"Da Best Show," the No. 1 ABS-CBN TV show in the 60s that made Oscar Obligacion a household name. It was made into a movie in 1965.
Comedian Oscar Obligacion, whose antics as a bumbling Japanese soldier made generations of Filipinos laugh in a career that spanned stage, radio, television and film, died Friday after a lingering kidney ailment. He was 86.
"Tuloy ang Ligaya" (1958)- Stars Nida Blanca, Leroy Salvador, Lita Gutierrez, Pugo, Oscar Obligacion/ Directed by Manuel Silos
Obligacion started his career onstage at the Manila Opera House and Clover Theater, according to his widow and former LVN Pictures actress Myrna Quizon-Obligacion. With singer Sylvia La Torre, he hosted popular TV programs like Channel 11’s The Big Show and ABS-CBN Channel 3's Da Best Show and Oras ng Ligaya in the 1960s. “His specialty was playing a comical Japanese soldier,” Myrna recalled. “He hosted a radio show called ‘Buy and Sell,’ too.”
Left- "Sakay and Moy" (1962)- Stars Oscar Obligacion and Cris de Vera/ with Ponga, Abe Tugak, Dely Aty-Atyan, Menggay and Sylvia La Torre/ Directed by Tommy C. David
Right- "Tacio" (1963)- Stars Oscar Obligacion (First solo starrer), Perla Bautista, Renato Robles, Martin Marfil, Vicente Liwanag/ Directed by Armando de Guzman
Right- "Tacio" (1963)- Stars Oscar Obligacion (First solo starrer), Perla Bautista, Renato Robles, Martin Marfil, Vicente Liwanag/ Directed by Armando de Guzman
He also acted in 150 movies. “His biggest were Tacio with Perla Bautista and Dolfinger Meets Pantarorong with Dolphy,” said Myrna, his wife of 56 years. “Pantororong was his famous character on Oras.” “We met at LVN where we did movies like Luha at Musika, Tumbalik na Daigdig and Itinakwil,” she said.
"Dolpinger Meets Pantarorong" (1963)- Stars Dolphy and Oscar Obligacion, Aida Roxas, Toto, Martin Marfil, Boy Alvarez/ Directed by Nick C. Cacas
Obligacion parlayed his show biz fame into a successful business venture, Philippine Seating, which supplied theater seats to movie houses like SM Cinemas. “He was generous and loving. He was hardworking, a great provider,” Myrna said. Bautista recalled that “Oscar was funny and easy to work with.” “During a party last year, he surprised people because he arrived in a wheelchair but when the music played, he stood up and danced,” she recalled.
Obligacion had quadruple heart bypass surgery over a decade ago. In November, his health took a turn for the worse. He was confined in a hospital for two months before the family decided to take him home.He had been undergoing dialysis three times a week, until he succumbed to renal failure and pneumonia. Along with his wife, Obligacion is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Dear Mr. Simon Santos,
ReplyDeleteI am Dr. Glenn Obligacion, the youngest son of Mr. Oscar Obligacion who recently passed away. I am writing you to thank you for featuring some of the posters of our Daddy Oscar’s movies on your site. When we were doing an Audio-Visual Presentation to give tribute to our Dad, we came across some of his posters which we were able to feature on the AVP. You can view the AVP at YOU TUBE (type OSCAR OBLIGACION SHOWBIZ HISTORY). And if you also want to watch him entertain, type OSCAR OBLIGACION THE GREAT SINGER, it’s just hilarious. Too bad it’s so difficult to find clips of the TV Show “ORAS NG LIGAYA”. Anyway, enjoy the videos Sir.
Again, thank you for your site. We appreciate you.
The Obligacion Family
hi Dr. Glenn Obligacion, my condolences to you & he whole family.. i've watched the tribute video & the othe one as well cos im looking for a file or a clip of Oras ng Ligaya wayback 1969. Cos im working for an AVP for my friend who joined the contest on that year.. I hope to find a clip of that at ABS CBN when I get there.. thank you so much for reading. God bless you and the whole obligacion family.
ReplyDeleteI am saddened to hear of Oscar Obligacion's death. Not until I researched "Sakay & Moy" did I find out about his death. Only a year late. My childhood would not be complete without my few weeks of winning in the children's singing competition portion of "Oras Ng Ligaya" where I showcased my singing talent at the age of 7, until I lost to a girl who would become a child actress named Jingle. I remember Oscar being very supportive and kind. And that voice of his with a ringing timbre made an impression on a young boy who would become a radio announcer in Manila and the "Voice of Fremont Street Experience" in Las Vegas. Thank you, Oscar, for contributing and enriching my life, if only for a moment.
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