Jacobo Morales
Encyclopedia
Jacobo Morales is an auteur, whom many consider to be the most influential film director in Puerto Rico's history.
. He started acting in radio and theater when he was only 14 years old. He started in television at its inception in 1954 working as an actor, writer and director. Some of his works have been: Desafiando a los Genios, Esto no tiene Nombre, La Tiendita de la Esquina, among many others.
During this time, he also started working with the political satire and comedy group Los Rayos Gamma
, together with journalist Eddie López
. The group still performs at theaters occasionally, and in the 80s and 90s had several shows on TV. In theatre, he has starred in over 30 plays
, and he has written and directed five.
In the 1970s, he had the opportunity to work in Hollywood productions like Woody Allen
's Bananas
and Up the Sandbox
with Barbra Streisand
.
His first directing work was the film Dios los cría in 1980. The film was an important event in the Puerto Rican film history and received several awards. It was also selected as one of the 25 most significant films of Latin America
. He followed it with Nicolás y los demás in which he also had the starring role. For this performance he received the Best Actor Award at the Cartagena de Indias Festival in Colombia
, 1986.
His third film, Lo que le Pasó a Santiago
, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
in 1990. In 1994, he followed it with Linda Sara
which starred singer Chayanne
and former Miss Universe
Dayanara Torres
. The film received the Award for Best Artistic Contribution at the Latin American Film Festival from Trieste
, Italy; the People's Choice Award at the Mar del Plata Festival in Argentina
; and the Best Script and Best Music Award at the Latin American Film Festival in New York
.
In 2004, Morales directed the sequel to his first film, Dios los cría II, which was exhibited through WIPR-TV
in Puerto Rico. In 2007, Angel
, his latest full-length feature film was released to much critical praise. It was considered for submission for the 80th Academy Awards
but it lost to Maldeamores
in a voting of the Puerto Rico Film Corporation.
Life and career
Morales was born in Lajas, Puerto RicoLajas, Puerto Rico
Lajas is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in southwestern region, south of San Germán and Sabana Grande; east of Cabo Rojo; and west of Guánica. Lajas is spread over 11 wards and Lajas Pueblo...
. He started acting in radio and theater when he was only 14 years old. He started in television at its inception in 1954 working as an actor, writer and director. Some of his works have been: Desafiando a los Genios, Esto no tiene Nombre, La Tiendita de la Esquina, among many others.
During this time, he also started working with the political satire and comedy group Los Rayos Gamma
Los Rayos Gamma
Los Rayos Gamma is a Puerto Rican comedy troupe specializing in political satire. The group was founded in the late 1960s and is currently composed of:* Sunshine Logroño - comedian, actor, host, singer, producer...
, together with journalist Eddie López
Eddie López (journalist)
Manuel Eduardo López Rolón a.k.a. Eddie López was a Puerto Rican journalist.Eddie López was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico in 1940, the son of Manuel López Canals and Teresa Rolón Perez...
. The group still performs at theaters occasionally, and in the 80s and 90s had several shows on TV. In theatre, he has starred in over 30 plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, and he has written and directed five.
In the 1970s, he had the opportunity to work in Hollywood productions like Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's Bananas
Bananas (film)
Bananas is a 1971 comedy film written by Mickey Rose and Woody Allen, directed by Allen, and starring himself and Louise Lasser. Parts of the plot were based on the book Don Quixote, U.S.A. by Richard P. Powell. It was filmed on location in New York City, Lima , and various locations in Puerto...
and Up the Sandbox
Up the Sandbox
Up The Sandbox is a 1972 American comedy film directed by Irvin Kershner.Paul Zindel's screenplay, based on the novel by Anne Roiphe, focuses on Margaret Reynolds, a young New York City wife and mother who, neglected by her husband and bored with her daily existence, slips into increasingly bizarre...
with Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
.
His first directing work was the film Dios los cría in 1980. The film was an important event in the Puerto Rican film history and received several awards. It was also selected as one of the 25 most significant films of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. He followed it with Nicolás y los demás in which he also had the starring role. For this performance he received the Best Actor Award at the Cartagena de Indias Festival in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, 1986.
His third film, Lo que le Pasó a Santiago
Lo que le Pasó a Santiago
Lo que le pasó a Santiago is a 1989 Puerto Rican film written and directed by Jacobo Morales.The movie tells the story of a recently retired widower who meets a mysterious young lady in his life, disrupting his daily routines.Lo que le pasó a Santiago was the first Puerto Rican production in...
, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
in 1990. In 1994, he followed it with Linda Sara
Linda Sara
Linda Sara is a Puerto Rican film directed by Jacobo Morales and starring singer Chayanne and former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres. The film was released in 1994.-Cast:* Dayanara Torres - Young Sara* Chayanne - Young Alejandro* Daniel Lugo - Gustavo...
which starred singer Chayanne
Chayanne
Elmer Figueroa Arce , best known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor. As a solo artist, Chayanne has released 21 solo-albums and sold over 20 million albums worldwide.-Early life:...
and former Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
Dayanara Torres
Dayanara Torres
Dayanara Torres Delgado is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, model, and former Miss Universe.Torres was discovered at age 17 while walking through the Plaza de Toa Alta in her hometown, and was invited to represent Toa Alta in the annual Miss Puerto Rico pageant. She won the pageant and the right...
. The film received the Award for Best Artistic Contribution at the Latin American Film Festival from Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy; the People's Choice Award at the Mar del Plata Festival in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
; and the Best Script and Best Music Award at the Latin American Film Festival in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In 2004, Morales directed the sequel to his first film, Dios los cría II, which was exhibited through WIPR-TV
WIPR-TV
WIPR-TV is an non-commercial educational, full-power public television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over analog channel 6, digital 43. The station is owned and operated by Corporación de Puerto Rico para la Difusión Pública ...
in Puerto Rico. In 2007, Angel
Angel (2007 Puerto Rican film)
Ángel is a 2007 Puerto Rican film written and directed by Jacobo Morales. Morales also performs one of the lead roles in the film. The film was released on August 16, 2007 in Puerto Rico. It was produced by Cinesí Productions.-Plot:...
, his latest full-length feature film was released to much critical praise. It was considered for submission for the 80th Academy Awards
80th Academy Awards
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films in 2007 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 24, 2008 . During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards in 24...
but it lost to Maldeamores
Maldeamores
Maldeamores is a 2007 Puerto Rican film starring Luis Guzmán, written by Carlos Ruíz Ruíz and Jorge Gonzales, and directed by Ruíz and his wife Mariem Pérez Riera.The film consists of three separate stories dealing with the ironies of love...
in a voting of the Puerto Rico Film Corporation.
Actor
- BananasBananas (film)Bananas is a 1971 comedy film written by Mickey Rose and Woody Allen, directed by Allen, and starring himself and Louise Lasser. Parts of the plot were based on the book Don Quixote, U.S.A. by Richard P. Powell. It was filmed on location in New York City, Lima , and various locations in Puerto...
(1971), with Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema... - Up the SandboxUp the SandboxUp The Sandbox is a 1972 American comedy film directed by Irvin Kershner.Paul Zindel's screenplay, based on the novel by Anne Roiphe, focuses on Margaret Reynolds, a young New York City wife and mother who, neglected by her husband and bored with her daily existence, slips into increasingly bizarre...
(1972), with Barbra StreisandBarbra StreisandBarbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
(played Fidel CastroFidel CastroFidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
) - Dios los cría...And God Created Them...And God Created Them is a 1979 Puerto Rican comedy film directed by Jacobo Morales. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival.- Synopsis :The film actually consists of five vignettes:...
(1979) - Nicolás y los demás (1986)
- Los cuentos de Abelardo (1990), based on stories written by Abelardo Diaz AlfaroAbelardo Díaz AlfaroAbelardo Díaz Alfaro was a Puerto Rican author who reached great fame throughout Latin America during the 1940s. Some say his actual year of birth was 1919, but officially it was always announced as 1916...
- The Effects of Magic (1998)
- ÁngelAngel (2007 Puerto Rican film)Ángel is a 2007 Puerto Rican film written and directed by Jacobo Morales. Morales also performs one of the lead roles in the film. The film was released on August 16, 2007 in Puerto Rico. It was produced by Cinesí Productions.-Plot:...
(2007)
Director
- Dios los cría (1979)
- Nicolás y los demás (1986)
- Linda SaraLinda SaraLinda Sara is a Puerto Rican film directed by Jacobo Morales and starring singer Chayanne and former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres. The film was released in 1994.-Cast:* Dayanara Torres - Young Sara* Chayanne - Young Alejandro* Daniel Lugo - Gustavo...
(1994), with ChayanneChayanneElmer Figueroa Arce , best known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor. As a solo artist, Chayanne has released 21 solo-albums and sold over 20 million albums worldwide.-Early life:...
& Dayanara TorresDayanara TorresDayanara Torres Delgado is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, model, and former Miss Universe.Torres was discovered at age 17 while walking through the Plaza de Toa Alta in her hometown, and was invited to represent Toa Alta in the annual Miss Puerto Rico pageant. She won the pageant and the right... - Los cuentos de Abelardo (1990), based on stories written by Abelardo Diaz Alfaro
- Lo que le Pasó a SantiagoLo que le Pasó a SantiagoLo que le pasó a Santiago is a 1989 Puerto Rican film written and directed by Jacobo Morales.The movie tells the story of a recently retired widower who meets a mysterious young lady in his life, disrupting his daily routines.Lo que le pasó a Santiago was the first Puerto Rican production in...
(1989), with Tommy MuñizTommy MuñizLucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez , better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner...
& Gladys RodríguezGladys RodríguezGladys Rodríguez born June 4, 1943 in Santurce, Puerto Rico, is an actress, comedian and television host.-Early years:Rodríguez was born in Santurce, a section of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. Her parents moved to New York City when she was still a child. In New York, she received her... - Dios los cría II (2004)
- ÁngelAngel (2007 Puerto Rican film)Ángel is a 2007 Puerto Rican film written and directed by Jacobo Morales. Morales also performs one of the lead roles in the film. The film was released on August 16, 2007 in Puerto Rico. It was produced by Cinesí Productions.-Plot:...
(2007)
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Cinema of Puerto RicoCinema of Puerto RicoThe history of the Cinema industry in Puerto Rico begins with the US invasion of the island in 1898. At that time, the American soldiers brought cameras to record what they saw. It was not until the 1912 that Puerto Ricans would begin to produce their own films.After this, Puerto Rican cinema has...
- List of Puerto Ricans in the Academy Awards
- Lo que le Pasó a SantiagoLo que le Pasó a SantiagoLo que le pasó a Santiago is a 1989 Puerto Rican film written and directed by Jacobo Morales.The movie tells the story of a recently retired widower who meets a mysterious young lady in his life, disrupting his daily routines.Lo que le pasó a Santiago was the first Puerto Rican production in...
- Gladys RodríguezGladys RodríguezGladys Rodríguez born June 4, 1943 in Santurce, Puerto Rico, is an actress, comedian and television host.-Early years:Rodríguez was born in Santurce, a section of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. Her parents moved to New York City when she was still a child. In New York, she received her...
- Tommy MuñizTommy MuñizLucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez , better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner...
- ChayanneChayanneElmer Figueroa Arce , best known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor. As a solo artist, Chayanne has released 21 solo-albums and sold over 20 million albums worldwide.-Early life:...