Don Francisco (television host) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Francisco
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld
28 December 1940 Talca, Chile
|
| Nationality | Chilean and American |
| Citizenship | Chile |
| Occupation | Television host |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Television |
|
| Spouse(s) | Teresa "Temmy" Muchnik Rosenblum (m. 1962) |
| Children | 4 |
Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld (born on December 28, 1940) is a famous television host. He is better known by his stage name, Don Francisco. He is from Chile and became very popular on the Univision network. This network reaches many Spanish-speaking viewers in the United States. Don Francisco is most famous for hosting the long-running variety show Sábado Gigante. He also hosted Don Francisco Presenta and Don Francisco te invita.
Contents
About Don Francisco: Early Life
Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld was born in Talca, Chile. His parents, Anna Blumenfeld Neufeld and Erick Kreutzberger, were from Germany. They moved to Chile to escape from World War II. Mario grew up speaking both Spanish and German. German was his first language, which he used with his parents at home. He follows the Jewish faith.
Don Francisco's Television Career
Starting Sábado Gigante
Don Francisco began his TV career in 1962. He started a show called Show Dominical (which means "Sunday's Show") on Canal 13 in Chile. Later, the show moved to Saturdays and was renamed Sábado Gigante ("Giant Saturday"). He used ideas from American TV shows for his program. The show quickly became a huge success. It continued for more than 53 years!
Sábado Gigante in the United States
In 1986, Sábado Gigante started being made in Miami, Florida. It was produced by SIN. The show kept its popular format for viewers in the United States. It aired on channels like KMEX-DT in Los Angeles.
What Was Sábado Gigante Like?
For many years, Don Francisco hosted this three-hour variety show. It featured fun contests, comedy sketches, and interviews with famous people. A popular part of the show was the "traveling camera" or Cámara Viajera. This segment took Don Francisco to over 185 countries around the world. He interviewed many well-known figures, including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The show also helped many entertainers start their careers. Don Francisco even appeared as himself in the movie The 33. This film was about the 2010 Copiapó mining accident in Chile.
Other TV Shows and Voice Acting
Don Francisco has also hosted Chilean versions of popular game shows. These include ¿Quién merece ser millonario? (based on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?). He also hosted Deal or No Deal and Atrapa los Millones (based on Money Drop). He hosted Atrapa los Millones for three seasons. In 2003, he lent his voice to Governor Bernardo de Galvez. This was for an episode of the PBS Kids show Liberty's Kids.
End of Sábado Gigante and New Shows
On April 18, 2015, Don Francisco announced that Sábado Gigante would end. Its final episode, called "Hasta Siempre" ("Farewell Forever"), aired on September 19, 2015. After this, Don Francisco signed a new deal with Telemundo in 2016. His new show, Don Francisco Te Invita ("Don Francisco Invites You"), started on October 9, 2016. This Sunday night talk show was similar to his previous shows. However, Don Francisco Te Invita ended in late 2018 after 100 episodes.
False Rumors About Don Francisco
On April Fool's Day in 2003, a rumor spread that Don Francisco had passed away. This rumor appeared in areas like New York and New Jersey. Many of his fans were upset. However, it was soon revealed that the rumor was just an April Fool's joke. Don Francisco was perfectly fine.
Don Francisco's Personal Life and Charity Work
Don Francisco has been a big supporter of charity. From 1978 to 2021, he hosted the Teletón in Chile. This is a TV charity show that raises money for disabled children. There have been 22 telethons over 30 years. He also served as the Hispanic spokesperson for the U.S. Muscular Dystrophy Association. He appeared on their yearly telethon to encourage donations from Hispanic communities. He stopped hosting the Chilean Teletón in 2021.
In December 2012, Don Francisco also hosted the first Teletón USA telethon. This event was introduced on the Univision network. It was based on the successful Chilean Teletón.
Honors and Awards for Don Francisco
Don Francisco has received many awards for his work. His show, Sábado Gigante, was recognized by Guinness World Records. It was the world's longest-running TV variety show.
He also has a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located at 7018 Hollywood Blvd. On March 1, 2012, Don Francisco was welcomed into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes people who have made big contributions to television.
On September 8, 2015, the city of New York named a street after him. It is in the Washington Heights area and is called "Don Francisco Boulevard". On April 11, 2018, the Jewish Community of Chile honored him. They recognized Mario Kreutzberger as "Javer Olam," which means "friend of the world."
Don Francisco in Advertising
Don Francisco has appeared in many commercials. He was in ads for La Curaçao Department Stores. He even attended the opening of some of their stores in South Gate, California and Arizona. He also appeared in TV ads for the Mexican telecom company Claro. In 2010, the U.S. Social Security Administration asked Don Francisco to help them. He appeared in public service announcements to inform American Hispanics about Social Security benefits.
See also
In Spanish: Don Francisco para niños
