Lambros Kodantaras: The Lord of Greek comedy

In Paris he was named “Le beau Grec”, i.e. “the handsome Greek” and the truth is that the , towering, blue-eyed and athleticist figure, was one of the greatest charms of Greek cinema. Lampros Constantaras, apart from an excellent comedian actor, perhaps the only one who filled the screen so much with his imposing appearance, was a great heartbreaker. The goldsmith who became an actor in Paris Athens Lambros Konstantaras, with roots from Constantinople, was born on 13 March 1913, in Kolonaki, at 13 Plutarchos Street. Son of goldsmith, he worked near his father and after spending two years at the Naval Petty School in Corfu, he became passionate about football. The family wanted Lambros to study goldsmithing so that the family business could get through to him, so they sent him to France in 1931. He had other plans and that was to become an actor. His accidental participation as an extra in a film, opened the way for him in France for a career in acting, alongside the great French theatreman Louis Juvet. In 1937 he made his first professional appearance in the theatre with Molière’s “Women’s School”. Previously, due to its beauty, it will work as a model in advertisements, including the famous Cartier house. But life in the “City of Light” will end and the time of military service will come. He will be at the forefront of the war with Italy in ’40 and will be seriously injured in the mountains of Albania. He will be saved by his friend Ulysses Elitis, while when his injuries were healed, he asked to return to the front line. He eventually became a first-line actor. Returning to Greece he distinguished himself in important dramatic roles in theatre and cinema, however he became particularly popular through the comic roles he played on the big screen. His mansion and air bon viver in cinema and his everyday life, his vitality and source humor, have made him one of the most beloved actors of the golden age of cinema. He appeared in Athens, in the work of James Barry “The medals of the old lady” next to Katerina (Andreade). The works “The Strawwood” by Dimitris Psathas, “The Misanthropist” by Molière, “The player” by Dostoyevsky, with troupes such as Mirandas – Pappas and Mousouris – Aronis, followed. He was a leading comedian but performed a wide range of roles, from dramatic to comedians, even that of zen premier. On his long theatrical journey he will work with great actors, such as Marika Kotopouli, Jenny Karezi, Maro Kontou, Nikos Rizos, Dino Iliopoulos, Alice Vougiouklaki and Ellie Lambetis. The last time he was on the board was in Kostas Pretenteris’ comedy “Crazy contacts of the Roman press”, which he presented with Maro Kontou and Nikos Rizos in the two years 1977 – 1979. Lambros Constantaras became particularly popular in cinema. He was a protagonist from his very first film, “The song of separation” (1940) directed by Philopomenos Finos, while keeping the first roles in about 90 more films. The lines spoken by the unforgettable “Labruco” have left history. He was established as Alice Vougiouklaki’s film dad in the films “Holidays in Aegina”, “The wood came out of heaven”, “Alice in the Navy”, “My daughter the socialist”, “Lisa and the other” etc. He stood out with the role of female conqueror Zachos Doganos in the series of Kostas Pretenteris “They and I”, which aired in the two years 1976-1977. In 1965 he will film the film of his life, performing exclusively Mavroyaluro. This is the comedy “There is also Philotimo”, by Alecus Sakelarios, one of the few of the old Greek cinemas that affect the country’s political establishment, criticizing politicians. “I have not learned the people of words, we are the people of works! We will make you disappear!” says Lambros Konstantaras as Mavroyalouros, rehearsing the speech he is preparing to address to his future voters. Unforgettable remains the scene from the film “The shrew who became a lamb”, 1968 produced by Karayannis – Karatzopoulos and directed by Alekos Sakelarios, when Captain Leonidas Petrochilos, director of the School of Merchants, played by Lambros Constantaras asks for some water from his three sons. “Some water, you guys!” and “Make a cross, you guys! It can be good for us…” it is only some of the lines of the “strienge” just before the arrival of the housekeeper Mrs Mary, played by Maro Kondou and who was about to change his life. Maro Kondu had talked about what Lambros Constantaras was like: “ Constantaras was a jinx and difficult but wonderful actor, diligent. It was very pleasant playing with him. Tough guy. Actually, I didn’t really mind his difficulty, I take people the way they are. Now if they don’t fit me I won’t join them outside,” the actress said on the show “Dot”. The two marriages and the son of the well-known heartbreaker Lambros Constantaras married twice. In 1945 with actress Julia Georgopoulou and the following year he has his only child, journalist and politician Dimitris Constantaras. Incurable AEKTZIS, it is said that in his first marriage, he was an hour late because he listened to the AEK radio race. In 1971, he had a second marriage to Philio Kekatu, with whom he stayed together until the end of his life. The two met in 1961, after his stormy romance with Anna Kaluta and his separation from his first wife. In 1969 he won the performance award at the Thessaloniki Festival for his performance in Vassilis Georgiadis’ film “The Bluff”. His last film was “Labrucos wild” (1981) directed by Kostas Karagiannis. Lambros Konstantaras left life on June 28, 1985 at the “Asclepiion” of Voula. In the last years of his life he had serious health problems due to several strokes.