Entertainment News from Athens, Tributes to Greek Artists

Το 2ο μερος του αφιερωματος μου στους Ελληνες που βρεθηκαν στο Hollywood στην αρχη το 20ου αιωνα και εργαστηκαν στην βιομιχανια του θεαματος. παραγωγοι, σκηνοθετες, ηθοποιοι, χορευτες, και φυσικα επιχειρηματιες κινηματογραφων. ακουστε το podcast και για να μαθετε τις καταπληκτικες ιστοριες τους

Ποιοι ηταν οι πρωτοι Ελληνες που βρεθηκαν στην αρχη του 20ου αιωνα στον χωρο του κινηματογραφου και εγιναν ηθοποιοι, σκηνοθετες, παραγωγοι, στο Hollywood? Ακουστε το podcast για μια ιστορικη αναδρομη στην ιστορια αυτων των πρωτοπορων ανθρωπων.

Ενα τραγουδι που θα μας ταξιδευει παντα στις πιο αθωες μας στιγμες, κυκλοφορησε το 1972 σε στιχους του Λευτερη Παπαδοπουλου και μουσικη του Μανου Λοίζου και το οποιο εχει πραγματι μια περιεργη ιστορια που μας παει πισω στο 1922. Ακουστε την ιστορια του

100 years of Greek winners and nominations at the Academy Awards. Directors, Choreographers, Designers, Actors, and many more categories are featured in this tribute to all the Hellenes that have received an Oscar or were nominated for an Oscar over the years. Listen to the podcast and be find out who they are:

Spyros Panagiotis Skouras was a Greek - American motion picture pioneer and film executive who was president of 20th Century Fox from 1942-1962. A rags to riches life story of a shepherd that became the most influential Greek in business, politics and a true patriot. His story is not widely known, take the time to listen how this larger than life man saved three million Greeks from famine and disease during WW2 while at the same time he was making successful Hollywood movies.

Aris San was a Greek musician, singer and entrepreneur. He popularized Greek music in Israel in the late 1950's and 60's. Aris led a mysterious life as a non Jewish Greek singer who formed close ties with generals and politicians. He became a megastar, club owner and lover of many movie actresses. He is mostly remembered for the magic he could play with his guitar and his lucid vocal style. His life should be made into a movie, it has all the qualities for a hit musical, drama, thriller. Listen to the podcast and find out more about this eclectic musician who has even a music award named after him in Israel.

Georgia Vassiliadou born 1 January 1897, to a family with ten children. She was a Greek actress that played mainly in comedies of cinema and on stage. Her real name was Georgia Athanasiou, but she changed it to Vassiliadou when she decided to get into singing and acting.  In 1922 she began her studies at the Gennadius School and  in 1923 she appeared in various operas. She worked in major theatrical groups of the time with Kyveli, Marika Kotopouli, Dimitris Myrat, performing various roles. Alekos Sakellarios offered her a role in 1939 in The Girls of the Marriage, which marked the beginning of a second, but better known career - this time as a comedian, the "most beautiful ugly" of Greek cinema, as she was called. Listen to the podcast and find out more about this legendary actress that is still loved and remembered to this day.

Despo Diamantidou born 13 July 1916 in Athens, she was a Greek actress of theater and cinema. She was the granddaughter of engineer Spyridon Kritsilis, who served many times as a Member of Parliament. She spoke four foreign languages (English, French, Italian and Russian), which helped her translate a number of foreign plays. In the spring of 1967, Despo Diamantidou participated in a theatrical tour in the USA, staging the play "Illya Darling" (theatrical adaptation of the film "Never on Sunday") at the Broadway Theater in New York. During her stay there, the April coup d'état took place in Greece. Diamantidou decided not to return to Greece under these conditions and remained "in exile" in the United States until the transition to democracy, having returned to Greece only late in the summer of 1974. While in the USA she participated in Woody Allen's 1975 film The Peacemaker, playing the mother of the protagonist.  A milestone in her career was her participation in the 1960 film Never on Sunday by American director Jules Dassin starring Melina Mercouri. Listen to the podcast and find out more about this remarkable woman that was characterized by her husband as a real free spirit but a real lady that opened the way and empowered female actresses to be independent.

Vasilis Tsivilikas was a Greek comedy actor with significant appearances in the Greek film industry, television and especially theater. His first theatrical performance was in 1965 at Nea Ionia. Two years later Karolos Koun invited him to Theatro Technis. In the early 1970s he got involved with satire plays and in the mid-1970s with prose.  The 70's was also the decade he first appeared on the Big Screen. The first movie he appeared in was I theia mou, i hipissa by Alekos Sakellarios. Tzivilikas loved the energy exchange between audience and actor, while on stage. His acting career spanned over 50 successful years of which he only brought laughter and joy to his faithful followers. Listen to the podcast and find out more about this, unforgettable,  loved and successful artist: 

While the the World Cup is taking place in Qatar this year causing much criticism and controversy, I took the liberty and made this podcast to get us in the spirit of the game.  The tradition of football chants vary from country to country and team to team, in this episode we explore the creative side of the sport, the songs and stories behind the Greek soccer team chants.  Not being fanatical or biased towards a specific team, pure entertainment in mind as we journey into the stadiums chanting famous songs with different lyrics from the poets of the popular game. Credits to the Greek music band walkman the band – Walkman the band-WEDDING BAND   for re creating & singing beautifully many of the audio clips in this tribute. (2905) Walkman The Band - YouTube