Joe Alex

Biography

Joe Alex—the pseudonym of Alejandro Saenz Varona, born on May 19, 1894, in Ica (Peru) and died on August 15, 1948, in Lima (Peru)—was a Peruvian dancer, choreographer, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in the interwar music-hall scene, he made his debut in 1918, appearing in revues, operettas, musicals, and comedies at venues such as the Olympia, the Théâtre du Perchoir, the Bataclan, and the Gaîté-Lyrique. Nicknamed the "tragedian of the dark soul" and regarded by Paul Colin as one of the greatest stars of his era, he was a member of the *Revue Nègre* from 1925 to 1928—alongside Josephine Baker and Sidney Bechet—and founded the *Théâtre Africain* in 1938. While often typecast in roles such as a Black dancer, a "native," or a servant—whether on stage or in film (notably as King Malikoko in *Malices-Coco*, a two-act revue by Jean Bastia and Charles-Alexis Carpentier, and as Bamboula in *Bécassine et Bamboula*, a three-act comedy by Caumery)—he also secured more serious roles, such as Vincent Jackson (a man sentenced to death) in John Wexley’s play *The Last Mile* and Diego in the film *L'Étoile de Valencia*, starring alongside Jean Gabin and Brigitte Helm.

Filmografi

Children of Paradise1945 · (uncredited)Josette1937 · Bamboula, le domestiqueThe Kidnapping1934 · Boy1926 · Les trois cousines1947 · The blackL'Étoile de Valencia1933 · DiegoLe Clown Bux1935 · La Terreur de la pampa1933 · Mr. Gregoire Runs Away1946 · Jeff, Tuffal's colored servantBouboule 1er, roi nègre1934 · The Lover of Borneo1942 · (uncredited)Le Bouif errant1926 · Le Nègre du rapide numéro 131923 · Zambah-AmbahLe Bateau à soupe1947 · L'indigèneNaples Under the Kiss of Fire1937 · Le soutierThe Magnificent Wanderers1931 · Pasha's Wives1939 · AliThe Lion of the Moguls1924 · Satan's Paradise1938 · Adrien1943 · The negro shoe-shine boy (uncredited)Fort Dolorès1939 · Little Lise1930 · Le danseur noirLe Prince charmant1925 · Rigolboche1936 ·