However, one thing remains constant: he is a master interviewer and a good listener, even when he is the interviewee. His father, Erick, was a Holocaust survivor. In his 20's, Kreutzberger traveled to New York to become a tailor at the wish of his father, who wanted his son to work at the men's clothing store he owned in Santiago. However, immediately after arriving in New York, Kreutzberger became mesmerized by American television.
It's hard to imagine it now, but Don Francisco could've ended up as a Chilean version of Oscar de La Renta if a certain Johnny Carson had not piqued his interest. He spent two years watching and absorbing everything on American TV and upon his return to Santiago, Kreutzberger sold a game show idea to Chilean TV, a nascent industry at the time. His ties to Chile remain tight -- he travels there once a month to carry on a mission dear to his heart, the telethon he started 35 years ago inspired by Jerry Lewis's own.
For Kreutzberger, the 50th anniversary of "Sabado Gigante" marks a double milestone in his life—he's also celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary to Teresa "Temmy" Kreutzberger, with whom he has three children and nine grandchildren.
In their plush Miami home, Temmy has built a whole room dedicated to her husband's work off limits to our cameras, however. There are glass displays containing the numerous awards he's received through the years and tables with framed photos with every Chilean president, including Pinochet, and countless artists. Keep reading. Fans will be glad to know that despite the rumors that circulate every so often, year-old Don Francisco is still alive and well, and currently gearing up for some big celebrations.
On Dec. Born in Chile, Mario got a job in television the year TVs arrived to his country. But he was handed the least desirable day of the week, Saturday, which was used to clean out studio equipment. In , his show became so big and successful that it was moved to Miami, the Hollywood of Latin America, and began to attract a wide audience of Latin American viewers in the U. Mario, then 74, had hosted 2, consecutive weekly shows, only missing one episode of the live show in on the week that his mother passed away.
Chilean television was in its infancy when he returned home in the early s, bringing with him some very big ideas about a variety show. He put together a program packed with comedy and news, singing and dancing, parodies and serious interviews. To host the show, Kreutzberger created a funny, flirtatious alter ego with an easier-to-remember name: Don Francisco. Early versions of the show ran on Sunday, lasted eight hours and were canceled twice.
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