SUSAN ROCES Circa 1967-78: FROM MARUJA TO MARUJA

Still from the 1967 movie "Maruja"

Maruja (1967)- Stars Susan Roces, Romeo Vasquez, Luis Gonzales, Eddie Garcia, Perla Bautista/ Directed by Armando de Guzman

Stills from the 1967 movie "Maruja"

In 1967, Susan Roces starred in Mars Ravelo’s immortal love story, Maruja with Romeo Vasquez. She was nominated for that year’s Famas Best Actress award. Many believed that her performance was good enough to snare the elusive award. “There is depth, there is feeling! This is a far cry from the run of the mill Susan Roces’ acting. You can’t help but cry with her as she waits for Gabriel (played by Vasquez) to return. Maruja is a long way from Boksingera when Susan was given her first starring role 10 years ago. It took Maruja to reveal a sensitive actress who could depict her emotions on the screen,” one movie scribe commented. Unfortunately, she was edged out by talented drama icon and multi-awarded actress Marlene Dauden for the movie Kapag Puso’y Sinugatan. The Famas Best Actor award went to Fernando Poe, Jr, for Alabok sa Lupa. It could have been grand evening if Susan was adjudged Best Actress.

Thanks to James de la Rosa for the
above magazine articles and clippings

After Maruja, Susan made memorable movies and deliver good performances in Langit at Lupa (1967) and an epic movie Perlas ng Silangan (1969) both opposite FPJ, Bakasin Mo sa Gunita (1968) and Bandana (1968) --- both with Romeo Vasquez. In between, she did light romantic comedy movies--- Ang Pangarap Ko’y Ikaw, Sitsiritsit Alibangbang, Kami'y Taga-ilog, To Susan with Love, Salaginto't Salagubang, Karnabal, among others.

It was in the 70s that her acting talent was honed and polished to the fullest, mostly in horror-suspense flicks like Florinda (1973), Celso Ad Castillo’s Patayin Mo sa Sindak si Barbara (1974) and Langit, Lupa at Impiyerno (Pandemonuim) (1976).

It took another ten more years before Susan won her first Famas Best Actress award in Celso Ad Castillo’s Maligno (1977). Though she failed to get the prized award the first time in 1967, she nevertheless, repeated the feat the following year in yet another Maruja movie, this time in Lino Brocka’s Gumising Ka…Maruja (1978), a back-to-back Famas Best Actress Award for the Queen of Philippines Movies.

Another trivia: Did you know that Susan could have won her first acting award much earlier? In 1971, Susan was offered the role of Lilet, but she turned it down. The movie, Lilet, turned out to be an award-winning masterpiece and romped away top honors in the 1971 Famas derby--- It won Best Picture, Best Actress (Celia Rodriguez), Best Director (Gerardo de Leon) and Best Music (Tito Arevalo).

See Susan Roces: Inday ng Buhay Ko
See More on Susan Roces: Dekada 60
See FPJ- SusanRoces Starrers
See Immortal song of Daigdig Ko'y Ikaw
See Flashback: Langit at Lupa (1967)

To Love Again (1967)- Stars Susan Roces, Eddie Gutierrez, Norma Blancaflor, Bella Flores, Boy Alano, Romeo Rivera/ Directed by Mar S. Torres

Langit at Lupa (1967)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Susan Roces, Lou Salvador, Jr., Lito Anzures, Victor Bravo, Monolo Robles/ with Katy de la Cruz, Dencio Padilla, Mario Escudero and Jesus 'Og' Ramos/ Directed by D'lanor

So Happy Together (1967)- Susan Roces, Romano Castellvi, Chichay, Rico Roman, Renato Robles, Helen Thompson, Alicia Alonzo/ Directed by Luciano B. Carlos

Sitsiritsit Alibangbang (1967)- Stars Susan Roces, Dolphy, Panchito, Ronaldo Valdez, Rod Navarro/ Directed by Ading Fernando

Ang Pangarap Ko'y Ikaw (1967)- Stars Susan Roces, Eddie Gutierrez, Norma Blancaflor, Romeo Rivera, Verna Gaston/ Directed by Mar S. Torres

Bakasin Mo sa Gunita (1968)- Stars Susan Roces, Romeo Vasquez, Anita Linda, Nello Nayo, Eddie Garcia, Yolanda Guevarra, Arnold Gamboa/ Directed by Armando de Guzman

Bandana (1968)- Stars Susan Roces, Romeo Vasquez, Lourdes Medel, Dante Rivero, Caridad Sanchez, Mary Walter, Nello nayo/ with Gina Alajar and Roderick/ Directed by Armando de Guzman

Mapagkailan Man (1968)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Susan Roces, Paquito Diaz, Rebecca, Joe Sison, Lito Anzures, Victor Bravo, Nello Nayo, Pablo Virtuoso, Dencio Padilla/ Directed by Armando Garces

Sorrento (1968)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Susan Roces, Paquito Diaz, Joe Sison, Lito Anzures, Victor Bravo, Nello Nayo, Pablo Virtuoso, Dencio Padilla/ Directed by Armando Garces

Tanging Ikaw (1968)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Susan Roces, Lou Salvador Jr., Panchito, Lito Anzures, Victor Bravo, Dencio Padilla, Lucita Soriano/ Directed by Armando de Guzman

Kaming taga-Ilog (1968)- Stars Susan Roces, Dolphy, Panchito, Ronaldo Valdez, Alicia ALonzo, Rod Navarro, Chichay, Dely Atay-atayan, Bayani Casimiro/ Directed by Luciano B. Carlos

To Susan With Love (1968)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Joseph Estrada, Eddie Mesa, Ramil Rodriguez and Susan Roces/ Directed by Luciano B. Carlos

Kulay Rosas ang Pag-ibig (1968)- Stars Susan Roces,
Ramil Rodriguez, Arnold Gamboa, Nello Nayo, Jose Garcia
and Norma Blancaflor/ Directed by Armando de Guzman

Perlas ng Silangan (1969)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Susan Roces, Vic Vargas, Jose Padilla Jr., Carlos Padilla Jr.,Ruben Rustia, Jose Vergara/ Directed by Pablo Santiago

Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin (1970)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Susan Roces, Paquito Diaz, Jose Romulo, Lou Salvador Jr., Lito Anzures, Victo Bravo, Pablo Virtuoso, Dencio Padilla/ Dierected by Armando de Guzman

Divina Gracia (1970)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Susan Roces, Nello nayo, Norma Blancaflor, Mary Walter, Vic Varrion, Lourdes Yumol and Ruben Rustia/ Directed by Armando de Guzman

Adios Mi Amor (1971)- Stars Suasan Roces, Eddie Gutierrez, Jose Romulo, Ruel Vernal, Nello Nayo, Jose Vergara, Bert Olivar, Dely Vilanueva and Leopoldo Salcedo/ Introducing Phillip Salvador and Khristina Reyes/ Directed by Pablo Santiago

Bilangguang Puso (1971)- Stars Susan Roces and Dante Rivero, Romy Diaz, Lourdes Medel, Chichay, Pablo Virtuoso, Dencio Padilla, Nello Nayo, Joe Garcia
Directed by Manuel Cinco

Salaginto't Salagubang (1972)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Susan Roces, Paquito Diaz, Chichay, Pablo Virtuoso, Dencio Padilla, Lito Anzures, Nello Nayo and Bella Flores/ Directed by Pablo Santiago

Florinda (1973)- Stars Susan Roces, Dante Rivero, Ranil Rodriguez, Rosemarie Gil, Jose Padilla Jr., Lito Anzures/ Directed by Armando A. Herrera

Karnabal (1973)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Susan Roces, Paquito Diaz, Max Alvarado, Chichay, Dencio Padilla, Lito Anzures and Frankie Navaja Jr./ Directed by Manuel Cinco

Hanggang sa Kabila ng Daigdig (1973)- Stars Susan Roces, Eddie Rodriguez, Rosa Mia, Rebecca, Carlos Padilla Jr., Nello nayo, Dencio padilla, Renato Robles and Levi Celerio/ Directed by Manuel Cinco

Dalawa ang Nagdalantao sa Akin (1974)- Stars Susan Roces, Boots Anson-Roa, Ramil Rodriguez, Ronaldo Valdez, Angie Ferro, Tony Carrion and Dranreb/ Directed by Ding M. De Jesus

Patayin Mo sa Sindak si Barbara (1974)- Susan Roces, Dante Rivero, Rosanna Ortiz, Beth Manlongat, Edna Diaz, Ellen Esguerra, Angie Ferro, Venchito Galvez, Rosa Santos and Mary Walter/ Directed by Celso Ad Castillo

Sapagka't Kami'y Mga Misis Lamang (1976)- Stars Susan Roces, Nora Aunor, Celia Rodriguez, Chichay, Robert Jaworski, Max Laurel, Phillip Salvador, Martin Marfil/ Directed by F.H. Constantino

Langit, Lupa at Impiyerno (1976)- Stars Susan Roces, Rosanna Ortiz, Loretta Marquez and Ronaldo Valdez/ with Bella Flores, Johnny Monteiro, Alicia Alonzo/ Directed by Teddy Yip and Noli Villar

Maligno (1977)- Stars Susan Roces, Dante Rivero, Celia Rodriguez, Eddie Garcia/ Directed by Celso Ad Castillo

Gumsing Ka... Maruja (1978)- Stars Susan Roces, Phillip Salvador, Mario O'Hara, Laurice Guilen/Directed by Lino Brocka