THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): THE MANILA MASSACRE OF 1945--- THE POES IN A CROSSFIRE

In late 1944, the Americans landed on Leyte with General Douglas MacArthur to drive out the Japanese. By February 3, 1945, the US First Cavalry entered Manila to the jubilation of the Manilenos. But the worst was yet to come when the Japanese troops under Rear Admiral Sanji Iwabuchi decided to entrench themselves in the city and wage a man-to-man combat as both armies rained cannon and mortar fire on the city, wounding and killing at least 100,000 city residents in the infamous Massacre of Manila.

(Image, from Internet source)

Fernando Poe’ s wife Elizabeth Kelley and her two-year old son were caught in the crossfire as they tried to cross Avenida Rizal to join Poe, who was performing at the Avenida Theater. When they got there, their hearts dropped upon learning that he hurried back to their Malate home to save them. Fortunately the tearful family was soon reunited. Others in the film industry were not so lucky. The popular actress Rosario Moreno was gunned during the Battle of Manila, while Corazon Noble’s baby was stabbed to death in her own arms by a Japanese soldier.

Source: An Exodus from Philippine Cinema to Live Theater/ Philippine Cinema 1897- 2020 by Gaspar Vibal and Dennis Villegas)

(The Tribune, February 2, 1945)

THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ JANUARY, FEBRUARY 1944

By early 1944, Allied forces were intensifying preparations for a major invasion expected later in the year. Even amid such uncertainties, stage shows continued. 

(The Tribune, January 15, 1944)

(The Tribune, January 29, 1944)

(The Tribune, February 12, 1944)

(The Tribune, February 29, 1944)

THE WAR YEARS (1942-1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ NOVEMBER, DECEMBER 1943

Toward the end of 1943, despite prevailing hardships, stage shows remained active and resilient. Reports of air attacks were closely monitored, the public was instructed to follow precautionary measures, and air-raid drills were regularly conducted.

(The Tribune, November 10, 1943)

(The Tribune, November 30, 1943)

(The Tribune, December 18, 1943)

(The Tribune, December 31, 1943)

THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ AUGUST, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 1943

Stage shows continued to thrive and were still very much alive and vibrant during the latter part of 1943. As all theatres were fully booked with their series of shows, a new president, Jose P. Laurel  was elected on September 26 under a new government, known as a second Philippine Republic, a "Japanese-run state," which was established on October 14.

(The Tribune, September 26, 1943 and October 14, 1943)

(The Tribune, August 7, 1943)

(The Tribune, August 13, 1943)

(The Tribune, August 21, 1943)

(The Tribune, August 28, 1943)

(The Tribune, September 8, 1943)

(The Tribune, September 21, 1943)

(The Tribune, September 28, 1943) 

(The Tribune, October 2, 1943) 

(The Tribune, October 13, 1943) 

(The Tribune, October 26, 1943) 

THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ JUNE AND JULY 1943

The show must go on, even amid uncertainty. Despite the ongoing war, stage shows remained vibrant and full of life.

(The Tribune, June 10, 1943)

(The Tribune, June 24, 1943)

(The Tribune, June 29, 1943)

(The Tribune, July 3, 1943)

(The Tribune, July 24, 1943)

THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ LEOPOLDO SALCEDO, ESTER MAGALONA IN LAMBERTO AVELLANA'S "BUKANG LIWAYWAY" (1943)

Big name stars like Rogelio de la Rosa, Leopoldo Salcedo, Fernando Poe, Carmen Rosales, Norma Blancaflor, Elsa Oria, Angel Esmeralda, Rosario Moreno, Puguing and Tuguing, Gregorio Ticman, among others were appearing in big theaters. Fans would lined up at Life Theater to watch Rogelio dela Rosa, Carmen Rosales at Strand,  Fernando Poe at State Theater or Leopoldo Salcedo at Avenue Theater. 

 

Stage plays were performed mostly daily and acted on by Salcedo. Most were directed by Lamberto Avellana.

Trivia--- Avellana felt reassured in returning to his first love, the theater, and he was allowed to direct the Philippine Artists League, but with a Japanese monitor. One time he was ordered to stage a Japanese play called "Bukang Liwayway" as a propaganda piece. It starred Leopoldo Salcedo as a Filipino guerrilla who had been captured by the Japanese. However, during the dramatic scene of his interrogation, he elicited supportive catcalls from the audience, distressing the Japanese monitor who ordered Salcedo to be replaced. Yet even with a different actor, the audience had the same emotional response, prompting the Japanese to shut down the play for good. 

(Source- An Exodus from Philippine Cinema to Live Theater/ Philippine Cinema (1897-2020) by Gabriel A. Vibal and Dennis S. Villegas)

(The Tribune, March 6 and 10, 1943)

Some of Leopoldo Salcedo's stage appearances 

(The Tribune, 1942 and 1943)

THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ ROGELIO DE LA ROSA, NORMA BLANCAFLOR, WITH KATY DE LA CRUZ, TUGUING & PUGUING, BIMBO DANAO, JOSE CRIS SOTO, BAYANI CASIMIRO, REBECCA GONZALES AND AN ALL-STAR CAST IN "BULAG NA PAG-IBIG" (1943)

After their successful stage appearance in "Si, Si Señorita," Rogelio de la Rosa and Norma Blancaflor came back to the theater in "Bulag na Pag-ibig," marking their first dramatic roles onstage. Billed as a gripping drama of love and prejudice, the production was presented by Filipinas Revue and directed by Gregorio Fernandez. The cast also featured Katy de la Cruz, Puguing and Tuguing, Bimbo Danao, Jose Cris Soto, Bayani Casimiro, and others.

The stage play smashed all previous box-office records and was hailed as "their greatest dramatic triumph." It ran for 5 weeks at Life Theater, from May 4 to to June 24.

(The Tribune, May 4, 1943)

(The Tribune, May 22, 1943)

(The Tribune, May 29, 1943)

(The Tribune, June 24, 1943)

THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ MAY 1943

 “Movie theaters served not only as venues for stage shows but also as covert centers of resistance. Rafael Roces, Jr., manager of the prestigious Cine Ideal, home of MGM pictures, used his theater to store weapons and communication radios as well as to host secret meetings of resistance fighters. Emerito Ramos used his office in Life Theater to hire the unemployed journalists and staff members of the newspapers El Debate, Mabuhay and Herald, all owned by J. Amado Araneta. Naturally, the office became the communication center of guerillas and underground fighters."

(Source- An Exodus from Philippine Cinema to Live Theater/ Philippine Cinema (1897-2020) by Gabriel A. Vibal and Dennis S. Villegas)

(Ad cut-outs, The Tribune, May 1943)

"Bulag na Pag-ibig"

(The Tribune, May 4, 1943)

(Ad cut-outs, The Tribune, May 1943)

"Kayumangging Kaligatan""

(The Tribune, May 24, 1943)

THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ ROGELIO DE LA ROSA, PACITA DEL RIO/ NORMA BLANCAFLOR, KATY DE LA CRUZ, PUGUING & TUGUING, SOTO & BAYANI AND AN ALL-STAR CAST IN "SI, SI, SENORITA" (1943)

A record-breaking production in 1943, Gerardo de Leon’s “Si, Si Señorita,” the stage adaptation of the hit film “Anong Ganda Mo,” enjoyed a five-week run at the Life Theater from March 16 to April 15. Set in the Maria Clara era and hailed as “the gayest musical comedy of the season,” the show starred the popular love team of Rogelio de la Rosa and Norma Blancaflor, who stepped in midway through the run to replace Pacita del Rio.

(The Tribune, March 16, 1943)

(The Tribune, March 30, 1943)

(The Tribune, April 13, 1943)

THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ MARCH AND APRIL, 1943

Almost all the major movie theaters had their regular revue companies, but the big name stars like Rogelio de la Rosa, Gregorio Ticman, Rosa Aguirre, and Leopoldo Salcedo were appearing in the big theaters. Perhaps Lou Salvador's group was the biggest of them all, appearing at one time or other in three different theaters: the Dalisay, Strand, and the Palace. Thus the stage entertainment groups mushroomed one after another and all of them enjoyed capacity audiences since there was no rival entertainment. 

Federico Mangahas' article in the Tribune (10 January 1943) describes how popular the stage show was. A clear hour before show time the crowds outside had fought and sweated their way just to get near the ticket window. It was a definitely hazardous business to get your ticket. An enterprising lad had somehow managed to get on top of the shoulders of the mob milling about the ticket cage and for a while got himself tossed back and forth over a surface of arms without anywhere getting nearer his objective. And he further comments "that was not an unusual phenomenon in the downtown theater district on a holiday."

(Source: Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints Volume 29 Number 1 Article 6 10-24-2018 Philippine Stage Performances During the Japanese Occupation by Motoe Terami Wada)

(The Tribune, March 15, 1943)

(The Tribune, March 15, 1943)

(The Tribune, March 18, 1943)

(The Tribune, March 20, 1943)

(The Tribune, April 10, 1943)

(The Tribune, April 24, 1943)

THE WAR YEARS (1942- 1945): "THE GOLDEN AGE OF PHILIPPINE THEATER"/ FEBRUARY 6, 13, 20 AND 27, 1943

In January 1943, the Roque Stage Revue presented "songs, dance and romance" with Elsa Oria, Angel Esmeralda, and others. The following month, the newly organized Associated Artists, headed by Fernando Poe began business and stayed with the Capitol for the rest of the occupation period. They had Lina Alva, Naty Bernardo, Maria Miranda, and others as stars.

Before they moved to the Capitol, the Poe group appeared at the State Theatre under the name of "Filipino Players' Show." Selected Filipino artists came after them at the State, and included such stars as Lilian Velez, Narding Anzures, Tito Arevalo, and Tolindoy. Joe Climaco directed the musical portion of their presentation. Jose Dayrit led the Star Revue Company at the Cine Star for a year or so in 1943.

(Source: Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints Volume 29 Number 1 Article 6 10-24-2018 Philippine Stage Performances During the Japanese Occupation by Motoe Terami Wada)

(The Tribune, February 6, 1943)

(The Tribune, February 13, 1943)

(The Tribune, February 20, 1943)

(The Tribune, February 27, 1943)