Dimitris Papamichael

Acting

Dimitris Papamichael

Born 1934-08-29 · Pireaus, Greece

Dimitris Papamichael (Greek: Δημήτρης Παπαμιχαήλ 1934–2004) was a popular Greek actor and director. In 1965, he married Aliki Vougiouklaki, the so-called "national star" of Greece. The star couple remained married for a decade, co-starring in several films that marked the "golden era" of Greek cinema. Dimitris Papamichael's film debut was in 1956 in the (color) "Agapetikos tis Voskopoulas" by Elias Paraskevas. The very next year he made his first appearance in a Finos Film film with a small role in "Theia apo to Chicago" by Alekos Sakellarios and later in "I Kyra mas i Mammi" (1958) he met again Alekos Sakellarios, Orestis Makris and Georgia Vasiliadou. However, as he himself said, his first substantial film was "Teletaio Psemma" (1958) by Michalis Cacogiannis, also for Finos Film. Filopoimenas Finos was the one who would “pair” Dimitris Papamichael with Aliki Vougiouklaki in the cinema, choosing them to play together in “Astero” (1959). The couple became established in the public consciousness as commercial successes followed one another: “The Wood Came Out of Paradise” (1959) by Alekos Sakellarios, “Mantalena” (1960) by Dinos Dimopoulos and of course “Alice in the Navy” (1961) by Alekos Sakellarios. During the same period, Dimitris Papamichael starred in the films "Never on Sunday" (1960) and "Phaedra" (1961) under the directorial guidance of Gilles Dassin. He also tries his hand without Aliki in interesting productions such as "Lost Dreams" (co-produced by Finos Film with Damaskinos-Michaelidis, 1961), "Company of Miracles" (1962), "The Loustrakos" (1962), "Don't Fall in Love on Saturday (Kronos Film, 1962)", "The Red Lanterns" (Damaskinos-Michaelidis, 1963) but also in the film noir "Death Will Rise Again" (Finos Film, 1962) with the role of the demonic detective that clearly demonstrates the breadth of his acting range. The Dimitris-Aliki duo proves to be a guarantee of commercial success for the producers, while at the same time they become a couple in the theater and in life. They filmed together for Damaskinos-Michailidis the films "Heartbeats at the Desk" (1963), "Modern Cinderella" (1965), "My Daughter the Socialist" (1966), "Diplopenies" (1966), "The Brightest Star" (1967), "Ah This Woman of Mine" (1967) and for Karagiannis-Karatzopoulos the "Luna Park Girl" (1968), "Our Love" (1968). Gradually, Dimitris Papamichael leaves behind the type of handsome, elegant and kind-hearted young man, and chooses more "popular" roles, often utilizing his vocal and dancing abilities. The couple returned to Finos Film in 1968 with great successes such as "The Lady and the Tramp" (1968), "The Teacher with the Golden Hair" (1968), "The Fairy and the Boy" (1969) and of course with the legendary "Lieutenant Natasha" (1970). His performance in the film "Papaflessas" (1971) by Errikos Andreou is considered one of his top film works and is one of the roles that stood out to him. In 1974 he closed his cycle at Finos Film with "Dream Lovers" by Yannis Dalianidis with partner Zoe Laskari, and decided to devote himself to theater. However, in 1978 he could not refuse the offer of Gilles Dassin for a role in "The Cry of Women", while after two indifferent roles ("Wild Hens" and "Second Class Citizens") he closed his film career in 1996 with the film "Towards Freedom" by Haris Papadopoulos alongside Mary Chronopoulou. (Source: Wikipedia)

Acting credits

Mrs. Midwife poster
7.9

The rivalry between a professional doctor and a midwife in a small Greek village. A retired doctor decides to settle down with his family in his wife's village and opens a medical practice. However, he gradually comes into conflict with the village midwife and her unorthodox medical practices, namely eye-opening and amulets. The midwife's son, a medical student in Athens, comes to the village for vacation, falls in love with the doctor's daughter, who tries to reduce her influence over the villagers.

Mrs. Midwife

1961

Lazy like a dog poster
5.6

A lazy and wasteful slacker who enjoys living off his hard-working brother reluctantly accepts to work as a debt collector. Now, he is in love, and for once in his life, he is good at something. Can the boss' daughter straighten him out?

Lazy like a dog

1963

The Red Lanterns poster
7.1

The inextricably intertwined stories of five sex workers who live in a brothel at Pireas harbor.

The Red Lanterns

1963

Death Will Return poster
7.0

Adapted from Nikos Foskolos’ theatrical play. On a terribly stormy night, in a secluded hotel, the owner, Brigadier Norton, is murdered. Prime suspects: his daughter Elena, his second wife Liza, Liza’s niece and her fiancé, Norton’s physician, and the hotel staff. Inspector Fox and his assistant, policeman Petridis, are assigned the investigation of the crime. While the suspects’ questioning is under way, some more people arrive at the hotel: detective Tilemachos Christofis with his assistant Aliki, and lieutenant Karalis, a sworn enemy of the victim, complicating things even more.

Death Will Return

1961

Madalena poster
6.2

Madalena is a tough seventeen-year-old who is forced to take on her father's ferry business after he dies. She has her many brothers and sisters to support, and there is no one else to do the job. So she rallies her defenses and sets out to give her rival in the ferry business a run for his money. But at the same time, the rival's handsome son is starting to look better and better. Madalena refuses to acknowledge her feelings for him -- though how long she can sustain that denial is the question.

Madalena

1960

My Daughter, the Socialist poster
6.2

Liza falls in love with one of her father's employees. Her socialistic ideas about employment drive her to collide with her father and the sociopolitical status of the time.

My Daughter, the Socialist

1966

Never on Sunday poster
6.9

An American scholar in Greece sets about improving the local prostitute with whom he is infatuated.

Never on Sunday

1960

Maiden's Cheek poster
7.0

Young teacher Floras arrives to teach a class at a girls’ high school in Athens. His students, daughters of rich Athenian families, are very spoilt making his and the other teachers work difficult. When he starts implementing discipline in his class, the girls use every means to get rid of him. But the most undisciplined, Lisa Papastavrou, falls in love with him.

Maiden's Cheek

1959

Papaflessas poster
6.9

The life and work of the hero of 1821 Papaflessas that during the liberation struggle of the Greeks against the Turks, revolutionizing the elders and the world to declare war!!! Up to the heroic battle Maniaki.... A movie that shows the heroism and sacrifice of the Greeks for their homeland and their freedom

Papaflessas

1971

Oh, That Woman of Mine! poster
6.0

A man finds out that his boss had a quarrel with his wife, so he now tries to present her as his housemaid.

Oh, That Woman of Mine!

1967

Astero poster
3.2

This immensely successful remake of the 1929 foustanella classic was directed by Dinos Dimopoulos and quickly established its stars (Dimitris Papamichael and the beautiful Aliki Vouyouklaki) as the Greek cinema's top box-office draws. The story itself rigidly follows the conventions of its subgenre, although because Greek filmmakers were still churning out foustanellas for decades afterward, it hardly seems more dated than the original. Once again, it tells the tale of Mitros (Titos Vandis), a wealthy herd owner with a foster daughter named Astero (Vouyouklaki) whom he marries off to another herd owner, despite the fact that she and his son Thimios (Papamichael) are desperately in love. The other herd owner dies and Astero loses her mind a bit (although she doesn't wig out quite as spectacularly as Aliki Theodoridou in the silent original), but Mitros finally comes to the right decision and allows the children to marry.

Astero

1959

Loustrakos poster
6.2

The small loustrakos Vasilis Maras alongside the school of fine on the streets of Athens to make money. The mother finds injustice in prison for the murder of Demetrias. With the persistence of the king, however, and the help of a lawyer, the Karelia, the mother of leaving prison.

Loustrakos

1962

Wild Chickens poster
8.0

At the Presidential Mansion news arrives every day indicating that things in the country are going from bad to worse. The President summons all the political leaders in order to understand exactly what is happening; and yet no one can enlighten him. He decides to act. He calls two journalists and assigns them the task of investigating the matter by speaking directly with ordinary people. The investigation starts with the notorious Gypsy Tamtakos, who struggles every day for a living. Then they move on to a simple employee, Markos, who dreams of a raise -which never comes. Then it's a farmer, Thymios, who comes to the capital to sell his oranges. In a largely burlesque manner, the film more or less reveals that the entire misfortune is due to Greeks' laziness and apathy, as well as to the prevailing attitude of "no big deal".

Wild Chickens

1981

The Auntie from Chicago poster
6.8

Charilaos (Orestis Makris), a retired officer with very strict and conservative principles, raises his four daughters with... military discipline, taking care of their culture, their appearance and their good behavior. Despite all his desire to marry them, he does not leave them anywhere alone, as a result of which no man approaches them. His wife, Efterpi (Eleni Zafiriou), as well as his friend and neighbor Xenophon (Pantelis Zervos), make remarkable efforts to convince him to change his tactics, but he insists on his very conservative behavior. But when the conversation reaches the well-to-do sister of Kalliopis (Georgia Vassiliadou) who has been living in Chicago, USA for years, everything turns upside down. She returns to Athens and undertakes to modernize the general's house, as well as help the four girls (and her nieces) to be rehabilitated.

The Auntie from Chicago

1957

A Matter of Dignity poster
7.4

A daughter discovers her wealthy family is actually on the verge of bankruptcy and decides to charm a millionaire for his money in marriage. Soon she is torn between living a lie and keeping up appearances.

A Matter of Dignity

1958

The Smart Aleck poster
6.3

A smart young man is forced to pretend to be stupid in order to get a job in the office of a strict businessman, whose daughter he is in love with. By pretending to be stupid, he manages to save the businessman from making major mistakes, winning his sympathy.

The Smart Aleck

1966

Alice in the Navy poster
6.6

Aliki is in love with someone who serves his duty in the greek navy. Wanting to see him, she disguises as a navy soldier and gets aboard her lover's ship. Things get more complicated when she comes accross the ship's captain; her father!

Alice in the Navy

1961

Lieutenant Natassa poster
6.9

The year is 1965. Natasa Arseni visits Dachau, the place where she was found by the Americans at the end of the World War II. She returns to Greece, and during the train ride she recalls those past events. Before the beginning of the Greek-Italian war, she met Orestis . With the German invasion, Orestis, who was an officer in the Greek army, left for the Middle East. She followed him and accompanied him back to occupied Greece on a mission. She was arrested, interrogated and tortured and was finally sentenced to execution.

Lieutenant Natassa

1970

The Brightest Star poster
5.4

A girl from the slums of Athens becomes a famous singer while falling in love with her songwriter.

The Brightest Star

1967

The Winner poster
5.5

Two childhood friends are steered apart by their parents

The Winner

1965

I Neraida Kai to Palikari poster
6.1

Fourtounakis’ daughter, Katerinio, is forced to get engaged with a brutal Cretan, Skandalakis. But the return of Manousos Vrontakis from Athens and his flirtation with the girl leads to a great romance, without them knowing that they belong to families who are longstanding enemies.

I Neraida Kai to Palikari

1969

The Lady and the Tramp poster
5.7

Rena’s father insists on marrying her off to the son of a shipowner. Rena, however, doesn’t even want to hear about it, so she runs away and disguises herself as a boy named Pipis. As such, she meets a poor fisherman, Lefteris, and helps him on his way to Ioannina.

The Lady and the Tramp

1968

A Dream of Passion poster
6.2

Maya is a jet-setting Greek actress who returns to her homeland to undertake the role of Medea. Searching for inspiration and clues as to how a mother could kill the children she loves, Maya discovers Brenda, a Bible-spouting American woman serving time in an Athens prison for that very crime.

A Dream of Passion

1978

Throbs at the Desk poster
6.6

Lisa is a student, pretending the sick not to go to school. Her parents are worried about her health and call the doctor to examine her. He realizes her lies but he covers her. Soon, they fall in love and eventually get married. However, after the honeymoon she begins to yearn school and her classmates and she returns to it without saying anything to her husband. Soon, her husband begins to suspect her because of her frequent absences from home and her secret meetings with the professor seem to confirm his suspicions.

Throbs at the Desk

1963