Esc. 23 NARRATOR:
Evita arrived in the capital of Argentina in the summer of 1935. The financial crisis of the early Thirties was almost over and Buenos Aires, an international metropolis of two million, was undergoing a major facelift. City blocks were being demolished to open the way for major avenues, and traffic was becoming a permanent fixture.
The Graf-Zeppelin paid a visit just a year earlier - and Tango had become a major hit on Broadway and the Champs-Élysées - placing Argentina firmly on the entertainment map of the World. A two hundred and twenty foot obelisk was erected to celebrate the coming of a New Era. The scenario was ideal for a newcomer fresh-of-the-Pampas looking to make it in the big city. Evita was only sixteen, she was beautiful, and she was determined to make a name for herself.
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In March of 1935, Eva Duarte got her first break, a small role in a vaudeville show. The following year she played another supporting role in the local version of Lillian Hellman’s play “Little Foxes”. Evita was finally working in the theatre, but the pay did not cover the high cost of living in Buenos Aires. Like so many other girls trying to make it in show business, she often resorted to dating those who could afford a good meal. Evita carefully choose her occasional dates. In a short time, she managed to meet some influential men who recognized her potential and were willing to help.
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Samuel Yankelevich, owner of a major broadcast station, was among the first and most powerful. Yankelevich gave Evita her first op-portunity in front of a live audience. It was a major break. Emilio Kartulowicz, publisher of Sintoníamagazine, boosted her image with the publica tion of a few articles, and Evita’s picture appeared on the cover of the magazine she regarded as the bible for success. Each new acquaintance became a step in the right direction. Soon she was answering calls for modeling jobs, publicity and advertising. The photos taken during this period prove that the sixteen year-old was now turning into a beautiful young woman. In 1937 Evita appeared briefly in the motion picture “Seconds Out” a film directed by Chas de Cruz, a local celebrity. Then, more the atre and radio - and more secondary roles in “B” movies. Five years after landing in Buenos Aires, Evita was steadily climbing a ladder that would lead to the greatest accumulation of influence and power ever accomplished by any woman in the history of Argentina.
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On September 1st, 1939, Germany invaded Poland triggering the onset of World War II. Argentina, populated mainly by European immigrants, followed the developments in every newspaper headline and radio broadcast. News from the front lines came with frightening reports from the BBC, Radio Moscow and theVoice of America. Radios had become a must in every household - and the conflict, so deeply affecting the local population - wasn’t the only thing striking the heart of the Argentine family. Radio melodramas were increasingly popular and Evita’s voice was starting to fill the airwaves. Her semi-celebrity status brought her close to the Minister of Radio and Communications, Colonel Anibal IMBERT, and the two of them began a somewhat serious romance. With Colonel Imbert by her side, Evita won a salary increase and a string of new contacts with high-ranking officers. in a country where uniforms were not only fa-shionable but also extremely helpful.
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On June 4, 1943 a military putsch lead by General Arturo RAWSON ousted President Ramón CASTILLO. General Rawson resigned after two days when his anti-conservative views and his support of the United Nations won no military backing. Argentina was now heading towards Fa-scism with the cadence of a military goosestep. General Pedro Ramírez replaced Rawson as president. Ramírez maintained neutrality in the war but faced increasing opposition from all po-litical groups except the nationalist right wing. He outlawed political parties, silenced the press, and vertically organized labor unions in a Mussolini-styled labor front. arresting without warrant and imprisoning without trial. Among the top-ran-king officers of the new regime was a handsome, tall and charismatic officer who would climb swiftly through the ranks to become, in less than three years, the most popular political figure of Argen-tina. His name: Juan Domingo Perón. ColonelPerón.
Esc. 28 NEWSREEL: (subtitles). **
The Hope is back in every home; The sun shines with renewed strength, And the beautiful flag of the Argentine people flies proud and majestic, over land and sea.
Esc. 29 NEWSREEL: (subtitles).
Argentina mourns after the devastating earth-quake that shook the city of San Juan last January 15th.
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In January of 1944, an earthquake devastated the western city of San Juan. The military was quick to turn the tragedy into an opportunity for gover-nment propaganda and Colonel Perón was ap-pointed head of relief operations. Perón orga-nized a festival to benefit the victims, held at Luna Park arena in downtown Buenos Aires.
Esc. 31 ARNALDO MANCIONE:
In Spanish. Dubbed: The arena was packed. It was a full house. We were there with the rest of the newsreel crews getting interviews. Suddenly I run into Rita Molina and Eva Duarte. They asked if I could help them bypass security. It was almost impossible. Then I saw my cousin Homero Manzi and asked him if there was anything he could do. Eva Duarte and Rita Molina were almost immediately in. Once inside and seeing how crowded it was, Eva asked Homero where could they sit. He pointed out two seats next to Imbert and Perón. I have no idea how they got through the crowd but they did. It was that night that Eva meet Perón.
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Perón was a new challenge. It would turn out to be a match made in Heaven: Cinderella and Prince Charming. Colonel Perón was much more than Evita had hoped for. He was handsome, twice her age, in charge of the rising regime and a father figure, not only to Evita, but to the entire Nation as well.
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Evita wasted no time. That same night, after the festival, the young actress and the handsome Colonel drove 20 miles to the river resort of Tigre, in the muddy Delta waterways. The following morning Evita arrived for work in a limousine reserved for the War Ministry.
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On January 26th, 1944, President Ramirez broke off diplomatic relations with Germany and Japan. The move was a direct response to diplo-matic pressure from the Allies and seriously af-fected Ramirez’s credibility among the high-ranking officers still clearly in favor of the Fascist regimes. Ramirez was soon removed by a coup and the presidency was turned over to General Edelmiro FARRELL, a candidate less-inclined to confront Berlin. Next to Farrell, Perón would ac-cumulate unprecedented power. In a short period, he was appointed Secretary of War, Secretary of Work and Social Welfare and Vice-president. Perón would ultimately hold all three titles, simultaneously.
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Perón and Eva Duarte soon became an item. The affaire made it impossible to ignore her at castings and auditions. After all, she was now the girlfriend of the most powerful man in Argentina. Evita was soon hired for a co-leading role in a new motion picture starring the well-known Libertad LAMARQUE.
Margarita BRONDOLO, then Assistant Editor at the Studios San Miguel, recalls Evita’s first day on the set:
Esc. 36 MARGARITA BRONDOLO:
In Spanish. Dubbed: It happened very early one day. Eva Duarte came in for makeup and hair be-fore Libertad Lamarque. Noticing she was there first, Evita (occupied) took the dressing room reserved for Lamarque. who was indeed the film’s leading lady and a major star. The next thing I know, Lamarque shows up and all Hell broke loose. I can’t even begin to tell you. Some say they pulled each other by their hair, but I can assure you - they screamed very loud at each other.
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On March 27th 1945, Argentina finally declared war on Germany and Japan. Six weeks later Ger-many surrendered unconditionally to the Allied Forces. The defeat of the Third Reich forced Farrell and Perón to implement concessions. Most ultra-nationalist elements were replaced im-mediately, to appease growing criticism coming from the United States and Great Britain.
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With Perón’s support, Evita managed to recom-mend a handful of loyal friends to high-ranking government positions. Oscar NICOLINI, Juana Ibarguren’s boyfriend, became Director of the National Post Office, controlling all major com-munications. Nicolini would eventually play a key role in the nationalization of radio stations, pro-viding Perón and Evita with the tools to seduce the Nation. Oscar LOMUTO, another friend, was appointed Under-secretary of Information; playwright José MUÑOZ ASPIRI was designated Head of Propaganda and JUAN DUARTE, Evita’s brother, became Peron’s Private Secre-tary, and the man in charge of all of the Colonel’s transactions, both public and p rivate. Evita was beginning to make her influence felt in the crea-tion of an articulate and extremely powerful State.
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Five years earlier Evita had written to her mother in Junin that she was not going to come back until she had conquered the big city. Now, she had, and there was no going back. Juan, was already in Buenos Aires and rest of her siblings soon joined her. The saga that began at the hacienda La Union twenty-six years earlier, had reached the end of the tracks. The Small Tribe was reunited at last.
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By 1945, Universities across the country were brought under direct control of the Federal Government. Right wing elements, close to the Catholic Church, were appointed by Perón to most Faculties. In response, campuses became a focus for resistance. Students and professors were beat-en and incarcerated. The Socialist Party rallied in celebration of the liberation of Paris, calling for “Freedom and Liberty”, and an end to the dicta-torship. The war in Europe was over; but the developments in Argentina were perceived as a continuation of the conflict overseas.
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Misled into believing that Perón was going out of style like most European Fascists, a group of liberal officers hatched a plot to oust Perón. There was little support President Farrell could lend Peron to avoid the outcome if he was to remain in charge. On October 9th, 1945, Perón was forced to resign. Two days later, the Colonel and Evita once again, took refuge in the Tigre where they had spent their first night together. The escape was short-lived, and the following morning Perón was apprehended and spent the next days under house arrest in Martin Garcia, a mosquito-infested island off the coast of Buenos Aires. Immediately after Peron’s arrest, Evita was fired from her job at the radio. Her quest for glory was virtually over. Her last film, “The Prodigy”, was not even released. It was time for Eva Duarte to write, direct and star in her own film - in the role of a lifetime, as Evita.
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Perón wrote a handful of letters from house arrest in Martin Garcia. At least two of the letters show Perón’s devotion: "Today” –he wrote, “I have written to Farrell, asking to accelerate my retirement. As soon as I get out, we'll get married and go someplace to live in peace.” This idea scared the living daylights out of the young actress - who hadn’t come this far only to settle for a good marriage and a quiet life in the countryside. If Evita was to get her show on the road, Perón had to be free. Under the false pretext that he needed medical attention, President Farrell arranged for the release of his friend, who was quickly taken to the Veteran’s Hospital in Buenos Aires.
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On October 17th, 1945, thousands marched demanding the immediate release of Perón. The Armed Forces, fearing a blood bath, stood still. The Police, unable to restrain the crowd, watched as they poured into the city. The ruling elite felt as if the Bastille was about to be torched and the Winter Palace stormed by a mob determined to change the course of History. Argentina - as it was known - would never be the same.
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After much deliberation, Farrell called upon Perón. If anyone was going to tell the crowds outside the Presidential Palace to disperse and go home, it was him. Perón agreed. In exchange, Farrell would call for presidential elections within four months. The arrangement satisfied the liberal wing of the armed forces, which had greatly underestimated Perón’s ability to survive. The Colonel was no longer contemplating retirement.
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The road to the presidency was now clear. However, Evita had no plans to be the mistress of the next President. Before the wedding. Evita managed to have her birth certificate destroyed, along with any evidence that would have prevented an army officer from marrying an “illegitimate” child. The new documents would show Evita to be three years younger. This was not a matter of vanity; rather, it legitimized Evita’s birth - since by 1922, her father; Juan Duarte, had become a widower rendering his relationship with Juana Ibarguren - legitimate. This was the first, but not the last time that Evita would use her power to change the Official Story. She and Perón were married in Junín on October 22nd, 1945 and, a few weeks later, exchanged vows in a semi-secret religious ceremony at Saint Francis Church in the city of La Plata
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On March 24th, 1946 Farrell’s promise of a presidential election materialized. Perón and his newly-created Labour Party campaigned on a platform of fervent patriotism. Capitalism and Communism were portrayed as two sides of the same coin - and Perón was offering himself as an alternative to both. Spruille BRADEN, the American ambassador, openly spoke against Perón, ultimately adding to the argument that imperialist forces were behind the opposition. "Braden o Perón”became the Labour Party’s campaign slogan. Argentina finally went to the polls and Perón prevailed. He was now the new President and Evita, the most powerful woman in Argentina.
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The day Perón took office, the vaults at the Central Bank were loaded - after years of gold bullion, contraband and Nazi refugee deposits. The cast and budget were now in place. Evita, standing next to Perón, addressed the crowd from the balcony of Casa Rosada -the presidential palace. That day marked Evita’s debut, Scene ONE, take ONE of the most fascinating and yet frightening show ever made in Argentina.