 'O grande pintor' with Ankito, Violeta Ferraz, Carlos Tova & Margot Morel.

15 April 1956 - Ruben Biáfora, the cinema columnist for OESP writes his review of H.G. Clouzot's seminal 'Les diaboliques'. 

15 April 1956 - The lives, loves & vicissitudes of a group of circus performers in the Argentine Pampas around the turn of the 20th century are played out in this drama with songs. According to Wikipedia: 'La cabalgata del circo' es la trayectoria de un circo criollo a lo largo de los años narrada a través de la historia de los hermanos Roberto (Hugo del Carril) y Nita Arletty (Libertad Lamarque). It was premiered in 1945, but subsequently banned by Juan Domingo Perón when he came to power. His wife Eva Duarte Perón had a minor role in it. As soon as Perón was deposed in 1955, they unburied the flick to cash in on the new times. In São Paulo it was shown at Cine Opera, a popular Spanish language outlet.

Eva Duarte (future Evita Perón) & Libertad Lamarque (future Abuela Piedad)...

3rd June 1956 - Hecht-Lancaster's 1955 production 'Marty' is back all over again after having won the Academy Awards as best picture, best actor for Ernest Borgnine, best direction and best story...

3rd June 1956 - Portuguese movie 'O grande Elias' at Cine Paratodos. Released originally in 1950. Wikipedia says: 'O grande Elias' é considerado um dos últimos grandes sucessos do auge do cinema português, sendo ainda bem popular em Portugal hoje, assim como outros filmes de sucesso do ex- ator da UFA Arthur Duarte. 'Panther girl of the Kongo' is the Republic Serial at Cine São Bento. 

 

 

10 June 1956 - Tennessee Williams' 'Rose Tatoo' (A Rosa tatuada) finally opens at Cines Art Palacio and Opera. Anna Magnani won an Academy Award for her role. 

1 9 5 4 - July to December - Republic serials / 'O pretróleo é nosso' / 'Matar ou correr'

25 July 1954 - produced by Cinelandia Filmes & directed by Euripedes Ramos, 'Marujo por acaso' is comedian Ankito's only 3rd movie, his 2nd as a top-billing act. Delightful Heloisa Helena in the top female role plus Afonso Stuart, Roberto Duval & Lia Mara.

Ankito as a sea-sick sailor... 

homo erotic... a gay-dream come true?

Yes, sir!

25 July 1954 - a new movie house in Sao Paulo is inaugurated: Cine Sasm at Rua Cincinato Braga. 578 on the corner with Avenida Brigadeiro Luiz Antonio. A few years later it changed its name do Cine Lar and became an Arab-films outlet. 

25 July 1954 - at Cine Sao Bento, 3 Republic movies; 2 full-length ones: 1952's 'Ride the man down' (Marcado para morrer) with Brian Donlevy & Rod Cameron; yet another western, 1952's 'Wild horse ambush' (Manada selvagem) with child-actors Michal Chapin & Eilene Janseen; and finally a western serial 'Tambores feiticeiros' (Jungle drums of Africa).

Brian Donlevy

'Manada selvagem' (Wild horse ambush).

15 August 1954 - a 1938 western 'The Texans' (Heroina do Texas) with Randolph Scott (23 January 1898), Joan Bennett & Walter Brennan; Argentine heart-throb Fernando Lamas (9 January 1915) & wife Arlene Dahl (11 Aug 1925) in 'Sangaree' (1953) a costume-drama set during the American independence; a 1937 western Republic serial 'The painted stallion' (Aliado misterioso) completed the programme.

Randolph Scott, Walter Brennan & Joan Bennett.

Ray (Crash) Corrigan, Hoot Gibson, Sammy McKimm in 'The Painted Stallion'.

12 September 1954 - touted as the 1st Brazilian 'western' 'Da terra nasce o ódio' was most likely riding on the success of 1953's 'O cangaceiro' which introduced the song 'Mulher rendeira' that was a hit world-wide. This one here boast to have 3 hits instead of one: 'Anchieta', 'Morena brasileira' and 'Canção do boiadeiro' but I've never heard any of them ever...

12 September 1954 - talking about songs introduced by movies... 'Ana' with Silvana Mangano had 'Baião de Ana' in its sound-track that went viral world-wide. 

26 September 1954 - at Cine S.Bento a 1953 western with John Wayne 'Hondo' (Terras usurpadas); a 1952 drama with Cornel Wilde 'Operation Secret' (Um segredo em cada sombra) and a 1948 Columbia serial 'O homem de aço' (Superman) with Kirk Alyn playing mild-mannered newspaper man Clark Kent and Superman plus Noel Neill playing Lois Lane and Carol Forman playing dreadful Spider Woman.

Kirk Alyn as Clark Kent and Noel Neill as Lois Lane; Carol Forman as the Spider Woman.

Kirk Alyn, the first Superman ever, had a sizeable bulge...

31st October 1954 - at Cine Paratodos: 7 Portuguese movies in 7 days: on Monday, 'Cantiga da rua' (1950) with Alberto Ribeiro; on Tuesday, 'Fado' (1948) with Amalia Rodrigues; on Wednesday, 'Tres espelhos' (1947) with João Villarey; on Thursday 'A Rosa do Adro' (1938); on Friday, 'Frei Luis de Sousa' (1950) with Maria Sampaio; on Saturday, 'Madragôa' (1952) with Deolinda Rodrigues and finally on Sunday, 'A Severa' (1930) with Dina Tereza.

7 November 1954 - still at Cine Paratodos, 'Cantiga da rua' is back by popular demand. It was the most popular of the seven movies shown the previous week.

31st October 1954 - Brazilian production dealing with the subject of abandoned children 'Sós e abandonados' (Alone and abandoned) with child-star Jose de Araujo Neto aka Zozi.

4 November 1954 - Brazil's top show-girl Mara Rubia tops the bill in 'Toda a vida em 15 minutos' (Whole life in 15 minutes) with Jardel Filho, Mary Gonçalves, Jayme Costa, Cesar Ladeira & Renata Fronzi. Passangers on a plane about to fall remember stretches of their lives and realize the worthlessness of their social attitudes. They end up safe on the ground and resume their roles as before.

Jardel Filho is probably late for his flight. 

Mara Rubia listens to some non-sense from Felorges Caminha.  

Renata Fronzi & Cesar Ladeira.

Mary Gonçalves just being gorgeous... 

7 November 1954 - old time actor Procopio Ferreira stars in 'A sogra' (Mother-in-law) with Maria Vidal, Waldemar Seyssel aka Arrelia, Eva Wilma & Herval Rossano; Archimedes (Procopio) train-station-chief of a small town receives the visit of a shrew mother-in-law (Vidal) who comes to live with his family to his chagrin.

28 November 1954 - 'A Tribuna' de Santos - A história de Arquimedes, chefe de uma estação ferroviária, que aguentou sua sogra, heróicamente, durante 20 anos, experimentando mil e uma manobras e táticas para mandá-la para o fim-do-mundo...e cada vez a tinha mais junto de si... 

Procopio Ferreira in 'A sogra'.

Maria Vidal (the dreaded mother-in-law) and Waldemar Seyssel aka Arrelia.

Herval Rossano & Eva Wilma play sweethearts in 'A sogra'. 

7 November 1954 - at Cine S.Bento & Cine Joia: 1952's 'Anything can happen' (Um começo de vida) with Jose Ferrer & Kim Hunter; 'The naked jungle' (A selva nua) starring Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker had been just released in the USA (3 March 1954) and told a story of an attack of an army of ants on a Brazilian cocoa plantation; a 1939 Republic serial completes the programme: 'Zorro's Fighting Legions' (A legião do Zorro) with Reed Hadley, & Sheila Darcy; C.Montague Shaw plays Chief Justice Pablo plus Don Del Oro. the golden idol that terrorizes the region.

Zorro (Reed Hadley) confronts Don del Oro...

Jose Ferrer plays a Georgian immigrant who hits the big time in the U.S.A.

Charlton Heston & Eleanor Parker against an army of Brazilian ants at Rio Negro.

14 November 1954 - President Getulio Vargas catch-cry 'Petrol industry is ours' is sent up in this Watson Macedo comedy in which Violeta Ferraz gets top-billing.  

Heloisa Helena & John Herbert & Adelaide Chiozzo.

Sergio de Oliveira, John Herbert, Heloisa Helena; Violeta Ferraz & Catalano. 

5 December 1954 - Nothing was sacred for Brazilian comedy directors. Carlos Manga's 'Matar ou correr' (Kill or run) spoofs Fred Zinnemann's 1952's 'High noon' which has been 'translated' as 'Kill or die' for Brazilian audiences. Juli Bardot plays the part made famous by Grace Kelly. 

all hell break loose at 'Matar ou correr'... 

Grande Otelo, Oscarito & Julie Bardot.

Inalda plays the part Katy Jurado did in the original; Juli aka Julie Bardot plays Grace Kelly. 

12 December 1954 - a 1944 Republic production 'Brazil' aka 'Stars and Guitars' (Encontro no Rio) starring Mexican tenor Tito Guizar & Virginia Bruce. Brazilian singer Aurora Miranda plays Bailarina, a specialty dancer and Roy Rogers & his horse Trigger also appear as themselves: 1952's 'Tropical heat wave' (Tentação dos tropicos) starring Cuban bombshell Estelita Rodrigues, Robert Hutton & Grant Withers; and finally at Cine Cairo, a 1945 Republic serial 'The Purple Monster strikes' (Marte invade a Terra) with Dennis Moore, Linda Stirling & Roy Barcroft as the Purple Monster himself;

Virginia Bruce & Tito Guizar.

Aurora Miranda, Billy Daniels, Tito Guizar & Virginia Bruce in 1944's 'Brazil'.

Linda Stirling is grabbed by the Purple Monster and his nefarious accomplice.

fiendish Purple Monster as played by Roy Barcroft.

12 December 1954 - film shot in Sao Paulo, 'A outra face do homem' starring Eliana Macedo & Renato Restier who usually played bad-men in supporting roles in dozens of films. Carlos Tovar (another bad-man), Ludy Veloso and introducing Johnny who later would become John Herbert.

12 December 1954 - at Cine S.Bento & Cine Joia a Republic Pictures marathon: Allan 'Rocky' Lane in 'Golpe traiçoeiro' - I could not find its original title in English; 1943's 'In Old Oklahoma' (Quando a mulher se atreve) with John Wayne & Martha Scott; a 1939 Republic serial 'Daredevils of the Red Circle' - translated erroneously as 'Demônio do Círculo Vermelho' (Devil of the Red Circle) when it should be more like 'Destemidos do Círculo Vermelho'... so much for local translators! The Daredevils of the Red Circle were: Charles Quigley (12 February 1906 + 5 August 1964), Herman Brix aka Bruce Bennett (19 May 1906 + 24 February 2007) and Dave Sharpe (2 February 1910 + 30 March 1980).

Martha Scott, John Wayne & Albert Dekker in 'In old Oklahoma' aka 'War of the wildcats'.

Carole Landis & Charles Quigley. 

Tuffie, the dog, Herman Brix (Tiny), Charles Quigley (Gene), Carole Landis (Blanche Granville) & David Sharpe (Bert).

C.Montague Shaw, Carole Landis, Raymond Baily, Ray Miller and Charles Middleton as 39-0-13.

unidentified actor, Carole Landis, Charles Quigley, Miles Mander (in the background), Herman Brix & Dave Sharpe. 

Charles Quigley & Mary Astor in 'Lady from nowhere' (1936).

Charles Quigley & Rita Hayworth (1937).

28 December 1954 - Brazilian production tries to cash in on the 3rd Dimension novelty, 'Malandros em 4a. dimensão' (Rogues in 4th dimension) starring Grande Otelo & Colé, Jayme Costa, Julie Bardot, Aurelina Lisboa, Adriano Reis, Carlos Tovar, Wilson Grey, Susy Kirby, Sergio de Oliveira plus a lot of musical numbers performed by Anselmo Duarte, Horacina Correia, Eliana & Adelaide Chiozzo singing Nho Pai's 'Beijinho doce'; Bené Nunes, Francisco Carlos, Black-Out, Aurelina, Dick Farney, Nucia Miranda, Bill Farr, Horacina Correia, Edith Morel, Iracema Vitoria, Grande Otelo e Mara Abrantes.

Sergio de Oliveira & Julie Bardot in 'Malandros em 4a. dimensão'.

Francisco Carlos surrounded by show-girls who appear in 'Malandros em 4a. dimensão'. 

28 December 1954 - Cine Paratodos opens its doors to the public again after being refurbished with 'São Paulo em festa', a double-feature: a documentary shot during Sao Paulo's IV Centenary celebrations earlier in the year plus Columbia's 1952's 'Cruising down the river' (Cantando no rio) with crooner Dick Haymes, Audrey Totter & Billy Daniels.