THE Alekos Sakellarios was a unique case in the field of Greek entertainment and letters. Versatile, tireless and inexhaustible of ideas, Alekos Sakellarios managed to give and to be precise continues to give, generously laughter and emotion and especially in the last decades a nostalgia for post-war Greece.

He was very productive, as in addition to the fifty films he directed, he wrote more than 200 plays, 60 screenplays, he was one of the most prolific and important lyricists of the Greek song, he also made huge successes on television, while he never abandoned his original occupation with journalism.

Alekos Sakellarios, apart from his huge film successes, most of which were box office smashes – perhaps even surpassing Dino Dimopoulos – was an excellent scriptwriter, probably better than a director, keeping direct contact with society, using every smart talk he could. to listen at his work, in the streets, in the taverns, where he ended his busy day. After all, his greatest value lies in the writing of dialogues, since the structure of his scripts was often characterized by sloppiness or a lack of cinematic knowledge. What is certain is that Sakellarios, if he were in Hollywood, would make a career as a dialogue writer, with his original talent for the one-liner.

With the completion of 110 years since his birth (November 7, 1913) it is an opportunity to escape from the established uncritical hymnologies and to delve into his film work, his value, his social outlook, the period of his artistic heyday, but also of the conservative messages contained in many of his films, trapped by the urban environment in which he moved and by the conventionality of Finos Films.

From law to journalism

He was born in Athens and lived his childhood and youth years in Agios Panteleimonas, in Acharnon, when there were still vegetable gardens a short distance away. He studied Law at the University of Athens, but very quickly he will engage in his first love, journalism, entering as a combat reporter in Kathimerini, while he then worked as a chronicler or euthymographer in several newspapers, such as Eleftheri Greece, Akropolis, Machi, Eleftheros Kosmos , Free Press etc.

“The Dioscuri”

In 1935 he will write, following the order of an important comedian of the light musical theater, Petros Kyriakous, his first play “The King of Halva”, with which he will experience great success and recognition. His collaboration with Christos Giannakopoulos will follow, introducing one of the most successful writing couples, the “Dioskouros”, as they were successfully christened by the powerful theater critic at the time, Achilleas Mamakis.

The Germans Begin Again

He will enter the cinema, after the urging of Philopoimenos Finos, even though he did not have any special knowledge, something not unusual for the time, since the Greek cinema, immediately after the liberation, was in its infancy, a small craft of dreams and artistic creation.

His first film, “The Germans Begin Again”, came in 1948. Today’s classic satire, about the division of the Greeks, will be a comedy, with Vassilis Logothetides as the protagonist and Dino Dimopoulos in a small role. The film, which will become a huge box-office success, will talk about the need for reconciliation, albeit from an urban perspective (the KKE will delete Mimi Fotopoulos for his participation in the film), but will not leave the issue of rationing unaddressed either .

The golden 50s

In the 1950s, in his cinematic prime, he was lucky enough to work with Vassilis Logothetides, but also with all the great comedians of his generation. A time when Sakellarios, like several of his colleagues, were messing around in film schools, mainly in Italy (which dominated almost the whole world, influencing all important filmmakers), copying themes, directing techniques, script ideas, etc., but not social concerns or deeper existential issues.

Coexistence with Logothetides

In 1952, he will shoot the comedy “A Pebble in the Lake” with Logothetides and Livykou, forgiving the love lapse of an incurable miser, while the following year he will shoot one of his best films, the dramatic comedy “Miss 39” with Logothetides and the wonderful Smaro Stefanidou and with the sad finale, winning impressions. He will continue his collaboration with Logothetidis in the films “Santa Tsikita”, a delightful comedy, and “No Cat No Harm”, a comedy of misunderstandings, which did poorly at the box office, because Logothetidis’ wife Livikos dares to pay him with the same currency in his love scandals, something unthinkable for the society of the time. With Logothetides, he will make two more films, the painless emotional comedy “Delistavrou and Son” and the dramatic comedy “A Hero with Slippers”, with which he will highlight the role of party rodents in the ministerial offices.

With the “dream team” of the protagonists

In the period 1955-1960, he will also shoot perhaps the best films of his long career, basically remaining faithful to the genre of comedic ethnography, slandering stereotypes of the time and Greeks, but always within limits and sometimes recycling stereotypes for the position of the woman, etc. From “Thanasakis the Civilized”, with an exquisite Iliopoulos, he will move on to the biggest success of the decade, the wonderful “Laterna, Ptocheia i Philotimo”, making unique use of Vassilis Avlonitis and Mimi Fotopoulos, but also the music of Hadjidakis . It will be followed by the famous “Cafetzou”, with Georgia Vassiliadou, Fotopoulos and Avlonitis, one of the most complete works of the old commercial cinema, which is largely due to the multi-tool Dino Katsouridis (photography and editing). The successes will continue with the hilarious “Aunt from Chicago” and the wonderful lead duo Vassiliadou – Makri “to break it up”, which they repeated a few months later with the exquisite comedy “Our Lady the Midwife”, with which the prejudices and narrow-mindedness of the province. In 1959, he will shoot “Ilias of the 16th”, with the inimitable Hatzichristos and Iliopoulos, while in “Yellow Gloves”, a comedy with incredible jokes, he will take off the career of Gionakis, having the brilliant inspiration to give him the role of Brili.

Making Alice a “National Star”

In the same year, he will also have his first meeting with Aliki Vougiouklakis, filming the cute comedy “To Klotsoskoufi”, placing next to her the Zen premiere Alekos Alexandrakis. In 1960, he will start with the incredible success of the comedy “The Wood Came Out of Paradise”, where he will combine Alice with Dimitris Papamihail, as well as a series of renowned actors and character artists. A film that will make Vougiouklakis a “National Star”, although afterwards they will clash a few times.

Sakellarios will continue to make successes in the 60s, but mainly at the box office. Little by little, the witty remarks will begin to wear off, the ideas or directorial choices will blur. Nevertheless, he will shoot some quite good comedies, such as “Woe to the Young”, “Tosca Bride”, “Polytechnician and Hermit”, “I’ll Make You Queen”, “My Daughter the Socialist”, “The Bait” Ms.

Sackellar

Mavrogialouros

In 1965, he will have his last big glimpse, filming the classic comic satire “Yparchei ki Filotimos”, with Lambros Konstandaras, in the role of Mavrogialouros, giving his change. A film about the worthless politicians, who are just living their myth and the party leaders, who are looting the state coffers. The perfect collaboration with Konstandaras will result in them making several films together until the 1970s, of which “O Striglos po Megine Arnaki” clearly stands out. When he meets Rena Vlachopoulou in cinema, commercial cinema is already well into its decline.

Forever young

Chalkenderos, he will continue to make films until 1986, he will have time to make five video films, while during the breaks he will also write many lyrics for dozens of songs, which will be sung by all of Greece. He will also manage to marry three times, in order to Matoula Davaris, the actress Niki Linardou and Tina Vretou, while he had two daughters.

Alekos Sakellarios will live a full life, he will give us many good films, which despite their imperfections or the obvious flaws in their directorial approach, will give us the laughter we so need. He will pass away on August 28, 1991, at the age of 78, living his third youth and with the endless zest for life that he treated us to through his films.