A single image, a brief scene of the actor José Sazatornilaffectionately known as ‘Saza‘, is enough to quickly reach the conclusion that he was one of the great actors of the cine Spanish. One of those faces and those interpretations that one links to so many titles on our celluloid. Hence it is not surprising that it was held in Barcelona an emotional tribute to this incomparable film and theater actor precisely in the place where he was born, Sant Pere Més Alt street, in the historic center of the Catalan capital. Now any citizen, expert or neophyte of the seventh art, can know where exactly one of those unforgettable and essential performers was born.
Born in Barcelona just one hundred years ago, in 1925, Sazatornil established himself as one of the great Spanish comedians, participating in a total of 114 moviesin addition to a multitude of plays. Hence, the aforementioned posthumous recognition recognizes the deep mark he left on Spanish cinema in the second half of the 20th century, being an emblem whose talent was enjoyed by several generations. The plaque has been specifically placed at number 74, bis, Sant Pere Més Alt street, in the Ciutat Vella district, the neighborhood where he lived his early years. To honor the memory of the actor, the commemorative plaque of his birthplace has been placed and unveiled, which is also part of the activities to commemorate his centenary.
‘Saza’ began his acting career very young, dedicating himself to amateur theater since 13 years old. But before devoting himself fully to acting, he studied and worked in the Sant Pere neighborhood, as he did in a tailor shop on Comtal Street. His professional debut in the theater took place at the Teatre Victoria in the Catalan capital in 1946. The leap to the big screen came in 1953 with his first film, Spanish fantasy. From that moment on, Sazatornil successfully alternated cine and the theater. The actor, who made his debut in the cinema directed by Javier Seitó, dedicated himself to embodying the archetype of the Spaniard “uptight lover of law and order who hides a rogue’s heart.” In 1957, the Barcelona actor had already established his own theater company.
Saza’s filmography consists of more than one hundred titles, covering collaborations with emblematic directors of different trends and generations. He was a recurring collaborator of Luis García Berlangaparticipating in some of his best-known films, such as The executioner (1963), The national shotgun (1978) y everyone to jail (1993). The collaboration with Berlanga in The national shotgun It allowed him to provide one of his most memorable roles, that of the Catalan businessman Jaume Canivell. Furthermore, his performance in everyone to jail It earned him the award for Best Actor from the Film Writers’ Circle.
Goya Award
Among his greatest triumphs is his work in wait for me in heaven (1988), from Antonio Mercerofor which he received the Goya Award for best supporting actor, the only one of his career. He also participated in the acclaimed The Hive (Mario Camus, 1982). At the end of the eighties, he offered another emblematic performance as Corporal Gutiérrez of the Civil Guard in the film It dawns that it is not little (1989), directed by Jose Luis Cuerda. Other of his popular hits correspond to comedies from the 60s and 70s, such as Those that have to serve (1967), where he worked alongside Gracita Morales, The hooligans (1954), The widows (1966), A million in the trash (1967) y bullfighter friar (1966). Like many of his contemporaries, he also explored mainstream cinema in the 1970s, participating in productions such as The fierce love (1975), Colorín, colorado (1976) o The periscope (1978).
The actor, who died in Madrid in 2015 of natural causes and who suffered from senile dementia, demonstrated his versatility by working with filmmakers of various tendencies, from the most classic ones like Juan de Orduña to the filmmaker Mariano Ozores. His last appearance on the big screen was in get away from me (2006), directed by Víctor García León. ‘Saza’ also left his mark on television, with TVE productions such as The maniacs (1974) y The garden of Venus (1983).
In addition to the Goya, his professionalism and versatility was recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including the National Theater Award “José Isbert” in 2005, the Honor Award from the Circle of Cinematographic Writers in 2013 and the “Award for a lifetime” awarded by the Actors Union in 2014. The tribute carried out in Barcelona with the plaque in his first house is a well-deserved tribute to an actor who, from his humble beginnings in the amateur theater of Ciutat Vella, built a vast and successful cinematographic legacy that continues to be remembered.
The tribute included the participation of institutional figures, as well as family members of the artist and representatives of the world of interpretation. In fact his own family, through his granddaughter Cristina Arriagathanked the tribute and highlighted the strong connection that Sazatornil always maintained with the neighborhood of his childhood and his artistic beginnings. Even remembering her comedic skills, the granddaughter remembered her grandmother with a final message of gratitude that brought smiles to those present: “Thank you so much for Sazatornil.”
