The Drunkard
About The Drunkard
Gilberto Silva, a medical student from the interior, is left poor when his father loses the farm. He quits school, drifts in the city, and is taken in by the priest Simão, who finds him work. He writes the song "Porta Aberta," wins a radio contest, finishes his degree, and marries the nurse Marieta. Relatives strip him again and he loses her. He takes to the streets as a drunk. In the last reel he sings "O Ébrio" in a bar.
Cast & crew
More about The Drunkard
Gilda de Abreu directed and wrote the screenplay with her husband, Vicente Celestino, who stars as Gilberto and whose song "O Ébrio" had already been a play. Adhemar Gonzaga produced for Cinédia. Afrodisio P. Castro photographed and co-edited with Lazlo Meitner, who also did the art direction. It was shot in Rio de Janeiro in 1945 and released in Brazil on August 28, 1946.
Themes
Background
Shooting was in Rio in 1945, the year Getúlio Vargas left office, and the film opened the following August.
Reviews
Film historian João Luiz Vieira has called it one of the great successes of Brazilian cinema.
Audiences
About four million people saw it between 1946 and 1950, and exhibitors in several capitals reported it outdrawing Gone with the Wind.
Look
Afrodisio P. Castro shot the Rio street scenes and the bar where Gilberto sings.
Music
Vicente Celestino wrote "O Ébrio," sung in the final bar scene, and the film's Gilberto writes "Porta Aberta" for a radio contest. Júlio Cristobal is co-composer. Ademilde Fonseca sings with Celestino.
Preservation
Restored in 1996, with scenes cut from the first release put back. A later television copy ran longer than the 107-minute release.
Notes
- It is counted as the first Brazilian sound feature directed by a woman.
- Alice Archambeau plays Marieta. Victor Drummond plays Father Simão. Rodolfo Arena plays cousin José, and Walter D'Ávila plays cousin Rego.
- Ademilde Fonseca appears in the musical numbers with Celestino.
- English-language sources say it drew about four million spectators between 1946 and 1950. The Portuguese Wikipedia estimates five million in those years.
- In several state capitals it was reported ahead of Gone with the Wind.
- Abraccine's list of 100 essential Brazilian films includes it.
- Júlio Cristobal shares the music credit with Celestino.
Scenes
- Father Simão takes Gilberto in after the farm is gone.
- Gilberto sings "Porta Aberta" on the radio and starts over.
- He sings "O Ébrio" in a bar at the end.
Influenced by
- Vicente Celestino's song "O Ébrio
- The stage play adapted from that song