LVN Pictures produced some of our top and popular love teams in Philippine cinema--- Mario Montenegro and Delia Razon, Nestor de Villa and Nida Blanca and Armando Goyena and Tessie Quintana. Those who grew up in the 50s will somehow remember the names of these two young stars--- Nenita Vidal and Manding Claro. The two were in their teens when they were tapped and groomed to be the next love pair in Philippine movies. They made their first appearances in Tin-edyer, a Nida-Nestor starrer in 1954, Dalagita’t Binatilyo and Banda Uno, both in 1955. But it was in 1956, in the movie, Puppy Love, that they were given their biggest break. Their strong chemistry as a love team plus good support from their mother studio propelled them to the top. More movie projects came afterwards--- Dama Juana Gang (1956), Troop 11 (1957), Phone Pal (1957), and Lelong Mong Panot (1957).
Movie Confidential/ February 1956
The two posing for a Camay Ad
Banda Uno (1955)- Stars Armando Goyena, Nita Javier, Nenita Vidal, Manding Claro, Alfonso Carvajal, Bayani Casimiro, Oscar Obligacion/ Directed by Tony Santos
Dalaga't Binata (1955)- Stars Nenita Vidal, Manding Claro, Nora Dy, Bayani Casimiro/ Directed by Susana C De Guzman
Ikaw Kasi (1955)- Stars Nida Blanca, Nestor de Villa, Nenita Vidal, Manding Claro, Oscar Keesee, Naty Bernardo/ Introducing Val Castelo/ Directed by Manuel Conde
Puppy Love (1956)- Stars Nenita Vidal, Manding Claro, Nita Javier/ Directed by Manuel Silos
Dama Juana Gang (1956)- Stars Leroy Salvador, Charito Solis, Nenta Vidal, Manding Claro, Joseph de Cordova, Hector Reyes/ Directed by Tony Santos
Medalyong Perlas (1956)- All Star-Cast
Troop-11 (1957)- Stars Nenia Vidal, Manding Claro, Pugo, Vic Silayan, Hector Reyes/ Directed by Tony Santos
Phone Pal (1957)- Stars Nenita Vidal, Manding Claro, Lita Gutierrez, Val Castelo/ Directed by F.H. Constantino
Lelong Mong Panot (1957)- Stars Nenita Vidal, Manding Claro, Pugo, Lita Gutierrez/ Directed by Manolo Canseco
32 comments:
Simon:
I've always been confused by two actresses in RP movies: NENITA VIDAL and EDITA VITAL. Their names sounded so alike that every time I think about EL FILIBUSTERISMO, I had to ask myself whether the lead actress is EDITA VITAL, EDITA VITAL, NENITA VIDAL OR NENITA VITAL.
I don't know who came first: the VITAL or the VIDAL?
Also in the old days, some actresses were named with silly sounding names by making their first names sounding the same as their last names, such as: AURA AUREA, ROSA ROSAL. Such a pity, because these two actresses are both very talented.
Sometimes they would name the actress with such silly name like: Fleur Delis or MONA LISA.
Some years back, one of Lino Brocka's films was presented at the Vancouver International Filmfest (Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim). When the name Mona Lisa appeared on the opening credits, the audience just blurted out LAUGHING!
Simon,
I remember Nenita Vidal and Manding Claro. Weren't both Hector Reyes and Lou Salvador Jr. paired off with young actresses too? Both were LVN too.
Mr. Cool Canadian,
I think Nenita Vidal was already gone or matured or laos by the time Edita Vital came around, and she in turn didn't last that long in the movies either. I don't find anything wrong with Rosa Rosal, maybe Aura Aurea, but one can't even or should put those two in the same sentence. Rosa Rosal was the far better actress. We also laugh at names like the Kiki, because of what it means in our language. Imagine the laughter 7-footer NBA basketball star Kiki Vandeweghe would have elicited had he played in the Philippines. But, I heard the biggest laughter came from the Spaniards when our esteemed fashion designer Pitoy Moreno exhibited in Spain, everybody laughed when his name was mentioned, Pitoy means little penis in Spain.
Ginoong Samonte:
Agreed that Miss Rosa Rosal is indeed one of our most talented actresses in RP Movies so naming her this way don't seem to match the seriousness of the persona when high-caliber acting is involved.
Literaly translated, pitoy moreno is simply dark-brown penis.
But let's not forget the name TITA DE VILLA. Tita simply means in Spanish – TITS. Then, it's very common for Filipinos to call their aunts TITA MARIA instead of TIA MARIA :)
Ginoong Cool,
Saan nga ba nagsimula ang Tita at Tito instead of Tia and Tio? Tita Duran wouldn't have fared well in Spain too, huh? And she was known more for her sweetness rather than sexy tits. Americans also have problems naming actors, case in point, David Keith of An Officer and a Gentleman, now there's an actor named Keith David. Can't they think of better names. I can find other examples but can't think of any just now.
Simon,
Love that Medalyon Perlas movie ad. Hey, I can name all of them, starting clockwise from the top left corner - Emma Allegre, Mario Montenegro, Charito Solis, Armando Goyena, Johnny Reyes, Joseph de Cordova, Oscar Keese, Vic Silayan, Tessie Quintana, Willie Sotelo, Rebecca del Rio, Manding Claro, Nenita Vidal and Nita Javier. Correct me if there's a mistake.
Rod
Yup! I almost put Vital instead of Vidal in my blog entry title, JM.
100% correct, Rod!
JM,
Actually you did make a mistake, hehehe, right here in your first comment:
I had to ask myself whether the lead actress is EDITA VITAL, EDITA VITAL, NENITA VIDAL OR NENITA VITAL.
The second Edita should read Edita Vidal. You wrote Edita Vital twice.
Rod
Rod, That goes to show how CONFUSED I am, really. He-he.
BTW, I wrote weekly TV scripts for Rosa Rosal for five years and without batting an eyelid, I dare say that she's indeed one of RP's best.
Another actress that I have worked with before was Miss Charito Solis. It would have been a very good project called THE CHARITO SOLIS STORY (where she played hersel as the adult Charito). It was a three-hour drama delving on her harrowing experience in life, involving the people who should have loved her but treated her so badly instead.
But before the project aired on Channel 2, several people who had been "run over" by the drama - threatened to file a class action lawsuit. The network studied very well the eventual consequence if we pushed through with the project, and in the end, it was shelved.
In that show, it was revealed why Miss Solis didn't get married and have a family of her own. In fact, in the opening scene, I showed the young Charito praying: "Lord, please give me the chance to be an actress. If you do, I promise you, I will sacrifice one thing: I will never marry and have a family of my own, something I have always wanted. But, I am willing to exchange it for this other dream. If you allow me to become an actress, I promise you, I will do my very best to become a very good one. I know it won't be easy, but I will give my very best, and for every performance I'll do, I will offer it to you."
This solemn vow was never written anywhere by movie reporters. She probably did't tell them. She admitted she had affairs, but never got married and have a family of her own, keeping the side of her bargain.
She wasn't only a wonderful actress, she was also a wonderful person.
What's more, her name would never confuse us :)
JM,
Rosa Rosal was one of our very best, and not only that, she had a Golden Heart too, a humanitarian, being involved with the Red Cross. And like Charito Solis she was as beautiful as they came. Rosal was looked like a doll, and Charito Solis was the shining light in beauty when she first came to the scene, and nobody would have imagined she would be one of our greatest actresses. She and Rosa Rosal did not compete head to head, however, and they were not of the same era, Charito who came later and formed the triumvirate of what may have been our finest actresses, that is with the Sampaguita duo of Lolita Rodriguez and Marlene Dauden (pasensiya muna dito Gloria Romero, who in the end beat everybody in longevity). But these three, Solis, Rodriguez and Dauden were winning awards left and right.
Sayang naman yung Charito Solis Story. Is there any chance it might make it at least to DVD?
Rod
Ginoong Samonte:
Inabot mo pala ang time nina Charito Solis. Pero hindi na siguro yung time ng MALVAROSA?
DVD of The Charito Solis Story? The Benedictos must have destroyed all of them? I mean, I've written at least 1,500 episodes of Alindog (Alma Moreno's weekly drama anthology) and not even a single episode was released on DVD or even VHS.
I don't know what happened during the people power. Probably when the public invaded the TV stations (some episodes we taped at the Bohol Avenue location), and they all seemed to have disappeared.
Alam mo naman diyan sa RP, walang habag sa ating kultura. What a pity because most of my episodes of Rosal Rosal's Ulila, Alma's Alindog were mostly directed by Mario O'hara. Most of them looked very cinematic.
If I didn't live in the Bicol region during my childhood, hindi ko siguro napanood yung mga great movies nina Gerry de Leon and Avellana - doon kasi sa town na tinirhan ko, 10 years late bago maipalabas ang mga sine. He-he. Hindi na nga isinasauli nung may ari ng sinehan sa booking office, kasi luma na. Ginagawa na lang torotot kung pasko.
Si Marlene Dauden nga pala ay nakikita ko doon sa town namin when I was little. Magkaibigan kasi ang lolo kong kastila at saka yung tatay ni Marlene na kastila rin. May kapatid siya, si Tony. Nag-artista din yata pero hindi nakilala ng publiko.
JM,
I'm also confused by the names of these two actors: Cecilia Fuentes, and Cecilia Lopez. Which of the two is from Sorsogon ? Yes, Marlene Dauden is from Irosin or Juban, same place of Celia Rodriguez.
How about Lopito ? I have read recently in ROGUE Magazine, that the Lopito's name is actually LABALAN. There is a hard-assed rocker named Jun Lopito, who is the equal locally of Clapton and Jeff Beck. who is the son of the late Lopito. His band mate Chicoy Pura ,another guitar virtuoso, and a Bicolano too.
Rod,
Napanood mo ba yung TROOP ELEVEN, Manding Claro, and Nenita Vidal ?
Auggie
Auggie,
Nagmamasid ka pala. Well, you are really confused, hehehe. In fact there is no Cecilia Fuentes (unless there was a starlet by that name), but the name is Celia Fuentes, the Queen of action in Philippine cinema.
Hmmm, I may have seen Troop 11, I saw a lot of Pinoy movies during that time. I stopped watching nang mababoy na ang mga sine and the quality went down the drain. I'd only watch a few that were supposedly good, and that starred the few actors that I liked, for example Eddie Rodriguez, Pancho Magalona, Lolita Rogriguez, Charito Solis, and later on Hilda Koronel, Alma Moreno and Elizabeth Oropesa. These last three were my favorite female actresses to watch.
JM,
Inabot ko ang Malvarosa, I watched it and also read the comics serial on which it was based.
By the way, I just finished watching Merrill's Marauders, I have a VHS. Nandun si Pancho Magalona and Luz Valdez in a very short non-speaking cameo. Surprisingly, the VHS quality of this movie is excellent.
Rod
Auggie:
He-he. Oo nga. Celia Fuentes and Cecilia Lopez was also like a question in a multiple choice exam. Pipiliin mo kung alin ba ang tama. These two actresses confused me as well, but now that Simon has shown their images here, I dare say that Cecilia Lopez, the Bicolana, is much prettier than Celia Fuentes.
Marlene Dauden is from Bulan, Sorsogon, my Mom's town.
Celia Rodriguez is from Irosin, a town beside Bulan.
Jay Ilagan's mother, Corazon Noble, was also from Bicol. Jay used to stay there during summer vacations. You must have been there as well, but we didn't know each other. Jay would stay at my cousin's place, the Mellas. We were both very young then and for about 3 summers we were playing together in Sorsogon.
Lopito was from Magallanes, my father's town. Indeed he was a Labalan. His brother, Berting, a doctor, looked much, much more like a movie star. Lopito was...er... the least good-looking in their family. He-he.
Incidentally, I had an aunt who was also an actress in RP movies in the old days, Yolanda Guevarra. She is actually a Gatbonton, from Nueva Ecija. My Dad's mother is a Gatbonton from Nueva Ecija. Yolanda, Gat - the cartoonist, and my father, are first cousins.
Rod:
I know that the times of Gerry de Leon, Avellana, Mar S. Torres, et al, were the most wonderful years of Tagalog movies. However, there was a resurgence of good filmmakers in the 1970s, my time. Para bang nagkaroon lang ng pahinga sa time nina Gerry de Leon, tapos after a while, nagsulputan naman sina Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal and company.
Ngayon, bawa't film from RP na napapanood ko sa International Filmfests ay puro topic ng KAPUTAHAN o KABAKLAAN. Parang naubusan na yata ng mga ideas ang mga manunulat natin. Porke't naging hit si MAXIMO OLIVEROS, parang naging HOT PANDESAL SYNDROME na ang temang ito.
Talking of Pancho Magalona. When I saw EL FILIBUSTERISMO at the Toronto Film festival a few years back, PANCHO MAGALONA's acting just blew me away. Napakagaling pala nitong artistang ito. Too bad, I've only seen 3 of his movies so far. But goodness, he was indeed menacing in Fili. Quiet, soft-spoken, yet a dynamite ready to explode. And that dark sunglasses he was wearing that prevents us from seeing his eyes sent chills up and down my spine. This one, for me, is Gerry de Leon's masterpiece. Kahi't pa binago niya ang ending. In fact, his ending was more logical than Rizal's original. Simoun was a coward, and for me, he wasn't even capable of poisoning himself. It was just appropriate for Kabesang Tales (Ben Perez) to shoot him, since the latter was trampled upon by the scheming Simoun.
Unfortunately, many young Filipinos today haven't even seen this film.
JM,
You're right, there was a time when Philippine movies hit the doldrums, then a resurgence when Lino Brocka and other directors ignited a renaissance of sorts. Unfortunately, hindi ko inabot yun, I was in the states by then, but I've seen many of their movies, not on the big screen, but in VHS or now DVD. I have a rather small collection of these new movies, they're kind of expensive here ($20 at least), and the last time I had somebody buy me a movie (Insiang) in Manila was the last, hahaha, it wouldn't play on my DVD. It was roughly half the price than if I had bought it here, but I guess buying it here assures one it's going to play on our machines. Apparently the Insiang I got was for Europe or Australian machines.
I know I've seen that Pancho Magalona El Filibusterismo, but I have no recollection of it. I'll have to find it in DVD. Pancho was peg as a song and dance man early in his career, but in his maturity, he started showing his mettle as an actor, and what an excellent actor he was. My best memory of him and which definitely blew me away, was Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig, I saw it a couple of times, and even predicted he would win the Famas for best actor, and he did. From that time on I started predicting who would win or maybe I was doing this already, and I got a few correctly too, hehehe, Eddie Del Mar as Rizal, Eddie Rodriguez, Van de Leon, even Joseph Estrada.
How about this for confusion: Josephine Estrada and Joseph Estrada, hehehe.
O, yeah Cecila Lopez was one of the then Philippine cinema's beauties, together with Leonor Vergara, Charito Solis, Amalia Fuentes, Mina Aragon to name a few.
Rod
Josephine Estrada. She's absolutely sweet. Noong 1970s, kapag nabalitaan kong uuwi siya't magbabakasyon sa RP, gawa agad ako ng script for her. Kaya paglapag ng eroplano, may nakahanda nang script para sa kanya. The last time na umuwi siya noong nariyan pa ako RP, I wrote a script where she played Rosa Rosal's younger sister. She was a cancer victim in the story and I'd say it was one of the most memorable episodes of Ulila. She's genuinely sweet. Parang si Susan Roces ang kanyang sweetness.
Naku, kung naalala mo yung mga artista ni Ferdie Villar, talagang masisira ang ulo mo kung sinu ang sino: PEPSI PALOMA, COCA NICOLAS, MONICA LOCCA, SARSI EMANUEL. Meron pa yatang SPRITE HERNANDEZ. Buti na lang, walang CANADA DRY LOPEZ. He-he. Ferdie used to be my neighbor in QC kaya alam ko. Believe it or not, nagka-anak ito.
JM, the Gatbontons are very close to our family. My father (Malang), Gat and Juan or Ninong Johnny (he's my godfather) used to work at The Manila Chronicle. Gat's son, Jojo, a former art director of Panorama magazine, is a very good friend of mine. Probably you know him.
Simon:
Si Yolanda Guevarra lang ang na-meet ko sa mga Gatbonton. Hindi pa kasi ako nakarating sa Nueva Ecija. Most of the stories about the Gatbontons were only told to me by my father. Lahi yata ng mga artist at writers ang pamilya nila. It's just too bad that I haven't met my other relatives in Cabiao. yung mga nasa Maynila, na-meet ko, tulad ni Buddy de Vera who owns Alpha Recording (my Dad's first cousin as well). Naging de Vera sina Buddy kasi noong mag Filipino-citizen sila ay sinunod nila ang surname ng sponsor nilang Senador. Sa side naman ng father ko, we became FERNANDEZ (from Senator Fernandez), but my dad's family, once they became Filipinos, paid the court to get the old name back, kaya naging Lee uli. He-he. Ako naman, I have adopted my mother's citizenship which was Spanish.
Thanks JM, mukhang nalito rin ako sa mga pangalan niyo, hehehe!!!
JM,
Di ba nangamatay na iyang mga SOFT-DRINKS beauties na iyan ? pati yung discoverer nilang opthalmologist na taga- Quiapo ? murder , in broad daylight ,pinasok sa clinic niya at binaril ng pointblank ?
Si Ronald Remy, taga saan ba ? mi nabasa ako taga Iriga daw, kabayan ni Nora, at parang stockholder sila doon sa ALATCO ( forerunner ng Philtranco sa Bicol)...
Si Liz Alindogan, taga saan ? mga Alindogans alam ko sa Sorsogon din eh...
Rod,
Yung mga sine ni Johnny Montero, Vic Diaz, Mario Barri, Oscar Keese, napanood mo rin ?
Auggie
Auggie,
Si Ronald Remy alam ko Bikolano rin, but with Russian heritage or something.
Aba'y oo, febo ko iyang si Johnny Monteiro noon. Sila ni Efren Reyes, napapanood ko sa Zest theater - Espadang Umaangil at marami pang eskrimahan nila. Si Vic Diaz, Tuko sa Madre Cacao, si Mario Barri nasa Ifugao yata with Efren Reyes, at si Oscar Keese laging mabagsik na Espanyol. Sarap noong bata pa ako. Pinapasok ko lahat ang sinehan mga 3rd-run (yun lang ang kaya ko noon. Kwidaw lang sa mga syoking umaaligid lagi at nangangakakapa sa dilim ng sinehan. Kung gusto kong English doon sa Metro sa kanto ng RHidalgo at QC Blvd, sa may Quiapo Church. Beinte sinko lang, at standing room only, hahaha pero double program pa.
Rod
Rod,
Nakapanood din ako diyan sa mga third-run theaters na iyan noong sa Mariveles, Quezon City pa kami nakatira at nasa neighborhhod si Nello Nayo. Sa Dapitan theater ko napanood yung Tres Muskiteros, double program at 25 centimos lang.
Pero sa Loida theater sa Sorsogon, 15 centimos lang pag matinee hours ( linggo ng umaga)double program din.
Auggie
Makisabat na nga po. Di ba singer din po si Yolanda Guevarra?
James:
Tama ka. Kumakanta nga si Yolanda.
In fact, she was more of a singer than an actress.
Kaaanu-ano mo nga pala si Jaime at Rogelio de la Rosa?
James:
Tama ka. Kumakanta nga si Yolanda.
In fact, she was more of a singer than an actress.
Kaaanu-ano mo nga pala si Jaime at Rogelio de la Rosa?
JM, nakakabatang kapatid ni Rogelio si Jaime.
JM,
Interestingly, Rogelio and Jaime were not the only brothers or brother/sister or sisters tandem in Philippine movies. Right along the time of Rogelio and Jaime were Jose Padilla and Carlos Padilla, Efren Reyes and Johnny Reyes. Carlos Padilla is the father of then actor and later world famous boxing referee Carlos Padilla Jr. Then much later in time Joseph Estrada and George Estregan, Lou Salvador Jr. and Leroy Salvador, Susan Roces and Rosemarie Sonora, Christopher de Leon and Pinky de Leon. Mayroon pa sigurong iba. Didn't Jess Lapid have a brother?
Rod
Rod,
Tuloy pa rin ang mga Padillas sa showbiz, andiyan si Zsa-zsa, current Inamorata ni Dolphy, Rustom, Robin.
Ang mga anak ni Dolphy nasa showbiz din ang iba. Yung mga Lapids, siguro si Lito ang tinutukoy mo ?
Napanood mo ba yung THE LONG RIDERS, western, directed by Walter Hill ? tungkol ito sa James Gang, at ang mga gumanap na mga artista ay mag-kakapatid din. Ang James brothers, Younger brothers, Ford brothers, Dalton brothers.
Napanood mo na ba ang latest na James Bond ?
Auggie
Auggie,
Yeah, I've seen The Long Riders. But my current favorite Jesse James movie is American Outlaws. Try to find it in either VHS or DVD. I just like because Ali Larter is there as Jesse James wife. Ali is my current favorite actress. No I have not seen the new James Bond. Hindi ko gusto itong si Daniel Craig, so I'm not in a hurry to watch it. I saw Australia.
Rod
Simon:
Medyo malayo ang mukha ng magkapatid na de la Rosa. Parang hindi magkapatid. Wasn't Rogelio the brither-in-law of Diosdado Macapagal?
BTW, my lola was VERONICA GATBONTON. Please ask Jojo if he remembers her. Through her, I might be able to know more of my relatives there in Cabiao. Thanks.
Ginoong Rod & Auggie:
Ang naabutan kong magkakaptid sa local showbiz ay sina:
Daisy Romualdez & Blanca Gomez
Pepito & Ramil Rodriguez
Michael & Ricky Sandico
Chona Castillo & her sister
Vilma & Winnie Santos
Eddie & Carlo Peregrina
Richard Gomez & Stella Suarez Jr.
Tirso III & Woody Cruz
William & Albert Martinez
Jess Lapid, I think, was Lito Lapid's uncle.
JM,
Actually, they looked like twins in their younger days. What pictures are you looking at? Rogelio dela Rosa also became the first actor to become a Senator, paving the way for Estrada, and all these other actors now in politics. He run for President of the Philippines, and he would have won, but inexplicably pulled out of the race.
Rod
Rod,
Inabutan mo ba itong si Eddie Peregrina sa UST noon ? Architecture student daw ito ? ang nakita kong Architecture student doon eh si Ariel Ureta, saka yung isa sa mga Rioteers ni RJ, si Pudjo Delfino, glamour boy ito, at maraming mi crush na chicks. Yung tsikut niya eh yung maliit na Volvo, mi hawig sa Volks.
Strangely, si Chavit Singson, din pala eh graduate ng Arch sa UST ?
Panahon noon nila Bing-bomg Crisologo, Banjo Laurel, Grepor Belgica, The Big Four....
Auggie
JM, I've talked with Jojo. He doesn't remember of a certain Veronica Gatbonton or any relatives in Cabiao. His family is from Pampanga.
Simon:
Veronica Gatbonton was not old when she passed away in 1948 that's why I haven't even seen her. I only saw her in old photos.
It's true, they're originally from Pampanga, but moved to Cabiao, then when she got married, moved to Magallanes, Sorsogon.
What is Jojo's relation with Yolanda Guevarra?
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