Don Francisco prepares for last ‘Sábado Gigante’: ‘I don’t think I’ll cry’
*Think what you will, lifeline for immigrants, Latino community unifier, anachronistic and misogynistic, Sábado Gigante has had a record run and it comes to an end this Saturday. VL
By Yvonne Villarreal, The Los Angeles Times
Mario Kreutzberger is maneuvering his white Land Rover down a one-way street. He’s driving slowly one moment, cutting off other cars the next, drawing honks from other motorists.
[pullquote]The show … triggered contention from some who viewed Kreutzberger and “Sábado Gigante” as anachronistic and offensive with its parade of scantily clad women and lowbrow contests.[/pullquote]“These people get mad about everything,” he mutters in Spanish.
Perhaps they wouldn’t honk if they knew the man behind the wheel is no ordinary guy, but rather the man who transforms into Don Francisco every Saturday night as host of the longest running variety show in TV history — Univision network’s “Sábado Gigante.”
The Chilean-born TV personality, who is Jewish, will be hosting Shabbat dinner on the eve of “Sábado Gigante’s” last show that airs Saturday night. A rabbi friend will be in town, and Kreutzberger has hit the streets to personally book him a room at a local hotel.
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[Photo courtesy of Univision]
