EDDIE FERNANDEZ AND ALBERTO ALONZO IN "GINTONG PATIBONG" (1966)

Eddie Fernandez as Lagalag and Alberto Alonzo as Agent 69, two of the country's popular Pinoy James Bonds in the 60s, in their first screen appearance together in this action-adventure thriller, “Gintong Patibong.” Syndicated crime sets up a deadliest and vicious trap on these two top secret agents.

"Gintong Patibong" (1966)- Stars Eddie Fernandez and Alberto Alonzo/ with Alona Alegre, Oscar Roncal, Minda Morena and Ruby Regala/ Directed by Leroy Salvador and Tino Garcia

ROBERTO GONZALEZ AND BERNARD BELLEZA: MGA PINOY KARATISTA

The decade of the 60s saw the emergence of two underrated action stars--- Roberto Gonzalez, dubbed hari ng karate (or karate king) and Bernard Belleza, another Pinoy James Bond.

Roberto Gonzales was launched in 1967 via Hari ng Karate, where he popularized karate, a form of Japanese martial arts. A reel and real-life karateka (karate practitioner) expert, Gonzalez soon doing movies where he indulged mostly in karate scenes in such movies as Digmaan sa Karate (1967) and Bertong Karate (1967).

Bernard Belleza, on the other hand, was another martial arts expert who was introduced into the movie world in the mold of James Bond (Belleza married then sex siren Divina Valencia and had a son named Dranreb). Considered as B-movie actors (not in the category of then established action greats as FPJ, Joseph Estrada, Zaldy Zshornack, Jess Lapid and Romeo Vasquez), Gonzales and Belleza however, managed to curve a name for themselves in the local movie scene. Both actors appeared in various action movies showing their skills and expertise in self-defense and martial arts.

"Bertong Karate" (1967)-Stars Roberto Gonzalez, Liberty Ilagan and Rolando Gonzalez/ with Eddie Torrente/ Directed by Solano Gaudite

"Pambihirang Pito" (1967) - Stars Roberto Gonzalez, Sofia Moran, Marissa Delgado and Rolando Gonzalez/ Directed by Romy Villaflor

"Master Fighter" (1967) - with Roberto Gonzalez and Liberty Ilagan/ with Johnny Monteiro, Eddie Torrente, Anna Ledesma/ Directed by Solano Gaudite

"Chaku Judo Aikido O Karate" (1968) - Stars Roberto Gonzalez, Josephine Garcia and Rolando Gonzales/ with Dante varona, Protacio Dee, Martin Marfil/ Directed by R.G.

"Hari ng Slums" (1968)- Stars Roberto Gonzalez, Elvie Gonzales, Stella Suarez, Eddie Torrente, Tony Villar and Rolando Gonzalez/ Directed by Solano Gaudite

"Habang Ako'ng Batas" (1971) - Stars Roberto Gonzalez, Jules King, Aurora Salve, Renato Robles, Omar Boy Camar, Ernie Ortega and Rolando Gonzalez/ Directed by Solano Gaudite

"Kontra Hari" (1971) - Stars Roberto Gonzalez, Pilar Pilapil, Romy Diaz and Rosanna Ortiz/ with Omr Boy Camar, Jose Vergara, Ben Perez/ Directed by Solano Gaudite

"Sa Kamay ng Tatlong Takas" (1971)- Stars Roberto Gonzalez, Dante Varona, Romy Diaz and Yvonne/ Directed by Flor Bien

"Alexander Bilis" (1967) - Stars Bernard Belleza, Lucita Soriano, Peggy Williams, Cora Valdez, Doris Dee and Verna Gaston/ Directed by Ben Feleo

"Daredevil" (1968)- Stars Bernard Belleza, Sofia Moran, Lucita Soriano and Stella Suarez/ with Prospero Luna, Joaquin Fajardo and Rodolfo 'Boy' gacia/ Directed by Ben Feleo

"We Only Live Wais" (1968) - Stars Bernard Belleza, Tugak, Pugak, Pabo, Toto, Ponga, Tintoy, Joseph Polk, Pepot and Jerry Pons & Cachupoy/ Story and screenplay by Celso Ad Castillo/ Directed by Luis San Juan

"Honey and West" (1968) - Stars Bernard Belleza and Shirley Gorospe/ with Joe Garcia, Ruben Ramos/ Directed by Ben Feleo

PINOY JAMES BONDS Part Two

James Batman (1966) with Dolphy

Agent Wooly Booley at ang 7 Bikini (1966) with Chiquito

Target: Sexy Rose (1966) with Chiquito and Divina Valencia

Mister 8 Ball (1967) with Chiquito

Pinoy James Bond movies continued towards the end of the 60s and the 70s. After four successful James Bond series --- Dr. No (1962), From Russia With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965)--- Hollywood’s James Bond continued to come up one series after another in such blockbuster films as You Only Live Twice (1967); On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Besides Dolphy and Chiquito, other top local actors, Eddie Rodriguez, Zaldy Zshornack, Nestor de Villa, Romano Castellvi and Romeo Vasquez also joined the bandwagon of spy agents. Also, a female James Bond, in the person of actress Liza Moreno debuted as Agent X-011 in the movie, Dalaga Mayor. Tony Ferrer, Alberto Alonzo and Eddie Fernandez continued to do their usual roles as Agent X-44, Agent 69 and Lagalag respectively.

See Pinoy James Bond Part One

Cobra (1966) with Eddie Rodriguez

The Jokers (1967) with Eddie Rodriguez

The Shadow (1967) with Eddie Rodriguez

Spy Killer (1966) with Zaldy Zshornack

Espionage, Inc (1967) with Zaldy Zshornack

The Golden Buddha (1966) with Zaldy Zshornack

Tiger Lady (1966) with Romano Castellvi

Crossfire (1966) with Romano Castellvi

Lady Killer (1965) with Romano Castellvi

Espiya Kontra Espiya (1966) with Nestor De Villa and Divina Valencia

Dalaga Mayor (1966) with Liza Moreno

Doble Trece (1966) with Romeo Vasquez

The Experts (1967) with Alberto Alonzo as Agent 69

Wanted Johnny L (1966) with Bernard Bonnin, Alberto Alonzo and Eddie Fernandez

Nabubuhay sa Panganib (1966) with Eddie Fernandez

Death Trap (1967) with Eddie Fernandez

WENG-WENG : PINOY MIDGET JAMES BOND

Filipino cult midget known for his character as “Agent 00″ in ’80s films. Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as “Shortest Adult Actor in a Leading Role” at 2’9”/0.83 m.

Weng Weng was born Ernesto de la Cruz, the youngest of five brothers, on 7th September 1957 in Balacaran, a district of Pasay City (now part of the sprawling 17-city Metro Manila). A condition known as primordial dwarfism caused him to be born, in the words of his brother Celing, "no bigger than a coke bottle", and he spent the first 12 months of his life in an incubator. He was not expected to live.

A cheerfully mischievous child, his family nicknamed him Weng Weng, an epithet usually reserved for toy dogs. He was obsessed with martial arts and trained almost daily, until his instructor contacted film producer Peter Caballes and said, "You just have to see THIS."

Peter Caballes then introduced Weng Weng to the King of Philippines Comedy, Dolphy, who cast him as his kung-fu kicking sidekick in his spy caper The Quick Brown Fox (1980).

Weng Weng, meanwhile, was a frequent visitor of the Marcos family at the Presidential Palace, where he was made an honorary Secret Agent by future President General Ramos, and was presented with a badge and a 25-callibre pistol. This act may have been the direct inspiration for Weng Weng's first starring role as Agent OO in the James Bond parody For Y'ur Height Only, produced by Peter and written by Cora Caballes for their company Liliw Productions. Eddie Nicart, renowned stunt director for the SOS Daredevils, trained Weng Weng every day for three months to be a professional stuntman, and was given his first opportunity to direct.

Weng Weng became an instant superstar, appearing on TV and at parties, film festivals, movie openings. Liliw Productions quickly cranked out a much less successful Agent OO sequel, The Impossible Kid (1982), and a modern Pinoy western D'Wild Wild Weng (1982), starring Weng Weng as a government agent known as "Mr Weng", which doesn't appear to have made it beyond the Philippines borders. There may be other Weng Weng film appearances, including a starring role in Agent OO (c.1981) and a guest cameo alongside the stick-thin Palito's character "James Bone", but even in the Philippines information is sketchy at best, if not non-existent.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911067/bio by Andrew Leavold

Visit Andrew Leavold weblog at http://andrewleavold.blogspot.com/

Sila... Sa Bawa't Bangketa (1976)

Chop Suey Met Big Time Papa (1978)

The Quick Brown Fox (1980)

Stariray (1981)

Agent 00 (1981)

For Y'ur Height Only (1981)

D' Wild Wild Weng (1982)
 

Impossible Kid (1982)

The Cute... The Sexy N' the Tiny (1982)

Da Best in Da West (1984)

PINOY JAMES BONDS Part One

Pitong James Bonds (1966)

The popularity and success of James Bond in the 1960s [Dr. No (1962), From Russia With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965)] gave rise to numerous so-called Pinoy James Bonds, serious or otherwise- Eddie Fernandez as Lagalag (see separate post), Alberto Alonzo as Agent 69, Bob Soler as Dante Diamante, Bernard Bonnin (see separate post for his other films) as Doble Talim, Secret Agent M-1 or Agent 707 and even top comedians Dolphy as Dolpinger and Agent 1-2-3 in Dr. Yes and Chiquito as James Bondat and Mr. Thunderball and lots more. It was the era which local movie scribes during that time described as Bond-o-mania. The most successful of them all was the man they called Tony Falcon, Secret Agent X-44 (see separate post).

Dolpinger (1965)

Dolpinger: Agent ng Lagim (1965)

Dr. Yes (1965)

Dressed to Kill (1965)

Napoleon Doble and the Sexy Six (1966)

Scarface at Al Capone (1965)

Alyas Don Juan (1966)

Dolpong Istambul (1966)

Doble Solo (1966)

Dolpong Scarface (1966)

Operation Butterball (1966)

Mr. Thunderball (1965)

Prettyboy Playboy (1965)

Mga Abilidad sa Akong (1966)


Doble Talim: Secret Agent M-1 (1965)

Lambat [Dragnet] (1965)

Karate sa Karate (1965) with Bernard Bonnin as Agent 707
and Alberto Alonzo as Agent 69 Dante Diamante (1965)

Target Max (1965)

7 Mata-Hari (1965)

Tatlong Mabilis (1965)

Tatlong Mabilis sa Hongkong (1965)