Alippi started in the theater in 1903 at the "Comedia de Buenos Aires" theater with Jerónimo Podestá's company. He formed his own acting company which was joined by Francisco Ducasse, José González Castillo, Miguel Ligero, Héctor Quiroga, Carlos Morganti among others known actors of the era. He traveled with Carlos Gardel to Brazil in 1915, failed and returned with no money. He then formed the "Compañía Tradicionista Argentina" which, with the direction of José González Castillo played at the San Martín theater in 1915, Juan Moreira, Santos Vega and Martín Fierro with the musical help of Gardel and Razzano and their songs, plus Alippi's who wrote several tangos. In 1916 he was joined by Enrique Muiño and formed the Muiño-Alippi Company, which would become one of the most important popular theater production companies of the time. Among the plays and musicals presented were La taba del querer by Carlos Schaeffer Gallo at the Nuevo theater in 1916, Las entrañas del lobo by Carlos De Paoli, Los novios de Genoveva by Alberto Vacarezza, El candidato del pueblo by José Antonio Saldías in 1917 and Avanti Foot-ball club by Juan Fernando Camilo Darthés and Carlos Santiago Daniel in 1918. In 1918 Elías Alippi, who worked in the production the saineteLos dientes del perro by José González Castillo an Alberto T. Weisbach had the idea of presenting a scene in a cabaret live with the best orchestra of the time, he hired Roberto Firpo's orchestra, to play tangos as proposed by his friend Gardel. They included the tango piece Mi noche triste by Samuel Castriota and Pascual Contursi to be sung by Manolita Poli, a 19-year-old actress and singer, daughter of zarzuela parents. The play opened on 20 April 1918 at the Esmeralda theater, and stayed open the whole season and renewed for a subsequent season the next year. The principal factor of such a success was the incorporation of the tango piece to the theatrical play, and especially the public's applause to the playing of Mi noche triste. The company also played Premios a la virtud by Ulises Favaro in July 1920, El testamento de Fausto by Miguel Escuder on 23 December 1921, Pepita de oro by Roberto Cayol on 15 May 1924. Also played El debut de la piba by Roberto Cayol in 1916, Los bailes de la famosa by Roberto Cayol in 1917, Chacarita by Alberto Vacarezza in 1924, La familia de don Giacumín by Alberto Novión in 1924, among others. He produced many more theater plays, including El Indio Rubio ; El Dolor Ajeno, with José de Lara; ¡Viva la República!, with Maroni and Sanromá; Hay que hacer algo por la revista with Maroni and Alberti; Mi mujer quiere casarse, El conventillo de las catorce provincias, El cantar de los tangos, La borrachera del tango, Tarantini y Cía, with Antonio Botta; Con esta...sí, Atención al fogonazo, Hasta el San Martín no para referring to the San Martín Theater, with Pascual Contursi, Telones y Bambalinas and Del tango al Charleston.
His work in the cinema
He debuted on the silent movies acting in Tierra baja and Mariano Moreno y la Revolución de Mayo . Then in the sound movie era eh acted in several films, among others: Cadetes de San Martín , Viento Norte and Así es la Vida. Also in El mejor papá del mundo ; Medio millón por una mujer, with Eva Franco and Callejón sin salida, with Maruja Gil Quesada. Lastly, after his death a few scenes he had filmed were inserted in Se llamaba Carlos Gardel . In 1941 a group of performers usually met at the El Ateneo coffee house ubicado in the corner of Carlos Pellegrini and Cangallo streets in Buenos Aires, including Enrique Muiño, Elías Alippi, Francisco Petrone and Ángel Magaña and also director Lucas Demare. Enrique Faustín Jr., who worked in a movie production company, and also assisted to the meetings brought the idea of forming a production company as a Coop similar to United Artists in the United States. The company was founded on 26 September 1941 with the name of Artistas Argentinos Asociados. The planned to film La Guerra Gaucha where Elías Alippi would act in the role of captain Del Carril, but as he fell ill to cancerand was not in shape to survive the rigorous filming conditions, his friends and colleagues, not wanting to replace him during his life, postponed the start of the project with an excuse and only started after his death, on 3 May 1942. The city of Buenos Aires named a city squared after him "Elías Alippi square" at the corner of Estado de Israel Ave. and Lambaré and Guardia Vieja streets.
