AMALIA FUENTES- ROMEO VASQUEZ SCREEN TANDEM

Probably one of the most loved, closely followed and successful love teams in the history of Philippine cinema. Here are some of their memorable movies:

Isinakdal Ko ang Aking Ama (1960)

28 De Mayo (1960)

Ako'y Iyong-Iyo (1963)

Ang Mahal Ko'y Ikaw (1963)

Sa Muling Pagkikita (1963)

Sapagka't Ikaw ay Akin (1965)

Ikaw ang Gabi at ang Awit (1966)

Ibulong Mo Sa Hangin (1966)

ROMEO VASQUEZ: EARLY MOVIE CAREER 1950s-60s

Maruja (1967) - One of his best and memorable movies

Romeo Vasquez, another prized talent of Sampaguita Pictures, was first groomed to be a dramatic actor in the mold of established stars like Ric Rodrigo, Fred Montilla, Eddie Garcia, Luis Gonzales, Juancho Gutierrez, Eddie Arenas. He was being billed as the “James Dean of the Philippine movies,” because of his striking facial resemblance to the Hollywood movie icon. (Premiere had Zaldy Zshornack and LVN had Lou Salvador, Jr.). As a young dramatic star, he starred in such unforgettable movies as Mga Ligaw na Bulaklak (1957); Isinakdal ko ang Aking Ama (1960); Batas ng Lipunan (1961); Isinumpa Ko (1963). He was a recipient of the Best Actor Award in the Asian Film Festival in 1958 for his remarkable portrayal in the movie “Ako ang Maysala (1958).” He was often paired with another Sampaguita contract star, Amalia Fuentes in a number of memorable films. Their love team caught the fancy of the moviegoing public and their movies like Ang Mahal Ko’y Ikaw (1963), Sa Muling Pagkikita (1963), Sapagka’t Ikaw ay Akin (1965) and Ikaw ang Gabi at Awit (1966) were all certified box-office success and endeared them more to their fans (see separate post on Amalia Fuentes-Romeo Vasquez starrers). When he turned freelance, he shifted mostly to action movies pairing with action greats FPJ, Joseph Estrada, Jess Lapid and Zaldy Zshornack in movies like Mga Tigreng Taga Bukid, Limang Kidlat and Suicide Comandoes.

See Amalia Fuentes-Romeo Vasquez Starrers

Mga Ligaw na Bulaklak (1957)- a guest role with Susan Roces

Prinsesa Gusgusin (1957) with Susan Roces

Ako ang Maysala (1958) - Best Actor in the 1958 Asian Film Festival

Isinakdal Ko ng Aking Ama (1960)

Batas ng Lipunan (1961)

Habagat sa Tag-araw (1961) with Joseph Estrada

Kambal na Baril (1962) with Bernard Bonnin

Suicide Commandoes (1962) with FPJ, Joseph Estrada and Tony Ferrer

Mga Tigreng Taga-Bukid (1962) with FPJ, Joseph Estrada and Tony Ferrer

Isinumpa Ko (1963) with Eddie Rodriguez and Charito Solis

Limang Kidlat (1963) with FPJ

Tiger Unit (1963)

Pitong Kabanalan ng Isang Makasalanan (1963)

Bilis at Tapang (1964) with Jess Lapid

Daigdig ng Matatapang (1964)

Tres Bravos (1964) with Zaldy Zshornack and Eddie Rodriguez

Tatlong Siga sa Maynila (1964) with Zaldy Zshornack and Lou Salvador, Jr. (The three James Dean of Philippine Movies together in one movie)

Pag-ibig, Ikaw ang Maysala (1964) with Susan Roces

Isinulat sa Dugo (1965)

Doble Trece (1965) - in ala-James Bond Role


Mula Nang Kita'y Ibigin (1966) with Susan Roces

Bandana (1968)- another movie with Susan Roces before Maruja

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)

MORE ON SUSAN ROCES: DEKADA 60

Susan Roces was simply a movie fan of Gloria Romero when she was discovered by Doc Jose Perez, owner of Sampaguita Pictures inside the studio compound while watching her idol and asking for an autograph (see my earlier post). Her early movie comedies--- Boksingera, Daw! in 1956, (her first movie), Susanang Daldal and Susan, Susay, Susie (where she portrayed three different characters) were her favorites. She also did some several light dramas during her stay with Sampaguita like Tulisan (1962) with Amalia Fuentes and Batas ng Lipunan (1961). It was when she turned freelance that she was offered heavy drama roles in such movies as Bayan Ko, Lumaban Ka (1964), Ana-Roberta (1964), and old-time favorite Maruja (1969) with Romeo Vasquez. Her first movie when she turned freelance was Ang Daigdig Ko’y Ikaw in 1965 with Fernando Poe, Jr. (see earlier post for FPJ-Susan Roces starrers). It was in the 60s when fans saw the rivalry between two Queens of Philippine Movies—Susan Roces and Amalia Fuentes, the love teams of Susan and Ronnie Poe, of Susan and Eddie Guitierez, of Susan and Romeo Vasquez and Amalia and Romeo Vasquez. The decade of the 60s was a fruitful and busiest era for Ms. Roces where she made movies one after another and there were times her movies were shown every other week or 12-15 movies in a year.

See Susan Roces - Inday ng Buhay Ko
See FPJ-Susan Roces Starrers

Beatnik (1960)

Tulisan (1962) with Amalia Fuentes

Susanang Daldal (1962)

Dance-O-Rama (1963)

Jukebox Jamboree (1964)

Libis ng Baryo (1964)

Leron-Leron Sinta (1964)
Hi-Sosayti (1964)

Hamon sa Kampeon (1964)

Dandansoy (1965)

Romansa sa World's Fair (1965)

Pag-ibig, Ikaw ang Maysala (1965)

Ang Maganda Kong Kapit-bahay (1965)

The Dolly Sisters (1965)

Ana-Roberta (1965)

Buhay sa Buhay! (1965) with Joseph Estrada

Swanie (1965)

Mula Nang Kita'y Ibigin (1966)

Viva Ranchera (1966)

Portrait of My Love (1966)

Mariang Kondesa (1966)

Itinakwil Man Kita (1966)

Si Siyanang at ang 7 Tsikiting (1966)

Dedicated to You (1966) with Eddie Mesa

Let's Do the Freddie (1966) with Eddie Mesa

Anong Ganda Mo! (1967)