He was one of the leading and most beloved actors of the golden age of the old Greek cinema, which we can enjoy almost every day through the films shown – with guaranteed high ratings – on television. Lambros Konstandaras, beautiful, athletic, with blue eyes, stately presentation, possessing the distinct comfort of a “bon vivre”, will bring his own type, a zen premiere, which lasted for years and was either paralyzed or parodied as “Lambroukos” .

But there was also a theater person, who served the board for 40 years, interpreted a multitude of characters of a huge range of theatrical genres, from classical repertoire to Greek comedies, managing to appear in at least 190 plays between the filming of the approximately 80 films he made. A well-known heartthrob and lover of love adventures, he will marry only twice, he will have a son, while of his romantic relationships, which occupied the public opinion, the most famous was the one with Anna Kalouta, the child prodigy, who developed into a beauty and to a leading actress of the musical theater.

On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of his birth (March 13, 1913), we will remember his first steps, his film career and the roles with which he proved that he was not only a handsome and lovable actor, but also a performer of claims. And of course his passion for football and his beloved AEK.

Kolonaki, New Philadelphia, Paris, Albania…

Lambros Konstandaras will be born in Kolonaki to parents originally from Constantinople and roots from Sinope, Pontus. He had two sisters, Alexandra and Mitsi, also an actress, who acted in dozens of films alongside him. From a young age he loved sports and especially football, playing, in fact, in the second team of AEK as a goalkeeper in 1930, while he also competed in athletics. His family cut off his balls and sent him, by force, to the Naval Petty Officers’ School in Corfu, from where he escaped by swimming. Again, by force, his family sent him to Paris to study goldsmithing, with the aim of taking over the goldsmith’s shop, which his father maintained in the center of Athens. He will leave his studies in Paris, to find himself an extra in a film and there he will be discovered by the French theater man Louis Jouvet, he will take him to his drama school, in which Konstandaras will excel. Previously, due to his beauty, he will pose as a model in advertisements, including the famous House of Cartier. But bohemian life in the “City of Light” will end and the time for military service will come. He will be on the front line of the war with Italy in ’40 and will be seriously injured in the mountains of Albania. He will be saved by his friend Odysseus Elytis, and when his wounds healed, he asked to return to the front line.

The Voice of the Heart

Fortunately, for him and for us, circumstances will not allow him to return to the front line, but to become a front line actor. His performances in the theater could not go unnoticed and he quickly began to get leading roles. He will play almost everything, alongside figures of the Greek theater, but he will become well-known through his films, starting with Fino’s film “The Song of Separation” (1940). He will follow “The Voice of the Heart”, the first official film of Finos Film, as well as ten more films, playing zen premiere roles, due to his irresistible charm.

From a loving “naughty” father

In 1955, when Greek cinema has begun to enter professional standards, he will play alongside Vassilis Logothetides in Alekos Sakellarios’ daring, for its time, romantic comedy “No Cat, No Damage”, in the role of a love-struck dandy, while next year he will duplicate his success in the excellent comedy “The Jealous Man” again alongside Logothetides. Always a zen premiere, he will act in 1957 in the sympathetic “Maria Pentagiotissa”, playing the lover of the youngest Aliki Vougiouklakis, while the following year he will turn into a charming mature “loving” father, in the film “Holiday in Aegina” again with Alice. The new generation of Zen Premier has made its appearance. In Aegina it will be Barkoulis, in other films Alexandrakis, Papamichail etc.

In the 60s, his acting maturity would begin to show its signs in his roles as well. The title of the film “A Don Juan for Crying”, with Konstandara now middle-aged, still saying it with his partridge, says it all. With the excellent comedy “Lisa and Alli” and the iconic romantic comedy “Alice in the Navy”, he will play the role of Vougiouklakis’ father. A character that will last for years, either with Aliki, or with Jenny Karezi.

AEK forever

Jenny, who will also take her to his favorite stadium, “in Philadelphia”, to see his “AEKara” with him and almost play wood, because Karezi didn’t understand which team she should support. After all, Konstandaras also played for AEK, while he always had a transistor in the dressing room to listen to their games. Sometimes he was late to go on stage to listen to the exploits of Nestorides or Papaioannou, while at his first wedding, he was an hour late because he was listening to the Union match on the radio!

A tired lad

His good performances in cinema were many, although at some point his adorable mannerisms, faithfully followed by some actors of the younger generation, would stereotype him. However, his performances in the films “The Villa of Orgies”, “Some Tired Boys”, “My Wife Went Crazy”, “Striglos Who Became a Lamb” will be unforgettable. At the same time, he continued until the mid-60s to play the lovable and excellent roles of “Dad” in sweet comedies, such as “Jenny, Jenny”, “Patient on the Desk”, “My Daughter the Socialist”, etc.

The minister of our hearts

However, in 1965 he will shoot the film of his life, uniquely interpreting Mavrogialouros. It is about the comedy “Yparchei ki Filotimo”, by Sakellarios, one of the few of the old Greek cinema that touches on the political establishment of the country, criticizing the politicians, who live in their own world, the party leaders and the rodents that were in the ministerial and political offices . Constantaras, having the natural gift, will give a memorable performance, he will be completely convincing – especially as a politician who lives his myth, while managing not to lose his comic character even when he realizes that he is incapable of doing wrong Greek political texts.

Unforgettable

Lambros Konstandaras will face health problems from 1970, specifically from diabetes, which he never noticed. In 1978 he will have a slight stroke, after a diabetic crisis. His health will improve, but he will never fully recover. In 1981 and while his health has not been fully restored, he will star in his last film “O Lambroukos Balander”, which will renew him mentally, he will also record an album of songs by his son Dimitris, but in 1983 he will beat him again a stroke, which will cost him dearly. The brilliant actor, with his incorrigible jokes, the loud, mouthy and heavy-handed – Aleks Janetaku’s head was buzzing until the end – will be fixed to the bed and will speak only with his eyes. The wonderful blue eyes, which closed forever on June 28, 1985, moving the nation of Greece for the last time. Of course, we are left with his films and his unforgettable performances. This chapter will never close…