Vicente Celestino, playing a ragged alcoholic, casts a pensive glance into the beyond and suddenly grabs his guitar to answer the question asked at a bar table: "Do you want to know why I drink, ma'am?". The answer comes in the form of a song: "I became a drunkard, and in drink I seek to forget..." The classic scene is part of the film O ébrio, from 1946, one of the biggest box-office hits in the history of Brazilian cinema, of all time. It is also one of the most memorable films produced by Cinédia, nothing less than Brazil's oldest film studio.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of a group of people gathered in an indoor setting, possibly a dressing room or meeting room. In the upper part of the image, three men and two women are seated, all smiling and looking at the camera. On the left, there is a woman in a floral dress, followed by two men in white shirts. On the right, there is another woman in a dark dress, also smiling, with a man in a striped shirt beside her. In the background, there are two more people, one on each side, also smiling and looking at the camera. Below the photo, there is text in Portuguese, mentioning "Filmando na Atlântida" (Filming at Atlântida). There are three small additional images at the bottom of the page, showing different moments of work and conversation among the same individuals.Cinédia was inaugurated in March 1930 by Rio-born journalist Adhemar Gonzaga as the first attempt at industrial film production in the city. Its focus was on popular dramas and musical comedies, known as chanchadas. In 1933, it launched Carmen Miranda's film career in the movie directed by Adhemar Gonzaga and Humberto Mauro, called A voz do Carnaval. It also launched several actors such as Oscarito, Grande Otelo, and Dercy Gonçalves. It ended its activities as a producer and filmmaker in 1951.
Another key production company for the development of the seventh art in our country was Atlântida Cinematográfica. It was founded in September 1941 by Moacir Fenelon and brothers José Carlos and Paulo Burle. Its creators aimed for the progress of Brazilian cinema through industrial ventures, and dreamed of the union between popular cinema and art cinema. In the beginning, Atlântida focused on newsreels.
His first success was the film Moleque Tião, which starred Grande Otelo as the lead. It was directed by José Burle and inspired by the actor's own life. It marked the production company's entry into the world of social issues. Between 1943 and 1947, the production company gained consistency, producing 12 films, among them Tristezas não pagam dívidas, which brought together, for the first time, Grande Otelo and Oscarito. In 1947, control of Atlântida passed to Luis Severiano Ribeiro's group and it took on a more commercial approach.
The production company entertained the Brazilian public with its chanchadas and delighted Rio residents, who saw their landscapes and habits portrayed in the films. Atlântida produced a total of 66 films until 1962, when it ceased its activities.
