Biography

Born in Brazil, son of a Portuguese father and Brazilian mother. After having solved subsequent problems of his father's death, owner of an important industrial business, the Casting Alegria & C., in Rio de Janeiro, he went to Portugal in 1907. Henrique Alegria fixed residence in Porto (Portugal), finding here the interest for the cinematographic exhibition business, building the Olympia Cinema, inaugurated on 18 May of 1912. In contribution with Alfredo Nunes de Matos, he took the position of art director of the Invicta Film [pt], functions that corresponded to production today, beyond maintenance responsibility in several aspects of the studio.

Henrique Alegria left Invicta in 1922, sold the Olympia Cinema and moved to Lisbon where, along with several associates, he founded Patria Film, a new firm with a great ambition but which finally had only a two year existence. Following this disappointing experience, Alegria returned to Porto, where he resumed business, but never again in the movies. He first devoted himself to fashion and then to insurance. Too bad he stopped producing given whereas he had been one of the most important pioneers of Portuguese cinema, but once bitten, twice shy, as they say! Henrique Alegria died prematurely at age 58.
- IMDb mini biography by: Paulo Alegria <imdb@paulgi.com>, completed by Guy Bellinger

Henrique Alegria was the founder (in 1912) of the Olympia, at the time a beautiful and elegant room under the name of Olympia-Kinema Teatro. He would be responsible for production and for artistic direction at Invicta Film [pt].

Great-granduncle of Paulo Alegria.