"Si Eva at si Adan" (1954)
Manuel Vistan Productions/ Premiere Productions, Inc.
Release Date October 17- 26, 1954/ Dalisay
Direction Gerardo de Leon
Cast Edna Luna, Juan 'Johnny' Monteiro, Carol Varga, Vicente Liwanag, Nello Nayo
Popular 50s stars Edna Luna and Juan "Johnny" Monteiro (both starred together in "Paladin") changed sex identities in the 1954 Gerry de Leon's controversial movie, "Si Eva at si Adan." The movie made an uproar when it ran problems and raised a furor with the Board of Censors because of its very hot and sensitive issues on homosexuality. Manong Gerry was way ahead of its time when he tackled such controversial themes and it takes guts on his part to do that. I also can't imagine seeing Johnny Monteiro portraying the role of a gay. Monteiro, known for his breathtaking fencing skills, appeared in countless action and adventure movies pitting him mostly with another popular action star, Efren Reyes.
Holy smoke, Simon:
ReplyDeleteI missed this one. He-he.
But I remember Johnny Monteiro. The guy being Portugues must have been christened João Monteiro. He was indeed very good in fencing, usually as a contravida in those Tagalog films about Kings and Queens (something that never existed in Philippine history – just like those Adobo Westerns we had).
I clearly remember Johnny's acting though: extremely over the top, painfully melodramatic delivery of lines and there's just too much "mugging" in his facial expression. He-he.
If Charito Solis was known for her "all out" acting in a very good way, Johnny was like Charlton Heston, the over the top dramatic king of Hollywood, and whose acting was quite similar to Johnny's "all out" in a terrible way.
But you know what? He really entertained me when I was a kid watching his movies. And now, I must admit that I ache to see this Gerry de Leon film and watch Johnny as a gay guy.
It must be riotous.
:)
Simon,
ReplyDeleteAba'y naunahan pala ni Johnny Monteiro si Dolphy to play gay, hahahaha. I've almost all of his swashbuckler roles especially as the contrabida to Efren Reyes, but this one I probably had second thoughts about watching. Let's see, 1954, where was I? I had just graduated or still in elementary, I guess when this film was shown, and I hadn't graduated from the third run, surot-infested, and bakla-infested theaters on Bustillos and Legarda, hahahaha.
mas nauna si Dolphy kasi itong si Eva ni Johnny Monteuro Octoebr na samantalang yung Jack and Jill puwedeng nauna ito from january to August saka mukhang part 2 lang ito nnugn kay Lolita at Dolphy kasi super hit talaga ang movie na ito
ReplyDelete