José Bohr
TITAF-P-3684773
Real name Yopes Böhr Elzer
Life 3 September 1901 – 29 May 1994
Occupation
-
• film director
• film editor
• singer
• composer
• lyricist
• actor
• conductor
Instrument
-
• voice
Place of birth Bonn
Country of birth Germany
Citizenship
-
• Chile
• Argentina
TodoTango: Link
José Bohr (born Yopes Böhr Elzer; September 3, 1901 – May 29, 1994) was a German-born Chilean composer, singer, actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. An early pioneer in both music and cinema, he developed a prolific career in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and the United States, leaving a lasting legacy in tango, Latin American film, and popular culture.
Early Life
Bohr was born in Bonn, Germany, the fourth child of veterinarian Daniel Böhr and Henriette Elzer. In his first year of life, the family moved to Constantinople, where his father was employed in the stables and zoo of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. After a failed assassination attempt on the Sultan in 1905 and rising anti-German sentiment, the family left for Marseille and then sailed to Buenos Aires.
Eventually, in 1904, the Böhr family settled in Punta Arenas, Chile. José spent his childhood and adolescence in the far south of the country. There, his interest in the arts flourished. He began filming shorts imitating Charles Chaplin and later shot his first feature-length documentary titled *El desarrollo de un pueblo* (1920). His family's hotels—Zur Himmelsleiter and later Hotel Alemán—became cultural hubs for the German community in Punta Arenas.
Name Change
Originally known as José Böhr (with an umlaut), he later changed his surname to Bohr. He recounted in his 1987 memoir *Desde el Balcón de Mi Vida* that his employer Federico Küster suggested simplifying the spelling for pronunciation purposes: > “From today, you're no longer Böhr—because no one will know how to say that. From today, you're simply José Bohr.”
Musical Career
Bohr moved to Buenos Aires in 1921, where he began performing on Radio Cultura, singing and accompanying himself on piano. His early hits included *Tut-Ank-Amon* and *Cascabelito*. He worked at Casa Castiglione, a music shop selling pianos, discs, and pianola rolls. It was there that Carlos Gardel famously called him to request a private performance of *Cascabelito*:
> “Che pibe, come to my house, play it for me and the boys, and I’ll record it next week—it’ll be a goal!”
Bohr also collaborated with Francisco Canaro, recording a tango where he played the saw as a novelty instrument. Azucena Maizani asked him to accompany her on the same instrument for her debut with Florencio Parravicini in the play *Cristóbal Colón en la Facultad de Medicina*.
He performed in the inaugural broadcasts of Radio Brusa and debuted on stage at the Teatro Porteño in 1924 in the revue *De Puente Alsina a Montmartre* by Manuel Romero, Ivo Pelay, and Bayón Herrera. The following year, he achieved great success with the song *Pero hay una melena* in the revue *¡A ver quién nos pisa el poncho!*
In 1925, he became an Argentine citizen as a gesture of gratitude, stating: > “As an Argentine, I undertook the conquest of new worlds.”
That same year, he traveled to the United States, performing with a full orchestra, malambo dancers, and a guitar ensemble. He would go on to tour extensively through the Americas and Europe.
Composer and Collaborations
Bohr composed over 200 works, many of which were recorded by leading artists of the era. Carlos Gardel recorded several of his tangos, including:
- Cascabelito
- Pero hay una melena
- Tut-Ank-Amon
- Por el camino
- Mía (Para ti)
- Oh París (foxtrot)
- Reyes del aire (shimmy)
He collaborated with lyricists such as Juan Andrés Caruso, Amadeo Canale, Cancio Millán, and José González Castillo.
Other major songs include:
- Titina
- Y tenías un lunar
- Medias de seda (premiered by Ignacio Corsini in 1925)
- Nada más que tú (bolero, sung by Mercedes Simone)
- Labios pintados
- No está (recorded by Carlos Di Sarli and Alberto Podestá)
- Anoche soñé (recorded in Mexico by Pedro Vargas)
- El himno a la ciudad de Punta Arenas
Cinematic Career
Bohr began experimenting with film in Chile in 1919, filming *Noticiero de Actualidades Magallánicas* and other shorts. In 1928, he starred in *Sombras de Gloria*, the first Spanish-language talking film made in Hollywood.
He eventually directed, acted in, or produced approximately 45 films, with notable activity in Chile and Mexico. He was president of Chilefilms in 1940 and directed *27 millones* (1942–1947), a Chilean-Argentine co-production. His filmmaking combined direction, musical scoring, cinematography, and editing.
Bohr returned to Argentina several times for television and radio appearances. He hosted *El Bar de Bohr* and *Caminando Por el Mundo* (1960) on Canal 13, and in 1981 appeared on ATC’s *Show Fantástico* alongside Tita Merello. That same year he was honored on *Grandes Valores de Hoy y de Siempre*.
On January 14, 1980, he received an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for *Sombras de Gloria*, acknowledging his pioneering role in early sound cinema. The award was presented by James Roberts, then Executive Director of the Academy.
Later Life and Legacy
José Bohr spent his later years in Norway with his wife and children. He frequently returned to Chile, where he was named an *Ilustre Ciudadano* of Punta Arenas in 1960. The city’s main theater is now named the Teatro Municipal José Bohr in his honor.
He passed away in Oslo on May 29, 1994. His legacy lives on through his vast artistic output across continents, disciplines, and genres. His sons, Daniel Bohr and Eduardo Bohr, later pursued careers in theater and music in Scandinavia.
Selected Compositions
- Cascabelito
- Pero hay una melena
- Tut-Ank-Amon
- Por el camino
- Mía (Para ti)
- Reyes del aire (shimmy)
- Oh París (foxtrot)
- Titina
- Y tenías un lunar
- Medias de seda
- Labios pintados
- No está
- Anoche soñé
- Nada más que tú
- Cristóbal Colón
- ¡Oh, Dios, qué mujer!
Honors
- Honorary Argentine citizenship (1925)
- Ilustre Ciudadano of Punta Arenas (1960)
- Honorary Oscar (1980)
- Order of Bernardo O'Higgins (Chile, 1976)
- Teatro Municipal José Bohr named in his honor
Sources
Orchestras
No known group memberships.
Recordings
No recordings found.