Director and screenwriter Mariano Ozores, one of the most prolific in Spanish cinema, died this Wednesday at the age of 98 at his home. He left behind a legacy of 96 films, mostly comedies. Born in Madrid in 1926, he began working in his parents' theater company at the age of 17. "I'm self-taught. Going from theater to theater, visiting towns and cities, helped me understand what audiences laughed at and how they did it," said the director, who never cared much about the distasteful reviews he received from critics. His film career began in 1952 with the screenplay for the film Hey, how crazy!His beginnings coincided with the first broadcasts of TVE, where he was the programming director. He also directed series and programs such as Telefunken AirportOzores also worked on two films that glorified the dictatorship: Dying in Spain and Franco, that man.