Two women so different, but so same. Two big stars, for whose sake Greece was divided into two: "Vougiouklakikos" and "Karezikos". And these two camps were so fanatical that the opposition was characterized as "Olympic" and "Panathinaikos". And it is a controversy that lasts until today, with the new generations having taken the "scepters" of the opposition from the older ones.
Η Aliki Vougiouklaki and Jenny Karezi were two great actors with plenty of talent and exuberant presence that filled the big screen. They had many similarities, but at the same time many differences.
The two of them were friends, however, until today their relationship is considered mainly by a section of the press, more complicated. Why, there were many publications of the time that claimed that there was a hidden rivalry between them. As much as they categorically denied the reports. But speaking of which, it does not seem at all strange that there was a competition between them, since we are talking about the two biggest stars, who sealed with their presence the "golden age" of Greek cinema.
And yet, Karezi and Vougiouklaki never collaborated, to the disappointment of those who would like to see them together on the big screen, at least for once.
And this one time, it almost happened at the beginning of their career, but an attack by Aliki, was enough to "wreck" their coexistence as movie sisters.
Parallel lives
Alice and Jenny's paths first met at the National Theater School and have since been parallel, leading both to conquer the summit. Professional successes, love affairs, disappointments, joys of life, sorrows, recognition, even the cause of her death with a few years difference, were the same. Alice and Jenny looked like they were two sides of the same coin.
Alice's entry into the cinema came a little earlier, in 1964 with the movie "The Little Mouse". It happened to Jenny a year later, with the film "Laterna, Poverty and Philotimos". But even there they had one thing in common: they played next to Mimi Fotopoulos.
The two graduates of the National made a sensation and all distinguished their talent. Vougiouklaki after "Pontikaki" made the film "The beloved shepherdess", while in 1957 the films "The girl with the fairy tales" and "Maria Pentagiotissa", while she had already appeared in six theatrical performances, among them "Imaginary patient "of Moliere which was also her theatrical debut. And as the bad languages of the time used to say, she had already declared herself a "protagonist".
And to this they attribute her refusal to play in the movie "The Aunt from Chicago". In fact, behind her denial there is a whole background, which even today is discussed due to an attack by the actress, who allegedly said.
"Am I not too young to be an aunt?"
In 1957 Alekos Sakellarios signs the script and direction of the comedy, "Aunt from Chicago". A film that cleverly cauterizes the society of that time, where the austerity and adherence to tradition were opposed, with modernization and the new morals that came with fora from abroad, especially from America.
Both of these currents in the film were represented by the strict general Charilaos (Orestis Makris) and the modern rich divine widow from Chicago (Georgia Vassiliadou). The mad aunt comes from America, settles in the house of her brother-in-law and arranges for me to marry his four daughters. At the same time, she brings home an air of renewal, which goes against the strict principles of her brother.
Alekos Sakellarios and Fino are looking for actors who will complete the cast. In the person of Georgia Vassiliadou they find the one who will incarnate Aunt Kalliopi. Besides, the actress had already started her career in cinema (at an old age) having two great hits, "Oraia ton Athinon" and "Kafetzou".
For the daughters of Orestis Makris, they find the two young Jenny Karezi and Gely Mavropoulou, while they also propose to Aliki Vougiouklaki. According to the rumors of the time, the latter passes through her offices Finos Film with an air of protagonist and as they said the bad languages rejected the proposal, because she would not be the protagonist of the film.
"Don't you think I'm young enough to be an aunt?" It is said that it was the attack he said to Fino, whom he infuriated. This collaboration never took place and so the unique opportunity of Jenny Karezi and Aliki Vougiouklaki to coexist in the same film was lost.
The two stars have always wanted to collaborate at some point, either in the cinema or in the theater. And this was revealed by Costas Kazakos in an earlier interview. In fact, the two girlfriends had come very close to working together in the early 90's in the theater, in the play "Maria Stewart", but Jenny got sick.
Skipped by "Aunt from Chicago"
This particular film came to take off the career of Georgia Vassiliadou (a year ago she had another debut with Kafetzou), which became one of the most commercial names in cinema, while it entered the public consciousness as the ultimate comedian. The "comedy of comedians", as Costas Hadjichristos used to say about her.
"And all this clowning here… sons for sons, will leave and in its place will enter a very nice living room, from the very modern… these very, very… how do you say it here, because I forget how we say it there?" . "My niece and I are very sad about what happened, sir. We are… how do you say it here… very, very, galloped ", were some of the enjoyable moments of Vassiliadou in the film.
The film also stars the then young Dimitris Papamichael, in the role of one of the four girls' grooms. And here we would have a coexistence of Vougiouklaki - Papamichel. In fact, the latter almost got injured during the shooting with one of the jugs that were thrown from the balcony. The famous jugs were thrown by Alekos Sakellarios himself, in order for the reception to be as he wanted it.
"Aunt from Chicago" was the film debut of Vangelis Seilinos, the then young dancer. In the film, Costas Gousgounis also appears in one scene, who before becoming the absolute protagonist of the erotic films of the Greek cinema, appeared in many Greek films. In fact, at the same time he was shooting from Finos Film, the movie "We have a life" with Dimitris Horn and Gusgounis in it impersonates the coffee man.
The two films, "The Aunt from Chicago" and "We Have a Life" although they were both Finos Film productions had an informal rivalry, as the company seems to have put more weight on the latter. As co-star of Dimitris Horn, Finos had brought from Italy (for a hefty fee, for that time) Yvonne Sanson, who did not know Greek and was dubbed in the dialogues.
But when they hit theaters, the bet was won by "Aunt from Chicago", who that year came out first among 28 films, cutting 142.459 tickets.