MARS RAVELO'S "RODORA" (1955-56): KOMIKS SERIAL AND MOVIE ADAPTATION

"Rodora" (1956)- Stars Paraluman, Van de Leon, Amalia Fuentes, Juancho Gutierrez, Cesar Reyes, Chichay, Justina David, Ven Medina, Martin Marfil, Romeo Vasquez/ Directed by Mar S. Torres

Based from the novel by Mars Ravelo, Rodora tells of the sad plights of a mother and a daughter separated by fate; the mother who has no memory of a child she bore and the child (a daughter) who hopes of finding her long lost mother.

Clara (played by screen legend Paraluman), a mother of two (a boy and a girl), is left for dead dumped in an isolated river bank by her jealous husband, Don Gustavo (Van de Leon) after she was brutally beaten (see the first film clip below).

Courtesy of Sampaguita Pictures

A farmer, Damian (Ven Medina) finds her, takes her home and treats her injuries. When Clara wakes up, she can’t remember anything--- a victim of amnesia. She assumes new identity, falls in love with Damian, marries him and bears a child, Rodora.

In a sudden turn of events, Clara regains her old self, goes hysterical and runs away. Damian, in pursuit, is killed in the process when he is run over by the speeding train. Clara comes home to her old house surprising Gustavo. Clara is herself shocked when told the she is away for a year and she can’t explain nor remember what transpired in those months she is absent. Clara begs to stay and Gustavo, still mean and harsh to Clara decides not to take her in, but change his mind when Clara warns of legal actions against him on the custody of the children. She is treated by Gustavo more of a servant and the children are made to believe that their mother is long dead.

Years passed, the grown-up Rodora (Amalia Fuentes), in the care of her drunkard grandfather, Mang Adiong (Martin Marfil), decides to go to the city in search for her mother. Gustavo now dead and the two grown-up kids are making life hard on their mother and Clara believes that time will heal all wounds and her two children will soon come to realize their mistakes.

Rodora ends up working in Clara’s household (in all places). Celso (Juancho Gutierez), Rodora’s boyfriend, learns from Don Gustavo and Clara’s former servant (Chichay) who happens to be Celso’s guardian that the wedding photo and the diary of Don Gustavo she stole, is the same woman he saw in the framed photo hanging in the house of Rodora. At that moment, Clara’s son, who has a lustful desire on Rodora, which is supposed to be his half sister, tries to rape her. That exciting climax can be viewed in the second clip below---

Courtesy of Sampaguita Pictures

Pilipino Komiks/ 1955/Unang Labas
Nobela ni Mars Ravelo/ Guhit ni P.Z. Marcelo

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---Ika-13 na labas---

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Komiks materials---
From the private collection of Steve Santos

ROGELIO DELA ROSA AND EMMA ALEGRE IN "HIGIT SA LAHAT" (1955)/ A FILM BY DR. GREGORIO FERNANDEZ #4

"Higit sa Lahat"(1955)- Stars Rogelio dela Rosa, Emma Alegre, Ike Jarlego, Jr., Oscar Keese, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Vic Silayan, Eddie Rodriguez, Cynthia Gomez/ Directed by Gregorio Fernandez

Stills/ LVN Pictures

Higit sa Lahat tells of a father’s love for his family, making a supreme sacrifice to give them a new lease on life. Directed by Dr. Gregorio Fernandez, the movie won numerous awards--- five Famas awards (best picture, actor, story, editing and sound) and two awards in the 1956 Asian Film Festival (director and actor).

Screen legend Rogelio dela Rosa is Roberto, a principled man and scion to a wealthy family, who inherits nothing when he defies his father’s wishes and marries Rosa (Emma Alegre). Not enough money to support his wife and two kids (Cynthia Gomez and Ike Jarlego, Jr.), Roberto ends up as a hired help in a laboratory factory. An explosion occurs in the factory and Roberto is believed to have perished in it, together with the other workers. Fortunately, at the time of the accident, he is in a province on an errand and learns of the insurance money, a P10,000 death benefit enough for his family to get a better chance at living--- a new home, education for the children, among others. He decides to stay away from his family and assumes a new identity. It’s a supreme sacrifice on his part. But not for long--- the family is first and foremost in his mind. When he read of his wife‘s engagement to another man, he finally comes home. Here’s that concluding part---

Courtesy of LVN Pictures

Literary Song-Movie Magazine/April 1955

"P 10,000 PAG-IBIG" (1957): A FILM BY DR. GREGORIO FERNANDEZ #3

“How much is love worth in hard cash? P10,000? P20,000? Or is it worth a woman’s life- a man’s honor? Claudio thought that money was everything- until Loida taught him that love is not on a cash and carry basis!” says the blurb in the 1957 movie P10,000 Pag-ibig.

Left- "P10,000 Pag-ibig" (1957)- Stars Charito Solis, Eddie Rodriguez, Luisa Montessa, Oscar Keese, Bayani Casimiro/ Introducing Jose Ejercito (Joseph Estrada)/ Directed by Gregorio Fernandez.

Right- Photo shows the young Joseph Estrada (Jose Ejercito), his first movie and Charito Solis

The movie is about love for a price. Don Artemio (Oscar Keese) has a son named Fred (Joseph Estrada, introduced here as Jose Ejercito). He is having a problem since Fred is wooing a country girl named Loida (Charito Solis), which the father vehemently disapproves of. He wants his son for another woman known to their family.

Don Artemio makes a deal with Claudio (Eddie Rodriguez), an ordinary and simple guy, to court Loida to derail or spoil Fred, and if he wins her, he stands to get a whooping 10,000 pesos.

Claudio wins, but rejects the money and asks Loida to be his wife. Loida accepts but later learns that all is a farce and a hoax. She runs away and Claudio is disheartened. He drinks and his life is a big mess.

Well, it's an happy ending after all--- see the clip below---

Courtesy of LVN Pictures

JAIME DE LA ROSA AS "HUKOM ROLDAN" (1957): A FILM BY DR. GREGORIO FERNANDEZ #2

I always admire the works of Director Gregorio Fernandez. He was an outstanding director of the 40s to 50s, a terrific storyteller and noted for his remarkable and memorable films like Malvarosa, Luksang Tagumpay, Emily and Higit sa Lahat where he captured the Famas Best Director and Picture in 1955. Add to that list is Hukom Roldan, an absorbing and engrossing story of a judge, involved in a very traumatic domestic problems and emerging from it all still a man of high conviction.

"Hukom Roldan" (1957)- Stars Jaime dela Rosa, Emma Alegre, Nenita Vidal, Oscar Keese, Alfonso carvajal, Nela Alvarez/ Directed by Gregorio Fernandez

The movie tells of an incorruptible and dedicated judge, known as Hukom Roldan (played by Jaime de la Rosa), whose once quaint and quiet family life was shattered when he handed a verdict unfavorable to his erstwhile and powerful friend, Don Silvestre (Oscar Keese). Humiliated, an evil scheme was hatched by Don Silvestre that would place the judge’s wife, Chita (Emma Alegre) in a very uncompromising position making the judge suspect that she really committed an adulterous relationship. He succeeded and the couple separated. The irony of it all was that Judge Roldan, who has been just and fair in all his court decisions, swiftly and readily ‘convicted’ his wife without knowing her side and was convinced of the whole thing. The father took custody of the only child, a daughter named Gloria, who was 3 or 4 then. She was sent abroad and made to believe that her mother was already dead. Gloria (Nenita Vidal), now a teenager, returned home. On the hand, Chita opened up a modest dress shop and was successful. One of her clients was Gloria. Chita later knew that Gloria was her long lost daughter and never revealed it.

Meanwhile, Don Silvestre was charged in court for murder and the case was being tried on the sala of Judge Roldan. As usual, Don Silvestre went to the judge for help if he would sway the verdict in his favor. The judge said that he would only decide upon the merits of the case. Judge Roldan cleared Don Silvestre and to his surprise, Don Silvestre collapsed and had a heart attack. Before he died, he confided to the judge that his wife was innocent and he manipulated it all. The last ten minutes of the movie can be viewed in the clip below---

Courtesy of LVN Pictures

"MALVAROSA" (1957-58): A FILM BY DR. GREGORIO FERNANDEZ #1/ KOMIKS SERIAL AND MOVIE ADAPTATION

"Malvarosa" (1958)- Stars Charito Solis, Leroy Salvador, Carlos Padilla, Jr., Eddie Rodriguez, Rebecca del Rio, Vic Silayan, Vic Diaz, Johnny Reyes, Rey Ruiz/ Directed by Gregorio Fernandez

Courtesy of LVN Pictures

Malvarosa is the poignant story of a family’s struggles in life. It tells of Rosa (played by Charito Solis) who lives in the slums near the railroad tracks, with her mother and five brothers. Her mother (Rebecca del Rio) wallows in guilt and depression, when her drunkard father is run over by a train. Though she is set to marry her fiancé (Leroy Salvador), Rosa chooses to put her family’s needs before her own. Rosa’s brothers also carry their own burdens, except for one, the youngest, Avelino (Eddie Rodriguez) who helps Rosa shoulder the weight of the family’s problems.

The movie, directed by Gregorio Fernandez, was based on the komiks serial novel by Clodualdo del Mundo.

Espesyal Komks/ 1957 Nobela ni Clodualdo del Mundo Guhit ni Fred Carillo

Komiks materials- From the collection of Steve Santos

LEOPOLDO SALCEDO & JOSE PADILLA, JR. IN "KAMBAL NA LIHIM" (1953)

Left- "Ang Kamay ng Diyos" (1947)- Stars Carmen Rosales, Leopoldo Salcedo, Gerardo de Leon, Roberto Rosales/ Directed by Eddie Romero

Right- "Ngayon at Kailan Man" (1947)- Stars Jose Padilla, Jr., Ester Magalona, Carlos Padilla, Anita Linda/ Directed by Carlos Padilla

Left- "Ang Lumang Simbahan" (1949)- Stars Leopoldo Salcedo, Leila Morena/ Directed by Luis Nolasco

Right- "Diego Silang" (1951)- Stars Jose Padilla, Jr., Leila Morena, Nena Cardenas, Lopito, Fred Santos, Oscar Keesee/ Directed by Gerardo de Leon

Leopoldo Salcedo and Jose Padilla, Jr., two great movie icons of yesteryears appeared together for the first time in 1953 in the movie, Kambal na Lihm. Considered as a casting coup that time, the two popular actors were then the undisputed Kings of Philippines Movies. The movie, produced by Deegar Cinema, Inc., also starred Margaret Merritt, Angela Luna and Carol Varga, under Ricardo Brillantes direction.

"Kambal na Lihim"(1953)- Stars Leopoldo Salcedo, Jose Padilla, Jr., Margaret Merritt, Angela Luna, Carol Varga, Jose Villafranca, Pedro Faustino/ Directed by Ricardo Brillantes

"SANDINO": KOMIKS SERIAL AND MOVIE ADAPTATION (1951-52)

From the pages of Manila Klasiks, comes this horrifying tale of a werewolf, probably a spin-off of the 1941 Hollywood horror classic, The Wolf Man. The komiks novel, titled Sandino, was created by Dominador Ad. Castillo. It was adapted into the big screen in 1952 with Danilo Montes and Ester Buenaobra in the lead roles. I remember watching Sandino in the 60s in one of those TV shows in ABS-CBN Channel 3 (remember Mga Aninong Gumagalaw and Pinilakang Tabing) featuring Tagalog movie classics. It tells of a twin, separated at birth, one a mysterious young man named Sandino (played by Danilo Montes) who would transform into a monstrous hairy creature resembling a wolf man. Sandino grew up under the care of an errand and wayward mongrel, which fed and took good care of him. He was disowned by his father thinking that the mother committed infidelity. The father wanted him kill but the servant decided to just leave him in the cemetery instead of killing him where the newly-born Sandino was found by the mongrel.

Ika-3-na labas

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Ika-11-na labas

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Komiks source---
From the Private Collection of Steve Santos

MARCH 6, 1951: "ROBERTA" BREAKS BOX-OFFICE RECORDS

Sampaguita Pictures was established in 1937 and was hit by a huge fire in 1951 with hundreds of film prints destroyed. The movie, Roberta starring Tessie Agana in her first lead role as a battered child, became one of the sensational hits of the year and saved the company from bankruptcy. The movie had its Premiere Night on March 1, 1951 witnessed by a record-breaking crowd of 7,636 people at Life Theater with a 800 to 1,000 seating capacity. It went on to shatter box-office records at the tills during its regular run, with the following astronomical figures, unprecedented that time---First Day- 15,527 people; Second Day-15,962; Third Day- 19,603; Fourth Day- 14,201. Ticket rates that time: Orchestra- 1.50/ Balcony- 2.50/ Loge- 3.50.

The movie made Tessie Agana the studio's biggest draw and box-office champion and hailed as one of the biggest child stars of the decade.

Scheduled for exhibition that week are two movies from rival studios--- LVN Pictures' Pulo ng Engkanto and Premiere Productions' Kapitan Bagwis.

"Pulo ng Engkanto" (1951)- Stars Lilia Dizon, Pugo & Togo, Alfonso Carvajal/ Directed by Oscar del Rosario

"Kapitan Bagwis" (1951)- Stars Efren Reyes, Anita Linda, Lopito, Oscar Keesee, Patria Plata/ Directed by Cesar Gallardo

Hollywood movies, as always, dominated the scene with movies like "A Life of Her Own," starring Lana Turner and Ray Milland; "Operation Pacific" with John Wayne; "Branded' with Alan Ladd and "Halls of Montezuma" with Richard Widmark.