49 Facts About Tita Merello

Laura Ana "Tita" Merello was an Argentine film actress, tango dancer and singer of the Golden Age of Argentine cinema.

Tita Merello was one of the singers who emerged in the 1920s along with Azucena Maizani, Libertad Lamarque, Ada Falcon, and Rosita Quiroga, who created the female voices of tango.

Tita Merello was primarily remembered for the songs "Se dice de mi" and "La milonga y yo".

Tita Merello returned to Argentina and starred in Don Juan Tenorio and Filomena Marturano, which were subsequently taken to the theater.

Tita Merello received praise for her work in Arrabalera, Para vestir santos and El amor nunca muere.

Tita Merello retired from theater in 1984 and films in 1985 but continued to act on TV and radio and was honored as "Citizen of the City of Buenos Aires" in 1990.

Tita Merello had a younger half-brother, Pascual Anselmi, who had a different father.

Tita Merello's father died of tuberculosis when she was less than a year old.

Tita Merello was sent to an orphan asylum at age five because her mother had to work.

Tita Merello said she knew hunger and fear firsthand, as she lived it every day of her childhood, never going to school or learning to read or write.

Around 1917, Merello began working as a showgirl in the Rosita Rodriguez Company at Teatro Avenida and debuted in a play called Las virgenes de teres.

Tita Merello soon earned popularity with her interpretation of the tango "Titina".

Tita Merello met the editor of the newspaper, La Nacion, Eduardo Borras when she was fifteen, who began helping her learn to read.

Tita Merello later introduced her to Simon Yrigoyen Iriondo, who took charge of ending her illiteracy.

Tita Merello became a vedette and was known as "La Vedette Rea", but her repertoire and fiery temper gave her a reputation that was counter to other performers, like Sofia Bozan.

Tita Merello sang "Trago amargo", a tango, to wide acclaim.

Tita Merello finally was asked to play a role in a dramatic play, El Lazo; her performance earned her an introduction to Pascual Carcavallo, owner of the Teatro Nacional.

In 1931, Tita Merello began working at the Revista Voces.

Tita Merello was paid 200 pesos for the first article she published.

Tita Merello was ready to quit the production and she offered the part to Merello, who quickly accepted.

Tita Merello would meet a young comic in the film, Luis Sandrini, who had a small part in the film.

Tita Merello followed it with Idolos de la radio a production by Francisco Canaro directed by Eduardo Morera and written by Nicolas de las Llanderas and Arnaldo Malfatti.

That same year she followed in a dramatic role in the film, La fuga under the direction of Luis Saslavsky which featured the tango "Niebla del Riachuelo" performed by Tita Merello and written by Enrique Cadicamo.

Tita Merello made two films in 1942, Ceniza al viento directed by Luis Saslavsky with Pedro Lopez Lagar, Alita Roman, and Berta Singerman and 27 millones directed by Jose Bohr and not released until 1947.

The cast was led by Tita Merello and included the actors Amalia Bernabe, Lalo Malcolm, Maruja Pibernat, Elvira Prada, Enrique Roldan, and Tomas Simari; and singers Eduardo Adrian and Carlos Roldan.

Tita Merello was contracted to play the cabaret woman who seduced the star Arturo de Cordova in Cinco rostros de mujer The film was directed by Gilberto Martinez Solares and starred Merello, Cordova and Ana Maria Campoy.

Tita Merello won an Ariel Award as Best Supporting Actress for her work in "Faces" at the 1948 ceremonies.

Tita Merello returned to Argentina in 1947 and appeared in the musical comedic play Malena Luce Sus Pistolas, which opened at the Teatro Casino and starred Merello, Roberto Castillo and was the musical debut of Blanquita Amaro.

Tita Merello started appearing at this time on a weekly radio show called Ahora habla una mujer which aired Monday to Friday at 20:30 on the Private Broadcasting Network.

In 1950, Tita Merello starred in one of her most acclaimed films, Arrabalera, directed by Tulio Demicheli in his solo debut with Santiago Gomez Cou.

Tita Merello tried to settle in Mexico, but was unable to find work.

Tita Merello returned to Argentina at the invitation of Hugo del Carril and worked in an amusement park.

In 1958, when Arturo Frondizi was elected to the Argentine presidency, Tita Merello was able to return to the country and resume work in movies and the theater.

Tita Merello immediately returned to the stage in 1958 with two productions: Amorina by Eduardo Borras followed by Luces de Buenos Aires starring Merello, Hugo del Carril and Mariano Mores.

Tita Merello starred in Miercoles de ceniza by Luis Basurto in 1959 under the direction of Cecilio Madanes, sharing the lead alternately with Eva Frano and in 1961 she performed Estrellas en el Avenia under the direction of Cecilio Madanes.

Tita Merello returned to the theater in 1962 with La Moreira by Juan Carlos Ghiano and the following year performed Carolina Paternoster by Eduardo Pappo.

In 1964, Tita Merello accepted a television role starring in the Channel 11 telenovela Acacia Montero under the direction of Martin Clutet.

Los evadidos was directed by Enrique Carreras and Tita Merello played opposite Jorge Salcedo.

Tita Merello filmed Los hipocritas in 1965 under the direction of Enrique Carreras and in 1966 returned to the stage appearing in El andador by Norberto Aroldi, which was made into a film of the same name in 1967 under the direction of Enrique Carreras.

Tita Merello published her autobiography La calle y yo in 1972.

Tita Merello starred in the production of En vivo y al desnudo by Gerardo and Hugo Sofovich in 1973 and, in 1974, made the film La Madre Maria under the direction of Lucas Demare, which was well received.

Tita Merello starred in La risa es salud by Hugo Moser in 1976 and then joined the cast of the Teatro Astros in a theatrical revue led by Adolfo Stray and Thelma Tixou.

Tita Merello received a Konex Foundation Diploma of Merit for Best Actress of Dramatic Film and Theater in 1981 and a building, called the Tita Merello Complex on Suipacha Street was named in her honor by the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts to acknowledge her stature in Argentine film.

Tita Merello made her last film in 1985, Las barras bravas and later that same year won a second Diploma of Merit from the Konex Foundation for recognition as Female Tango Singer.

Tita Merello was impersonated by Usha Didi Gunatita, part of the ensemble Trans Faces.

In 1987 Tita Merello was awarded the title "honorable neighbor" of the city of Villa Gesell and shortly thereafter named "Living Legend Citizen of the City of Buenos Aires".

Tita Merello received the Argentina Association of Actors Premio Pablo Podesta in 1991, a plaque was affixed marking the place of her birth in 1993, in 1996 she was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts and in 1999 the Neighborhood Association of San Cristobal named a city square after her.

Tita Merello never married, but she had a decade-long affair with the actor Luis Sandrini.

Tita Merello followed him to Mexico in 1946, but was unable to go with him to Spain during his 1948 trip.