Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld was born in Talca, Chile on 28 December 1940, to Anna Blumenfeld Neufeld and Erick Kreutzberger, of German Jewish ancestry who fled to Chile to escape from World War II. He is of Jewish faith.[1][2]
Career
Kreutzberger started a TV show in 1962, and he named it Show Dominical ("Sunday's Show") on Canal 13; the program's broadcasts were subsequently moved to Saturdays, and henceforth, was renamed Sábado Gigante. In it, he adapted many of the formulas he had seen in American television to the Chilean public. The show became an instant hit that lasted over 53 years. In 1986, the show began to be produced by SIN in Miami, Florida, with the same formula used in Chile, with the slightly different name of Sábado Gigante to KMEX-DT channel 34 Los Angeles.
For the next six years, Kreutzberger developed a three-hour-long variety show, which included contests, comedy, interviews and a traveling camera section. The traveling camera, or Cámara Viajera (originally La Película Extranjera, The Foreign Movie), has taken "Don Francisco" to over 185 countries worldwide, many of them more than once.[citation needed] Kreutzberger in his show has interviewed many celebrities, including Roberto Durán, Cristina Saralegui, Sussan Taunton, Charytín, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Gates and many others. Through a talent partnership with Memo Flores of Jugaremos en Familia, Sábado Gigante has helped launch the careers of many famous entertainers, such as Lili Estefan, Sissi Fleitas, and numerous others. Kreutzberger appeared as himself in the movie The 33, about the 2010 Copiapó mining accident.
Immediately after the 1973 Chilean coup d'état the military sought after Kreutzberger. They took him to the vandalized house of Salvador Allende, where corpses of guards were still on the floor. The soldiers asked him to report on the events. Kreutzberger declined the offer, encouraging the captain who had approached him to take the role of reporter himself.[3]
Television career
Kreutzberger has also hosted Chilean versions of ¿Quién merece ser millonario? (which is based on the original British format of the international Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise), Deal or No Deal, and Atrapa los Millones (which is based on the American format of the international Money Drop franchise). He hosted the first three seasons of Atrapa los Millones before retiring from the program in 2014; Diana Bolocco became the host for the program's fourth season in 2015, and would eventually remain with the show until its cancellation.
On 18 April 2015, Don Francisco announced his show would come to an end in September after 53 years on air; Sábado Gigante aired its final episode called "Hasta Siempre" on 19 September 2015.
On 1 March 2016, Don Francisco announced his return to the television and signed a multi-year deal with Telemundo. His first show on the network titled Don Francisco Te Invita, a Sunday night talk show considered to be a spiritual successor to both Don Francisco Presenta and Sábado Gigante, debuted on 9 October 2016.[4] The Telemundo show was canceled in late 2018 after the airing of 100 episodes.[5]
False death reports
On April Fool's Day, 2003, a rumor arose that Kreutzberger had died, the rumor appearing around the New York and New Jersey area. The rumor proved false, but distressed many of his fans until it was revealed that it was a joke and Francisco had not actually died.
Personal life
Kreutzberger promoted and hosted the Teletón, a TV charity show for disabled Chilean children between 1978 and 2021; there have been 22 telethons over 30 years. He is also the Hispanic spokesperson for the U.S. Muscular Dystrophy Association, in which he also appears in a pre-recorded piece on its annual telethon, to appeal to Hispanics to donate. He retired from hosting the show in 2021, at the end of that year's airing of the program.[6]
Kreutzberger was also the first host of the Teletón USA telethon, which was introduced in December 2012 on the Univision network; the event and charity is based on the popular Teleton (Chile) the Chilean Teleton.
On 8 September 2015, the city of New York named a street in the Washington Heights district in honor of Kreutzberger, named "Don Francisco Boulevard".[10]
On 11 April 2018, the Jewish Community of Chile recognized Mario Kreutzberger as "Javer Olam" (friend of the world)[11]
Celebrity advertising
Don Francisco has been in commercials for La Curaçao Department Stores. He was even present for the opening of La Curaçao's South Gate, California and Arizona locations.
He also appears in TV spots for the Mexican telecom company Claro.
