La Tremenda Corte

La Tremenda Corte (Spanish for "Wacky Courthouse") was a radio comedy show produced in Havana, Cuba. The scripts were written by Cástor Vispo, a Spaniard who became Cuban citizen. The show was aired nonstop from 1942 to 1961. Later, the format of the show was taken for a TV sitcom in Monterrey, Mexico, however, only three and a half seasons were produced from 1966 to 1969.

History

Origins

Cástor Vispo was born in La Coruña, Spain. He left his hometown at the age of 18, shortly after the Spanish Civil War broke out, to meet with his family in Cuba. While working at the El Universal newspaper, Vispo used his free time to write. His stories were closely related to the Cuban culture of the period, encompassing written press, theater and Cuban radio.

Popularity

“La Tremenda Corte”, was the work of this clever and prolific comedy writer Castor Vispo definitely fused with speech and Cuban folk psychology. Both Vispo as the production team were given the task of finding local comedians who would shed an humorous light, in 1941 (during WWII) and help people to forget the hardships of that time. Soon they found Leopoldo Fernández (Tres Patines), a talented comedian who was already recognized in radio spots and theatre, and his inseparable friend, Anibal de Mar. The rest of the cast came from tests with other less well-known comedians, but equally outstanding.

RHC radio

The program began broadcasting on radio station RHC Cadena Azul on January 7, 1942. It was owned by Amado Trinidad Velasco since 1941 (RHC belonged to the famous cigarette company in Trinidad and Brothers).

In 1947, “La Tremenda Corte” like several other programs of its time, was transferred to rival station CMQ Radio advertisers and sponsors, seeking greater competitive advantage. The programs were broadcast live back then, three times per week from Monday to Friday at 8:30 pm and were sponsored by a firm of perfumery and soaps.

QMC Radio

“La Tremenda Corte” was in the air without interruption from 1942 to 1961 (first RHC Cadena Azul and later at QMC), and its sole writer was Vispo. This work, therefore, it was quite strenuous for his imagination, which always managed to get ahead during this period. It is estimated that recorded more than 360 programs, many of which are still heard on radio, but there are a few such episodes that have never left Cuba and therefore little is known about them. Of all these radio programs were recorded at the station CMQ in Havana, between 1947 and 1961, no one knows how many still survive, and are considered rare and invaluable for fans and collectors of the series. In the peak of their success, the performances of the cast were taken to countries such as Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Panama and the Dominican Republic, where they were acclaimed.

TV series

In 1955, the program received a second wind, becoming the TV space comedy “The show of Pototo & Filomeno” CMQ through TV, where Leopoldo Fernandez ( “Pototo”) made a very similar to “Tres Patines” with again his teammate Anibal de Mar (Filomeno).

The space consisted of skits and songs with orchestral music, a forerunner of its kind on the island of Cuba. Its success prompted the couple’s two music recordings and a second film ( “Olé Cuba!”) In 1957. The show was introduced in the Sierra and the Montmartre cabarets in Havana.

All this occurred parallel to his work with “La Tremenda Corte”, but much of the public still identified with their radio characterizations.

Radio show cancelled

In the year 1960 there was a turn in the program production, as a result of the revolution headed by Fidel Castro. Nevertheless the circumstances did not stop the protagonists, who years later took the program to the television, maintaining much of the characteristic style that it had in the radio.

Previously, adaptations for local theatres that entailed some controversies, since the actors of the program (in particular Leopoldo Fernandez) were widely political critics and thus they showed it in their performances.

In 1961 a decree was emitted in the island which put all theatre companies, radio or televising programs under state control.

Fernandez was arrested and had to serve a sentence of 27 days. After he was released, it is said that Fernandez made a short humorous piece in which, interpreting “Pototo”, he and another actor reviewed a file of Cuban presidents photos to install them in the wall. The other actor showed a photo of Fulgencio Batista and Leopoldo said to him: – “Throw away this one…” The actor continued removing different politician figures with the invariable answer of the comedian: – “Throw away this one also…” Finally, the assistant removed a photo of Fidel Castro. Leopoldo watched it, showed it to the public and going to the wall, he said with his habitual ironic humor: – “Let me hang this one myself…”.

The joke, that had great diffusion and was repeated everywhere, concluded affirming that this phrase was the cause that forced to his detention and later exit from Cuba towards exile in the same year. But it was denied later in Miami by Fernandez, who, when he listened the version from the lips of a supposed theatre assistant during the mentioned performance, he corrected him not without a certain displeasure and he said: " Gentlemen, if I had done and said those things, I would not be here telling the story … ".

In any case finally Cuban authorities closed definitely the theatric show “La Tremenda Corte” and “Pototo & Filomeno” in Cuba, and in the beginning of 1962, the Cuban government seized the radio CMQ and cancelled all the humor programs that they performed.

This situation caused that the principal payroll of “La Tremenda Corte” (with the exception of the production team, among them Cástor Vispo), emigrated from Cuba that year towards Miami, not to return any more. The reason of the auto-exile obeyed to economic reasons and never by differences of ideology. In fact, none of the cast team expressed in that moment any political affinity and they decided to stay besides the facts that were addressing the Cuban society, even if they were living in a foreign country.

In those times actors did not receive income from the copy rights of the program, as it happens today, for this reason Abel Mestre, (who had been executive of company CMQ before being expropriated by the castrismo) bought many of the chapters from La Tremenda Corte for a truly derisory sum. Later he offered them for sale to many of the main Latin American radio stations of those years. The sale value was estimated in those years in $ 20 U.S. by episode, or more than $ 7.000 U.S. the totality of the episodes which still engravings are conserved, and are worth an exorbitant amount nowadays.

For television

Mexico

The radio program would return to life in Mexico in the mid-’60s through the radio station XEFB-AM (located in Monterrey), there began transmitting again episodes recorded in Cuba. The radio transmissions were warmly welcomed in the public.

That success motivated to create a version adapted to the television, and time later Independent Television of Mexico (TIM Network) projected the first transmissions of the version in small screen of this series in 1966 by means of channel 6 of Monterrey (XET-TV 6) and channel 8 in the Federal District (XHTM Channel 8). By then the TIM Network had a superb programming, thanks to the fact that it had hired the best creative Cubans of the time.

Nevertheless, this televising series demonstrated the limitations of the era, like the cardboard painted as a stage scene and with the rudimentary video equipment, low-resolution format and in black and white. Last season featured outdoor public in the live set that witnessed the shooting, giving greater credibility to the court, a fact that underscored the improvisational ability of the actors and their presence on stage.

“La Tremenda Corte” was one of the first TV comedy shows that were exported from Mexico to various countries of Latin America.

Of the original cast of radio, only Leopoldo Fernandez (also writer of the scripts in the absence of Vispo) and Aníbal de Mar, central characters and irreplaceable in the plot of were repeating their roles. Mimi Cal (“Nananina") and Adolfo Otero (“Rudecindo”), two regular comedians from the original series, declined the offer to participate, from their exile in Miami.

The rest of the cast were Cubans and Mexicans actors, mostly totally unknown to the public, given that the broadcaster was not willing to pay high wages. Some of them, like young Alfonso Zayas ( “Casimiro” of very occasional participation) were became known through this serie. Another particular actor was "Tonina Jackson”, known in the country as a wrestling character during the decades of 50 and 60, and appeared in a few episodes.

The television program was short-lived (until mid-1969), given that production costs were unsustainable for the station and there was no strong enough sponsorship behind it despite the obvious technical limitations with which it worked. The fourth season was unfinished, although it was a success in other parts of the continent and the effort of the actors for keeping it on the air.

While this was happening, Leopoldo Fernandez was required to perform the Mexican film “Las vírgenes de la nueva ola” (1969, Fernado Cortes), filmed in Miami and the first one in color and without the presence of Anibal de Mar. In it appears briefly the featured singer Daniel Santos.

Peru

In the middle of that year, 1969, Panamericana Televisión (channel 5 Peru) bought all 260 filmed chapters of and the rights to “La Tremenda Corte”, and also hired Fernández to lead a variant of the show. "El Guardia Tres Patines” cast Fernández in the title role, a clueless police officer of Caribbean flavor, and Antonio Salim as his boss, Sergeant "Bonifacio Palomino”, along with other Peruvian broadcast comedians, like Jorge Montoro and Anita Saravia. The show had a short run and failed to garner wider distribution or much importance abroad.

One final adaptation for Panamericana was the obscure, less fortunate “Tres Patines en su salsa” (1970), of which little recorded matter survives. Fernández quit Perú after this.

International relevance

This has been one of the more widely listened radio shows of in many American countries; its success has been so enormous that even at the present time it’s still been transmitted in many radio stations, mainly for the audience in Mexico, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, The Caribbean (particularly in Domincan Republic), Florida in the United States and the rest of America; and on top of it, also the versions for TV is still been transmitted in certain channels of Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Panama.

The head of the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Education attempted to get the show taken off the air because he was concerned that children listening to the show would adopt Tres Patines' dialect. The attempt was unsuccessful, and he soon found himself dismissed from his post following public outcry.

Miami’s Mega television Canal 22, announced that from January 15, 2007 would have a daily emission of the series, in south Florida. In Puerto Rico, the radio chain WPAB transmits two episodes from Monday to Friday between the hours of 13:00 to 14:00, retaining a considerable audience.

Tributes

In 1998, Cuban comedians did a tribute to the show within the program "¿Y tú de qué te ríes? (And what are you laughing at?) Of Cubavision, and took to the air a remake starring, among others, by Ulises Toirac as Trespatines, Carlos Otero as the Judge, Geonel Martin as Secretary, and Edith Massola as Nananine. This sketch was the closing of the program and had enormous popularity. Later they tried to convert it into a regular program, and finally, in 2001, it was only possible by making some changes that removed the original names, still closed to large scale and became Chivichana Trespatines (a kind of rustic skateboard Cuban children), the plaintiffs were replaced by new characters (Amado Fiel del Toro, Marieta Pozo Alegre, the professor Pepe Rillo and Cuqui la Mora), and the name remained as a ¿Jura decir la verdad? (Swear to tell the truth?.

Set in the Republican era, but early is contextualized in modern times subtextual level, with unprecedented sharp social criticism (the character Cabo Pantera, appeared in the second season, has been the only satirical allusion to the current police throughout the history of radio and television post-revolutionary), a weekly comedy show is hailed as one of the most popular in the history of Cuban television (directed by Ulises himself Toirac and Gustavo Fernández-Larrea), and which always appears at the beginning, the poster: Tribute to Tremenda Corte.

Actors and characters

Radio version produced in Havana between 1942 and 1961.

• Leopoldo Fernandez (José Candelario Tres Patines)
• Aníbal de Mar (el Tremendo Juez)
• Manuela "Mimí" Cal (Luz María Nananina)
• Adolfo Otero (Rudecindo Caldeiro y Escobiña)
• Miguel Angel Herrera (El Secretario de la Tremenda Corte)
• Julito Diaz (El Secretario de la Tremenda Corte #2)

Supporting Characters:

• Erdwin Fernández (“Simplicio Bobadilla and Comejaiba”)
• Wilfredo Fernández (“Federico “Perico” Jovellanos and Campoflorido”)
• Reynaldo Miravalles (“Leoncio Garrotín and Rompecocos”)
• “Luz Rosa Matraca del Valle”
• “Don Olegario Cascarillas and Pinotea”
• “Mr. Robert Two Base and One Strike” (American)
• “Inés María Fernández”
• “Don Hipólito del Queque and Estupiñán”
• “Guampampiro Talanquera del Potrero” (guajiro)
• “Cheo Guayabera”
• “Sindulfo Roqueta”
• “Dr. Vitamino Pildorita”
• “Severo Calderilla”
• “Don Catalino Talanquera del Potrero”
• “Monsieur Gabán and Malapolán” (dressmaker)
• “Excelentismo Mr. Don Nico Pantalon” (Ambassador of the Principality of Jambalán)
• “Bonifacio Batilongo” (Nananina’s cousin)
• “Petronilo Talanquera” (Nananina’s half cousin)
• “Darío Nervo Espronceda and Garcia Lorca de Bodeler” (poet)
• “Albino Blanco de Meza” (Cantina owner)
• "Ching Chong Chow (owner of a Chinese laundry)
• "Bertoldo Edmundo Melones y Dieta" (Art afficionado, "Dañosperjuicidio")

In the television version produced in Monterrey between 1966 and 1969 • Leopoldo Fernández (José Candelario Tres Patines) • Aníbal de Mar (the Tremendous Judge) • Norma Zúñiga (“Luz Marina Nananina”) • Florencio Castelló (“Rudecindo Caldeiro and Escobiña”) • Alonso Brown (the first “Secretary” – only in the first season) • Ricardo Barroeta (the “Secretary”, also made other occasional characters) • Raul “Cascarita” Salcedo (originally “Secretary”, soon made other participation with other characters, in particular with the one of “Heliotropo Flores del Rosal” and “don Abundio”) Among the rest of the televising cast were: • Marco de Carlo (“Patagonio Tucumán and Bandorreón “) • Leopoldo Fernández Jr (“Polito Abril and Mayo”) • Eny González (“Ángela Toribia Mercado” ) • Luis Manuel Pelayo (“Feliz Amargado or Happy Bitter”) • Delia Garda (“Julieta Tacoronte”, “Blanca Flor de la Montaña or White Flower of the Mountain”, “Asuncion Cordero”) • “Tonina Jackson” (the “mechanic” and other occasional roles) • Ana Marty (“Cucucita”, “Amaranza de los Sitios”) • Alfonso Zayas (“Casimiro”)

Arguments and characters

The program present a court where absurd situations arise, which always conclude in the Court of La Tremenda Corte, of no specified location. They are crimes in which Jose Candelario “Tres Patines” has made victim to Rudecindo or Nananina with some of his thefts, deceits or knavery, and these demand him before a judge in that correctional court. The daily subjects turn on misunderstandings that Tres Patines causes matching of words, always distorting for his benefit the double meaning that some phrases could have. Three skates in most cases inadvertently reveal his malicious intent. In one famous sketch, he pretend that he sells a parrot "speaking exceedingly". When the customer complains that the parrot doesn't speak, he explains to the judge that the one who speaks exceedingly is himself, Tres Patines, not the parrot.

Anecdotes

The expression "A la Reja" (“To the bars!) ”—typical of Tres Patines whenever they called him to appear, it was said in Cuba to those who were in prison already , in other words, was locked up in his cell, and in addition people came to look for him , could be a relative, his lawyer, or whoever. Then, so that the prisoner approached the bars because they wanted to talk to him, it was said to him. —“Fulano of so… to the bars! ” -. This gives to understand that the character basically spend most his time as a condemned in jail.

The anecdotes of Tres patines always leave in doubt the language of Cervantes that never says the words as they are. In fact, the success of his character, lied in the easy way he used the language for his own benefit.

References

Juan "El Gallo" Calderon relating the history of the "Tremenda Corte" on NXclusiva TV, January 2010[1]

External links

• The Unofficial Home Page of "La Tremenda Corte".