Thursday, January 31, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 188: CESAR RAMIREZ, MYRNA DELGADO, NORMA VALES, RIC RODRIGO IN "TRES MUSKITERAS" (1954)

"Tres Muskiteras" (1954)
Sampaguita Pictures
Release Date February 9- 18, 1954
Direction Nardo Vercudia
Cast Cesar Ramirez, Myrna Delgado, Norma Vales, Ric Rodrigo, Aruray, Bayani, Precy Ortega


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 187: PANCHO MAGALONA AND GLORIA ROMERO IN "MUSIKONG BUMBONG" (1954)


"Musikong Mumbong" (1954)
Sampaguita Pictures
Release Date February 3-12, 1954/ Center
Story Dr. Fausto J. Galauran
Music Juan Silos, Jr.
Direction Octavio Silos
Cast Pancho magalona, Gloria Romero, Boy Alano, Rosa Mia, Rebecca del Rio, Etang Discher, Horacio Morelos

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 186: LILIA DIZON AND ARMANDO GOYENA IN "TUCYDIDES" (1954)

"Tucydides" (1954)
LVN Pictures
Release Date January 30- February 8, 1954/ Dalisay
Story Dominador Ad Castillo
Music Juan Silos, Jr.
Direction Artemio Marquez
Cast Lilia Dizon, Armando Goyena, Milagros Naval, Cecilia Lopez, Eusebio Gomez, Jose Cris Soto, Florentino Ballecer, Victor Blanco, Pacita Corrales, Belen Velasco


Armando Goyena and Lilia Dizon in LVN Pictures' "Tucydides" (1954)

Monday, January 28, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 185: JAIME DE LA ROSA, TESSIE QUINTANA AND PRISCILLA CELLONA IN "DALAWANG PANATA" (1954)

"Dalawang Panata" (1954)
LVN Pictures
Release Date January 20-29, 1954/ Dalisay
Story A.C. Bagabaldo
Music S.S. Suarez
Direction Billy Icasiano
Cast Jaime dela Rosa, Tessie Quintana, Priscilla Cellona, Carmencita Palma, Oscar Obligacion, Chito Navarro, Miguel Lopez, Roger Nite, Zenny Garcia, Nora Dy, Baby Zenny


Sunday, January 27, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 184: OSCAR MORENO AND PARALUMAN IN "SARAWAK" (1954)

"Sarawak" (1954)
Palanca Bros. Productions
Release Date January 8-13, 1954/ Times
Story Potenciano A. Palanca & Jesus Esguerra
Direction Tor Villano
Cast Oscar Moreno, Paraluman, Elvira Reyes, Sonia Reyes, Restie Sandel, Basilio de Luis, Nilda Balmori, Linda Martinez



Wednesday, January 23, 2013

MORE ON PRE-WAR TAGALOG MOVIES: ATANG DE LA RAMA IN "MAHIWAGANG BINIBINI (ANG KIRI)" (1939)


"Mahiwagang Binibini (Ang Kiri)" (1939)
Diwata Films
Release Date April 5-11, 1939/ Grand Theater
Cast Atang de la Rama, Precioso Palma, Carmen Rosales, Nilo Barredo, Gregorio Ticman, Flor Ballecer, Conrado Santiago


MORE ON PRE-WAR TAGALOG MOVIES: GERARDO DE LEON AND TITO AREVALO IN "AMA AT ANAK" (1939)

National Artist for Film, Gerardo 'Gerry' de Leon, both as Actor and Director---


"Ama at Anak" (1939)
Parlatone Productions
Release Date June 22- July 2, 1939/ Fox
Direction Gerardo de Leon 
Cast Gerardo de Leon, Tito Arevalo, Lilia Vizconde, Virginia Salcedo, Armando Cris, Eduardo Infante, Edy Nagali, Laling Talti


Monday, January 21, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 183: ARMANDO GOYENA AND EVELYN VILLAR IN "KAPITAN KIDLAT NGAYON!" (1953)

"Kapitan Kidlat Ngayon!" (1953)
Sequel to "Kapitan Kidlat"
LVN Pictures
Release Date December 1-10, 1953/ Dalisay
Direction Oscar del Rosario
Cast Armando Goyena, Evelyn Villar, Alfonso Carvajal, Oscar del Rosario, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Casmot, Carmencita Abad, Arturo Moran, Miguel Lopez, Florentino Garcia, Helen Nazario & Menandro Ramos




Sunday, January 20, 2013

POST-WAR TAGALOG MOVIES # 124: JOSE PADILLA, JR. AND AMPARO KARAGDAG IN "LIHIM NA BAYANI" (1949)


"Lihim na Bayani" (1949)
Premiere Productions
Release Date January 1- 10, 1949/ Life
Direction Ramon A. Estella
Cast Jose Padilla, Jr., Amparao Karagdag, Virginia Montes, Frankie Gordon, Ding Tello, Angel Suntay



POST-WAR TAGALOG MOVIES # 123: NORMA BLANCAFLOR AND TONY ARNALDO IN "HULING DALANGIN" (1948)

"Huling Dalangin"
LVN Pictures
Release Date October 10-21, 1948/ Center
Music Constancio de Guzman
Direction Susana C. de Guzman
Cast Norma Blancaflor, Tony Arnaldo, Rosa Rosal, Victor Svilla, Eusebio Gomez, Jose Cris Soto, Engracio Ibarra, Justina David, Eliseo Carvajal, Mike Accion, Constancio de Guzman, Juanito Montes, Leonor Carmona, Pablo Virtuoso


Saturday, January 19, 2013

POST-WAR TAGALOG MOVIES # 122: ARSENIA FRANCISCO AND TEDDY BENAVIDEZ IN "DOLOROSA" (1948)

"Dolorosa" (1948)
Leyte Motion Pictures
Release Date June 11- 16, 1948/ Center
Music Josefino Cenizal
Direction Estrella Alfon- Rivera
Cast Arsenia Francisco, Teddy Benavidez, Pacita del Rio, Rafael Jimenez, Jose Cris Soto, Pedro Faustino, Billy Liliput, Jesse Fernandez, Africa dela Rosa



Friday, January 18, 2013

POST-WAR TAGALOG MOVIES # 121: CARLOS PADILLA AND ERLINDA CORTES IN "ITANONG SA BULAKLAK" (1948)

"Itanong Mo sa Bulaklak" (1948)
Premiere Productions
Release Date June 8- 2, 1948/ Dalisay
Music Antonio Maiquez
Direction Paquito Bolero
Cast Carlos Padilla and Erlinda Cortes



Thursday, January 17, 2013

POST-WAR TAGALOG MOVIES # 120: ARSENIA FRANCISCO AND ANGEL ESMERALDA IN "PIPIT-PUSO" (1948)

"Pipit-Puso" (1948)
Mabuhay Pictures
Release Date July 15- 23, 1948/ Boulevard
Story Jesus Esguerra
Music Conrado Conde
Direction Col. Jacinto B. Chong
Cast Arsenia Francisco, Angel Esmeralda, Gil de Leon, Tito Arevalo, Tolindoy, Lily Miraflor, Jose Luz Bernardo, Africa dela Rosa, Candida Valderama, Florentino Lapus, Simeon Reyes, Rosario Gatmaitan


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

POST-WAR TAGALOG MOVIES # 119: TEDDY DENAVIDEZ AND MONA LISA IN "PAG-IBIG AT PATALIM" (1948)

"Pag-ibig at Patalim" (1948)
GLM Prodyctions
Release Date June 14- 22, 1948/ Boulevard
Music Ray Alinsod
Direction Ernesto C. Lopez
Cast Teddy Benavidez, Mona Lisa, Amparo Aquino, Salvador Zaragosa, Luis Vizconde



Monday, January 14, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 182: DELIA RAZON AND MARIO MONTENEGRO IN "3 LABUYO" (1953)

"3 Labuyo" (1953)
LVN Pictures
Release Date April 5- 14, 1953/ Dalisay
Direction Richard Abelardo
Cast Delia razon, Mario Montenegro, Tony Santos, Alfonso Carvajal, Casmot, Letty Alonso, Jose Corazon de Jesus

Sunday, January 13, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 181: TITA DURAN, PANCHO MAGALONA AND DOLPHY IN "SA ISANG SULYAP MO TITA" (1953)/ Re-posted



"Sa Isang Sulyap Mo, Tita" (1953)
Sampaguita Pictures
Release Date August 8-17, 1953
Music Tirso Cruz and his Manila Hotel Orchestra
Direction Armano Garces
Cast Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona, Dolphy, Aruray, Tony Cayado, Jose de Villa, Aring Bautista, Consuelo P. Osorio, Bert Guinto, Eddie Garcia, Bert Olivar, Ricardo Mirasol, Artemio Tecson


Courtesy of Sampaguita Pictures

I finally got to see "Sa Isang Sulyap Mo Tita" (1953), dubbed as one of the biggest and spectacular musical movies in the 50s and starring the country's popular reel-and-real life sweetheart and husband-and-wife tandem in Philippine movies, Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran. With the backdrop and setting in the life in the navy, it reminds me of two of my favorite Hollywood musical classics--- "Anchors Aweigh" (1945) and "On the Town" (1949)


. Pancho Magalona and Dolphy as the navy men or sailors, ala-Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, are in days off and they’re out to have lots of fun, singing, dancing and drinking. As they say, they're out to "paint the town red."


Dolphy, probably his first major movie role as Pancho’s buddy, exhibits his awesome dancing skills (see movie clip below).


Courtesy of Sampaguita Pictures



"Anchors Aweigh" (1945) / "On the Town" (1949)


Saturday, January 12, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 180: OSCAR MORENO AND ERLINDA CORTES IN "MAY ISANG TSUPER NG TAXI" (1953)

"May Isang Tsuper ng Taxi" (1953)
Lebran Productions
Release Date July 14- 23, 1953/ Dalisay
Direction Eddie Romero
Cast Oscar Moreno, Erlinda Cortes, Oscar Keese, Conrado Conde, Juan Monteiro, Andres Iturbi, Etang Discher, Norma Buenaobra, Noemi de Leon, Paquito Legaspi, Ric Balmori, Ching Macabasco





Friday, January 11, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 179: NIDA BLANCA AND NESTOR DE VILLA IN L.V. AVELLANA'S "HIYASMIN" (1953)


"Hiyasmin" (1953)
LVN Pictures
Release Date December 31, 1953- January 9, 1954
Story Gemiliano Pineda
Music F. Buencamino, Jr.
Direction Lamberto V. Avellana
Cast Nida Blanca, Nestor de Villa, Tony Santos, Gil de Leon, Johnny Reyes, Arturo Moran, Carmencita Abad, Casmot, Vic Silayan, Priscilla Ramirez


Photo, courtesy of LVN Pictures

Thursday, January 10, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 178: JAIME DE LA ROSA AND CELIA FLOR IN AVELLANA'S "LOIDA: ANG AKING PAG-IBIG" (1953)

"Loida: Ang Aking Pag-ibig" (1953)
LVN Pictures
Release Date May 5- 14, 1953/ Dalisay
Direction Lamberto V. Avellana
Cast Jaime de la Rosa and Celia Flor

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 177: JAIME DE LA ROSA AND EDNA LUNA IN MARS RAVELO'S "DYESEBEL" (1953)


 "Dyesebel"
Premiere Productions
Release Date July 4- 13, 1953/ Dalisay 
Story Mars Ravelo
Direction Gerardo de Leon
Cast Jaime de la Rosa, Carol Varga, Fernando Royo and Edna Luna in the title role


Dyesebel first appeared in the pages of Pilipino Komiks in the 50s. Created by renowned and prolific Filipino novelist Mars Ravelo and drawn by Elpidio Torres, the komiks novel has been adapted into movies in 1953, 1973, 1978, 1990 and 1996. A sequel was made in 1964, “Anak ni Dyesebel.” Here's the first and last installments of that original version of Dyesebel, as it made its memorable run in 1952 to 53.



Unang Labas/ Pilipino Komiks/ 1952


click images to enlarge





Katapusang Labas/ Pilipino Komiks/ 1953


click images to enlarge



Source: Komiks materials from
the collection of Steve Santos

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 176: JOSE PADILLA, JR. AND CELIA FLOR IN L.V. AVELLANA'S "HUK SA BAGONG PAMUMUHAY" (1953)/ Re-posted

Huk sa Bagong Pamumuhay, a film by National Artist Lamberto Avellana tells of Carding (played by Jose Padilla, Jr.), a former guerrilla, who mortgages his mother's piece of land, thinking that his family could pay the usurer, a certain Mr. Fargas with the harvest or his backpay. Bad luck hounds Carding as the typhoon practically destroy most of the crops. The backpay likewise does not arrive. Mr Fargas forecloses the land. Push against the wall, Carding strikes the usurer with a shovel. Now a fugitive from justice, Carding is forced to join the burgeoning Hukbalahap, the local Communist movement.

The movie, produced by LVN Pictures as part of the government propaganda effort against the spread of communism in the country, received numerous awards from the FAMAS- Best Picture, Best Actor (Jose Padilla, Jr.), Best Supporting Actor (Leroy Salvador) and Best Direc
tor (Lamberto Avellana).





"Huk sa Bagong Pamumuhay" (1953)- Stars Jose Padilla, Jr., Celia Flor, Leroy Salvador/ Directed by Lamberto V. Avellana
Here's a short absorbing clip of the movie that drove Carding (played by Jose Padilla, Jr.) to lose his temper and struck the usurer with a shovel---


Courtesy of LVN Pictures





lobby cards from internet sources

Monday, January 7, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 175: BOY ALANO AS MARS RAVELO'S "KIKO" (1953)

Did you know that Boy Alano had his share of stardom when he was just starting as a child star at Sampaguita Pictures? He made his debut movie in 1951 in "Roberta", as Roberta's (played by child wonder Tessie Agama) trusted and best friend. In 1953, Alano was given the lead role, in Mars Ravelo's "Kiko".

"Kiko" (1953)
Sampaguita Pictures
Release Date November 11-20, 1953/ Dalisay
Story Mars Ravelo
Direction Olive la Torre
Cast Boy Alano, Patria Plata, Van de Leon, Rosa Mia, Aruray, Etang Discher, Leonora Ruiz


Sunday, January 6, 2013

THE FIFTIES # 174: CESAR RAMIREZ AND NENA CARDENAS IN F.V. COCHING'S "EL INDIO" (1952-53): KOMIKS SERIAL AND MOVIE ADAPTATION/ Re-posted

El Indio (1953)- Stars Cesar Ramirez, Nena Cardenas, Van de Leon, Tota Munoz, Boy Alano, Tony Cayado and Myrna Delgado / Directed by Enrique Moreno
Francisco V. Coching’s El Indio, serialized in Pilipino Komiks in 1952-53, is an adventure komiks novel which tells the story of Fernando, a handsome and dashing colored Spanish mestizo who went back to the Philippines to exact revenge on his father whom he believed abandoned him and his mother Blanquita. There, he discovered the cruel and oppressive colonial government, and joined the rebels in the fight against the oppressors as El Indio. El Indio is the sequel to Coching’s earlier series entitled Barbaro, and is one of most popular series in Philippine komiks history. (Komiklopedia)
El Indio was adapted into the big screen in 1953. Sampaguita Pictures was able to secure the movie right of the novel and signed up Cesar Ramirez to play the role of Fernando or El Indio. The movie also starred Nena Cardenas, Van de Leon, Tita Munoz, Boy Alano under Enrique Moreno direction. The movie had its grand opening at Life theater, May 20, 1953.
El Indio covers courtesy of Gerry Alanguilan

Comic book artist and writer Gerry Alanguilan, creator of Wasted and Elmer and a big fan of Francisco V. Coching, is in the forefront of digitally restoring Coching’s classic 50s komiks serial novel El Indio. For the past several years, Gerry, in between deadlines, was able to scan the original comic book pages and meticulously restored each page. He hopefully to see this on print next year.

http://gerry.alanguilan.com/archives/724


Click images to enlarge