Saturday, October 10, 2009

PUGO AND TOGO: FILMDOM'S ORIGINAL COMIC TANDEM



The comic duo Pugo & Togo with Jaime dela Rosa, Tessie Quintana, Lopito and Pablo Virtuoso in the 1949 movie, "Tambol Mayor."

Bald-headed duo, Pugo (Mariano Contreras) and Togo (Andres Solomon) were the comedy kings of the 40s and early part of the 50s and their comic tandem was the most popular during their time. Pugo and Togo started as vaudeville performers in the 30s and were a hit during the Japanese Occupation, where they poke fun of the Japanese. Their brand of humour consisted of short skits, slapstick, and funny dialogues where they performed live in Manila's theaters, most particularly Clover, Life and Avenue theaters. They changed their names to "Puguing" and "Tuguing" because Togo sounds similar to Tojo who was then the Prime Minister of Japan.

After the war, their career zoomed appearing in countless movies whether as lead or supporting roles, i.e, Ikaw Na (1946), Multo ni Yamashita (1946), Sekretang Hongkong (1947), Biglang Yaman (1949), Tambol Mayor (1949), Magkumpareng Putik (1950). Togo died on November 3, 1952 while shooting Dalawang Sundalong Kanin. He was only 47 years old. Pugo was in limbo for some time, but he was able to rebound and soon reasserted himself. He did several successful comedies (Sebya Mahal Kita, Nukso ng Nukso, Oh Sendang, etc.) for LVN before he ventured into television where he starred in Tang Tarang Tang (which later became Si Tatang Kasi), Wanted: Boarders, Alright, Okay, My Son, My Son and also as replacement of Lopito in Tawag ng Tanghalan. He died in 1978
From more than 10 movies the comic duo appeared, only three, Biglang Yaman, Kandidato and Kambal Tuko, have survived.

Courtesy of LVN Pictures

LVN produced a short film, on the life and death of Togo and showed it as an added “featurette” of the movie, Dalawang Sundalong Kanin (starred Pugo & Togo, Nida Blanca, Nestor de Villa) in December 1952. Only the second half of this short film survives--- showing the actor’s funeral. The film is narrated by Eddie San Jose.
Courtesy of LVN Pictures

Trivia/ Source: From WikiPilipinas:
In one skit, Togo would ask what is the time and Pugo would hold up his wrist wearing four or five watches satirizing the Japanese soldier's fondness for watches. In another skit, Pugo would ask Togo who is he waiting and he would just answer "Si Uncle" meaning Uncle Sam which is the United States. In another skit, Pugo would give a monologue caricaturing a Japanese official proclaiming that he "loved the Philippines" but pronounces the word "love" as "rob" making fun of the Japanese people's mispronounciation of the letter "l" and "r."

More often than not, the Japanese Kempetai would haul the two comedians to Fort Santiago for interrogation. After two or three days with bruises and cuts incurred from the Kempetai, the funny thing is that the Japanese always let them go.


Left- "Ikaw Na!" (1946)- Stars Patricia Mijares, Tito Arevalo, Pugo & Togo/ with Rogelio Nite, Rosa Mia/ Directed by Moises Caguin

Right- "Hanggang Pier" (1946)- Stars Patricia Mijares, Tito Arevalo, Pugo & Togo/ Directed by Oscar del Rosario


Left- "Multo ni Yamashita" (1946)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Katy dela Cruz/ with Consuelo Sayson, Oscar Keesee, Batotoy/ Directed by Oscar Del Rosario

Right- "Ang Estudyante" (1947)- Stars Lilian Velez, Narding Anzures, Pugo & Togo/ with Rosa Aguirre, Miguel Anzures, Angelo Castro/ Directed by Fermin Barva

"Sekretang Hongkong" (1947)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Anita Linda, Domingo Principe/ Directed by Moises Caguin


Left- "Noong Bata Pa si Sabel" (1947)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Katy dela Cruz, Gregorio Ticman/ Directed by Oscar Del Rosario

Right- "Tomadachi- Zona" (1947)- Stars Patricia Mijares, Domingo Principe, Pugo & Togo, Katy dela Cruz/ Directed by Oscar Del Rosario



"Sorry Na Lang" (1947)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Katy dela Cruz, Baby Jane/ with Rolando Liwanag, ALfredo de Lara, Batotoy/ Directed by Oscar Del Rosario

Left- "Biglang Yaman" (1949)- Stars Jaime dela Rosa, Rosa Rosal, Pugo & Togo/ Directed by Joe Climaco
Right- “Kandidato” (1949)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Tony Arnaldo, Vida Florante/ Directed by Joe Climaco



Left- "Magkumpareng Putik" (1950)- Stars Lilia Dizon, Pugo & Togo/ Directed by Manuel Silos

Right- "Dalawang Prinsipeng Kambal" (1951)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Teody Belarmino, Milagros Naval/ Directed by Manuel Silos



Left- "Pulo ng Engkanto" (1951)- Stars Lilia Dizon, Pugo & Togo, Alfonso Carvajal/ Directed by Oscar Del Rosario
Right- "Kambal Tuko" (1952)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Carmencita Palma, Inday Jalandoni, Eddie San Jose, Gil de Leon/ Directed by F.H. Constantino

Filmography/ Partial:

1."Ikaw Na!" (1946)- Stars Patricia Mijares, Tito Arevalo, Pugo & Togo/ with Rogelio Nite, Rosa Mia/ Directed by Moises Caguin

2. "Hanggang Pier" (1946)- Stars Patricia Mijares, Tito Arevalo, Pugo & Togo/ Directed by Oscar del Rosario

3. "Multo ni Yamashita" (1946)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Katy dela Cruz/ with Consuelo Sayson, Oscar Keesee, Batotoy/ Directed by Oscar Del Rosario

4. "Ang Estudyante" (1947)- Stars Lilian Velez, Narding Anzures, Pugo & Togo/ with Rosa Aguirre, Miguel Anzures, Angelo Castro/ Directed by Fermin Barva

5. "Sekretang Hongkong" (1947)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Anita Linda, Domingo Principe/ Directed by Moises Caguin

6. "Noong Bata Pa si Sabel" (1947)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Katy dela Cruz, Gregorio Ticman/ Directed by Oscar Del Rosario

7. "Tomadachi- Zona" (1947)- Stars Patricia Mijares, Domingo Principe, Pugo & Togo, Katy dela Cruz/ Directed by Oscar Del Rosario

8. "Sorry Na Lang" (1947)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Katy dela Cruz, Baby Jane/ with Rolando Liwanag, ALfredo de Lara, Batotoy/ Directed by Oscar Del Rosario

9. "Biglang Yaman" (1949)- Stars Jaime dela Rosa, Rosa Rosal, Pugo & Togo/ Directed by Joe Climaco

10. “Tambol Mayor” (1949)- Stars Jaime dela Rosa, Tessie Qintana and Pugo & Togo

11. “Kandidato” (1949)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Tony Arnaldo, Vida Florante/ Directed by Joe Climaco

12. "Magkumpareng Putik" (1950)- Stars Lilia Dizon, Pugo & Togo/ Directed by Manuel Silos

13. “Edong Mapangarap” (1950)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Eddie San Jose and Joan Page

14. "Dalawang Prinsipeng Kambal" (1951)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Teody Belarmino, Milagros Naval/ Directed by Manuel Silos

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

16. “Kambal Tuko” (1952)- Stars Pugo & Togo, Carmencita Palma, Inday Jalandoni, Eddie San Jose, Gil de Leon/ Directed by F.H. Constantino

17. “Dalawang Sundalong Kanin” (1952)- Stars Pugo &Togo, Nida Blanca, Nestor de Villa/ Togo’s last unfinished movie

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12 comments:

  1. Rodolfo SamonteOctober 11, 2009 at 11:27 PM

    Simon,
    Thanks for the posting. I can barely remember TOGO with an O, I always thought it was TUGO, and indeed there's one movie where he's billed as Tugo. I think they had to change his name during the Japanese occupation because a Japanese commander or admiral was named TOGO also. Anyway, the only one I probably saw was Kambal Tuko. They were very funny indeed.
    Rod

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rodolfo SamonteOctober 11, 2009 at 11:29 PM

    Also, I never could remember which one was which, until somebody told me of a pnemonic to easily recognize which one: P for Payat and that's Pugo, T for Taba and that's TOGO.
    Rod

    ReplyDelete
  3. Video 48October 11, 2009 at 11:46 PM

    OO nga Rod, P for Payat and that's Pugo, T for Taba and that's TOGO.Di ko naisip yun, hahaha!

    You also told me about Joan Page in my other blog entry re:MN, where she appeared with Oscar Moreno in "Ang Asawa Kong Amerikana." Well, she also did a movie with Pugo and Togo, titled "Edong Mapangarap."

    ReplyDelete
  4. TheCoolCanadianOctober 12, 2009 at 10:24 AM

    The only film of TOGO & PUGO I have seen as a child was one shown in RP TV and I could no longer remember the title. But I still remember the ending. The two guys were supposed to have been left with a will by their father, and it stated there that they had to dig up a site to get the clue of their inheritance. They dug up the ground and finally found a wooden box. They opened it and saw a smaller box. Then, another smaller box, until finally, there was a TANSAN (a sodapop lid). They were really downhearted, when suddenly, Togo exclaimed: "Tingnan natin sa loob ng tanzan, baka may FREE!"

    This punchline really cracked me up. In the old days, some sodapop lids behind the cork cover has a FREE SODAPOP message printed that one can exchange for another sodapop.

    Their sense of humor is really innocent but absolutely hilarious.
    Though I'm surprised that Togo died at age 47, but he looked really much older than that.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rodolfo SamonteOctober 12, 2009 at 10:38 AM

    JM,
    The prize found under the cork in the tanzan lid was a popular advertising gimmick. They even have money printed under the tanzan, could be 25 centimos or one peso, if I remember correctly.
    Simon,
    Oh, Joan Page did a movie with Pugo and TOGO? Also, you know what, I'm marathon watching several Bud Abbott and Lou Costello movies which I bought in VHS for 50cents each. Mali pala ako kung sino ang Lou at kung sino ang Bud. It seems Lou is the fat one, I always thought it was the other way around, hahaha.
    Rod

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousOctober 12, 2009 at 2:54 PM

    Simon, Rod & JM,

    Contemporaries ba nila sina LOPITO and TOLINDOY ?
    Lopito, is I think from Magallanes, Sorsogon, whose surname is LABALAN.

    There is a Kick-Ass guitarist named JUN LOPITO, and traces his lineage to the comedian...

    auggie

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownOctober 14, 2009 at 4:30 PM

    salamat! Malaking tulong sa akin ito

    ReplyDelete
  8. James DROctober 16, 2009 at 7:08 PM

    Nang mawala ang tambalang Togo at Pugo, napalitan ito nina Tugak at Pugak. Pero di nila napantayan ang tandem ng dalawa.

    Kung matatandaan ninyo, si Tugak ay isang painter (ano nga ang pangalan niya, Simon?) at yung Pugak, yung lumabas sa isang ad ng suka, muk-asim!

    ReplyDelete
  9. waya gallardoOctober 17, 2009 at 9:44 AM

    that last scene of pugo kneeling by togo's grave broke my heart

    ReplyDelete
  10. Video 48October 17, 2009 at 10:31 AM

    Tugak is Peck Pinon, James!

    ReplyDelete
  11. neto/malikotOctober 26, 2009 at 9:41 AM

    wow..now alam ko na...biglang yaman lamang na movie meron ako sa kanila...sa lvn din ba ang movie na "ang kandidato"

    ReplyDelete
  12. Edgar Ebro 09488049085September 16, 2021 at 8:46 PM

    mas nauna sina Pugo at Tugo kay Tolindoy at mas sikat sila kaysa kay Tolindoy , sumikat lamang si Tolindoy ng itandem siya kay Chichay na nooy pawala na ang tandem nina Pugo at Togo pero ang tandem ni Chichay at Tolindoy ay di rin nagtagal

    ReplyDelete