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.
