Lumiton

Lumiton is a former film production company and current museum located in Munro, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

After World War II (1939–45) Lumiton faced increased government regulation, rising costs and loss of audiences to more sophisticated Hollywood productions.

[1] The first Lumiton studio was built with a modern laboratory and technical facilities on property owned by Isabel Zeller de Lehan.

[5] In the early years, Lumiton's audience was struggling with the effect of the Great Depression of the 1930, but the cheap and lighthearted productions perhaps helped people escape from their problems.

[9] Carlos Gardel (1890–1935) made tango popular throughout Latin America, and this created a large export market for Lumiton's films.

The logo and opening sequence of each film featured a huge gong sounded by Michael Borowsky, the main dancer of the Teatro Colón.

[1] Lumiton's first feature was Los tres berretines (The Three Hobbies, 1933) directed by Enrique T. Susini and starring the local actors Luis Sandrini and Luisa Vehil.

[1] The film depicted a family whose members were obsessed with the three national "berretines" (interests or hobbies) of tango, football and cinema.

[14] Formerly a tango lyricist and musical variety show director, he turned out cheerful and predictable comedies aimed at working class audiences.

[20] During World War II (1939–45) Argentina was careful not to upset the Axis powers, and banned or forced changes to some American films.

[22] The focus by Lumiton and other Argentine studios on populist local themes was in contrast to the more sophisticated offerings from Hollywood, and appealed more to working-class people than to the elite.

[23] For two decades Lumiton made films that were shown throughout Latin America with great success, but by the 1950s local cinema was losing audiences to foreign productions with more modern and relevant subjects.

[26] The studio's last completed film was the feature Reportaje en el infierno, made by Román Viñoly Barreto in 1951–52, and only released in 1959.

On 5 May 1952 Lucas Demare began shooting Un guapo del 900, but when it was in its second week of filming Lumiton filed for bankruptcy.

The four founders of LOR Radio Argentina , who went on to found Lumiton
poster for Los tres berretines (1933), the studio's first film
Poster for Los martes, orquídeas (1941)
Former Lumiton film studios, now a museum, in 2009