1940s Buenos Aires / Rio de Janeiro in the 2020s

Here are some photos of Buenos Aires, another giant South American city that in a certain way could have been similar to São Paulo. But that's only on the surface because there is nothing so much different from each other as Buenos Aires and São Paulo.

Buenos Aires is a city with few inclinations that is, its terrain is relatively plain as where as São Paulo is full of hills and mountains.

Calle Corrientes in Buenos Aires in the late 1950s. 

Even though this blog is about São Paulo in the 40s and 50s I could not forget Rio de Janeiro, the most beautiful Brazilian city... and here's a spot to insert nice pictures about the former Distrito Federal...

this shot is so amazing it looks like a Walt Disney 1940s animated film...

Lapa's Arches photographed by John Napper. 

Theatro Municipal's cupola photographed by John Napper. 

CINE OPERA (United Artists)

Cine Opera, a United Artists outlet was demolished in 1958 and a Gallery was built in its place... 

1940 - Joel McCrea & Andrea Leeds in 'Youth takes a fling' released in the USA on September 1938.

'A verdadeira gloria' (The real glory) released in the US on September 1939.

Italian filme 'Il ponte dei sospiri' (A ponte dos suspiros) with Paola Barbara - 1940.

Cine Ópera era exclusivo distribuidor da United Artists (26 Julho 1940).

Avenida 9 de Julho & vicinities

Rua Santo Antonio, on the left and Avenida 9 de Julho, on the right, in 1940.

Rua Alvaro de Carvalho looking down towards Praça da Bandeira in 1947.

Rua Álvaro de Carvalho, in 1964.

same place in 2014.

Rua Alvaro de Carvalho in 2023. 

Rua Álvaro de Carvalho (opposite side) as photographed by Google in 2023.

Viaducto 9 de Julho being built in 1947. Viaducto Major Quedinho can be seen in the background.

Under Viaducto Major Quedinho looking towards Viaducto 9 de Julho under construction. September 1947.

Avenida 9 de Julho, in 1945.

Viaducto 9 de Julho being built. Looking down Avenida 9 de Julho towards Praça da Bandeira.

Same area; rua Álvaro de Carvalho on the left and Av. 9 de Julho on the right. Sept. 1947.

Low-lying area next to Praça da Bandeira. See São Gonçalo's cupola on top of hill. Sept. 1947.

Same area in the 1950s after major demolitions had taken place. One can see Teatro de Aluminio (Aluminium Theatre) whose whole structure was imported from the USA and assembled in this vacant lot that had been filled with houses. Margaret Kennedy's 'Constant Nymph' ('De amor também se morre') was the first play staged at the new theatre in May 1952, translated by Maria Jacinta with directions of actress-director Dulcina de Moraes. This area has never actually recovered from the major demolitions of the late 1940s. It became a parking-lot for decades, then a dingy bus terminal.

Aerial view looking at Viaducto do Chá & Avenida 9 de Julho beyond. September 1947.

Exactly same area at twilight time. September 1947.

Praça 14 Bis sometime in the 1960s. 

1947 as seen by Life magazine's lens

These photos were taken all in September 1947, by Life magazine photographer Dmitri Kessel. It was the same year in which the building housing the Bank of the State of São Paulo was finished. 

Alameda Porto Geral looking up to Rua Boa Vista. Cia.City Building at the top of the hill only emphasizes São Paulo's emulation of New York City.

Financial District at Rua XV de Novembro on top of the hill.

Parque D. Pedro II, having Banco do Estado's building, São Paulo's answer to the Empire State Building in the background.

The sower (o semeador) at  Parque D. Pedro II.

Parque D. Pedro II by night. The street leading up is Ladeira Porto Geral.

Parque D. Pedro II at twilight time...

São Paulo 1947 skyline with Dom Pedro II's Park in the foreground.

Same building seen from Avenida São João, the other side of town.

photo taken probably from the top of Banco do Estado Building looking down to Avenida São João going westward. The big building on the right was the Post Office.

Anhangabaú Valley looking up to Light & Power Building on Rua Xavier de Toledo.

Rua Xavier de Toledo at night. Light & Power building is on the left. Theatro Municipal is on the right.

Rua Xavier de Toledo looking east.

This photo is not actually part of Life's 1947 study of São Paulo, but it's a reminder that someone had to work hard to have all those buildings put up. And here are the unsung heroes doing their everyday chores.

Campos Elíseos Palace was the seat of the State government. 

Hospital das Clinicas as seen in September 1947 by Life's photographer. 

1963 - 1969 Limbo cinematográfico

Depois do Golpe Militar de 1964, ou até um pouco antes, já se notava uma certa decadência dos cinemas de São Paulo. Mas assim mesmo houve uma onda de construções de novos cinemas, principalmente dentro de galerias como o Cine Rio no Conjunto Nacional, na Avenida Paulista e o Cine Metrópole na que se tornaria famosa Galeria Metrópole (inaugurado 2 meses antes do Golpe que matou a democracia no Brasil). A tendência desses novos cinemas era de deterioração rapidíssima. Alguns não duraram nem 10 anos. 

Um segundo Cine Rio (já que o original fora 'descontinuado' em 1957) foi inaugurado em 9  Março 1963, dentro do Conjunto Nacional, que já abrigava o luxuoso Cine Astor.

cantora italiana Rita Pavone em 'Rita, o mosquito' lançado em 1967 no Cine Metrópole.

Cine Windsor in early 1967 - on Avenida Ipiranga next to Avenida Rio Branco - it was one of the most luxurious movie-theatres when it opened in 1961.

Cine Coral só passava filmes franceses e italianos. Em 8 Janeiro 1968, estreava o 2o. filme de Rita Pavone, 'Não brinque com o mosquito' (Non stuzzicate la zanzara). Embora com produção rica, a trama era fraca e mesmo tendo a presença de Giulietta Masina como mãe da Pavone, não fez grande sucesso. O povo queria 'tear jerkers' do tipo 'Dio come ti amo'.

Cine Coral on Rua 7 de Abril in 1970, long past its glorious past in the early 1960s when it played mostly Italian & French quality movies. 

Cinemas 'proibidos'

Inauguração do Cine Aurea, em 27 Abril 1957, na rua Aurora, que seria o cinema mais 'proibido' de São Paulo até a liberação total da pornografia nos anos 1980s. Quando eu era criança, só a menção do nome do Cine Aurea, já era motivo de risinhos escondidos. Cine Aurea significava 'sacanagem', onde se via bustos descobertos de mulheres europeias. O Cine Jussara, na rua Dom José de Barros era outro 'cinema proibido'.

Jacqueline Myrna era uma jovem vedette que começou como corista da super-revista Skindô (1962) e devido ao seu forte sotaque 'francês' (já que ela era, na verdade, romena e não francezinha) se tornou famosa apresentando programas de auditório na TV Excelsior, Canal 9. No final de 1963, Jacqueline era famosa no Brasil inteiro, tendo até gravado um disco de relativo sucesso. 'Superbeldades' é seu 1o. filme, que estreou no 'circuito maldito' tendo Cine Apolo (Rua Conselheiro Nébias, 211), Cine Cometa (Rua Aurora, 541), Cine Europa (Praça da República) e Cine Los Angeles (Rua Aurora).