I wish a lot of Filipinos below the age of 30 got to see performances from Dolphy like the following:
One of the great things I experienced growing up in the 1970s was that I got to see a lot of old Filipino movies in the afternoons through TV channels GMA-7 and RPN-9. For me, it was a daily trip back in time for I was able to see a lot of classic Filipino actors and actresses in their prime. One of them was Dolphy and I counted his old movies among my all-time favorites.
The above clip is from a 1953 movie called “Sa Isang Sulyap Mo, Tita”, released by an old Filipino movie studio called Sampaguita Pictures. The clip shows why I believe Dolphy ranks as truly one of our greatest and most talented screen artists. His old movies showed a man who was not only a gifted comedian and actor but also a great dancer. At the height of his career, few could match the grace and fluidity of movement he showed on the dance floor. Dancing with him in the video clip are fellow comedians Aruray and the late Teroy De Guzman. Though the latter two became known to younger generations of Filipino moviegoers for playing supporting roles in comedy films, like Dolphy, they perfected their acting, singing and dancing skills in places like the Manila Grand Opera House years before they broke into the movies.
The clip above also reminded me of one of my favorite Dolphy dance sequences and it involved the late Nida Blanca, another great actress and dancer. In a 1967 movie the title of which I unfortunately could not recall, Dolphy’s broken-hearted character drank himself to sleep after having a nasty argument with his sweetheart played by Nida Blanca. As his character fell into a deep sleep, the movie transitioned to a dream sequence where Dolphy met Nida’s character at the Luneta (Rizal Park) one lovely evening. The dance they subsequently performed (with the instrumental version of “Hey There” playing in the background) show why they rank among the best, if not the best, dancers in Filipino movies.
I’m starting to see a good number of old Filipino movies show up on YouTube. A very good number of them date back to the 1940s and 1950s. Kudos to the individuals who are posting them on YouTube for by doing so, they’re helping reintroduce Filipino acting legends and old movies to younger generations of Filipinos who never got to see such performances. It’s unfortunate that the passage of time has left some lasting damage to the video and audio qualities of those films. However, in spite of those imperfections, I just hope that the youth will take the time and effort to watch those clips and if they do, I hope that they develop a deeper appreciation for the accomplishments of previous generations of Filipino movie artists.
When I went overseas, my interest for old Tagalog movies was born. I would catch them via Cinema Global whenever it’s on (e.g. Panchito, Dolphy, and especially those that I hardly know who starred during the black and white era). Thanks for sharing this clip.
WitsandNuts,
Kumusta na? I have always enjoyed them while I was still in the Philippines but at the same time, I also took them for granted because they were always being shown on TV. After a while though, the TV networks stopped showing them and I began to miss them. The old movies showcased the talents of our actors and actresses so well that they left a viewer with no doubt as to their skills.
Old movies also provide us with a window into what the mass culture was at a different time. Very educational.
i used to watch old movies too when i was younger. i remember that my sisters and i would often watch them in the afternoon. this was way back in the 80′s. my favorite was liberty ilagan. she was so beautiful. i wanted to be her. gloria romero was also a favorite. i miss old tagalog films. they bring back bittersweet memories. =)
Cherry,
Liberty Ilagan was a very pretty lady and also comes from a showbiz family. If I remember right, she often starred in romantic comedies.
Gloria Romero was a nice and classy lady. I’m glad that she and Juancho Gutierrez reconciled a few years before he passed away. (Pasensya na at medyo updated ako sa mga ganyang lumang chismis. Hehehe)
during summer breaks in school, my mom would make me watch old sampaguita movies on tv, i think they were shown on the old rpn 9, after eat bulaga and aguila/heredero.
my niece grew up watching diomedes maturan and was flabbergasted to find out that he’s an old guy.
i don’t watch any more pinoy movies.
Ewok1993,
You don’t watch them anymore??? Why??? Just kidding.
LVN and Sampaguita Pictures were the two biggest studios after World War 2. Each studio had their “stable” (for lack of a better term) of movie stars. As an example, Rogelio Dela Rosa was with LVN while Dolphy was with Sampaguita Pictures. It’s pretty bad of me but to this day, I can still tell which of the stars from those days belonged to either LVN or Sampaguita. Hehehe
Diomedes Maturan used to live a few blocks from where my father grew up. Those were the days before Diomedes Maturan hit it big when he won a singing contest on radio. His old family home is still around but I doubt if any of his relatives still live there. The last time I saw him was back in early 1994 when he sang at a wedding at the Malate Church. Sadly, he passed away a few years later.
wow! It’s only now that I learn that Dolphy can dance. and boy, can he dance!
Bro. Utoy,
How have you been? Long time no hear!
Yes, the man was a terrific dancer back in the day and so was Teroy De Guzman, the other sailor in the clip. They were truly gifted performers. I hope more of his old movies get loaded onto YouTube so that more people can enjoy them.
Truly is the king of comedy…you know some of his old movies are shown here too, i just forgot which one exactly and if they have it translated to german as well
Will check.
the old movies I learned to love were those of the young Nino Muhlach, hehe. I think that was in early 2000—2001 to be precise, a little before leaving Pinas that I rekindle my connection with my childhood
P.S. He is 9 years older so I get to watch his movies noon lang
Buhay pa ba si Pidol ? He’s in his eighties already I think. Laughter is the best medicine they say, more so if you have a beautiful and younger wife like Zsa Zsa Padilla
Dolphy is one of my favourite Filipino comedians. He is already an institution and i am just sad that although he still made a movie a couple of months ago, yet it was very obvious that his health was not truly okay..I just hope he is well and could provide his fans more reasons to laugh and enjoy.
ang galing magsayaw ni dolphy.
isang dahilan bat napansin si dolphy ay ang kanyang kagalingan sa pagsayaw, atticus.
i do not get tired of watching pidol’s movies. he’s very funny talaga.
Ang galing pala ni Dolphy sumayaw?! “Home Along Da Riles” na ang earliest memory ko kay Dolphy at lolo na siya doon kaya ganoon na ang imahe ko sa kanya, hehe. Astig.
Naku hindi ako makarelate masyado pero sa napanood ko mukhang sobrang talented nga talaga ni Dolphy nung kapanahunan niya. Sobrang galing sumayaw grabeh! Comedy + skill talaga.
Ang naabutan ko lang kasi na comedy show niya ay yung Home Along Da Riles na. Matanda na rin siya ng kaunti doon pero sobrang galing pa rin magpatawa.
Wala talagang dadaig sa pangalan ni Dolphy sa industry na yan. Sana magkaron tayo ulit ng mga artistang katulad niya. Ang naiisip ko lang na ganyan, singing + comedy ay si Vhong Navarro. Or baka marami akong hindi maalala?
Hello po. I really enjoyed reading your posts here on your blog, and I can’t even help but post a comment.
I must say I am also an avid fan of the Filipino classic films, although they were all popularized at at time when my parents weren’t even born yet.And this very clip in your blog post—I already saw it somewhere on YouTube. Napabilib din po akong talaga sa pagsasayaw niya. Hindi lang nga po siya Hari ng Komedya, isa siya sa mga sangkatutak na artista noon na talagang talented at deserving lang na marecognize para sa talent na ipinapakita nila.
I think I also know the YouTube channels you pertain to in the last paragraphs. Medyo suki din po kasi ako doon, and I was able to watch the classics through those channels.
Laking tulong din po talaga ng pagpopost ng mga films doon kasi kahit paano may exhibit na ng mga world-class films na sariling atin, para makita na rin ng mga taong kasing-edad ko, at para kahit paano ay mabigyan din ng appreciation ang mga ganoong klase ng pelikula.
That’s all for now. Have a great day… and Happy New Year din po!