Wednesday, January 2, 2008

THREE GREAT MOVIES FROM LVN PICTURES

Anak Dalita (1956)- Stars Rosa Rosal, Tony Santos, Vic Silayan, Leroy Salvador, Alfonso Carvajal and Joseph De Cordova / Directed by Lamberto Avellana


Badjao (1957) - Stars Rosa Rosal, Tony Santos, Jose De Cordova, Vic Silayan, Oscar Keesee and Leroy Salvador / Directed by Lamberto Avellana


Biyaya ng Lupa (1959) - Stars Rosa Rosal, Tony Santos, Carmencita Abad, Carlos Padilla, Jr., Marita Zobel and Leroy Salvador / Directed by Manuel Silos


T
he movie Anak Dalita (1956), an award-winning film by Director Lamberto Avellana, was an example of Doña Sisang’s preferences {Doña Sisang is Narcisa B. De Leon, founder and owner of LVN Pictures}. She didn’t like the idea of producing Anak Dalita. It was a film about poverty. It would star a non-star in Tony Santos. There was no room for a dance sequence. Nothing in her infallible instinct for public preference told her that it would make money. But her son Manny believed in the story. And so it was made. Anak Dalita was no box office hit, but it won the Golden Harvest Award for best picture and the FAMAS International Prestige Award. As Avellana and Manny De Leon brought home the trophies, Doña Sisang teased, “Ano ngayon ang gagawin ninyo sa mga kopang iyan? Makakain niyo ba iyan?”

Another Avellana classic was the movie Badjao (1957). After the critical success of Anak Dalita, Tony Santos and Rosal Rosal again proved their acting talents and gave another superb performance in Badjao. At the Asian Film Festival, this movie won awards for best direction (Avellana), best story (Rolf Bayer), best editing (Gregorio Carballo) and best cinematography (Mike Accion).

Biyaya ng Lupa captures authentic values, hopes, joys, dreams and sorrows of a Filipino family rooted in the land. Winner of the best picture award by FAMAS, the screenplay is based on a story by Celso Al. Carunungan. Direction is by Manuel Silos. The stars are Tony Santos and Rosa Rosal with Leroy Salvador, who won best supporting actor at the Asian Film Festival.

Excerpt from the book,
Doña Sisang & Filipino Movies/1977

Today, Anak Dalita, Badjao and Biyaya ng Lupa are ranked as three of our greatest Filipino movies of all time.

9 comments:

  1. I saw this great movie of Avellana during it's screening at Cinema Paraiso in NCCA, Intramuros, as part of NCCA's Pelikula at Lipunan (?) in 2004 or 2005?. Isa pa rin ito sa pinakapaborito kong mga pelikula ni Avellana na napanood ko, alongside with Anak-Dalita, Badjao and A Portrait of the Filipino As An Artist.

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  2. meron ako nitong BIYAYA NG LUPA at order pa ako nitong badjao atanak dalita,highly recommend sa akin ng LVN.


    PAGKATAPOS KONG PANOORIN ANG BIYAYA NG LUPA,I CANT HELP MYSELF GIVING A STANDING OVATION SA MOVIE NA ITO.

    PROUD TO BE PINOY!!

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  3. Isa pa ring gusto kong mapanood kung meron pang kopya ay yung CRY FREEDOM ni Avellana. Yun namang kay Gerry de Leon na ANG BAGONG MAESTRA ay gusto ko rin uliting mapanood, matagal ko na rin itong napanood sa CCP nuong Marcos era, sana ipalabas ulit.

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  4. wow!! I want to watch this!! Is Cinema Paraiso in NCCA free? ano po mga kailangan para makapasok?

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  5. nabibili din ang badjao sa tcm.com

    may english subtitles ito...ito ay napanood sa sinehan sa san francisco noong 1957.

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  6. Napanood ko na rin ang movie na badjao... Very authentic nang pagkakapresent ng film
    It shows the great culture, norms, laws and probably the ordeals experienced by every badjaos in our history...
    Ang galing nito... May DVD kami nyan at nabili ko for 350pesos... Rosa Rosal and Tony Santos proved on this movie that the PHILIPPINE MOVIE IS THE MOST ANTICIPATED AND HONORED ART OF THE ASIAN RACE!!!

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  7. Arturo Moran is part of Anak Dalita. Is he the same actor as Bomber Moran who was sometimes credited as Arturo 'Bomber' Moran? and in the IMDB, Bomber Moran's birthdate is 1944.

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  8. Ramon Zamora had a cameo as one of the informal settlers in the church. He can be seen at the end of the film during the paglilipat sequence.

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  9. Interestingly, the three films feature the tandem of acting greats Rosa Rosal and Tony Santos.

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