Amanda Varela

Amanda Varela was an Argentine actress who primarily worked during the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema, performing on stage and in films of Argentina and the US. She made 9 films in Argentina and 2 in the US and appeared on stage in numerous productions in both countries. Varela is usually credited with helping her sister, Mecha Ortiz, secure her first acting roles. In the 1950s, Varela retired from acting, moved to the United States, and became a matrimonial judge.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Varela and the second or maternal family name is Domínguez.
Amanda Varela
Born
Amanda Varela Domínguez

(1911-10-24)24 October 1911
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died1 July 2000(2000-07-01) (aged 88)
Los Angeles, California
NationalityArgentine
Occupationactress, judge
Years active1920-1980

Biography

Amanda Varela Domínguez was born on 24 October 1911[1] in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was the younger sister of Mecha Ortiz,[2] yet had already made a name for herself when Ortiz embarked on an acting career. Varela helped Ortiz secure a screen test with Paramount Studios of France and introduced her to a friend, film critic Chas de Cruz, who helped Ortiz secure a role in Los muchachos de antes no usaban gomina.[3]

By 1930, Varela had acted in her first role on film, La canción del gaucho, which was produced by Chas de Cruz[4] under the direction of José A. Ferreyra and starring María Turgenova and Arturo Forte, among others.[5] On stage in 1934, Varela was performing in Baile en el Savoy with Florencio Parravicini but had to withdraw due to illness and was replaced by Amelia Bence.[6] She came back to the stage in 1935 to star in a controversial role in Romeo y Julieta[7] and later that same year had better success in the role of Pepita Giménez in the musical comedy La payariega with Pedro Quartucci, Miguel Faust Rocha, Eleonora Boemer, and Dora Martínez at the Teatro Avenida.[8] She made several films in the late 1930s, including Melgarejo (1937), ¡Segundos afuera! (1937), La chismosa (1938), and Papá soltero (1939),[9] which earned her sufficient reputation that an invitation to Hollywood was issued.[10] In 1939, her first US film was made, El otro soy yo, under the direction of Richard Harlan and starring Tito Guízar, Renee Torres, Pilar Arcos, and Martin Garralaga.[11]

She was hired by Luis G. Basurto who was directing a company of actors called "Teatro Popular de México" that were working at the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles. Varela also participated in several plays in the United States, including: Tovarich directed by Mark Ranhar, El escándalo de la verdad, Miércoles de cenizas, and Cada quien su vida. By 1942, she was performing as a singer[12] and also had secured a role in the US film, The Falcon's Brother, for which she drew good reviews.[13] She returned to Argentina and appeared in the film Mi novia es un fantasma (1944 ).[9] The following year, she performed at the Teatro Nacional Cervantes in the debut of Tierra extraña,[2] by Roberto Alejandro Vagni, which would later be made into a film of the same name.[14] Varela starred in the 1946 film, La tía de Carlos, along with Pedro Quartucci, Rodolfo Francisco Alvarez, and Pedro Maratea.[15] In the 1947 stage production of Luna de miel para tres, Varela starred with Mexican actors Gloria Marín and Jorge Negrete.[16] She made her last film, El diablo de las vidalas, in 1950.[9]

Varela moved to the states, retired from performing, and became a judge, specifically working in marriages.[2] She died on 1 July 1, 2000 in Los Angeles, California.[1]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1930La canción del gaucho
1937MelgarejoInvitada 6
1937¡Segundos afuera!
1938La chismosa
1939Papá solteroMarta Cortez / Teresa
1940El otro soy yo
1942The Falcon's BrotherCarmela
1944Mi novia es un fantasmaUncredited
1950El diablo de las vidalas
1952La tía de Carlos(final film role)
gollark: You mean paid-for-by-other-people education, yes.
gollark: It's been argued that it works as a signal to employers that you are at least vaguely competent enough to do something for 4ish years, able to stick to it for that time, and have some basic level of intelligence, more than providing much educational value.
gollark: They would have to test expected job performance some other way.
gollark: One idea someone had was to just disallow employers from asking if you have a college degree.
gollark: Yeeees, there's apparently a !!FUN!! cost disease issue with education and healthcare in the US.

References
  1. "Amanda Varela United States Social Security Death Index". Family Search. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  2. Gallina, Mario (2000). De Gardel a Norma Aleandro: diccionario sobre figuras del cine argentino en el exterior (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Corregidor. p. 432. ISBN 978-9-500-51250-3. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  3. Bello, Omar (1 November 2014). "Mecha Ortiz: Erotismo después de los cuarenta". La Verdad Online (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: La Verdad Online. Archived from the original on 2015-09-13. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  4. Calistro, Mariano (1978). Reportaje al cine argentino: los pioneros del sonoro (in Spanish). Argentina: ANESA. p. 412. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  5. Couselo, Jorge Miguel (2001). El "negro" Ferreyra : un cine por instinto (2nd ed.). Buenos Aires: Grupo Editor Altamira. p. 137. ISBN 978-9-879-42390-5. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  6. Bence, Amelia; Etchelet, Raúl (2011). La niña del umbral: Amelia Bence: memorias (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Corregidor. pp. 35–36. ISBN 978-9-500-51934-2.
  7. Nielsen, Jorge (2007). Nuestros actores : primeras minibiografías (in Spanish) (1 ed.). Buenos Aires: Del Jilguero. p. 85. ISBN 978-9-879-41612-9. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  8. Gorlero, Pablo (2004). Historia de la comedia musical en la Argentina (in Spanish) (1a. ed.). Buenos Aires: Marcelo H. Oliveri Editor. pp. 216–219. ISBN 978-9-872-16910-7. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  9. "Amanda Varela". Cine Nacional (in Spanish). Cine Nacional. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  10. "Latin in Manhattan". Anniston, Alabama: The Anniston Star. 13 August 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 11 August 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "El otro soy yo". TCM. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  12. "Arrange Sparkling Entertainment for Spanish Fiesta" (Volume XV, Number 38). Palm Springs, California: Desert Sun. 17 April 1942. p. 10. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  13. "Two Brothers and a Girl". Shamokin, Pennsylvania: Shamokin News-Dispatch. 24 April 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 11 August 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Lima, Perla Zayas de (1991). Diccionario de autores teatrales argentinos : (1950-1990) (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Ed. Galerna. p. 280. ISBN 978-9-505-56275-6. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  15. "La tía de Carlos (1946)". Cine Nacional (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Cine Nacional. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  16. Negrete, Diana (1987). Jorge Negrete (in Spanish) (1a ed.). Mexico, D.F.: Editorial Diana. ISBN 978-9-681-31819-2. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
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