He was born Javier de Rivera Corsini on 29th July 1901 in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.[1]
Having worked as a commercial expert, at the age of 20 Javier relocated to Madrid to pursue his passion for acting, making his first film appearances in silent films in 1921. The Canarian film heritage website, Cinemap, reports that he was known as the "Spanish silent film heartthrob" and was one of the most in-demand actors of the 1920's appearing in almost 200 films.
The start of the Franco regime curtailed his career in the 1930's and his film appearances slowed considerably. From the early 1940's he disappeared from the screen, though he does have 2 director credits from 1945 and 1949. He reportedly was working as a dubbing director at the Cinearte Studios in Madrid during this time.
in 1961 he returned to acting and would continue to work, quite prolifically and in small roles, for the next 2 decades. Seemingly after 1979 he was no longer able to find work and an obituary quotes a rather sad 1981 interview, saying he was widowed with no children, living in a cheap room, suffering from bronchitis and waiting for the phone to ring with offers of work, which obviously never came.[2]
Javier died in Madrid on March 31st 1993, aged 92, in "precarious" conditions.
- Alma de Dios .... Agustin (credited as "Javier Rivera")
1925 - Los granujas .... role unknown (credited unknown)
1926 - José .... role unknown (credited unknown)
- La sobrina del cura .... Tomason (credited)
1927 - Malvaloca .... Salvador (poster credit - role unconfirmed)
1928 - ¡Viva Madrid, que es mi pueblo! .... Antonio (credited as "Javier Rivera")
1929 - El héroe de Cascorro .... role unknown (credited unknown)
1940 - Jai-Alai .... role unknown (credited unknown)
1945 - La tempestad .... (poster credit as director, presumed not to appear)
1949 - Yebala .... (poster credit as director, presumed not to appear)
1961 - Armas contra la ley .... Man helping with the police investigation (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- Fray Escoba .... Doorman friar (credited as "Javier Rivera")
1962 - Escuela de seductoras …. (credited, but not found)
- Gritos en la noche .... Man helping the police (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- Vampiresas 1930 .... Nightclub customer (credited as "Javier Rivera")
1963 - Chica para todo .... Waiter (credited)
- Rififí en la ciudad .... Pedicurist (credited)
1964 - El secreto del Dr. Orloff .... Dr. Orloff (credit unknown)
- Ercole contro i figli del sole …. (credited as "Javier Rivera", but not found)
- Gibraltar .... Guest of Elinor in the nightclub (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- I cento cavalieri .... Man making announcements in the town square (credited as "Javier Ribera")
- Isidro el labrador .... role unknown (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- La chica del gato .... Club owner (credited)
1965 - All'ombra di una colt .... Williams (credited as "Xavier de Rivera")
1966 - Huida en la frontera .... role unknown (poster credit as "Javier Rivera")
- Las últimas horas... .... A minister (credited as "Javier Ribera")
- Miss Muerte .... Notary (uncredited)
1967 - Dove si spara di più .... Judge (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- El enigma del ataúd .... Dr. Hunter (credit unknown)
- La mujer de otro .... Pensioner playing croquet (uncredited)
1968 - El marino de los puños de oro .... Doctor Paradiso (uncredited)
- Pagó cara su muerte .... Farmer (credited)
1969 - Ancora dollari per i MacGregor .... Card player (uncredited)
- El ángel .... Friar (credited)
- Esa mujer .... Leader of political meeting (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- Simón Bolívar .... One of Bolivar's officers (uncredited)
- Viaje al vacío .... Dr. Hernandez (credited as "Javier Rivera")
1970 - Los rebeldes de Arizona .... Jones (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- Plomo sobre Dallas .... Carpenter (credited as "Javier Rivera")
1971 - 20,000 dólares por un cadáver .... Land owner (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- El sobre verde .... Retirement home resident (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- El Zorro de Monterrey .... Village leader (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- Las doce caras de Eva (TV series) Ep.2: "Tauro" .... Cafe customer (credited as "Javier de la Rivera")
- Las doce caras de Eva (TV series) Ep.7: "Libra" .... Club manager (credited as "Javier de Ribera")
1972 - La casa de las Chivas .... Friend of Juan (uncredited)
- La furia del Hombre Lobo .... Detective (credited as "Javier Rivera")
1973 - La guerrilla .... Parish priest (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- La orgía de los muertos .... Doctor (uncredited)
- La rebelión de las muertas .... Mortician (uncredited)
- La saga de los Drácula .... Gert (credited)
- Las garras de Lorelei .... Preacher (credited)
- Un casto varón español .... Roulette player (credited)
1974 - Cuentos y leyendas (TV series) Ep.: "Las rebajas de Sebastián" .... Man paying Don Sebastian (credited)
- Dick Turpin .... Friar Benito (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- El mariscal del infierno .... The Old King (credited)
- La pazienza ha un limite... noi no! .... Card player (credited)
- Odio mi cuerpo .... Waiter (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- Un torero para la historia .... Advisor (credited as "J. Rivera")
- Una mujer de cabaret .... Party waiter (credited as "Javier Rivera")
1975 - El adúltero …. (credited, but not found)
- La noche de las gaviotas .... Doctor (credited)
- Las bodas de Blanca .... Bianca's father (credited)
- Una libélula para cada muerto .... Flasher (credited)
1976 - El alijo .... Immigrant (credited)
1977 - Muerte de un quinqui .... Fence (credited)
- Viaje al centro de la Tierra .... Bookshop owner (credited as "Javier Rivera")
- Uno del millón de muertos .... Man with the missing persons list (credited)
1978 - Curro Jiménez (TV series) S.3, ep.6: "Atrapados" .... Father Ramiro (credited)
1979 - La barraca …. (credited, but not found)
- La señorita inútil (1921) IMDb
- La verbena de la Paloma (1921) IMDb
- Victima de la calumnia (1921) IMDb
- Carceleras (1922) IMDb as The Friend. I did look through a poor quality copy of this one, but was unable to recognise Javier or identify this role. He is not credited.
- Crac y compañía (1923 short film) IMDb
- Doloretes (1923) IMDb
- La reina mora (1923) IMDb
- Los guapos (1923) IMDb
- Problema resuelto (1923) IMDb
- Venganza isleña (1923) IMDb
- La mala ley (1924) IMDb as Dionisio
- El señor feudal (1925) IMDb
- Madrid en el año 2000 (1925) IMDb
- Ruta gloriosa (1925) IMDb
- La sirena del Cantábrico (1926) IMDb
- Luis Candelas o El bandido de Madrid (1926) IMDb as Balseiro
- El tonto de Lagartera (1927) IMDb
- El tren - La pastora que supo amar (1927) IMDb
- La intrusa (1927) EdCE
- La Marieta de l'ull viu (1927) EdCE
- Las de Méndez (1927) IMDb
- Los hijos del trabajo (1927) IMDb
- El médico a palos (1928) IMDb
- El gordo de navidad (1929) IMDb
- La copla andaluza (1929) IMDb
- Miguelón, o el último contrabandista (1933) EdCE
- Sol en la nieve (1934) IMDb
- Madrid se divorcia (1935) IMDb
- Luis Candelas (1936) EdCE
- Se vende un palacio (1943) EdCE
- La colina de los pequeños diablos (1965) EdCE
- El mejor tesoro (1966) IMDb
- Estimado Sr. juez... (1978) IMDb as Another waiter (or barman?)
- Il castello dalle porte di fuoco (1970) IMDb as Judge. It is not him in the role and he is not credited.
- Santos peregrinos (2004) IMDb as Pascual. Filmed 11 years after his death, enough said.
1. His biographical information comes from his profile on the Cinemap website, which I believe to be a reliable source. 2. Obituary from the La Opinion magazine |