THE FIFTIES # 248: JESUS RAMOS, ROSITA NOBLE, WITH LOPITO, RAMON D' SALVA, CAROL VARGA, VICENTE LIWANAG IN "SI OG SA ARMY" (1954)/ UPDATED

 "Si Og sa Army" (1954)

Larry Santiago Productions/ Premiere Productions, Inc.

Release Date November 11-20, 1954/ Life

Music Tony Maiquez

Direction Cesar Gallardo

Cast Jesus Ramos, Rosita Noble, Lopito, Carol Varga, Ramon D'Salva, Vicente Liwanag

The cast and crew of Premiere Productions, “Si Og sa Army”(1954) posed for a souvenir shot. Photo shows Jesus ‘Og’ Ramos, Rosita Noble, Carol Varga, Lydia Resma, Nello Nayo, Vicente Liwanag, production staff, officers and men of the Armed Forces---

THE FIFTIES # 247: PUGO & TOGO (GHOST), REBECCA GONZALES, EDDIE SAN JOSE, DELY ATAY-ATAYAN, CRIS DE VERA, JUANITO & SEPA IN "SELOSONG BALO" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Selosong Balo" (1954)

V- Productions

Release Date November 9-17, 1954/ Center

Direction Quin Velasco

Cast Pugo & Togo (ghost), Rebecca Gonzales, Eddie San Jose, Dely ATay-Atayan, Cris de Vera, Juanito & Sepa

THE FIFTIES # 246: JAIME DE LA ROSA, CELIA FLOR, WITH TONY SANTOS, JOSE DE CORDOVA, OSCAR OBLIGACION, PRISCILLA RAMIREZ, CHED BERMUDEZ IN "TINALIKDANG DAMBANA" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Tinalikdang Dambana" (1954)
LVN Pictures
Release Date October 27 to November 5, 1954/ Dalisay
Story A.C. Bagabaldo
Music F. Buencamino Jr.
Direction Billy Icasiano
Cast Jaime de la Rosa, Celia Flor, Tony Santos, Jose de Cordova, Oscar Obligacion, Priscilla Ramirez, Ched Bermudez, Baby Zenny, Eduardo Rodriguez, Vicente Advincula, Antonio Medina, Purita Alba, Francisco Estacio

THE FIFTIES # 245: LEOPOLDO SALCEDO, TESSIE AGANA, LINDA ESTRELLA IN "AT SA WAKAS!" (1954)/ UPDATED

"At sa Wakas!" (1954)

Alta Pictures/ Deegar Cinema, Inc.

Release Date October 31- November 9, 1954/ Center

Direction Artemio Marquez

Cast Lepoldo Salcedo, Tessie Agana, Linda Estrella/ Introducing Jose Sison

THE FIFTIES # 244: ROGELIO DE LA ROSA, ALICIA VERGEL, WITH ARURAY, PANCHITO ALBA, EDDIE GARCIA, ETANG DISCHER, BERT OLIVAR IN "ARISTOKRATA" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Aristokrata" (1954)

Sampaguita Pictures

Release Date November 1-10, 1954/ Life

Story Caravana, Del Mundo, Laudico

Music Nestor Robles

Direction Olive La Torre

Cast Rogelio de la Rosa, Alicia Vergel, Aruray, Panchito Alba, Eddie Garcia, Etang Discher, Bert Olivar

THE FIFTIES # 243: FRED MONTILLA (IN THE TITLE ROLE), LOLITA RODRIGUEZ, CHICHAY, TOLINDOY, GREGORIO TICMAN, REBECCA DEL RIO, EDDIE GARCIA, JOSE DE VILLA IN MARS RAVELO'S "BONDYING" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Bondying" (1954)

Sampaguita Pictures

Release Date October 22- 31, 1954/ Life

Story Mars Ravelo

Direction Armando Garces

Cast Fred Montilla, Lolita Rodriguez, Chichay, Tolindoy, Gregorio Ticman, Rebecca del Rio, Eddie Garcia, Jose de Villa, Leonora Ruiz, Teroy de Guzman, Bert Olivar

"Bondying" (1954)

Nobela ni Mars Ravelo

Guhit ni Elpidio E. Torres

Inilathala sa Pilipino Komiks 

 

THE FIFTIES # 242: LEOPOLDO SALCEDO, WITH TONY MOGUEIS, LYDIA RESMA, CHING MACADASCO AND BEN PEREZ, ELVIRA REYES (IN A GUEST ROLES) IN "MULTO SA OPERA" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Probably the Pinoy version of "The Phantom of the Opera."

"Multo sa Opera" (1954)

Fernando Poe Productions

Release Date October 18- 26, 1954

Music Tito Arevalo

Story Vic Marcos

Direction Mario Barri

Cast Leopoldo Salcedo/ Introducing Nina Navarro/ Tony Mogueis, Lydia Resma, Ching Macadasco/ Guest Stars-Ben Perez, Elvira Reyes

Someone wrote me that he read an article that FPJ made his first movie appearance in the 1954 movie, Multo sa Opera. I knew from the very start that FPJ started his movie career in 1955 in a starring role in Anak ni Palaris. This was something new so I decided to research on it. I came up with an ad and a photo of the said movie but it didn’t say anything of FPJ’s appearance in the movie. I emailed Ms Baby K. Jimenez, long-time personal friend of FPJ and Susan Roces, and inquired about this. She was not aware of this nor FPJ mentioning this. She relayed my message to Ms. Elizabeth Poe, the eldest sister of FPJ and this was her reply---

..."As for Ronnie's appearance in Multo sa Opera, I am not aware of this. When my papa passed away Ronnie was only 11 yrs old. The last movie produced by the Fernando Poe Production was Multo, my uncle Jose Samson produced this with the ok of my mumpy who didn’t know anything about the business. It was a last ditch to save the production and the studio but it laid an egg. We lost everything. It was Mumpy who produced Anak ni Palaris with the insurance money we got. As she said, it was the best investment she ever made. Ditto. Take care. God bless."

On my personal assessment, Ronnie may have appeared in Multo sa Opera so as to acclimatize him in the world of cinema before going solo two months later. Since the director (Mario Barri) was his director in his supposed first movie, Anak ni Palaris and the producer, Jose Samson, was his uncle, there’s a great probability that he appeared in the said movie. Things could have been lot easier if FPJ was still alive today or if the film still exists.

THE FIFTIES # 240: EDNA LUNA, JUAN 'JOHNNY' MONTEIRO, CAROL VARGA, VICENTE LIWANAG, NELLO NAYO IN GERARDO DE LEON'S " SI EVA AT SI ADAN" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Si Eva at si Adan" (1954)
Manuel Vistan Productions/ Premiere Productions, Inc.
Release Date October 17- 26, 1954/ Dalisay
Direction Gerardo de Leon
Cast Edna Luna, Juan 'Johnny' Monteiro, Carol Varga, Vicente Liwanag, Nello Nayo

Popular 50s stars Edna Luna and Juan "Johnny" Monteiro (both starred together in "Paladin") changed sex identities in the 1954 Gerardo de Leon's controversial movie, "Si Eva at si Adan." The movie made an uproar when it ran problems and raised a furor with the Board of Censors because of its very hot and sensitive issues on homosexuality. Manong Gerry was way ahead of its time when he tackled such controversial themes and it takes guts on his part to do that. I also can't imagine seeing Johnny Monteiro portraying the role of a gay. Monteiro, known for his breathtaking fencing skills, appeared in countless action and adventure movies pitting him mostly with another popular action star, Efren Reyes.

THE FIFTIES # 241: ANITA LINDA, EDDIE DEL MAR, LOPITO, WITH ABRAHAM CRUZ, POLLY CAYETANO, RICARDO VILLA CAMUA IN "MUTYA NG PAARALAN" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Mutya ng Paaralan" (1954)

Premiere Productions, Inc.

Release Date February 21- March 2, 1954/ Center

Music Tony Maiquez

Photography Tommy Marcelino 

Direction Eduardo de Castro

Cast Anita Linda, Eddie del Mar, Lopito, Abraham Cruz, Polly Cayetano, Ricardo Villa Camua, Ben Balatbat, Isagani Santos, Cesar Bandong, Zeny Zavalla, Helen Ponce de Leon, Smile Bengco, Ed Maceda, Girlie Riviera, Oscar Ocampo, Pat Intengan, Boy Camacho

THE FIFTIES # 239: LILIA DIZON, TEODY BELARMINO, WITH TONY SANTOS, ALFONSO CARVAJAL, JOHNNY REYES, JOSE DE CORDOVA, MIGUEL LOPEZ IN LAMBERTO V. AVELLANA'S "KANDELERONG PILAK" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Kandelerong Pilak" (1954)

LVN Pictures

Release Date October 12-21, 1954/ Life

Music Juan Silos, Jr.

Direction Lamberto V. Avellana

Cast Lilia Dizon, Teody Belarmino, Tony Santos, Alfonso Carvajal, Johnny Reyes, Jose de Cordova, Miguel Lopez, Dan Mesinas, Mario Roldan, M. Alvares

THE FIFTIES # 238: ROGELIO DE LA ROSA , LILIA DIZON, WITH NORA DY, JOSE VERGARA, ZENNY GATMAITAN, PIANING VIDAL IN "IKAW ANG BUHAY KO" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Ikaw ang Buhay Ko" (1954)

LVN Pictures

Release Date September 2-11, 1954/ Dalisay

Music S.S. Suarez]

Story Jose Corazon de Jesus & Florentino Garcia

Direction Billy Icasiano

Cast Rogelio de la Rosa, Lilia Dizon, Nora Dy, Jose Vergara, Zenny Gatmaitan, Pianing Vidal

THE FIFTIES # 237: ROGELIO DE LA ROSA, OSCAR MORENO AND GLORIA SEVILLA IN EDDIE ROMERO'S "MAY BAKAS ANG LUMIPAS (AKLAT NG PAG-IBIG)" (1954)/ UPDATED

 "May Bakas ang Lumipas (Aklat ng Pag-ibig)" (1954)

Ace-York/ Eddie Romero Production

Release Date October 8-17, 1954/ Center

Music Tito Arevalo

Direction Eddie Romero

Cast Rogelio de la Rosa, Oscar Moreno, Gloria Sevilla, Dely Atay-Atayan,Vita Ortega, Arthur Sison, Jr., Jaime Javier/ Introducing Raul Guerrero

THE FIFTIES # 236: PANCHO MAGALONA, MYRNA DELGADO, DOLPHY, WITH ROSA MIA, HORACIO MORELOS, DALISAY MORENO, IMELDA CONCEPCION, BEN JOHNSON, HERMINIA CARRANZA IN "MENOR DE EDAD" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Menor de Edad" (1954)

Sampaguita Pictures

Release Date October 7- 16, 1954/ Dalisay

Music Pastor de Jesus

Direction Mar S. Torres

Cast Pancho Magalona, Myrna Delgado, Dolphy, Rosa Mia, Horacio Morelos, Dalisay Moreno, Imelda Concepcion, Ben Johnson, Herminia Carranza

THE FIFTIES # 235: NENA CARDENAS, DANILO MONTES, CAROL VARGA, RAMON D' SALVA, LETICIA OJERA, JOSE ROMULO IN "LAGING MAY UMAGA" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Laging May Umaga" (1954)

People's Pictures/ Premiere Productions, Inc

Release Date October 2- 11, 1954/ Life
Story S.G. Bautosta and M.S. Martin
Serialized in Liwayway Magazine

Direction Teodorico C. Santos

Cast Nena Cardenas, Danilo Montes, Carol Varga, Ramon D' Salva, Leticia Ojera, Jose Romulo

THE FIFTIES # 234: DELIA RAZON, MARIO MONTENEGRO, WITH MILAGROS NAVAL, JOSE DE CORDOVA, EMMA ALEGRE, MARING PARELEJAS, MARIO RO:DAN, LOURDES YUMOL IN "DAMBANANG PUTIK" (1954)/ UPDATED

"Dambanang Putik" (1954)

LVN Pictures

Release Date September 27- October 6, 1954/ Dalisay

Story Pablo S. Gomez

Music F. Buencamino Jr.

Direction Enrique Jarlego

Cast Delia Razon, Mario Montenegro, Milagros Naval, Jose de Cordova, Emma Alegre, Maring Parelejas, Mario Roldan, Lourdes Yumol