Francisco Madrid facts for kids
Francisco "Paco" Madrid (born February 24, 1900 – died January 8, 1952) was a talented Spanish writer, journalist, and screenwriter. He was born in Barcelona, Spain.
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About Francisco Madrid
Francisco Madrid worked as a journalist in many cities, including Barcelona, Paris, Geneva, Madrid, and Buenos Aires. He wrote many different types of works, like essays, novels, and plays for the theater.
He was also involved in politics in Catalonia, a region in Spain. In 1931, he became the Secretary of the Civil Government of Barcelona. In Madrid, he was the vice-editor for a daily newspaper called La Voz.
Like many people who supported the Spanish Republic, Francisco Madrid left Spain in 1936. He moved to Argentina.
Life in Argentina
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francisco Madrid continued his work as a journalist. He wrote for important newspapers like Noticias Gráficas and La Prensa, and for the magazine El Hogar.
His biggest impact in Argentina was on the country's film industry. He wrote or helped write seven movie scripts. One of his most famous screenplays was for the classic film La cabalgata del circo (1945), which he wrote with Mario Soffici.
While in Buenos Aires, he also wrote two important books about movies. These were Cine de hoy y de mañana, published in 1945, and Cincuenta años de cine. Crónica del séptimo arte, published in 1946. The second book is considered a very important early work. It even had a whole chapter about the beginnings and history of the movie industry in Latin America.
Francisco Madrid's Works
Francisco Madrid created many different types of works during his life.
Plays for Theater
He wrote many plays, some of which were musicals. Here are a few examples:
- El mal que pot fer una dona (1926)
- Joy – Joy (1926), a musical
- Reus, París y Londres (1927), another musical
- Ella, ell i un café romantic (1928)
- La Comedia empieza cuando acaba (1930)
- La vida de María Curie (1940), co-written with Alejandro Casona
- La Isabela (1948), which won an award called the Argentores Prize.
Books and Essays
Francisco Madrid also wrote many essays and novels. Some of his works explored political topics or shared his experiences.
- El ruidísimo pleito de las juntas de defensa y Millán-Astray (1922)
- La senyora del senyor Blum (1925), a novel
- A la sombra dé la aventura (1927), a novel
- Los desterrados de la dictadura: reportajes y testimonios (1930)
- Ocho meses y un dia en el gobierno civil de Barcelona: Confesiones y testimonios (1932)
- La vida altiva de Valle-Inclán (1943)
- Sangre en Atarazanas (1928), a novel
- Los conspiradores de Ginebra (1969), a novel published after he passed away.
Film Writings
He wrote a lot about movies, showing his deep interest in cinema.
- Film de la República Comunista Libertaria. Reportaje politico. (1932)
- He helped edit Revista Cine, where he published a long history of cinema.
- Cine de hoy y de mañana (1945)
- Cincuenta años de cine. Crónica del séptimo arte (1946)
Translations
Francisco Madrid also worked as a translator, changing plays and books from one language to another.
- He translated Peg o' My Heart by John Hartley Manners into Catalan (1930).
- He translated The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman into Spanish as Las innocentes (1936).
- He translated María Rosa by Àngel Guimerà.
- He translated Un invierno en Mallorca by George Sand (1943).
- He translated La vida heroica de María Curie by Eva Curie (1941).
Movies He Wrote For
Francisco Madrid wrote screenplays (movie scripts) for several films.
Screenplays
- Wake Up to Life (1945)
- The Circus Cavalcade (1945), co-written
- María Rosa (1946)
- Los pueblos dormidos (1947), a documentary
- La copla de la Dolores (1947), also known as Song of Dolores
- Olé torero (1949)
- Sombras en la frontera (1951)
Movie Stories
- He also wrote the story for the film María Rosa (1946) with Ariel Cortazzo.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Madrid para niños
