Elena Lucena facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elena Lucena
Born	María Elena Lucena (1914-09-25)25 September 1914 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died	7 October 2015(2015-10-07) (aged 101)
Nationality	Argentine
Occupation	actress
Years active	1937–2012

María Elena Lucena Arcuri (born September 25, 1914 – died October 7, 2015) was a famous actress from Argentina. She was a big star during the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema (from 1940 to 1960). This was a time when many great movies were made in Argentina.

Elena started her career on the radio in the 1930s. She became very well-known for playing a character named "Chimbela." This character was so popular that Elena played her in movies, plays, and on TV. She acted in about 50 films! Some of her most famous movies include Chimbela (1939) and Una noche cualquiera (1951). In the 1940s, she worked with many popular comedians and actors. She even won an award in 1948 for Best Comedy Actress for her role in La Rubia Mireya.

Elena was also a talented dancer. From the 1960s, she starred in many musical comedies. She even took over the main role in the famous play Hello, Dolly! She also acted in a Chilean comedy called La pérgola de las flores. Later in her career, she appeared in several TV shows. Her last roles were in the series 099 Central (2002) and the movie Brother and Sister (2010). She was nominated for an award for her role in Brother and Sister. Elena Lucena had one of the longest careers of any Argentine actress. She stopped acting in 2012 and passed away in 2015 at 101 years old.

Elena Lucena's Early Life and Career

Elena Lucena was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 25, 1914. Before becoming an actress, she worked as a seamstress. She earned very little money, only eighty cents for every dozen shirts she made.

One day, she tried out to sing tangos on the radio. Her mother wasn't happy about it at first. But Elena decided to take the job because it paid 60 pesos a month. This was much more than she earned as a seamstress! She signed a contract with Radio Belgrano.

From Singer to Actress

Elena started as a singer in 1937. But soon, people noticed her expressive face and talent for acting. She began reading dramatic parts on Radio Belgrano. Later, she joined an acting group called "Estampas porteñas" on National Radio.

A director named Arsenio Mármol saw her talent. He created a special character just for her, named "Chimbela." Elena played Chimbela on the radio, and the character became very popular. She then played Chimbela in movies, on stage, and on television. This role made her famous. She began traveling around the country, performing in theaters and on radio shows.

Her First Movies

Elena's first movie was La que no perdonó in 1938. The next year, her famous character "Chimbela" was made into a movie. Elena starred in Chimbela (1939), which was only her second film. The story was about a young girl who supports her family. She falls in love with a man who is wrongly accused of murder.

Elena made two more films with the same director, José A. Ferreyra: El ángel de trapo (1940) and Pájaros sin nido (1940). She went on to star in many memorable films. These include Ven mi corazón te llama (1942) and Elvira Fernández, vendedora de tiendas (1942). She also worked with famous actress Mirtha Legrand in Cinco besos (1945). Her role in La Rubia Mireya (1948) earned her the Best Comic Actress award. Other notable films were Una noche cualquiera (1951) and La murga (1963).

Stage and Television Work

Besides movies, Elena Lucena performed in many theaters in Buenos Aires. She also toured with plays in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and Uruguay. She acted in both classic and modern plays. Some of her popular stage performances include Cuando el gato no está and Hello Dolly!. She even replaced the famous actress Libertad Lamarque in Hello Dolly!. Elena also performed in the successful Chilean musical La pérgola de las flores.

From the 1960s, Elena started working in television. She appeared in many TV shows. Some of her well-known TV roles were in Piel Naranja (1975), Duro como la piedra, frágil como el cristal (1985–1986), and 099 Central (2002). Her last TV appearance was in El Tabarís, lleno de estrellas (2012). Elena Lucena passed away on October 7, 2015, at the age of 101.

Awards and Nominations

• 1948: Best Comic Actress (Argentine Film Critics Association) for La Rubia Mireya
• 2006: Silver Condor (a special award for her long career) from the Argentine Film Critics Association
• 2011: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Argentine Film Critics Association) for Brother and Sister

Filmography

Films

Television

• Domingos de teatro cómico (1969)
• Viernes de Pacheco (1971) Episode:"Giuanín, Rey de la pizza" ... (Rosaura)
• Aplausos (1972) ... (Margo)
• Todo es amor (1972–1973)
• El patio de la Morocha (1973) ... (Reneé)
• Piel de pueblo (1973) ... (Rosita's mother)
• El chupete (1973–1976)
• Piel naranja (1975) ... (Angélica)
• Herencia de amor (1981) ... (Jorgelina)
• Aprender a vivir (1981–1982) ... (Zuzú)
• El ciclo de Guillermo Bredeston y Nora Cárpena (1982) Episode: "La viuda es sueño" ... (Julia)
• Duro como la roca, frágil como el cristal (1985–1986) ... (Tona)
• Alta Comedia (1994)
• Como pan caliente (1996)
• 099 Central (2002)
• El Tabarís, lleno de estrellas (2012)

See also

In Spanish: Elena Lucena para niños

• List of centenarians (actors, filmmakers and entertainers)