The Making Of — страница 3

there is a bit sketchy. Some say they became lovers, other theories are tamer and suggest that Magaldi just gave Eva a lift. Either way, Eva made it to her city of dreams ? Buenos Aires. BUENOS AIRES Buenos Aires in the 1930?s was a ?kaleidoscope of opportunity? for an aspiring actress. It was the ?Paris of Latin America?. The city contained twenty-five theatres, nine radio stations, and three film companies. On her first day in the city she found a room in a cheap hotel in the middle of the theatre district. Her new home was just off of Calle Corrientes, a street known for its nightlife by the locals. The first few months in Buenos Aires were tough for the country girl. With no references or experience it was difficult to even get in to see an agent. Eva was not as particular

about her appearance either. Subsisting on a diet of sandwiches and coffee, or less, became the norm. Her brother Juan tried to persuade Eva to return home but her determination and stubbornness won out. She was not about to quit before she even got started. Eva told everyone she met that she was ?going to be Argentina?s leading actress?. In March of 1935 Eva got a break. She was offered a small part in La Senora de Perez, at the Comedia Theatre. It was there that she met Pascual Pelliciota, a fellow cast member. This was the beginning of a series of bit parts and affairs with bit players. In July Eva was in a production of There?s a World In Every Home. Eva was dropped from the production when the play went on tour. Once again she found herself beating the pavement for another

job. Eva?s first touring role was in the production of The Mortal Kiss. Unfortunately she was fired halfway through the trip. After this episode Eva struggled to regain her health. She never gave up and became even more determined than ever to work. She drove agents, friends, and anyone who could possibly help her, mad soliciting for parts. A contemporary of Eva?s, Pierina Dealessi, recalls: ??Evita was a plain girl, very thin, black hair. I asked her if she ever worked on the stage before. She told me that she was just back from a provincial tour. We took her on at a miserable salary ? 180 pesos a month. There were no rest days; besides which we gave four shows on Sunday?She looked so thin and delicate that I used to add a little milk to her mat? to give her some nourishment.

She weighed nothing at all?time and time again I told her ? ?eat more; don?t stay up late?? She told me she had to moonlight other jobs in order to sent her mother 700 pesos per month. That was a lot of money in those days. Poor Evita.? Throughout the time that Eva had been struggling to become an actress, she is noted to have had many affairs. Usually with men who might possibly help her in her career. When she was eighteen she had a romance with the owner of Sintonia Magazine , Emilio Kartulovic. Hunger became a thing of the past and Eva was getting jobs. She appeared in a few forgettable films , performed bit parts for radio and stage, and even a few modeling assignments. After a few set backs here and there , her finances stabilized enough for her to move out of her dreary

digs into a better hotel. Real stardom for Eva came in the form of a wealthy soap manufacturer. He fell in love and gave Eva a radio program of her own. Cesar Marino, head producer at Radio Argentina, remembers his boss called him into his office and introduced him to Eva Duarte. ?She had obtained the backing of the Radical Soap Company and was looking for a station to put her show on the air. [The boss] was more interested in the advertiser than the actress??she is going to be our leading star.? I didn?t know where to begin, as the kid was a very, very poor actress. But she was docile, well behaved, nicely mannered and serious?? Eva?s radio work kept her busy; she had a show on another radio station, Radio El Mundo. The ?Soap? opera format used for the radio shows in the 1930?s

were the misty-eyed love stories with titles like Love Was born When I Met You, Love Promises, or My Kingdom of Love. After appearing on the cover of Antena twice Eva was, if not the leading actress in Argentina, a very well know actress. In the cover stories about the country girl from the pampas, Argentineans learned that she loved dancing and Greer Garson films. Eva confessed in an interview that she was a ?tranquil woman, a homemaker, one who loved family life.? In 1943 her salary jumped from 150 pesos a month to 5,000 at Radio Belgrano. The owner, Jaime Yankelevich, had discovered that Eva?s current boyfriend was Colonel Anibal Imbert , the Minister of Communications. Yankelevich figured that the girlfriend of an official, who controlled his very existence, was worth a