THE EIGHTIES # 526: CARMI MARTIN, PHILLIP SALVADOR, DENNIS ROLDAN IN LINO BROCKA'S "HOT PROPERTY" (1983)

"Hot Property" (1983)

Four Seasons

A Golden Dragon Films Presentation

A 1983 Metro manila Film Festival Entry

Release Date December 25, 1983

Story and Screenplay Jose Carreon

Cinematography Conrado Baltazar

Editing Efren Jarlego

Production Design Joey Luna

Music Willie Yusi

Direction Lino Brocka

Cast Carmi martin, Phillip Salvador, Dennis Roldan/ Also Starring Johnny Wilson, Vic Diaz, Tony Santos, Sr., Rosanna Jover, Fred Param, Telly Babasa, Greg Sta. Ines, Susan Africa, Brian Gumabao, Baldo Marro, Jimmy Reyes, Fred Moro, Pons de Guzman

=======================================================================

Synopsis: After twenty-five years in the service, Detective Salazar (Tony Santos) is about to retire. He asks to be given one more case before he joins his wife and daughter in Chicago. He is assigned to tail Chona Martinez (Carmi Martin), a bold model, who is suspected of being a courier of a diamond smuggling syndicate. There are problems in the syndicate. The crime lord, Mr. Montes (Vic Diaz), was recently gunned down and is recuperating in the hospital. He suspects his rival, Mr. Romero (Johnny Wilson), of having instigated the shooting and has his right hand man, Kier (Dennis Roldan) kill him. Little does he know that Kier is his assassin as he now wants to head the organization. 

 

The syndicate becomes aware of Detective Salazar’s presence. One night, he is beaten up. His son, Paolo (Phillip Salvador), a hot-head who picks fights with the neighborhood toughies and who has been left behind by his mother to look after him, tries to find the culprits. He sees the photo of Chona Martinez in his shirt with The Lost Eden inscribed at the back. Paolo goes to the club and befriends Chona. He escorts her to her apartment and finds Kier waiting for her. She is his mistress. Chona tells him how Kier once saved her life when the syndicate was intending to dispose of her in its white slavery operations.

Chona hopes to leave her job as soon as she has enough money for the schooling of her sister, Elvira. Elvira left their mother recently and now lives with Chona. Paolo meets Kier again outside the club. Suddenly there is a burst of machine gun fire. Paolo is quick on his reflexes and makes Kier duck in time. The grateful Kier makes him his bodyguard. But it is an unpleasant duty as he has to wait in the living room while Kier makes love to

Chona.

Kier has business in Cebu and is away for two days. Paolo and Chona are now free to express their affections for each other. They make love in a hotel. In the next two days, Paolo’s father is shot dead in a remote area by the syndicate with the connivance of his police partner, Edong. This enrages Paolo who suspects Kier. Chona is brought to the police for questioning. To make sure that she does not squeal, the syndicate holds her sister as hostage.

At the same time, Kier’s son is gunned down in the garden. Kier thinks it is Paolo’s reprisal. He plots his revenge. Chona wants her sister back but Kier wants her to do one last delivery of hot diamonds in a cosmetic case. As she is about to make the exchange, Paolo rushes in and grabs Chona and the cosmetic case. There is a chase but they manage to escape.

Paolo makes a deal with Mr. Montes. They will return the diamonds in exchange for Elvira. The meeting is set at the abandoned Araneta mansion near Shaw Boulevard. There is an exchange of bullets as the two are about to meet. Kier is felled but not by Paolo’s gun. Mr. Montes reveals that he ordered the shooting of Brian as well as, unfortunately, Det. Salazar. He has uncovered Kier’s plot to topple him. Just as they are about to make the exchange, Kier rises up and shoots Mr. Montes. There is a melee and the gang is decimated. Chona is shot. She is rushed to the hospital by Paolo and Elvira.

(Source: Lino Brocka: The Artist and his Times)