A Canção de Lisboa
Encyclopedia
A Canção de Lisboa is a Portuguese
film
comedy
from 1933
, directed by José Cottinelli Telmo, and starring Vasco Santana
, Beatriz Costa
, António Silva
, Alfredo Silva, Ana Maria, Artur Rodrigues, Coralia Escobar, Eduardo Fernandes, Elvira Coutinho, Fernanda Campos, Francisco Costa, Henrique Alves, Ivone Fernandes, José Victor, Júlia da Assunção, Manoel de Oliveira
, Manuel Santos Carvalho, Maria Albertina, Maria da Luz, Silvestre Alegrim, Sofia Santos, Teresa Gomes and Zizi Cosme.
Director Manoel de Oliveira
, who is still alive and active, had a minor role.
It was the second Portuguese sound feature film (the first was A Severa; a 1931 biopic of the fado singer Maria Severa Onofriana). In fact, A Canção de Lisboa was the first sound feature fully produced in Portugal, in the labs of Lisboa Filme and with Tobis
equipment.
Among the team were some of the greatest names of Portuguese culture of the day, such as painter Carlos Botelho (credited as assistant director) and the poet José Gomes Ferreira
(editor assistant). Painter Almada Negreiros
was the author of both promotional posters.
A Canção de Lisboa is still one of the best loved films in Portugal, with several of its lines and songs still quoted.
, supported by his rich aunts from Trás-os-Montes
, whom he had falsely told he had already graduated. In fact, he devotes himself to a bohemian life, preferring the popular fairs and pretty women, especially Alice (Beatriz Costa), a seamstress from the Castelinhos quarter, which rather upsets her ambitious father, tailor Caetano (António Silva), who is familiar with Vasco's debts.
After failing yet another final exam, he is surprised by his aunts' announcement that they will visit him in Lisbon to see his practice.
The song "A Agulha e o Dedal", sung by Beatriz Costa, became a household reference.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
from 1933
1933 in film
-Events:* March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City.* June 6 - The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey.* British Film Institute founded....
, directed by José Cottinelli Telmo, and starring Vasco Santana
Vasco Santana
Vasco Santana was a Portuguese actor, one of the most renowned of the classical era of Portuguese cinema....
, Beatriz Costa
Beatriz Costa
Beatriz Costa was a Portuguese actress, the best-known actress of the golden age of Portuguese cinema....
, António Silva
António Silva
António Maria da Silva was a Portuguese actor. He accumulated over 40 credits over his more than 50 years in acting.-Early life:...
, Alfredo Silva, Ana Maria, Artur Rodrigues, Coralia Escobar, Eduardo Fernandes, Elvira Coutinho, Fernanda Campos, Francisco Costa, Henrique Alves, Ivone Fernandes, José Victor, Júlia da Assunção, Manoel de Oliveira
Manoel de Oliveira
Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira, GCSE is a Portuguese film director born in Cedofeita, Porto. He began working on films in the late 1920s, but did not receive international recognition until the early 1970s. Since the late 1980s he has been one of the most prolific working film directors and...
, Manuel Santos Carvalho, Maria Albertina, Maria da Luz, Silvestre Alegrim, Sofia Santos, Teresa Gomes and Zizi Cosme.
Director Manoel de Oliveira
Manoel de Oliveira
Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira, GCSE is a Portuguese film director born in Cedofeita, Porto. He began working on films in the late 1920s, but did not receive international recognition until the early 1970s. Since the late 1980s he has been one of the most prolific working film directors and...
, who is still alive and active, had a minor role.
It was the second Portuguese sound feature film (the first was A Severa; a 1931 biopic of the fado singer Maria Severa Onofriana). In fact, A Canção de Lisboa was the first sound feature fully produced in Portugal, in the labs of Lisboa Filme and with Tobis
Tobis Portuguesa
Tobis Portuguesa was created on June 3rd 1932, in order to support and foster the development of Portuguese cinema, goal that kept during its 75 years of activity.-History:Tobis originally focused its activity on film production and lab processing...
equipment.
Among the team were some of the greatest names of Portuguese culture of the day, such as painter Carlos Botelho (credited as assistant director) and the poet José Gomes Ferreira
José Gomes Ferreira
José Gomes Ferreira, GOSE, GOL was a Portuguese poet and fiction writer with a vast work of varied influences. Gomes Ferreira was also a political activist that participated in the resistance against the dictatorship of Oliveira Salazar, becoming later a member of the Portuguese Communist Party...
(editor assistant). Painter Almada Negreiros
Almada Negreiros
José Sobral de Almada Negreiros was a Portuguese artist. He was born in the then colony of São Tomé e Príncipe, the son of a Portuguese father, António Lobo de Almada Negreiros, and a Santomean mother, Elvira Freire Sobral...
was the author of both promotional posters.
A Canção de Lisboa is still one of the best loved films in Portugal, with several of its lines and songs still quoted.
Synopsis
Vasco (Vasco Santana) is a medical student in LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, supported by his rich aunts from Trás-os-Montes
Trás-os-Montes (region)
Trás-os-Montes was one of the 13 regions of continental Portugal identified by geographer Amorim Girão, in a study published between 1927 and 1930.Together with Alto Douro it formed Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Province.- See also :...
, whom he had falsely told he had already graduated. In fact, he devotes himself to a bohemian life, preferring the popular fairs and pretty women, especially Alice (Beatriz Costa), a seamstress from the Castelinhos quarter, which rather upsets her ambitious father, tailor Caetano (António Silva), who is familiar with Vasco's debts.
After failing yet another final exam, he is surprised by his aunts' announcement that they will visit him in Lisbon to see his practice.
Popular culture
An expression that found its way into everyday life in Portugal was Vasco's "There's lot of hats, you fool!" (Chapéus há muitos, seu palerma!).The song "A Agulha e o Dedal", sung by Beatriz Costa, became a household reference.