"MALVAROSA" (1957-58): A FILM BY DR. GREGORIO FERNANDEZ #1/ KOMIKS SERIAL AND MOVIE ADAPTATION

"Malvarosa" (1958)- Stars Charito Solis, Leroy Salvador, Carlos Padilla, Jr., Eddie Rodriguez, Rebecca del Rio, Vic Silayan, Vic Diaz, Johnny Reyes, Rey Ruiz/ Directed by Gregorio Fernandez

Courtesy of LVN Pictures

Malvarosa is the poignant story of a family’s struggles in life. It tells of Rosa (played by Charito Solis) who lives in the slums near the railroad tracks, with her mother and five brothers. Her mother (Rebecca del Rio) wallows in guilt and depression, when her drunkard father is run over by a train. Though she is set to marry her fiancé (Leroy Salvador), Rosa chooses to put her family’s needs before her own. Rosa’s brothers also carry their own burdens, except for one, the youngest, Avelino (Eddie Rodriguez) who helps Rosa shoulder the weight of the family’s problems.

The movie, directed by Gregorio Fernandez, was based on the komiks serial novel by Clodualdo del Mundo.

Espesyal Komks/ 1957 Nobela ni Clodualdo del Mundo Guhit ni Fred Carillo

Komiks materials- From the collection of Steve Santos

LEOPOLDO SALCEDO & JOSE PADILLA, JR. IN "KAMBAL NA LIHIM" (1953)

Left- "Ang Kamay ng Diyos" (1947)- Stars Carmen Rosales, Leopoldo Salcedo, Gerardo de Leon, Roberto Rosales/ Directed by Eddie Romero

Right- "Ngayon at Kailan Man" (1947)- Stars Jose Padilla, Jr., Ester Magalona, Carlos Padilla, Anita Linda/ Directed by Carlos Padilla

Left- "Ang Lumang Simbahan" (1949)- Stars Leopoldo Salcedo, Leila Morena/ Directed by Luis Nolasco

Right- "Diego Silang" (1951)- Stars Jose Padilla, Jr., Leila Morena, Nena Cardenas, Lopito, Fred Santos, Oscar Keesee/ Directed by Gerardo de Leon

Leopoldo Salcedo and Jose Padilla, Jr., two great movie icons of yesteryears appeared together for the first time in 1953 in the movie, Kambal na Lihm. Considered as a casting coup that time, the two popular actors were then the undisputed Kings of Philippines Movies. The movie, produced by Deegar Cinema, Inc., also starred Margaret Merritt, Angela Luna and Carol Varga, under Ricardo Brillantes direction.

"Kambal na Lihim"(1953)- Stars Leopoldo Salcedo, Jose Padilla, Jr., Margaret Merritt, Angela Luna, Carol Varga, Jose Villafranca, Pedro Faustino/ Directed by Ricardo Brillantes

MARCH 6, 1951: "ROBERTA" BREAKS BOX-OFFICE RECORDS

Sampaguita Pictures was established in 1937 and was hit by a huge fire in 1951 with hundreds of film prints destroyed. The movie, Roberta starring Tessie Agana in her first lead role as a battered child, became one of the sensational hits of the year and saved the company from bankruptcy. The movie had its Premiere Night on March 1, 1951 witnessed by a record-breaking crowd of 7,636 people at Life Theater with a 800 to 1,000 seating capacity. It went on to shatter box-office records at the tills during its regular run, with the following astronomical figures, unprecedented that time---First Day- 15,527 people; Second Day-15,962; Third Day- 19,603; Fourth Day- 14,201. Ticket rates that time: Orchestra- 1.50/ Balcony- 2.50/ Loge- 3.50.

The movie made Tessie Agana the studio's biggest draw and box-office champion and hailed as one of the biggest child stars of the decade.

Scheduled for exhibition that week are two movies from rival studios--- LVN Pictures' Pulo ng Engkanto and Premiere Productions' Kapitan Bagwis.

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

"Kapitan Bagwis" (1951)- Stars Efren Reyes, Anita Linda, Lopito, Oscar Keesee, Patria Plata/ Directed by Cesar Gallardo

Hollywood movies, as always, dominated the scene with movies like "A Life of Her Own," starring Lana Turner and Ray Milland; "Operation Pacific" with John Wayne; "Branded' with Alan Ladd and "Halls of Montezuma" with Richard Widmark.

MAY 31, 1951: "DARNA" PREMIERES AT CLOVER THEATER

"Darna" (1951)- Stars Rosa del Rosario, Ben Perez, Mila Nimfa, Manuel Ubaldo and Cristina Aragon/ Directed by Fernando Poe, Sr.

Darna, a popular Pilipino Komiks serial novel by Mars Ravelo made its movie debut in 1951, opening June 1 at Clover Theater. It had its Gala Premiere, May 31. The movie, which starred Rosa del Rosario in the title role, was directed by Fernando Poe, Sr. under Royal Productions. Two other Tagalog movies opened that week, Sampaguita Pictures’ Bernardo Carpio starring Cesar Ramirez and Alicia Vergel at Life and Atheca Productions’ Taimtim na Dalangin with Eduardo del Mar and Norma Blancaflor at Dalisay.

Five Hollywood movies also opened in several first-run Manila cinemas: Crisis (Gary Grant and Jose Ferrer) at Ideal; The Redhead and The Cowboy (Glenn Ford and Edmond O’Brien) at Avenue; 14 Hours (Paul Douglas and Richard Basehart) at State; Born Yesterday (Judy Holliday and William Holiday) at Capitol and The Enforcer (Humphrey Bogart) at Lyric.

Left- "Bernardo Carpio" (1951)- Stars Cesar Ramirez, Alicia Vergel, Bella Flores, Bert Olivar, Pedro Faustino, Rosa Mia/ Directed by Artemio Tecson and Benjamin Resella

Right- "Taimtim na Dalangin" (1951)- Stars Eduardo del Mar, Norma Blancaflor, Baby Linda/ Directed by Ding M.de Jesus