Francisco Martínez Soria

Francisco Martínez Soria (December 18, 1902 – February 26, 1982) better known as Paco Martínez Soria was a Spanish actor. He was born in Tarazona, Zaragoza, Aragon.

Biography Martínez Soria was born in Tarazona in 1902. At the age of five he moved to Barcelona with his family, and he was educated in that city at the Colegio de los Salesianos. He worked as a clerk and then as a salesperson. At the same time he participated in performances of local theatre groups in Gràcia.

During the Spanish Civil War he left his work and focused on theatre as an amateur actor. In 1938 he debuted in Teatro Fontalba with the theatre company of Rafael López Somoza with the work Antonio pasó el infierno (Antonio goes to hell). Two years later he founded his own theatre company with which he worked during the 1940s from Teatro Urquinaona and in the 1950s from Talía theatre.

In 1934 he collaborated as an extra in the black and white comedy Sereno with director Ignacio F. Iquino. He continued working with Iquino in eleven more films. He got his first leading role in 1938 in the comedy Paquete, el fotógrafo público número uno (Paquete, the number one public photographer). He continued playing supporting roles in many films until 1944 when he returned to theatre as an actor and entrepreneur.

His name achieved some fame between 1942 and 1944, when he was named director and first actor in the theatre company of Teatro de la Zarzuela.

He returned to cinema in the rolesstudd in 1950s. In 1966 he was very successful with the film La ciudad no es para mí (The city is not for me) directed by Pedro Lazaga; a work which greatly increased his fame and made him a household name in Spain. From that moment on, his screen character as an affectionate country bumpkin did not cease to appear in films until his death with his friend Pedro Lazaga.

Martínez Soria died in Madrid on February 26, 1982.

Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1933 La Llorona Don Fernando de Moncada 1934 Sereno... y tormentaunknown 1935 Al margen de la leyunknown 1935 Error judicial 1937 Diego Corrientes 1938 Heart of Gold Saturiano 1938 Por mis pistolas 1941 El difunto es un vivo 1942 Boda accidentada 1943 Deliciosamente tontos 1943 El hombre de los muñecos 1943 Piruetas juveniles 1943 Un enredo de familia 1943 Viviendo al revés 1943 The Rock of Souls 1944 Saint Francis of Assisi 1944 My Memories of Mexico 1949 Midnight Señor boticario 1949 The Magician Doctor (uncredited) 1950 Sobre las olas Invitado en fiesta de palacio 1951 Almas en peligro 1951 The Dance of the Heart Jaime Miravall 1953 Fantasía española Suave 1953 Lawless Mountain 1956 El difunto es un vivo 1956 Veraneo en España 1957 Su desconsolada esposa 1959 Sendas marcadas 1966 La ciudad no es para mí Agustín Valverde 1967 ¿Qué hacemos con los hijos? 1968 El turismo es un gran invento Mayor Benito Requejo 1969 Se armó el belén Parish priest 1969 Abuelo made in Spain 1969 Don erre que erre 1971 Hay que educar a papá 1972 El padre de la criatura 1973 El abuelo tiene un plan 1974 El calzonazos 1975 El alegre divorciado 1976 Estoy hecho un chaval 1977 Vaya par de gemelos Twins Lucas and Pedro 1980 Es peligroso casarse a los 60 Mariano 1981 La tía de Carlos Fermín Recuero / Charley's Aunt