#alekos alexandrakis

[gemsofgreece]

Iconic Greek cinematic couples

Aliki Vouyouklaki - Dimitris Papamichail. Vouyouklaki and Papamichail first met in drama school and they mutually disliked each other. They developed a love-hate relationship until Papamichail proposed to her on stage. Their marriage was extremely turbulent, competitive and often violent. They had a son and they broke up badly after ten years. They both went on with their lives but Vouyouklaki died aged only 62 from cancer. In the last years of her life, Vouyouklaki and Papamichail had grown closer again as platonic friends, regretful and trying to work out the evil that had been done during their marriage. A devastated Papamichail visited her at her deathbed, imploring her to rise and get away together. He would visit her grave regularly.

Jenny Karezi - Alekos Alexandrakis. The most elegant couple of Greek cinema. While they played many times together, they were never a couple in real life. Alexandrakis was a smooth womanizer, Karezi preferred longterm relationships.

Kostas Voutsas - Martha Karayanni. While Voutsas' looks might at times appear unassuming due to his comedic roles, he and the sex-on-legs actress / dancer Karayanni were both legendary players. They were good friends for life but never had a relationship, which was baffling to everybody in Greece. They have both stated that the only reason they were never together was that they never managed to be both single at the same time!

Maro Kontou - Lambros Konstantaras. They played in 12 movies together! While all of Greece was convinced they were a couple, they were never a thing. Kontou revealed that even though they worked well together, their personalities were incompatible in real life. Kontou claimed she didn’t know whether Konstantaras had ever been interested in her, but she reasoned that even if he was, he was a very intelligent man who would not make a move since Kontou clearly wasn’t interested.  EDIT: I have seen the photo a hundred times as I am preparing the post and it’s only in the hundredth time that I realised Konstantaras is holding a banana.

Zoe Laskari - Phaedon Georgitsis. Georgitsis has revealed he was always dazed by Laskari's beauty. His heart would beat very fast in all their romantic scenes. However, Laskari was unattainable and unavailable, as she was always very devoted to her real-life romantic partners. In the photo, the aforementioned Voutsas and Karayanni as guest stars.

Dimitris Horn - Ellie Lambeti. Both dramatic and mostly theatrical actors, renowned for their talent. They initially disliked each other but eventually developed a passionate love affair. They lived together for six years until they broke up. Neither revealed the reason of their break-up to anybody as they were both very serious and private people. However, they didn't speak to each other for years and they never played together again.

@Actors!Anon: As we say here in Greece, you are going to live many years because I had queued this post for today long before your ask! I will get to your question in specific soon.

[sundaynightfilms]

Stella, 1955

[aboutanancientenquiry]

A beautiful song of Mikis Theodorakis with Grigoris Bithikotsis, from the movie “Synoikia to Oneiro” (1961), with Alekos Alexandrakis as producer, director, and protagonist. The movie was about poverty and social problems in the Greece of the early 60′s. The (very pessimistic) lyrics of the song are of the poet Tasos Livaditis. “Synoikia to Oneiro” (”A Neighbourhood named the dream”) had serious problems with the government of that period (initially it has been banned, eventually only a censored, much truncated version has been played in the theaters, under supervision of the police and often physical attacks against the viewers by pro-government right-wing organizations).

From the youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp_dwpJbluEP1uqXJATDasA

[theartistswar]

Melina Merkouri and Alekos Alexandrakis in Stella (1955) directed by Michael Kakogiannis

[epestrefe]

Αλέκος Αλεξανδράκης και Μελίνα Μερκούρη στη “Στέλλα” (1955)

σε σκηνοθεσία Μιχάλη Κακογιάννη

[rurbanistique]

Αφίσα για την 'Συνοικία το Όνειρο' του Αλέκου Αλεξανδράκη (1961), απαγορευμένη απο τον τότε κυβερνήτη Κ. Καραμανλη, επειδή απεικόνιζε την εξαθλίωση της χώρας, ενάντια στα σχέδιά του να παρουσιάσει μια ιλουστρασιόν Ελλάδα που θα προσέλκυε επενδυτές. Μουσική του Μίκη Θεοδωράκη. Film poster for 'A Neighborhood named "The Dream" (dir. Alekos Alexandrakis, 1961). Music by Mikis Theodorakis.

[theageofthemovies]

STELLA - (Michael Cacoyannis, 1955).

Some stills of dramatic "woman movie" "Stella" (Michael Cacoyannis, 1955), a fine Greek adaptation of "Carmen" magnificently acted by Melina Mercouri in the title role. Here Mercouri, in one of her most congenial parts (see also the most transgressive "Pote tin Kyriaki" (Dassin, 1960) is a free woman, a performer who hates marriage,  dislikes the conventional social rules and is unavoidably victimised by the men who loves her but deny her freedom. So, when she falls in love with a handsome man who wishes her to settle down and abandon her reckless ways, a dramatic conflict is going to explode... The story of a rebellious young Bouzouki performer named Stella (Mercouri) who abhors marriage, defies the rules of conventional morality, and pays for a freedom denied her by the men who love her. She must must choose between two lifestyles when she finds herself hopelessly in love with a young football player who wishes her to settle down and abandon her reckless ways. Writer and director Cacoyannis' (A GIRL IN BLACK, A MATTER OF DIGNITY) second feature won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1956. Based on the play by Iakovos Kabanellis. It is my opinion that this film is the best film ever created in Greece. This a story of Greek female singer who is full of passion and despises any social or moral "must". She is living her life like nobody else. Until our anti-hero Stella meets her destiny in the face of Miltos, a man who will try anything in order to make her his. Of course, a passion can have only one tragic end. The direction of Michalis Cacoyiannis is great and Melina Mercouri, Giorgos Fountas and Alekos Alexandrakis (the main characters in the movie) are some of the best actors that the Greek cinema and theatre has created. Also the music is made by an Oscar winner composer, named Manos Hadjidakis, and it reflects all the emotions that the actors have. If you can not understand what Mediterranean passion means, see this film, and you will. 

[babaalexander]

Great Birthday Wishes to Actors Born on November 27 Bruce Lee (1940-1973) Jaleel White Jet Jurgensmeyer Ricardo Hoyos James Avery (1945-2013) Flynn Curry Bryson Keyser William Fichtner Javier Munoz Sharlto Copley Gautam Gulati Curtis Armstrong Michael Vartan Gary Lucy Buster Merryfield (1920-1999) Reid Miller Rodney Bewes (1937-2017) Kirk Acevedo Arjay Smith Udhayanidhi Stalin Chin Han Alec Newman Tadanobu Asano Gerrit Graham Alex Brendemuhl Alekos Alexandrakis (1928-2005) Michael Rispoli Andy Merrill Carl Cervantes Gabriel Freilich Daniel Dizdar #BruceLee (1940-1973) #JaleelWhite #JetJurgensmeyer #RicardoHoyos #JamesAvery (1945-2013) #FlynnCurry #BrysonKeyser #WilliamFichtner #JavierMunoz #SharltoCopley #GautamGulati #CurtisArmstrong #MichaelVartan #GaryLucy #BusterMerryfield (1920-1999) #ReidMiller #RodneyBewes (1937-2017) #KirkAcevedo #ArjaySmith #UdhayanidhiStalin #ChinHan #AlecNewman #TadanobuAsano #GerritGraham #AlexBrendemuhl #AlekosAlexandrakis (1928-2005) #MichaelRispoli #AndyMerrill #CarlCervantes #GabrielFreilich #DanielDizdar

[nnikkoss]

Αλεκος Αλεξανδρακης - Alekos Alexandrakis

[gemsofgreece]

Still of Alekos Alexandrakis and Jenny Karezi in the movie Δεσποινίς Διευθυντής (Miss Manager), 1964.

[aboutanancientenquiry]

Three beautiful songs from the album “Lipotaktes” of Mikis Theodorakis (1962), with the voice of Theodorakis himself. The lyrics are of his brother Yannis. Bouzouki plays the great Manolis Chiotis. The video includes scenes from the movie “Synoikia to Oneiro” of Alekos Alexandrakis (1961), for which Theodorakis has written the music.

From the youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCqlCyWSxSmlwVyzG5NjBqQ

[au-miel]

Το Φως Που Σβήνει (Fading Light, Vasilis Douros / 2000)

[3nightbird3]

Αλέκος Αλεξανδράκης Alekos Alexandrakis

[alehantrash]

[gemsofgreece]

Which old Greek movies from the 50s through 70s are the best?

Based on a combination of film critics' choices and my personal taste, here's a Top 10 + 2 in no particular order:

Η Κάλπικη Λίρα - The Counterfeit Coin (1955)

My all time favourite and always mentioned in the top 5 of film critics, if not first. It's a dramedy of four different stories connected through the creation of one counterfeit coin. A bloody genius, bittersweet film.

Ο Δράκος - The Dragon (1956)

Drama / Thriller. Starring the great comedian Dinos Iliopoulos in his only dramatic role, it's the story of a quiet, ordinary man who realises he looks a lot like a wanted criminal. When I watched this movie, I felt so much pain for the fact that Iliopoulos did not play another dramatic role... Not that he had any problems, he shone in comedy and is one of our most successful actors but he was SO good in drama. Like most great comedians, actually. I believe you can find the movie on YouTube.

Της Κακομοίρας - World Gone Mad (1963)

With a title that was never sufficiently translated to English because it's a colloquial phrase meaning something close to a "mess", it is considered the best Greek comedy, which means a lot because this is the Greek cinema's specialty. It is also known by the alternative title Ο Μπακαλόγατος which means something like a colloquial "The Grocery shop man" and it is a story about a grocery shop owner who hired the weirdest person possible as a right-hand. This movie is rated with an 8.8 in IMDb, an insane rating as comedies go. Posting a vid because this scene may kill me someday:

Στέλλα - Stella (1955)

Romantic drama. The volatile relationship between an emancipated and lively woman with a selfish and controlling man and its consequences.

Ο Θίασος - The Travelling Players (1975)

An internationally acclaimed and awarded film by the famous Greek director Theo Angelopoulos, photosets of which you might see often on Tumblr. It's a long film with the notoriously slow style of Angelopoulos, which is something you either love or hate. It is Greece's history from the '30s through the '50s, as experienced by a travelling music company.

Η Θεία Από Το Σικάγο - The Auntie From Chicago (1957)

Comedy. Calliope, a Greek expat in Chicago, USA, visits her brother's family in Greece, only to realise her retired colonel brother is a very strict and conservative father, making it very difficult for his four daughters to enjoy their youth and find love. Calliope comes up with wild plans to marry her older nieces and make her brother Charilaos more open-minded with progressively ferocious ways.

Συνοικία Tο Όνειρο - A Neighborhood Named "The Dream" (1961)

The second movie directed by famous actor Alekos Alexandrakis is now considered one of the best Greek movies with an incredible score, but back in its day it was hated and heavily censored for showcasing the struggles of the people living in a poor neighborhood in Athens, causing debts and dismay to its creator.

Το Ξύλο Βγήκε Από Τον Παράδεισο - Maiden's Cheek (1959)

Comedy. A young teacher with a humble background gets his first job in a private high school with rich and insufferably spoiled girls. While the rest of the teachers have entirely given up, he is determined to discipline this wild school. In order to save some space here, a movie shot in 1963 with the same protagonists, about a girl willingly dropping the last class in high school to marry but then regretting it, Χτυποκάρδια Στο Θρανίο - Thorbs At The Desk, was also critically and commercially successful.

Τα Κόκκινα Φανάρια - The Red Lanterns (1963)

On a totally different climate than the above, this one was a drama nominated for Best Foreign movie in the Oscars, about the lives of five prostitutes working in Troumba until the enforcement of a law that was banning the brothels of the area (area in Piraeus, the port of Athens).

Ευδοκία - Eudocia (1971)

A movie that typically critics love and it was called by the Greek Films Critics Association as the best Greek movie up to the '80s, something that I don't see reflected in IMDb though. Anyway, this is an erotic drama of a surgeant falling in love and quickly marrying a prostitute working near the military camp. The marriage is tumultuous and the surgeant is both very attracted and repelled by Eudocia. The couple tries to resist and rebel against the stereotypes and toxicity of the narrow-minded society, to no avail. The movie is very famous for its score as well, which Greeks genuinely consider "our second national anthem".

Ιφιγένεια - Iphigeneia (1977)

The ancient tragic tale of Iphigeneia, daughter of King Agamemnon, who was sacrificed in order to appease the gods before the journey of the Greeks to Troy.

*Note: This list is critic-centered. There are however numerous Greek comedies produced in that period ranging similar ratings and being hugely commercially successful. It's just that I had to stop somewhere and include a variety of themes. But honestly any Greek comedy of the 60s is pretty entertaining to watch, with very talented actors.