From the play "O bem-amado" (The Beloved) to the acclaimed TV series of the same title, one of the best television productions of all time, in any country, and finally to the short stories of Sucupira, love her or leave her, and this Odorico in the head, the result was not just variations on the irresistible chronicle of this highly contradictory rural political leader, but complete recreations, with language and characteristics suited to three media outlets with their own syntax. Dias Gomes was so successful in each of them that, today, Sucupira is a municipality known throughout Brazil, and its most prominent figures—Odorico, Zeca Diabo, Dirceu Borboleta, Lulu Gouveia, the Cajazerias, Dona Chica Bandeira, and Father Honório—have become national personalities. Talent and ingenuity are two striking qualities throughout Dias Gomes's literary output. Deeply connected to the joys and sorrows of our people, he not only chooses themes that connect broadly with large masses of people, but also, as in Brecht's works, contribute to their upliftment, helping them become aware of themselves and their legitimate right (often usurped or restricted) to have a voice and vote on matters of national interest. Also notable is the versatility with which he sometimes approaches a given theme, presenting it in various forms, all with a well-defined structure and style. This was the case, for example, with the three uses made of the always entertaining, yet at times bittersweet, at times cuttingly critical, narrative of the adventures of Odorico Paraguaçu, the Mayor of Sucupira.
Alfredo de Freitas Dias Gomes, mais conhecido como Dias Gomes, nasceu em Salvador, em 19 de outubro de 1922, e morreu em São Paulo, em 18 de maio de 1999. Foi um dos mais prestigiados dramaturgos e autores de telenovelas brasileiros do século 20. É autor de, entre outras obras, as peças O bem-amado, O pagador de promessas (que, transformado em filme no ano de 1962, foi vencedor da Palma de Ouro do Festival da Cannes) e O berço do herói, adaptada para a televisão como Roque Santeiro, uma das mais famosas e celebradas produções teledramatúrgicas brasileiras de todos os tempos. A Bertrand Brasil publica as obras completas do autor.