José Isbert
José Enrique Benito y Emeterio Ysbert Alvarruiz, also known as José Isbert and/or Pepe Isbert, was a Spanish actor.
Biography
Early life
In 1903 he worked at the Court of Accounts, but decided to give up working as a civil servant and that same year he made his stage debut at the Teatro Apolo in Madrid in the play El iluso Cañizares, changing the spelling of his real name from Y to I. He moved to the Teatro Lara, where he was very successful.
He was married to Elvira Soriano and he was father of the actress María Isbert and grandfather of Tony Isbert and Carlos Ysbert.
Career
In 1912 he debuted in the short film Asesinato y entierro de Don José Canalejas.
During the silent era he worked in theatre with supporting roles in cinema, but with the advent of sound, he made a big screen comeback in the comedy directed by Florián Rey, La pura verdad in.
In the 1930s he acted in half a dozen films including: ¿Cuándo te suicidas? directed by Manuel Romero (director), La bien pagada by Eusebio Fernández Ardavín or El bailarín y el trabajador, directed by Luis Marquina and based on a play by Jacinto Benavente.
In the 1940s he gained great popularity in films such as Te quiero para mí and El testamento del virrey, both directed by Ladislao Vajda; Ella, él y sus millones by Juan de Orduña; El fantasma y doña Juanita by Rafael Gil and Pacto de silencio, by Antonio Román.
The films he is most remembered for are from the 1950s and 1960s, in classics directed by Luis García Berlanga: Welcome Mr. Marshall!, Los jueves, milagro and El verdugo ; and the dark comedy masterpiece El cochecito by Marco Ferreri, all written by Rafael Azcona.
He was the grandfather in the Spanish classic La gran familia, and its sequel La gran familia... y uno más, these films earning him still greater popularity.
Pepe Isbert died in Madrid due to a heart condition when he was 80 years old. He was buried at Tarazona de la Mancha cemetery in the province of Albacete.
Selected filmography
Asesinato y entierro de Don José Canalejas - Manuel Pardiñas¡A la orden, mi coronel! La mala ley - Hilario48 pesetas de taxi The Pure Truth - Sr. LambertiWhen Do You Commit Suicide? - PetaveyBroken Lives - PacoLa bien pagada - GabrielThe Dancer and the Worker - Don Carmelo RomagosaHeart of Gold - El tío MatíasEl sobre lacrado - Don CastoUna chica de opereta - Fabián PérezOrosia - Don CándidoAventura - Empresario RodríguezTe quiero para mí - Don MiguelLife Begins at Midnight - El abueloEl testamento del virrey - Don PrudencioElla, él y sus millones - Ramón, duque de HinojaresThe Phantom and Dona Juanita - Don PanchoUn hombre de negocios - DimasThe Princess of the Ursines - Maese Pucheros2 cuentos para 2 - GordónMi enemigo el doctor Confidences - Don MauricioThe Party Goes On - M. LapinPacto de silencio - Matías OrellanoThey Always Return at Dawn - Don JacoboIn a Corner of Spain - Tío Tomás, el pescadorSin uniforme - LeviMy Beloved Juan - PedroEl señor Esteve - Artista pintorThe Vila Family - Señor VilaUn soltero difícil - Doctor OlmosTales of the Alhambra - Don Cosme - el escribanoTres ladrones en la casa - VeremundoI Want to Marry You - Padre de RositaService at Sea - Don JoséCielo negro A Cuban in Spain - Jose Holmes PérezThe Seventh Page - Vendedor de bolsosCaptain Poison - Doctor SánchezSpanish Serenade - Capitán del barcoLola the Coalgirl - Soldado José RodríguezCerca de la ciudad - RamónEstrella of the Sierra Morena - LabriegoThe Song of Sister Maria - LabriegoSor intrépida - Don CosmeLast Day - Comisario PérezDoña Francisquita - Maestro LambertiniLovers of Toledo - AnticuarioWhat Madness! - Don RamiroWelcome Mr. Marshall! - Don Pablo, el alcaldeAirport - ManoloSuch is Madrid - DimasCondemned to Hang - Don FélixPlot on the Stage - PorteroAll Is Possible in Granada - JoaquínNuits andalouses - Chauffeur de taxiAventuras del barbero de Sevilla - Don FaustinoComo la tierra - WencesEleven Pairs of Boots - Padre RoqueLove on Wheels - Representante CarmonaAn Andalusian Gentleman - JoaquínEl guardián del paraíso - JoséHistorias de la radio - InventorCongress in Seville - Señor sordo y despistadoNubes de verano - PabloUn día perdido - PacoLa pícara molinera - Campillo, el pregoneroRapto en la ciudad La chica del barrio - CipriAfternoon of the Bulls - Don FelipeUncle Hyacynth - SánchezSucedió en mi aldea - Guardia de las barcasWe Thieves Are Honourable - El Tío del GabánThe Rocket from Calabuch - Don RamónManolo, guardia urbano - Don Andrés, el sacerdoteMiracle of the White Suit - AlcaldeDos novias para un torero Recluta con niño Tremolina - Don GervasioUn abrigo a cuadros - Don JoséFaustina - Sacerdote - tio de GuillermoFulano y Mengano - EudosioLos jueves, milagro - Don JoséLos ángeles del volante - CristóbalThe Man Who Wagged His Tail - PietrinoVilla Alegre - Tío JuanLa vida por delante - Testigo accidentePolicarpo - Maresciallo Venanzio FrascaBombas para la paz - Mauricio DupontCollege Boarding House - Don ServandoLitri and His Shadow - Hermano AlejandroCarnival Day - Don DamiánNothing Less Than an Archangel - Don FabiánEl cochecito - Don Anselmo ProharánVida sin risas Don Lucio y el hermano Pío - Hermano PíoAn American in Toledo - RománPatricia mía Don José, Pepe y Pepito - MarceloMargarita se llama mi amor - Don Severino, profesor de historiaDespedida de soltero - Don PabloVamos a contar mentiras - BomberoLos que no fuimos a la guerra - Don ArístidesYou and Me Are Three - PresidenteSabían demasiado - Don Sebastián Guzmán, el secuestradoCupido contrabandista - Recién casadoLa gran familia - El abueloPerro golfo - Guarda de las obrasEl sol en el espejo - Don PabloLa pandilla de los once - El DuqueEl Verdugo - Amadeo, el verdugoLos dinamiteros - Don BenitoCristina - El tíoOperación Dalila - AbueloLo que cuesta vivir - Don Antonio