| Birth date | 14 May 1902 |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Staten Island, New York City, New York, United States |
| Death date | 29 January 1978 |
| Death place | New York City, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Director, Producer |
Wallace Downey (New York City, May 14, 1902 – New York City, January 29, 1978) was an American film producer and director.
In 1928 Wallace Downey, an executive of Columbia Records, was sent to South America to install a Brazilian branch for his company. He quickly realized Brazil was an entertainment hot bed for potential markets in records and films.[1]
In 1931 Downey produced and directed, Coisas Nossas, the first successful Brazilian film with sound. His 1935 film, Hello, Hello Brazil!, first introduced radio singer and actress Carmen Miranda to a larger audience paving the way to her international fame at 20th Century Fox in the United States.
Downey later founded his own production company, Waldow S.A., in a partnership with Cinédia, producing musical films.[2]
In 1938 Downey disbanded Waldow S.A., using the resources to create a new production company, Sonofilms.[1]
Selected filmography
Director
- Nossas Coisas (1931)
- Alô, Alô Brasil (1935)
- Estudantes (1935)
Producer
- Nossas Coisas (1931)
- Alô, Alô Brasil (1935)
- Estudantes (1935)
- Alô, Alô, Carnaval (1936)
- Banana da Terra (1936)
References
- ^ Castro, Ruy in "Carmen - Uma Biografia" - Companhia das Letras, 2005
- ^ Shaw, Lisa (May 2014). Brazilian National Cinema. ISBN 9781134702107.
External links
- Wallace Downey at IMDb