Manuel Jiménez Moreno (; 15 April 1902 – 31 October 1967), better known as "Chicuelo" (), was a Spanish bullfighter. His contributions to tauromachy are held by some – writer and bullfighting critic Luis Nieto and writer Ignacio de Cossío Pérez de Mendoza among them – to be substantial, making bullfighting what it is today. This includes the introduction of a now popular move with the bullfighting cape that has been named the chicuelina, inspired by his professional nickname.
Early life
Jiménez was born on 15 April 1902 at no. 11 Calle Betis (since changed to no. 30) in Seville's Triana neighbourhood. However, he was only 40 days old when his family moved to Calle Escoberos in the Macarena neighbourhood. Jiménez's father was Manuel Jiménez Vera "Chicuelo-I" (born 1879), who died of tuberculosis on 18 November 1907, leaving his son orphaned at the age of five. After his father's death, Jiménez moved together with his family to his paternal aunt's house; she was married to Eduardo Borrego "Zocato", a banderillero. It was he who initiated the young Jiménez – soon to be called "Chicuelo" – into the bullfighting world, and at the age of ten, Chicuelo's uncle Eduardo enrolled him in the Escuela Taurina de Sevilla (bullfighting school). Later, his uncle would become his apoderado (manager/agent), giving up this function only after his health had begun to fail.
Chicuelo had his début as a novillero (novice bullfighter who fights younger bulls) on 24 June 1917 at the Salamanca bullring, where he shared billing with Bernardo González and Juan Luis de la Rosa. The posters below make it quite clear that he made a good impression, being invited back to the same bullring only five days later, and again only six weeks after his début, this time under contract. Curious, however, is that the leftmost poster, which advertises Chicuelo's forthcoming début, names Eladio Amorós Chico de la Revoltosa as the third novillero instead of Bernardo González, whom at least two sources name (the arrangements were likely changed for some unforeseen reason).
Chicuelo's first appearance as a bullfighter in his hometown, Seville, came on 28 February 1918 at a festival organized by José Gómez Ortega (the ill-fated "Joselito"). Chicuelo had his début with horses at Zaragoza on 1 September 1918 in a mano a mano (a bullfighting event at which there are only two bullfighters on the bill rather than the usual three) with Antonio Márquez against bull calves from the Termes ranch, and his presentation in Madrid on 8 August 1919, with yearling bulls from the Antonio Flores ranch. Rounding out the billing that afternoon were García Reyes and José Martín.
On 22 September 1919, Chicuelo fought for the last time as a novillero at Écija. He alternated that afternoon with Pepete and Juan Luis de la Rosa. They fought young bulls from the Gregorio Campos ranch.
Bullfighting career 1919 Chicuelo took his alternativa in his hometown, Seville, on 28 September 1919. Standing as "godfather" was Juan Belmonte, while his brother Manuel Belmonte bore witness. The bull that was slain as part of the ceremony was Vidriero ("Glazier"), supplied by the Conde de Santa Coloma ranch. Chicuelo was only 16 years old by this time.
This same year, Chicuelo had already earned himself enough money to buy a pleasant house on the Alameda de Hércules in Seville. His descendants still live there today, and the house has become a museum dedicated to Chicuelo.
On 30 September 1919, a mere two days after taking his alternativa, Chicuelo cut his first ever tail at a bullfight in Seville, alternating with Rafael "El Gallo", Juan Belmonte, and Manuel Belmonte, fighting eight bulls, four each from the Pérez de la Concha and Don Manuel Rincón ranches. The bull who was left tailless was Correcostas, from the latter ranch.
1920
Confirmation of Chicuelo's alternativa came on 18 June 1920 at Las Ventas in Madrid. Standing as "godfather" this time was Rafael Gómez "El Gallo" while Juan Belmonte and Diego Mazquiarán "Fortuna" bore witness. The bull for the confirmation was Bandolero ("Outlaw") or Volandero ("Roamer" — sources differ), supplied by the Duque de Veragua ranch. He was borne out on shoulders. His alternativa was further confirmed at his début appearance in Mexico at the "El Toreo" de la Condesa bullring on 7 December 1924. Standing as "godfather" on this occasion was Victoriano Roger "Valencia I". Bulls were laid on by the Piedras Negras ranch.
In his first full bullfighting season as a fully fledged matador in 1920, Chicuelo fought in 67 corridas. Early on in the season, on 20 April, he put on such a good show in Seville, alternating with Juan Belmonte and Manuel Varé García "Varelito", facing bulls from the Don Manuel Rincón ranch, that not only was he awarded two ears, but he was also borne shoulder-high out through the gate and to the neighbourhood of Macarena, where he was then still living. At Granada that same year, on 3 June (Corpus Christi in 1920), he reaped two ears, albeit each from a different bull; the bulls were laid on by the Salas ranch. He earned himself another two ears and a tail at A Coruña on 1 August, fighting bulls from the Portuguese ranch Palha alongside Domingo Dominguín and Ignacio Sánchez Mejías. On 22 August in San Sebastián, however, while he did earn an ear, he also earned a goring in the face. An engagement on 26 September in Valladolid, though, went quite a bit better, with Chicuelo leaving two bulls from the Duque de Veragua ranch both earless and tailless. Paco Madrid and Algabeño II shared the billing with him that day.
1921 The 1921 bullfighting season put Chicuelo at 72 corridas. He began by leaving a bull named Capirote from the Miura ranch earless in his hometown of Seville, while neither of the bullfighters with whom he alternated, Rafael "El Gallo" and Manuel Granero, was awarded any trophy. This was a pattern to be repeated over several corridas in 1921, at which only Chicuelo was awarded ears or tails. There were exceptions, such as the engagement at Valencia on 29 July at which he again won two ears, but his fellow bullfighters Juan Belmonte and Manuel Granero were each awarded one ear; M. Belmonte, however, went home empty-handed. (Granero would unfortunately be killed by a bull in Madrid less than a year later, as indeed would Varelito, in Seville, alongside whom Chicuelo had also fought). The bulls that day were laid on by the Concha y Sierra ranch. It was also in 1921 that Chicuelo made his début in Lima in Peru, appearing at the Plaza de toros de Acho on 27 December that year alongside Emilio Méndez and Mariano Montes as they all faced bulls from the Gallardo y González ranch. Only Chicuelo, however, was borne shoulder-high out of the bullring.
This was also the year when Chicuelo appeared as the lone matador facing six bulls (from the Curro Molina ranch) at the Maestranza in Seville on 24 March.
1922 The 1922 bullfighting season saw Chicuelo slaying bulls at 54 corridas, and indeed it was in this season that the bullfighting manoeuvre known as the chicuelina was first used by the bullfighter whose name it now bears, in Valencia on 9 April. The bull's name was Muleño, and he came from the Marqués de Guadalest ranch. On 1 June, he turned in a rather bad performance at Madrid with the afternoon's second bull, from the Albaserrada ranch, but on 15 June at Granada, fighting bulls from the Pablo Romero ranch alongside Juan Luis de la Rosa and Manuel García "Maera", he reaped two ears and a tail. The year 1922 also saw Chicuelo's début in France when he performed at Béziers. It was the first of 35 afternoons when he appeared at engagements in France.
1923
In the 1923 bullfighting season, Chicuelo participated in 54 corridas. It would have been more, but he had to forgo seven engagements to accommodate his military obligations, and a further nine because of illness. It was a season of ups and downs for him, with his triumphs – some considerable – interspersed with injuries. He suffered two, both at Madrid, on 27 May and 3 June. At other engagements, though, he did well. On 20 May in Nîmes, fighting bulls from the Albaserrada ranch alongside Manuel García "Maera" and Gitanillo de Ricla, he earned three ears and a tail (the others earned two ears and one ear respectively). Chicuelo put on an exceptional show at Bilbao on 20 and 23 June 1923. He shared the billing on both these afternoons with Diego Mazquiarán "Fortuna" and Marcial Lalanda, but the bulls for the former afternoon were supplied by the Miura ranch, whereas the Santa Coloma ranch laid on the bulls for the latter. Chicuelo earned himself a lap of the bullfighting ground (ruedo) on the former afternoon, and on the latter, he got a "great ovation" for his performance with the second bull, and he was awarded both the fifth bull, Cimero's ears. For this last performance, he also served as a banderillero. The only other trophy awarded in either of these two bullfights was the two ears that "Fortuna" earned on the latter afternoon. Hemingway, however, in Death in the Afternoon, mentions a fight with a Vicente Martínez bull in Madrid in 1923 in which the bull was sent back to the pens after Chicuelo failed to slay him. The book even includes a picture of that bull.
1924 In the 1924 bullfighting season, Chicuelo participated in 39 corridas and went to Mexico, where he appeared at 13 bullfights. Before leaving for Mexico, though, he saw several corridas in which he won major trophies. On 22 June in Granada, alternating with Barajas and Algabeño against bulls from the Pablo Romero ranch, he was awarded two ears and a tail (as was Barajas), while Algabeño suffered the indignity of being knocked over by a bull. On 29 September in Seville, alternating with Antonio Posada and Manolo Litri against bulls from the Pérez de la Concha ranch, he was awarded the same trophies as in Granada, and indeed, was the only bullfighter that afternoon to be awarded any trophy. Likewise in Seville, on 12 October, alternating with Antonio Cañero (a rejoneador), Sánchez Mejías, and Antonio Posada against seven bulls from four different ranches (two each from Flores Íñiguez, Guadalest, and Rincón, and one from Flores Tassara), he was awarded two ears. In Mexico, he made a début appearance on 7 December 1924 at Toreo de la Condesa in the capital in a mano a mano with Valencia II (Victoriano Roger Serrano), facing bulls laid on by the Piedras Negras ranch. This was the first time in history that a bullfight was broadcast over radio, on this occasion by journalist Enrique Arzamendi. He appeared again at the same bullring on 14, 21, and 28 December.
1925