Gregorio Martínez Sierra
Encyclopedia
Gregorio Martínez Sierra (1881–1947), Spanish
writer
, dramatist and theatre director.
A key figure in the revival of the Spanish theatrical avant-garde
in the early twentieth century, Gregorio Martínez Sierra was one of the few progressive dramatists whose productions achieved any measure of commercial success.
Although recent studies by several historians have found that, if not all, yes many of the works of Gregorio Martínez Sierra was actually written by his wife, Maria de la O Lejárraja García.
Though his own plays were not distinguished by any notable originality, his contribution as a publisher and director was substantial. Through his publishing house, the aptly named Renacimiento
, he translated Shakespeare
and Maeterlinck
and introduced the work of European playwrights including Bernard Shaw
and Pirandello
to Spain. As the director of Madrid
's Teatro Eslava, Spain’s first art theatre, between 1917 and 1925 he produced both Spanish and foreign works in new styles, and it was at his invitation that Federico García Lorca
created and staged, at the Eslava, his first play, El maleficio de la mariposa (The Curse of the Butterfly), in 1920.
Martinez Sierra's most famous play is the sentimental Canción de cuna (Cradle Song), originally produced in Spain
in 1911, a play that was quite popular with the public, both in Spanish and English-speaking countries. It is a story of a group of nuns who bring up a baby girl left on the doorstep on their convent. They name her Teresa, and the final scene takes place about twenty years later, as Teresa is leaving the convent to get married, and the nun who brought her up, Sister Joanna of the Cross, is reluctant to let her go rather than have her stay and become a nun. The play was produced successfully on Broadway
in 1927, and later became one of the few famous Spanish
plays to be made into an English
-speaking Hollywood film. This was done by Paramount
in 1933, and the film starred Dorothea Wieck
(in her English-film debut) as Sister Joanna, and Evelyn Venable
as the adult Teresa. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen
and featured some of the cast and creative team who later worked on the more successful Death Takes a Holiday
- among them Ms. Venable, Guy Standing
, and Kent Taylor
.
The 1933 Cradle Song has gone unseen for years, never revived on television or movie houses, and never appearing in any TV movie guide book. It has also never been issued on videocassette or DVD
. No one has ever claimed that the film is lost, but on the other hand, no one ever screens it either.
After the 1933 Cradle Song, there were at least five more film versions, all made in Spanish
, the most recent being a 1994 color
version. Martinez Sierra himself directed one of the film versions. The play was also presented in English twice on the television anthology series Hallmark Hall of Fame
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, dramatist and theatre director.
A key figure in the revival of the Spanish theatrical avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
in the early twentieth century, Gregorio Martínez Sierra was one of the few progressive dramatists whose productions achieved any measure of commercial success.
Although recent studies by several historians have found that, if not all, yes many of the works of Gregorio Martínez Sierra was actually written by his wife, Maria de la O Lejárraja García.
Though his own plays were not distinguished by any notable originality, his contribution as a publisher and director was substantial. Through his publishing house, the aptly named Renacimiento
Renacimiento
Renacimiento is a Sector in the city of Santo Domingo in the Distrito Nacional of the Dominican Republic....
, he translated Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
and Maeterlinck
Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck, also called Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life...
and introduced the work of European playwrights including Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
and Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...
to Spain. As the director of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
's Teatro Eslava, Spain’s first art theatre, between 1917 and 1925 he produced both Spanish and foreign works in new styles, and it was at his invitation that Federico García Lorca
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
created and staged, at the Eslava, his first play, El maleficio de la mariposa (The Curse of the Butterfly), in 1920.
Martinez Sierra's most famous play is the sentimental Canción de cuna (Cradle Song), originally produced in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1911, a play that was quite popular with the public, both in Spanish and English-speaking countries. It is a story of a group of nuns who bring up a baby girl left on the doorstep on their convent. They name her Teresa, and the final scene takes place about twenty years later, as Teresa is leaving the convent to get married, and the nun who brought her up, Sister Joanna of the Cross, is reluctant to let her go rather than have her stay and become a nun. The play was produced successfully on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1927, and later became one of the few famous Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
plays to be made into an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-speaking Hollywood film. This was done by Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in 1933, and the film starred Dorothea Wieck
Dorothea Wieck
Dorothea Wieck was a German theatre and film actress.- Career :Wieck made her debut in 1926 and appeared in several silent films...
(in her English-film debut) as Sister Joanna, and Evelyn Venable
Evelyn Venable
Evelyn Venable was an American actress. In addition to starring in several films in the 1930s and 1940s, she is notable as the voice and model for the Blue Fairy in the Walt Disney's Pinocchio....
as the adult Teresa. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen was an American director, art director, and costume designer.-Film career:He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments...
and featured some of the cast and creative team who later worked on the more successful Death Takes a Holiday
Death Takes a Holiday
Death Takes a Holiday is a 1934 romantic drama starring Fredric March, Evelyn Venable and Guy Standing, based on the Italian play La Morte in Vacanze by Alberto Casella.-Synopsis:...
- among them Ms. Venable, Guy Standing
Guy Standing
Commander Sir Guy Standing KBE RNVR was an English actor.-Biography:Standing served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve throughout the First World War, reaching the rank of Commander. In 1918, he was part of the British War Mission to the United States...
, and Kent Taylor
Kent Taylor
Kent Taylor was an American actor.Born Louis William Weiss in Nashua, Iowa, Taylor appeared in more than 110 films, the bulk of them B-movies in the 1930s and 1940s, although he also had roles in more prestigious studio releases, including I'm No Angel , Death Takes a Holiday , Payment on Demand ,...
.
The 1933 Cradle Song has gone unseen for years, never revived on television or movie houses, and never appearing in any TV movie guide book. It has also never been issued on videocassette or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. No one has ever claimed that the film is lost, but on the other hand, no one ever screens it either.
After the 1933 Cradle Song, there were at least five more film versions, all made in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, the most recent being a 1994 color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
version. Martinez Sierra himself directed one of the film versions. The play was also presented in English twice on the television anthology series Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
.