José Isbert

José Isbert (real name: José Ysbert Alvarruiz), also known as Pepe Isbert (3 March 1886 in Madrid – November 28, 1966, in Madrid) was a Spanish actor. In 1912 he debuted in the short film Asesinato y entierro de Don José Canalejas (playing Pardiñas, the anarchist who killed José Canalejas). During the silent era, he worked in the theatre, with a supporting role in the film, but with the advent of sound, he made a big screen comeback in the comedy directed by Florián Rey, La pura verdad in (1931). In the 1930s he acted in a half-a-dozen films including: ¿Cuándo te suicidas? (1931) directed by Manuel Romero, La bien man pay him (1935) by Eusebio Fernández Ardavín orEl bailarín y el trabajador (1935), 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 (1944) and El testamento del virrey (1944), both directed by Ladislao Vajda; Ella, select y sus millones (1944) by Juan de Orduña; El fantasma y doña Juanita (1945) by Rafael Gil, and Pacto de silencio (1949), by Antonio Román. In The films he is most remembered for are from the 1950s and 1960s, in the classics and directed by Luis García Berlanga, Welcome, Mr. Marshall! (1953), Los jueves, milagro(1957) and El verdugo (1963) and the dark comedy masterpiece, El cochecito by Marco Ferreri, and all written by Rafael Azcona. He was the grandfather in the Spanish classic La gran familia (1962), and its sequel, La gran familia... y uno más (1965), these movies are 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.