The film premiered in Buenos Aires on May 24, 1939. It is a biopic, portraying the life of the French-born tango singer Carlos Gardel (1890-1935) who became a popular film star in Argentina and the United States. The film was a major success, due largely to the lasting popularity of Gardel following his sudden death in an airplane crash four years before.[2] The film boosted the careers of its stars, and was part of what became known as the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema.