‘FORGOTTEN’ – Highspeed readers point out that other directors of the ‘40s and ‘50s have been virtually “forgotten.”
Best remembered are the National Artists of that era: Gerry de Leon, Bert Avellana, Eddie Romero, and Manuel Conde.
Agree… so let’s recall for a start two of them, Gregorio Fernandez and Manuel Silos, including their memorable films.
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‘YOYONG’ – Familiarly called “Yoyong” Fernandez, a dentist, was the father of “The Other Action King,” Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez.
Fernandez’s most memorable movie is “Higit sa Lahat,” which gave him the best director award at the 1956 Asian Film Festival. Rogelio de la Rosa was best actor.
“Malvarosa,” with Charito Solis in the title role, won for Rebecca del Rio the best supporting actress award at the 1958 Asian filmfest.
Two other acclaimed Fernandez melodramas were “Luksang Tagumpay” (1956) and “Emily” (1960), where the young Rudy appeared.
Those four films were produced by LVN.
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‘SANO TULIA’ – That was the screen name of Manuel Silos when he briefly appeared on screen as comedian. Needless to say, he’s best remembered as a director.
“Biyaya ng Lupa,” set in the lanzones country (Laguna), gave Leroy Salvador the best supporting actor award in the 1959 Asian filmfest. Leroy played deaf-mute son of Rosa Rosal and Tony Santos.
The late writer-director Dandy Nadres considered “Biyaya ng Lupa,” the best Filipino film…of all time.
Silos also directed the first Filipino colored movie in 1949, “Batalyon X111.”
More than a director, Silos developed an early form of zoom lens called the Siloscope.
(Surely, there are more than two good but “forgotten” directors of the ‘40s and ‘50s and even earlier. Yes, indeed.
Highspeed will focus on them tomorrow.
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BEST wishes to former Tempo sportswriter Francis Santiago and Kristel Ramos who will tie the knot today at the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Antipolo, Rizal.