Raquel Meller
Encyclopedia
Raquel Meller born Francisca Marqués López, was a Spanish cuplé and tonadilla
singer. She was an international star in the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in several films and touring Europe and the Americas. A vaudeville
performer, she sang the original versions of well known songs such as La Violetera and El Relicario, both by José Padilla.
, Aragón
in the neighborhood of Cinto. Her father, Telesforo Marqués Ibañez, worked as a blacksmith and her mother, Isabel López Sainz, ran a grocery store. Her family was one of the oldest in Aragón and were quite wealthy before becoming impoverished during the Carlist Wars
. At the age of four, her family moved to Barcelona. Her father died when she was not yet 10 years old and she was placed under the care of her aunt, Sister Maria del Carmen, an abbess in the convent at Figueras. When her aunt asked her to become a nun, she escaped from the convent with the help of a gardener's ladder.
She moved back to Barcelona where she worked as a seamstress, embroidering the robes of priests and bishops. She sang as she worked, eventually drawing crowds who would stand on the street outside of the dressmaker's shop. At thirteen years-old she sang at a small cabaret
in Valencia. She later appeared in Madrid where she attracted the attention of the King
and Queen of Spain.
It was at that time that she met the famous singer Marta Oliver, a regular at the clothes shop. Under the tutelage of Oliver, the young chanteuse made her debut in the lounge La Gran Peña in February 1908 under the name La Bella Rachel. Subsequently, she changed her name to Raquel Meller. On September 16, 1911 Meller made her grand debut at the Teatro Arnau in Barcelona.
In 1917 Meller met the Guatemalan journalist and diplomat Enrique Gómez Carrillo
, whom she married in 1919. Unable to bear children, the couple adopted. The same year, Meller held her first concerts in Paris (Olympia
), Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. Meller secured a divorce from Carrillo in 1922.
In 1919 Meller appeared in her first film, Los arlequines de seda y oro. In the next few years, she would star in her most successful and silent film
s Violettes impériales (1923) and Carmen (1926). She quickly became popular throughout the Western world and was a darling of the media. Meller was known to wear slender gold bracelets on her right wrist, each representing a significant step in her stage career. Spanish senator Emilio Junoy alleged that Meller betrayed the spy Mata Hari
to the French police in an apparent fit of jealousy over her husband Gómez Carrillo. While Carrillo had penned a biography of Mata Hari, he denied the rumor, pointing out that Mata Hari was executed in 1917, four years before he married Meller.
The Russian outfit Films Albatros conceived of the 1926 film Carmen as a star vehicle
for Meller, whose portrayal of the main character was a great success despite being at odds with the vision of director Jacques Feyder
. Though she rose to fame singing bawdy cuplés, Meller was known to be prudish and Feyder later recalled how Meller's attitude led to problems while filming:
Meller was twice booked to perform in the United States, but canceled both appearances. In 1926 she finally arrived under contract to theatrical producer E. Ray Goetz
, who assured her appearance by requiring her to put up a bond of $100,000. Meller arrived via the SS Leviathan
, on which she attempted to book a deluxe suite for her five Pekingese
. She visited New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore and Los Angeles.
The sight and sound of Meller were captured for the Movietone sound system
, which was first demonstrated to the public at the Sam H. Harris Theatre in New York City on January 21, 1927. The clip, not quite synchronized, was shown by a movie projector equipped to play sound-on-film
, and preceded the feature presentation, What Price Glory? By 1930 Meller attracted the attention of Charlie Chaplin
, who tried to secure her a lead role in his film City Lights
. Though he was unsuccessful, Chaplin did incorporate the melody of the song "La Violetera" as a major theme in the film.
In 1932 Meller shot a second version of Violettes impériales for the talkies, and in 1936 began shooting Lola Triana, whose production was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War
. In the 1930s Meller lived in France. She was friends with Maurice Chevalier
and Sarah Bernhardt
, who described Meller as the "greatest actress in Europe—after myself."
In 1937 Meller traveled to Argentina
where she remained until 1939. After the Civil War she moved to Barcelona and again achieved popularity with the play of José Padilla's Violetera, and there remarried to French businessman Edmond Saiac.
, who sang songs popularized by Meller.
In 1962, Meller suffered a heart attack and died a month later on July 26 after falling into a coma. Her funeral procession in Barcelona the following day numbered 100,000 people. She is interred in the Montjuïc Cemetery in Barcelona.
Tarazona, Meller's hometown, houses a permanent museum exhibition for Meller in the Fine Arts Theater of the town hall.
Tonadilla
Tonadilla was a Spanish musical song form of theatrical origin; not danced. The genre was a type of short, satirical musical comedy popular in 18th-century Spain, and later in Cuba and other Spanish colonial countries. It originated as a song type, then dialogue for characters was written into the...
singer. She was an international star in the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in several films and touring Europe and the Americas. A vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer, she sang the original versions of well known songs such as La Violetera and El Relicario, both by José Padilla.
Early life and career
Francisca Romana Marqués López was born in TarazonaTarazona
Tarazona is a municipality in the Spanish province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarazona and the capital of the Tarazona y el Moncayo Aragonese comarca.- History :...
, Aragón
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
in the neighborhood of Cinto. Her father, Telesforo Marqués Ibañez, worked as a blacksmith and her mother, Isabel López Sainz, ran a grocery store. Her family was one of the oldest in Aragón and were quite wealthy before becoming impoverished during the Carlist Wars
Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...
. At the age of four, her family moved to Barcelona. Her father died when she was not yet 10 years old and she was placed under the care of her aunt, Sister Maria del Carmen, an abbess in the convent at Figueras. When her aunt asked her to become a nun, she escaped from the convent with the help of a gardener's ladder.
She moved back to Barcelona where she worked as a seamstress, embroidering the robes of priests and bishops. She sang as she worked, eventually drawing crowds who would stand on the street outside of the dressmaker's shop. At thirteen years-old she sang at a small cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
in Valencia. She later appeared in Madrid where she attracted the attention of the King
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
and Queen of Spain.
It was at that time that she met the famous singer Marta Oliver, a regular at the clothes shop. Under the tutelage of Oliver, the young chanteuse made her debut in the lounge La Gran Peña in February 1908 under the name La Bella Rachel. Subsequently, she changed her name to Raquel Meller. On September 16, 1911 Meller made her grand debut at the Teatro Arnau in Barcelona.
In 1917 Meller met the Guatemalan journalist and diplomat Enrique Gómez Carrillo
Enrique Gómez Carrillo
Enrique Gómez Carrillo was a Guatemalan literary critic, writer, journalist and diplomat...
, whom she married in 1919. Unable to bear children, the couple adopted. The same year, Meller held her first concerts in Paris (Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
), Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. Meller secured a divorce from Carrillo in 1922.
In 1919 Meller appeared in her first film, Los arlequines de seda y oro. In the next few years, she would star in her most successful and silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s Violettes impériales (1923) and Carmen (1926). She quickly became popular throughout the Western world and was a darling of the media. Meller was known to wear slender gold bracelets on her right wrist, each representing a significant step in her stage career. Spanish senator Emilio Junoy alleged that Meller betrayed the spy Mata Hari
Mata Hari
Mata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida "M'greet" Zelle , a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and accused spy who was executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I.-Early life:Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born in Leeuwarden, Friesland,...
to the French police in an apparent fit of jealousy over her husband Gómez Carrillo. While Carrillo had penned a biography of Mata Hari, he denied the rumor, pointing out that Mata Hari was executed in 1917, four years before he married Meller.
The Russian outfit Films Albatros conceived of the 1926 film Carmen as a star vehicle
Star vehicle
A star vehicle has historically been a movie, play, TV series, or other production whose primary purpose, besides turning a profit, is to enhance someone's career. Vehicles are most commonly produced when a young or inexperienced actor has signed a long-term contract with a major studio...
for Meller, whose portrayal of the main character was a great success despite being at odds with the vision of director Jacques Feyder
Jacques Feyder
Jacques Feyder was a Belgian actor, screenwriter and film director who worked principally in France, but also in the USA, Britain and Germany. He was a leading director of silent films during the 1920s, and in the 1930s he became associated with the style of poetic realism in French cinema...
. Though she rose to fame singing bawdy cuplés, Meller was known to be prudish and Feyder later recalled how Meller's attitude led to problems while filming:
Meller was twice booked to perform in the United States, but canceled both appearances. In 1926 she finally arrived under contract to theatrical producer E. Ray Goetz
E. Ray Goetz
Edward Ray Goetz was an American composer, songwriter, author and producer. He was a charter member of ASCAP in 1914, and was a director until 1917. Goetz appeared in the films Somebody Loves Me , The Greatest Show On Earth and For Me And My Gal . He wrote the songs "Toddling The Todalo" and "For...
, who assured her appearance by requiring her to put up a bond of $100,000. Meller arrived via the SS Leviathan
SS Leviathan
SS Leviathan, originally built as SS Vaterland, was an ocean liner which regularly sailed the North Atlantic briefly in 1914 and from 1917 to 1934...
, on which she attempted to book a deluxe suite for her five Pekingese
Pekingese
The Pekingese, or "Peke" is an ancient breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by the Chinese Imperial court, and its name refers to the city of Beijing where the Forbidden City resides...
. She visited New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore and Los Angeles.
The sight and sound of Meller were captured for the Movietone sound system
Movietone sound system
The Movietone sound system is a sound-on-film method of recording sound for motion pictures that guarantees synchronization between sound and picture. It achieves this by recording the sound as a variable-density optical track on the same strip of film that records the pictures...
, which was first demonstrated to the public at the Sam H. Harris Theatre in New York City on January 21, 1927. The clip, not quite synchronized, was shown by a movie projector equipped to play sound-on-film
Sound-on-film
Sound-on-film refers to a class of sound film processes where the sound accompanying picture is physically recorded onto photographic film, usually, but not always, the same strip of film carrying the picture. Sound-on-film processes can either record an analog sound track or digital sound track,...
, and preceded the feature presentation, What Price Glory? By 1930 Meller attracted the attention of Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, who tried to secure her a lead role in his film City Lights
City Lights
City Lights is a 1931 American silent film and romantic comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. It also has the leads Virginia Cherrill and Harry Myers. Although "talking" pictures were on the rise since 1928, City Lights was immediately popular. Today, it is thought of...
. Though he was unsuccessful, Chaplin did incorporate the melody of the song "La Violetera" as a major theme in the film.
In 1932 Meller shot a second version of Violettes impériales for the talkies, and in 1936 began shooting Lola Triana, whose production was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. In the 1930s Meller lived in France. She was friends with Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, entertainer and a noted Sprechgesang performer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including Louise, Mimi, Valentine, and Thank Heaven for Little Girls and for his films including The Love Parade and The Big Pond...
and Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage and early film actress, and has been referred to as "the most famous actress the world has ever known". Bernhardt made her fame on the stages of France in the 1870s, and was soon in demand in Europe and the Americas...
, who described Meller as the "greatest actress in Europe—after myself."
In 1937 Meller traveled to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
where she remained until 1939. After the Civil War she moved to Barcelona and again achieved popularity with the play of José Padilla's Violetera, and there remarried to French businessman Edmond Saiac.
Later years
Meller faded from public view after the late 1930s. Her legend was rekindled with the films El último cuplé (1957) and La Violetera (1958) starring Sara MontielSara Montiel
Sara Montiel is a Spanish singer, and actress. She is still a much-loved and internationally known name in the Spanish-speaking movie and music industries....
, who sang songs popularized by Meller.
In 1962, Meller suffered a heart attack and died a month later on July 26 after falling into a coma. Her funeral procession in Barcelona the following day numbered 100,000 people. She is interred in the Montjuïc Cemetery in Barcelona.
Tarazona, Meller's hometown, houses a permanent museum exhibition for Meller in the Fine Arts Theater of the town hall.
Filmography
- La gitana blanca or Los arlequines de seda y oro (1919), as Gitana Blanca
- Les opprimés (1922) by Henry RoussellHenry RoussellHenry Roussell was a French silent film actor, film director and screenwriter best known for his silent films of the 1910s and 1920s.He starred in well over 40 films between 1912 and 1939.- External links :...
, as Conception de la Playa Serra - Violettes impériales (1924)
- La ronde de nuit (1925)
- La terre promiseLa Terre PromiseLa Terre Promise is an oratorio in three parts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto after the Vulgate. It was first performed at L'église Saint-Eustache in Paris on March 15, 1900.The oratorio's three parts relate scenes from the Old Testament...
(1925) - Carmen (1926), as Carmen
- Nocturne (1927)
- La venenosaLa VenenosaLa Venenosa is a 1959 Argentine film....
(1928) - Violettes impériales (1932)
External links
- Raquel Meller at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...