Vasco Santana

Acting

Vasco Santana

Born 1898-01-29 · Benfica, Lisbon, Portugal

Vasco António Rodrigues Santana was a Portuguese actor, one of the most renowned of the classical era of Portuguese cinema. He already had a long career in theatre when he played the main character in the first Portuguese sound film, A Canção de Lisboa, in 1933. He starred in about one dozen films.

Acting credits

Camões poster
6.8

The adventurous life of Portugal's epic poet, Luis de Camões.

Camões

1946

Famalicão poster
7.4

Short documentary about the town of Famalicão, in the North of Portugal.

Famalicão

1941

Ribatejo poster
6.3

It is the story of two men in love with the same woman and fighting each other in and out of the arenas of bulls.

Ribatejo

1949

Lisbon poster
6.4

For Capt. Robert John Evans, smuggling black-market goods is nothing out of the ordinary. But one day he's hired by Aristides Mavros for a more involved assignment -- sneaking an imprisoned American out of communist-controlled territory. The job seems challenging enough, but when he meets the prisoner's sultry wife, Sylvia, he realizes his mission comes with a startling catch: Not only must he rescue this man, he must bring him back from the dead.

Lisbon

1956

Fado, a Singer's Story poster
7.8

Ana Maria loves a modest guitar player, Júlio; when she herself in a 'retiro' (typical fado tavern), public and critics rend major applause. Fame brings about new friends, namely bohemian young who play and sing the fado with her, and not so young men but who rich and powerful enough to patronize her, promote her, and wish to become intimate with her. Júlio the guitarist feel betrayed, and he sets his mind to depart to the African colonies, to leave her forever. Knowing that he's going to embark, Ana Maria's heart between her first love, and the appeal of the rich and famous.

Fado, a Singer's Story

1947

O Zé Analfabeto e o Trânsito poster
6.3

No synopsis available yet.

O Zé Analfabeto e o Trânsito

1952

O Zé Analfabeto e o Trânsito poster
6.3

No synopsis available yet.

O Zé Analfabeto e o Trânsito

1952

Eram Duzentos Irmãos poster
8.1

A man afflicted by an inferiority complex, is helped out by his comrades to pass the tests to enter the navy. A girl accepts to show a fake love interest in him as part of the plan, and ends up really enamoured.

Eram Duzentos Irmãos

1952

O Costa d'África poster
7.7

Costa is travelling from Africa to London, and wishes very much to his nephew Amadeu, and see by himself how well he has been invested large sums of money he is been sending him. Amadeu 'borrows' for 24 hours a wife, a villa, a car, and a servant - for he has been lies to his uncle all the time. All goes well. But, Costa decides to prolong his stay for two weeks...

O Costa d'África

1954

A Song of Lisbon poster
8.5

Vasco is a medical student in Lisbon, supported by his rich aunts, whom he had falsely told he had already graduated. In fact, he devotes himself to a bohemian life, preferring the popular fairs and pretty women, especially Alice, a seamstress from the Castelinhos quarter, which rather upsets her ambitious father, tailor Caetano, who is familiar with Vasco's debts. After failing yet another final exam, he is surprised by his aunts' announcement that they will visit him in Lisbon to see his practice.

A Song of Lisbon

1933

O Dinheiro dos Pobres poster
9.0

Manuel and Pedro have different approaches to love. Manuel suffers a disgust that makes him sullen, and enters the priesthood. Pedro keeps on in his carefree ways, and commits a robbery. Manuel knows the robber is Pedro, but he learned it in Catholic confession. To keep his vows as a priest, he is prepared to be arrested.

O Dinheiro dos Pobres

1956

O Zé Analfabeto Faz Exame poster
6.3

No synopsis available yet.

O Zé Analfabeto Faz Exame

1952

O Zé já não é Analfabeto poster
6.7

No synopsis available yet.

O Zé já não é Analfabeto

1952

The Courtyard of the Ballads poster
8.7

A portrait of the relations between neighbours in a Lisbon courtyard. A story made of small episodes of humour, friendship, rivalry, love.

The Courtyard of the Ballads

1942

O Zé Analfabeto na Vida Corrente poster
6.7

No synopsis available yet.

O Zé Analfabeto na Vida Corrente

1952

Confissões de um Analfabeto poster
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Confissões de um Analfabeto

1952

O Zé Analfabeto nos CTT poster
7.3

No synopsis available yet.

O Zé Analfabeto nos CTT

1952

Lisbon, Anecdotal Chronicle poster
6.3

Caleidoscope of documentary-like scenes and re-enacted episodes of a day in the life of a large port town – Lisbon, from the old district around Saint George's Castle down to the docks and the 'Sagres' on the Tagus river, to the new commercial districts.

Lisbon, Anecdotal Chronicle

1930

The Tyrannical Father poster
7.9

While rehearsing the annual play, a clerk tries to regain the attention of his beloved, in a comedy of equivoques.

The Tyrannical Father

1941

O Comissário de Polícia poster
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

O Comissário de Polícia

1953

A Via Áurea poster
NR

A silent, black and white, 1930s advertisement film for CUF fertilizers, starring the legendary Vasco Santana in a story where the dissatisfied Manuel wonders why he doesn’t get rich just from the efforts of his work.

A Via Áurea

1931

Behind the camera