TV PAULISTA - comedy & humour

 

Ronald Golias, Monoel de Nóbrega & Carlos Alberto de Nóbrega at 'O Cruzeiro', 1960.

'Programa Manoel da Nóbrega' at Radio Nacional Paulista in 1960; from left to right: Daniel Guimarães, Ronald Golias (wearing a cap), Carlos Alberto da Nóbrega, José Sampaio, Maximira Figueiredo, Tilde Serato (back) Canarinho and Silvio Santos. 

Silvio Santos, Carlos Alberto, Manoel de Nóbrega, Farid Riskallah, Ronald Golias, Tilde Serato & Manoel Inocêncio.

Hélio de Alencar & Silvio Santos were the two MCs who presented 'Programa Manoel de Nóbrega' on PRG-9, Radio Nacional paulista; Radiolândia n.139, 1956. Silvio Santos who would become a TV personality in a few years learned all the ropes of this business during this time. 

Manoel da Nóbrega & Ronald Golias at the proverbial bench at 'Praça da Alegria', in 1957.

Everyone dressed to the nines at São Paulo's Theatro Municipal for the 1958 Tupiniquim's Gala in which the best radio & TV performers were awarded trophies by TV Tupi. Raquel Martins (wearing a pearl necklace) in the back row; in the middle row from left to right: Sylas Robery, Vida Alves, Lima Duarte, Laura Cardoso & Ronald Golias.

Manoel de Nóbrega (born on 18 February 1913, in Niteroy-RJ) with wife and Carlos Alberto, their only son (born on 12 March 1936). Manoel started at Radio Mayrink Veiga in 1931. He moved to São Paulo in 1944, and worked at Radio Cultura, Tupi, Piratininga moving then to Radio Nacional and TV Paulista, where he started 'Praça da Alegria' in 1957.

Renato Côrte-Real plays Neco to Augusto Machado de Campos' Lilico Swing at TV Paulista in 1954 (Radiolândia).

Carmen Veronica played the major role at 'Miss Campeonato' at TV Paulista. Gazeta Esportiva, 8 November 1957. 

'Miss Campeonato' (Miss Championship) created by author-cum-journalist Sergio Porto aka Stanislau Ponte Preta went to air at Radio Mayrink Veiga in early 1957. Stanislau wrote a farce in which Rio de Janeiro's Football League teams were each represented as a male denizen of a boarding house in which there lived a single female young lady who was wooed by all. 

Show girl Carmen Verônica, one of Brazil's most curvaceous ladies got the part of this beauty queen who lived with her mother (played by Raquel Martins) in such a boarding house. Missy would get a date with the winner of the week's rounds. At the end of the season Miss Championship would marry the bloke whose team won the year's championship. 

The radio show became an instant hit in Rio and migrated to São Paulo less than 6 months later, opening at TV Paulista every Wednesday night. Comedians Borges de Barros as Corinthians F.C.; Ronaldo Golias as São Paulo F.C.; Chocolate as ... ; Daniel Guimarães as ... ; Farid Riskallah, Homem de Melo; Percival Ferreira; Manoel Inocêncio, Luís Pini, Walter Ribeiro dos Santos; Clayton Silva; Roberto Barreiros and Claudio Moreno among others who eventually came and went. Osmano Cardoso plays 'Seo' Falcolino the janitor. 

'Miss Campeonato' ran for seven years until 1964, one year before TV Paulista would be sold out. 

Carmen Verônica on the cover of 'Manchete', December 1959. 

Stanislau Ponte Preta aka Sergio Porto presents his Miss Campeonato at TV Paulista; revista Fon-Fon, 1957; the very first 'Miss Campeonato' with Carmen Verônica as the desired lady would begin on the first days of October 1957.

'Revista do Radio' no. 417, likes 'Miss Campeonato' 1957. 

Carmen Verônica stars as 'Miss Campeonato every Wednesday at 8:30 pm; here she's flanked by Borges de Barros who impersonates Corinthians Football Club and Ronald Golias as São Paulo F.C. Foto by Radiolandia, 1957.

 

Carmen Verônica talks to Radiolandia: "Confesso-me encantada com a TV. Não é esta minha primeira experiência diante das câmeras. Fiz 2 programas tipo revista no Canal 3 (TV Tupi) susubstituindo Virgínia Lane, e tomei parte aqui mesmo na TV Paulista, em 'Sua Excelência em 26 Poses' ao lado de Silveira Sampaio. Mas considero esta minha estréia. Apesar de não eestar bem entrosada nos primeiros programas (é tão completamente diferente do meu gênero) agora já estou dentro da coisa..." 

Tendo família em São Paulo, a bela 'vedette' de 'Miss Campeonato', aproveita suas viagens semanais para visitar os entes queridos. Adorando a vida do lar, Carmen Verônica havia desistido quase completamente da vida artística, quando foi chamada por Luis Vassalo, idealizador do 'Miss Campeonato' para fazer o papel aqui em São Paulo. "Aceitei porque gostei muito da ideia do Vassalo e do script de José Roberto Silveira".

Anilza Leoni, a Rio de Janeiro show-girl, moves to São Paulo to be the new Miss Campeonato - 'A Gazeta Esportiva', 15 April 1958. 

'Radiolandia' of early 1957 reveals Borges de Barros as the great 1956 hope as a comedian. Having played the 'poor cousin' role for some time, Borges claims he's not from the Northeast as many thought but was born in Campo Grande-MT, the same hometown of Janio Quadros, São Paulo's governor and future President (1961). 

Borges was both an actor and comedian having taken part in many 'Teledrama' plays: In 1955, he appeared in 'O corcunda', 'O final do conto', 'O casaco de peles', 'O pássaro na gaiola', 'O negrinho do pastoreio' and Domngos Olímpio's 'Luzia-homem'; in 1956 he was in 'Por quem os sinos dobram?' (For whom the bell tolls?), 'O falcão maltês' (Maltese falcon), 'Rua 21, Estação 37', 'Os proscritos de Poker Flav', Armando Fontes' 'Os Corumbas', Jorge Amado's 'Terras do sem fim', Lima Barreto's 'Clara dos Anjos' and 'O tempo de sua vida'. 

In 1957, as his career as a comedian took off he appeared only in Goethe's 'Fausto'; in 1958, Borges was in 'O malandro', José Mauro de Vasconcelos' 'Arara vermelha' and Ranulfo Prata's 'Navios iluminados'; in 1959, Borges appeared in 'Lampião' and Aracy Rivera de Rezende's 'Semente amarga'. 

Later on in the 1960s, having found he couldn't get as many acting parts as before Borges de Barros worked as a dubbing actor, having put Brazilian Portuguese in the lips of nefarious Dr. Zachary Smith of 'Lost in Space'.

Ronald Golias drawn by Miécio Caffé at 'A Gazeta' on 30 August 1957. 

9 January 1959 (Última Hora): 'São Paulo, num te guento' on Fridays at 9:00 pm with Ronald Golias, Canarinho, Chocolate, Raquel Martins, Farid Riskalah, Manuel Inocêncio & Joana Duarte;  24 February 1959 - 'Lotação-Ponto Cinco' in which Ronald Golias played a zany taxi-driver on Wednesdays at 9:30 pm.

on the left Manoel da Nóbrega and Sarita Campos at his 'Vale a pena ser pesado'; Radiolândia, 1956; on the right Manoel de Nóbrega plays the puppet-master with puppets representing Ronald Golias and Canarinho; 'A Gazeta Esportiva', 3rd June 1958. 

'Praça da Alegria' (Joy Plaza) every Monday at 8:00 pm, a comedy-hour devised by Manoel da Nóbrega in which he sat at a city square bench and had various 'visitors' who asked his permission to sit beside him and talk about their lives. It started at TV Paulista and it became the longest living TV show ever. This particular ad was printed at Manchete no.513, in 1962. 

Daniel Guimarães, Ronald Golias, Maximira Figueiredo, Antonio Carlos & Eloísa Mafalda at 'Riso dos Cinco', a humour hour shown in 1960. 

2nd February 1959 - 'Radiolândia' prints TV Paulista's Monday's and Tuesday's grid. 'Praça da Alegria' commanded by Manoel de Nóbrega was a fixture on Mondays. Priest Olavo Pezzotti, who lived in a house on Rua Aspicuelta, 3 blocks away from where I lived in Vila Madalena had a 10-minute talk with his flock every evening at 6 o'clock; 'Radiolândia' 1st fortnight of April 1961. 'Folias do Golias' was top on Tuesdays night at 8:35 pm

20 June 1957 - 'A Gazeta Esportiva' prints TV Paulista's Thursday's grid; Carlos Alberto de Nóbrega has a hair cut while Canarinho shows him something at a newspaper. RR, 1957.

30 March 1957 - Saturday & Sunday; see Wilma Bentivegna in 'Sempre no meu coração' on Saturday and Ângela Maria with 'Audições Gessy' on Sunday night. 

Drama producer José Castellar (here in 1958) was 'poached' from TV Tupi in 1956; he was instrumental in developing TV Paulista's drama department. 

Elio Tozzi, David Conde & José Castellar work at 'Café Concerto' in 1957. 

11 April 1959 - Chocolate's own show at TV Paulista on Thursday, at 1:35 pm.

'Praça da Alegria' regular staff circa 1962: standing from left to right: ?, Borges de Barros, Zilda Cardoso, Carlos Alberto de Nóbrega, Manoel de Nóbrega, Marlene Morel, Ronald Golias, Consuelo Leandro and Jo Soares; crouching from left to right: Astrogildo Filho, Simplício, Viana Junior, Roni Rios and Chocolate.

Hebe Camargo plays the part usually done by Manoel de Nóbrega at 'Praça da Alegria' in 1960. Mr Nobrega usually sat down on the bench and were 'visited' by various characters who held small talk with him; in this case it's Clayton Silva's turn to say his catch-phrase: 'Eu tô di ôio no sinhô!'

Hebe Camargo & Borges de Barros (meu caro colega) at 'Praça da Alegria' on the same night. 

'Comsorte, Hebe e Você' on Mondays at 9:00 pm; 'Cynar faz o Show' with Zilda Cardoso, on Wednesday at 8:00 pm. Manchete no.558, in 1962. 

'Escola de grupo', devised by Manoel da Nóbrega was shown every Thursdays at 8:00 pm in 1962. From left to right:  Gilberto Garcia (Tuím); Borges de Barros (the teacher); Roberto Barreiro (Secundino from Northeastern Brazil); Isaura Marques (Lili, who knows the answer to all questions); Clayton Silva (wearing a sailor suite written 'É eu!'); Luiz Pini as Pepino, the Italian & Daniel Guimarães (Manoel, from Portugal). 

Lauro Borges (on the right) & Daniel Guimarães star in PRK-30 on Thrusdays (8:00 pm) Fridays (9:00 pm) and Sundays (12:30 am). Manchete, 1962.

TV PAULISTA - telenovelas & series (1952-1965)

Vera Nunes & Paulo Goulart with cameraman Haroldo Moreno.

'Revista Monitor de Rádio e Televisão' hails the advent of TV Paulista, São Paulo's second TV station which started broadcasting on 14 March 1952, a Friday, with the beaming of the first chapter of  'Helena', a tele-novela adapted from a 1876 novel by Machado de Assis, starring Vera Nunes and Paulo Goulart. 

Sergio Brito, Italian director Ruggero Jacobbi, artistic-director of TV Paulista in its inception, Tônia Carrero, Mrs. Jacobbi and Adolfo Celi (who would play an arch-vilain to James Bond in 1965's 'Thunderball') in Rio de Janeiro in 1953. 

Ruggero Jacobbi, a theatre man born in Venezia, in 1920, was TV Paulista's first artistic director; on the right: drama producer Álvaro Moya would follow in Jacobbi's footsteps ... then he was 'poached' by TV Excelsior. The note at Radiolândia (1957) says Moya was invited by the US Department of State for a TV course in the USA but could not accept due to his being busy at Channel 5. 

Former child-actor Walter Avancini, in 1959. He would become the doyen of Brazilian TV drama in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Rogério Marcico started at TV Paulista through Enia Petri who had been signed to produce and direct the drama department. In 1955, Marcico starred in 'Horas desesperadas', 'O corcunda', 'O final do conto' and 'Casaco de peles' all plays presented at 'Teledrama'. 

For some unknown reason Rogério stayed away from TV Paulista but returned with a vengeance in 1958 starring in no less than twelve plays:  'Arara vermelha', 'Vôo 614', 'Horas desesperadas' (for the 2nd time), 'Máscara traiçoeira', 'Viagem a um pequeno planeta', 'Um jovem da boemia', 'A megera domada' (The taming of the shrew), 'Loucuras de um milionário', 'Sindicato dos ladrões' (On the waterfront), 'Gilda', 'O dia em que o tempo parou' and 'Réquiem para um peso-pesado'.

Maximira Figueiredo won 'A procura de uma estrêla', a TV Paulista talent-scout competion in 1956 and soon after played an important role at novela 'Neli' on Tuesdays & Fridays at 8:00 pm. 

TELENOVELAS & SERIES 

1952: 

- Machado de Assis' 'Helena' with Vera Nunes, Paulo Goulart, Jane Batista; 

- João Paulo Cardoso Silva's 'Sinhá das Dôres', a country-flavoured novela shown on Weds & Sats. 

-  'Senhora', 'Diva'; 

1953: 'O morro dos ventos uivantes' ('Wuthering Heights' with Maurício Shermann as Heathcliffe)

- Aloísio de Azevedo's 'Casa de pensão' with Jane Batista & Lino Monteiro. 

1954: 'Peter Pan'

1956: 

- 'Neli', novela shown on Tuesdays & Fridays  at 8:00 pm with Odayr Marzano, Walter Avancini & Maximira Figueiredo playing the title-role. 

- Lloyd C. Douglas' 'Luz da esperança' (Green light) adapted by José Castellar with Helio Souto, Wilma Bentivegna, Maximira Figueiredo, Percival Ferreira;

- 'Meu filho, meu orgulho'; 

1957: 'Na noite do passado', 

- 'Minha pequena lady' (Dionísio Azevedo as Prof. Higgins); 

- 'Eu matei Rasputin' as played by David Conde;

- 'Marido magro, mulher chata' with Nicette Bruno, Paulo Goulart & Aurimar Rocha, produced by Augusto Boal in instalments; 19 November 1957;

1958: 

- 'A grande mentira', 'Presença de Anita' 

- Charles Dickens' 'David Copperfield' with Marcio Trunkel playing the title-role, Suzi Arruda & Raimundo Duprat; Thursdays at 7:30 pm;

- José Castellar's 'Direto ao coração' with Lucy Meirelles on Teledrama 3 Leões; 

- 'A alma das coisas' a different drama every Tuesday, produced & presented by Mario Brasini; on 30 December 1958, a story with Lucy Meirelles, Rogério Marcico, Lucy Rangel, Moacyr Franco etc. 

1959: 

- Charles Dickens' 'Os Irmãos Dombey' (Dombey & son) with Ivete Jayme, Marcelo Gastaldi, Diana Morel, Líbero Miguel, Leonor Pacheco, Marcia Cardeal as of 6 January 1959, every Tue and Thurs at 7:30 pm on Telenovela Mesbla;

- 'Grande Hotel Philips' Brazilian Hollywood star Raul Roulien plays a waiter at such hotel every Tue, with Lucy Meirelles. Produced by Heloísa Castellar; 22nd February 1959.

- 'A princezinha' with Izamar Rizzo as the little princess, Ivete Jayme as Miss Minchin, Márcia Cardeal, Maria  Regina & Adélia Vitória;

- 'Minha devoção' on Tuesdays & Fridays at 1:55 pm; 

- 'Hino ao amor'; 'O Guarani'.

1960: 'Oliver Twist', directed by Libero Miguel; 'Helena'; 'Laura'; 'História de um avô' produced by Libero Miguel & Enia Petri. 

1961: 'Mateus Falcone', produced by Libero Miguel; 'A Herdeira de Ferleac' (Enia Petri's); 'As grandes esperanças' (Dickens' 'Great expectations'), 'O ébrio', 'Francisca', 'A fugitiva'; 

- Daphne du Maurier's 'A estalagem maldita' (Jamaica Inn) staged by Grande Teatro O.V.C. with Ricardo Nóvoa, Waldir Guedes & Lucy Meirelles.

- Clímaco Cesar's 'Justiceiro Invencível' with Walter Avancini on Tue, Thu & Sat. (1961)  

1962: 'Zogbi' & 'O usuário', both produced by Libero Miguel; 

- 'A encruzilhada', 'Colégio de brotos'

- Enia Petria's 'A pequena lady' with Ernesta Maria Marchi, a child actress who won a competition with 347 other hopefuls to portray the title-role; directed by Liberto Miguel on Tues & Thus at 7:55 pm.

1963:

- Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol' ('O velho Scrooge'); 

- Charles Dickens' 'A loja de antiguidades' ('The old curiosity shop'); 

- José de Alencar's 'O tronco do ipê' with Osmar Prado, Marcelo Gastaldi & Marcia Cardeal;

- 'Branca-de-Neve e os sete anões' e 'As quatro Irmãs'.

1964: 'Romance de Bernadete'; 'O conde de Suffolk'; 'Tortura d'Alma'

- Enia Petri's 'Eu amo esse homem' with Nydia Lícia, Emiliano Queiróz & Mirtes Grisoli; produced by Líbero Miguel; 

- 'Um ramo de rosas'.

1965: 'A sombra do passado', 'Chamas que não se apagam' & 'Cadeia de cristal'.

8 October 1955 (Saturday) - José Castellar's 'Uma ressurreição' broadcast on 6 January 1959 (Ultima Hora) - Charles Dickens 'Dombey & Son' becomes a telenovela 'Os irmãos Dombey' on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 7:30 pm. "Ultima Hora', 6 January 1959.  

Helio Souto & José Castelar; Radiolândia, 1956; telenovela 'A princezinha' with Izamar Rizzo, Maria Regina & Márcia Cardela shown in 1959. 

Janete Gayer & Marzano in Eny Autran's 'Ensaiando Romeu & Julieta' at TV Paulista in 1956; playwright Eny Autran who was paramount as a playwright  at TV Paulista.

Leading man Odayr Marzano and Samuel Bastos at a chapter of José Castelar's series 'Minha Devoção' (My devotion) broadcast on Tuesdays & Fridays at 1:55 pm. Revista do Radio n.496, 1959.

Mini-series (here called 'novelinha') 'Hino ao amor' was written by Odayr Marzano based on the French song 'Hymne à l'amour' whose lyrics were written by Édith Piaf to the music of Marguerite Monnot. Piaf wrote it to her lover, the French boxer, Marcel Cerdan. On 28 October 1949, Cerdan was killed in the crash of Air France Flight 009 on his way from Paris to New York to come to see her. She recorded the song on 2nd May 1950. Marzano wrote both the series and the Portuguese words for the song which shot to number one as soon as it was released by Odeon. Edson França plays the role of a hardened gangster in an adaptation of William Wyler's 'The desperate hours' (Horas de desespero) released in the USA on 5 October 1955 (A Gazeta, 10 September 1958).

19 November 1957 (Gazeta Esportiva) - Nicete Bruno & husband Paulo Goulart in 'Marido magro, mulher chata' shown in instalments starting the first days of October 1957; Marcio Trunkel plays Charles Dickens' 'David Copperfield' with Suzi Arruda & Raimundo Duprat (Radiolândia 244, 1958).

Vera Nunes (*12 August 1928 +2nd February 2021), Rubens de Falco (*19 October 1931 +22nd February 2008), Debbie Reynolds *1st April 1928 +28 December 2016) & John Herbert (17 May 1929 +26 January 2011) at the studios of Vera Cruz in São Bernardo do Campo when Miss Reynolds visited Brazil in 1953. 

'Radiolândia' 1962. 

Lourdes Rocha shows her witty side at Revista do Rádio's Téco-Téco interview; 1957.

Miss Rocha at Radiolândia, 1958. 

Nota Bene: most of photographic material on this page has been taken from Facebook's "TV Paulista, Canal 5 (1952-1965)". We'd like to thank administrator Elizabeth Snt Oliveira for her expertise in the field.