Vilma Santos-Recto is a popular multi-awarded actress and politician in the Republic of the Philippines. *** She is known as "Queen of Philippine Movies," "Queenstar," "Grand Slam Queen," "Box Office Queen," and "Star for All Seasons." *** This website is mostly about her iconic film career.
204 films, 70 directors, 5 decades, Vilma Santos, one of the original Philippine movie queens, rose up to become the versatile actress that has been given the fitting title of “Star for All Seasons” because of her capacity to adapt to the changing mores and values of the Filipino woman, giving a face to their plight and struggles, albeit in success both critically and box-office wise in some of Philippine cinema’s classics such as Trudis Liit (1963), Lipad, Darna, Lipad (1973), Burlesk Queen (1977), Relasyon (1982), Sister Stella L. (1984), Alyas Baby Tsina (1984), Pahiram ng Isang Umaga (1989), Dahil Mahal Kita: The Dolzura Cortez Story (1993), Anak (2000) and Dekada ’70 (2002). This are top ten directors who contributed to her success. – RV (READ MORE)
Minsan pa nating hagkan ang nakaraan (1983) – “…Isa pa rin ito sa mga mahalagang pelikulang nagawa ni Ate Vi na nagbigay sa kanya ng karangalan bilang mahusay na aktres sa URIAN and of course kay Boyet bilang mahusay na aktor. Sa Viva Films sila nakagawa ng maraming pelikulang pinagtambalan dahil na rin sa isinasaad ng kani-kanilang mga kontrata. Kaya naman sa pagtatapos ng taong 1983, ginawa nila ni Boyet ang “Minsan Pa Natin Hagkan Ang Nakaraan”, the only movie na namatay silang magkasama kung saan asawa siya ni Eddie Garcia sa pamamahala ni direk Marilou Diaz Abaya…” – Willie Ferrnandez (READ MORE)
Baby Tsina (1984) – “…Ang istoryang ito ay matagal nang ikinukuwento sa akin ni William. Wala pa akong asawa, pangarap na ni William na magawa ang pelikula. He had the story at hand. Siya talaga ang nag-negotiate para makuha ang istorya. Noong una nga raw, ayaw pumayag ni Baby Tsina at ng kanyang asawa dahil gusto na nilang kalimutan yun. Eh, si William alam ko yan kung magpilit, tsaka personal kasi niyang kilala si Baby Tsina, nakuha rin ang istorya,” salaysay ni Vilma…”Noong una kong mabasa ang script, ayoko sanang maniwala na nangyari talaga yun. Masyadong cinematic, eh. Para bang sa pelikula at sa komiks lang nangyayari. Until the day nga that I met the real Baby Tsina. Nang siya na ang makuwento sa akin ng naging buhay niya, lalo na after the crime at sa loob Correctional, saka ko lang nalaman na ang nakalagay sa script ay kulang pa pala. Mas matindi ang istorya niya, pero hindi na maaring isamang lahat sa pelikula. Baka namang masyadong humaba eh. Malakas ang istorya. I think the story alone will sell the movie. Lalo na kung iisiping isa itong celebrated case at nasundan ng mga tao noon sa mga diyaryo. Front page stories pa raw lagi iyang si Baby Tsina noon eh…” – Ariel Francisco (READ MORE)
Marilou Diaz-Abaya is a multi-awarded film director in the Philippines. She is the founder and current president of the Marilou Diaz Abaya Film Institute and Arts Center, a film school based in Antipolo City, Philippines. She is the director of José Rizal, a biopicture on the Philippines’ national hero…Diaz directed and released her first feature film, Tanikala (Chains) in 1980. Since then, she has been one of the most active and visible directors in Philippine cinema…Her early films Brutal, Karnal (Of the Flesh), and Alyas Baby Tsina, sharply condemn the oppressive social system during the administration of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. When the Marcos was deposed in 1986, Diaz left filmmaking. – Wikipedia (READ MORE)
The Plot: The movie started on how Narda got her power as Darna. As soon as Narda transformed into Darna, she quickly started her adventure with Ding fighting the Hawk Woman. And soon after Darna and Ding found a giant and both lost the fight to Darna. As the story unfold Dr. Vontesberg pretended as a good samaritan with an evil plan to destroy the towns people who killed her grandfather mistakenly accused as a devil worshipper. Dr. Vontesberg summoned the dead and terrorized the townspeople. Narda was captured by the mad Dr. Vontesberg and showed her how she operates her plans. Ding got on time to rescue her helpless sister and they both stopped Vontesberg evil plans. Then, Darna and Ding flew their way to the city. And on their way, they captured a bunch of loose prisoners, after this scene was a long lots of talking non-action scenes. Finally, Lei Ming and Darna measured their strength and powers. Lei Ming created an evil Darna to destroy the real Darna. At the end Lei Ming lose and took her own life. – Super Heroes Lives (READ MORE)
Upon Narda (Vilma Santos) and her younger brother Ding’s (Niño Muhlach) discovery of a glowing stone from the sky, Narda’s life is changed as she turns into a superwoman. From then on, the tandem of Narda and Ding embark on adventures, saving the world from evil. Together, they battle German scientist Dr. Vontesberg (Marissa Delgado), who turns healthy people into zombies. Narda and Ding also take on Chinese witch Lei Ming (Celia Rodriguez), who is out to kidnap children. (READ)
The Reviews: “…On it’s 11th year of presenting Asian cinema to Czech audiences, 2015 FilmAsia, the Czech Republic’s premier Asian film festival, is putting Filipino cinema in focus for the first time. Initiated by Czech Embassy in Manila, in cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), this year’s FilmAsia premieres six Filipino feature films, old and new. Among the films brought to Prague are the recently rediscovered and restored classic Genghis Khan (1950) directed by Manuel Conde which opened the festival on Dec. 4, and the acclaimed political family drama Dekada ’70 (2002) based on the novel by Lualhati Bautista, a film which mirrors the similar experience of the Czechs, who were also fighting for their democracy in the 1970s and 1980s while under communist rule. “As only a single Philippine film, The King of Sulu and the Emperor of China by Eddie Romero, ever entered the Czech film distribution [system] as long as a quarter a century ago, and not more than a dozen, often independent, films have been screened at Czech film festivals in recent years, this very first Philippine selection will be a unique glimpse into otherwise unknown cinematography in my country,” said Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Jaroslav Olša, Jr. The core of the Philippine focus are three independent Filipino films namely Lihis (2013), Sonata (2013), and Badil (2013), all co-produced by the FDCP. And to give the Czech audiences a glimpse of Philippine superhero films, the iconic Philippine superheroine will get the opportunity to fly over Prague with the Czech premier of Darna, starring Vilma Santos. “As the only Asian film festival in the Czech Republic, FilmAsia offers Czechs a glimpse of the best of what Asian cinema can offer,” said Karla Stojáková, the festival´s director and producer who has a long history of cooperation with Asian filmmakers. “Therefore I was happy to share the idea of Ambassador Jaroslav Olša, Jr. to present Filipino cinematography for the very first time in our country. Our festival is entering second decade this year and so it is symbolic and oportunity for our film enthusiasts to discover another Asian cinematography.” In previous years, FilmAsia has featured award-winning works by notable directors in the Asian region, among them Park Chan-wook, Kim Ki-duk, Hou Hsia-hsien, Johnnie To, Wong Kar-wai, Tsai Ming-liang, and Takashi Miike…” – Interaksyon, 07 December 2015 (READ MORE)
“…On it’s 11th year of presenting Asian cinema to Czech audiences, 2015 FilmAsia, the Czech Republic’s premier Asian film festival, is putting Filipino cinema in focus for the first time. Initiated by Czech Embassy in Manila, in cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), this year’s FilmAsia premieres six Filipino feature films, old and new. Among the films brought to Prague are the recently rediscovered and restored classic Genghis Khan (1950) directed by Manuel Conde which opened the festival on Dec. 4, and the acclaimed political family drama Dekada ’70 (2002) based on the novel by Lualhati Bautista, a film which mirrors the similar experience of the Czechs, who were also fighting for their democracy in the 1970s and 1980s while under communist rule. “As only a single Philippine film, The King of Sulu and the Emperor of China by Eddie Romero, ever entered the Czech film distribution [system] as long as a quarter a century ago, and not more than a dozen, often independent, films have been screened at Czech film festivals in recent years, this very first Philippine selection will be a unique glimpse into otherwise unknown cinematography in my country,” said Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Jaroslav Olša, Jr. The core of the Philippine focus are three independent Filipino films namely Lihis (2013), Sonata (2013), and Badil (2013), all co-produced by the FDCP. And to give the Czech audiences a glimpse of Philippine superhero films, the iconic Philippine superheroine will get the opportunity to fly over Prague with the Czech premier of Darna, starring Vilma Santos. “As the only Asian film festival in the Czech Republic, FilmAsia offers Czechs a glimpse of the best of what Asian cinema can offer,” said Karla Stojáková, the festival´s director and producer who has a long history of cooperation with Asian filmmakers. “Therefore I was happy to share the idea of Ambassador Jaroslav Olša, Jr. to present Filipino cinematography for the very first time in our country. Our festival is entering second decade this year and so it is symbolic and oportunity for our film enthusiasts to discover another Asian cinematography.” In previous years, FilmAsia has featured award-winning works by notable directors in the Asian region, among them Park Chan-wook, Kim Ki-duk, Hou Hsia-hsien, Johnnie To, Wong Kar-wai, Tsai Ming-liang, and Takashi Miike…” – Interaksyon, 07 December 2015 (READ MORE)
“Darna at Ding, Vilma’s fourth and final portrayal of Darna, takes her to another wild adventure, this time with her younger brother Ding. When a mysterious stone falls into the hands of Narda, she finds out that the stone is an amulet that gives her super power. This is the start of the many adventures of Darna, that have her battling with the evil sorceress Lei Ming and Hawk Woman. A whole new adventure with the popular Philippine heroine, Darna at Ding is another classic worth watching.” – UP (READ MORE)
“…The famous child actress Vilma Santos grew up as a beautiful young star and was able to maintain popularity from the ’70’s up to the present. Her title “Star for all Seasons” fits her well because among her contemporaries, she is the only one who stays on top. She can choose the roles that she wants, and is still deluge with movie offers complete with top billing and huge talent fee, that even the likes of Claudine or Judy Ann can only hope for. And why not? She is the Queen! And she deserves nothing less! She is considered the Box Office Queen of all time. Blessings continued to pour for Vilma, from film awards to public service recognitions. She is also the only actor to have crossed over from showbiz to politics and was graded satisfactorily. And like what Mar Garces, our famous house writed said, “you ain’t see nothing yet, the best is yet to come.” What do they have in common (Vilma and Nino)? They are both considered as among the richest celebrities in local industry. In wrapping up, we can say that Nino started as a child wonder & ended up as a successful businessman; he is now accepting small roles. Vilma Santos on the other hand, continues to shine her star and is considered as the longest reigning Queenstar of all time. To you Darna at Ding.” – Franco Gabriel, V Magazine Issue No. 5 (READ MORE)
“…produced by D’ Wonder Films Vilma Santos donned her Darna costume for the last time in 1980 with Darna at Ding. For the first time, Ding was mentioned in the title. And why not? The kid was now played by Niño Muhlach, the most popular child star of the day. The company that produced it, DWonder films, belonged to the Muhlachs family. The Wonder films tried to captured the magic of 1973 monster hit “Lipad, Darna, Lipad.” By recasting some of the original cast of Vilma’s first Darna movie. Celia Rodriguez declined to play Valentina, instead they tailored a new character for her as Lei Ming the sorceress. Then Veronica Jones was asked to play Valentina but, ended up playing the role of Hawk Woman. Max Alvarado reprised his role as the Giant. Marissa Delgado also joined the cast as Dr. Vontesberg. The movie started on how Narda got her power as Darna. As soon as Narda transformed into Darna, she quickly started her adventure with Ding fighting the Hawk Woman. And soon after Darna and Ding found a giant and both lost the fight to Darna. As the story unfold Dr. Vontesberg pretended as a good samaritan with an evil plan to destroy the towns people who killed her grandfather mistakenly accused as a devil worshipper. Dr. Vontesberg summoned the dead and terrorized the townspeople. Narda was captured by the mad Dr. Vontesberg and showed her how she operates her plans. Ding got on time to rescue her helpless sister and they both stopped Vontesberg evil plans. Then, Darna and Ding flew their way to the city. And on their way, they captured a bunch of loose prisoners, after this scene was a long lots of talking non-action scenes. Finally, Lei Ming and Darna measured their strength and powers. Lei Ming created an evil Darna to destroy the real Darna. At the end Lei Ming lose and took her own life. Vilma finally relinquished the role of Darna to Sharon Cuneta, who appeared in a cameo role as Darna, in 1986’s Captain Barbel, also a Mars Ravelo classic creation. Years after, Dawn Zulueta was rumored to play Darna but the role of our beloved superheroine went to Nanette Medved who would have preferred to play Valentina…” – Eric Cueto (READ MORE)
“…The climax of this “Darna vs. the Dragon Lady” part of Darna At Ding sees Lei Ming conjure up an evil double of Darna to keep our heroine busy while, elsewhere in her lair, a towering robot bears menacingly down upon Ding. It’s a suitably whiz-bang finale to this loopy, kitchen sink confection, and one that makes the long, strange and circuitous route that we’ve taken to get to it seem perhaps less arduous in retrospect. Still, at a solid two hours, Darna At Ding is an example of a movie that pulls out all the stops, but perhaps shouldn’t have. While it’s combination of horror movie chills, superhero thrills and slapstick spills might have been catnip for the Filipino audience of its day, for the rest of us it might prove mildly exhausting. Nonetheless, I find Vilma Santos so appealing in her role that it’s hard for me to imagine hating any Darna movie that she appears in, and this one’s no exception.” – Todd Stadtman of “luchadiaries” (READ MORE)
“…Darna at Ding is a bit of a mess, even by nonsensical low-budget fantasy standards. The tone is incredibly inconsistent, ranging from broad slapstick comedy [as seen in a Benny Hill inspired speed-up sequence showing townspeople running from zombies], spooky horror [Ding nearly killed by voodoo], and violent action. The segue between the two wildly disparate plots, in which Darna must fend off a truck load of escaped convicts, seems particularly off key with its graphic Peckinpah-esque slow motion shotgun blast and neck-snapping conclusion. Children’s fare this certainly isn’t, though it plays as such for a good chunk of its two hour running time. Frequent shifts in tone and random outbursts of comedy/horror/violence I can deal with, but the sluggish plots really bog Darna at Ding down. The first narrative, in particular, just seems to drag on and on, with various groups of locals running into zombies, getting scared, and running away over and over again. I, for one, could have done with a lot less of that and a lot more of Darna kicking escaped convict ass. And there I think is the film’s biggest flaw – there’s just not nearly enough of Darna in it. She appears at the beginning, middle, and end for a few minutes each and in highly enjoyable setups, but the remaining four fifths of the film is left to languish in entertainment limbo without her.
That’s not to say that there aren’t fun moments to be had in this twelfth Darna outing – quite the contrary. The opening is fantastically absurd [I really dig those forced perspective giant effects], as is the Darna-versus-Darna battle that serves as the climax. But for every moment of overt glee there are twenty or so more in which nothing happens at all. It’s a pity, really, as the potential for entertainment is certainly there, but remains woefully un-tapped. From a production standpoint Darna at Ding was better than I anticipated, and there was obviously at least a little money put behind it. Special effects were about as good as I expected, and work well enough without becoming entirely embarrassing. The cast is quite good too, paltry as the material they have to work with is. Vilma Santos is always a pleasure to have on screen, and Nino Mulhach never becomes tiresome or annoying as Ding. The giant who sees such little action is familiar as well – Max Alvarado, who would go on to play Columbus, one of the multitude of villains in for y’ur height only. The soundtrack is groovy but of dubious legality. I recognized much of what was played, but could only pin down Pink Floyd’s Time for certain…” – Kevin Pyrtle, WTF-FILM (READ MORE)
Basic Information: Directed: Mike De Leon; Story: Jose Almojuela, Mike De Leon, Jose F. Lacaba; Screenplay: Ricardo Lee; Cast: Vilma Santos, Jay Ilagan, Gina Alajar, Laurice Guillen, Tony Santos Sr., Anita Linda, Liza Lorena, Ruben Rustia, Eddie Infante, Adul de Leon, Rody Vera, Pen Medina; Executive producer: Lily Y. Monteverde; Original Music: Ding Achacoso; Cinematography: Rody Lacap; Film Editing: Jess Navarro; Production Design: Cesar Hernando; Sound: Ramon Reyes; Theme Songs: “Sangandaan”, “Aling Pag-ibig Pa?” performed by Pat Castillo
Plot Description: Labor, politics and religion are the issues that come in conflict in Sister Stella L. The film tells the story of Sister Stella Legaspi, a nonpartisan religious, whose pacifist stance is challenged by an older radical colleague, her namesake, and Nick Fajardo, a concerned journalist, her ex-boyfriend, in response to the injustice being perpetrated on a group of factory workers in Barrio Aguho. When a strike is declared at the local oil factory, the young nun is thrown into the thick of the strike and leaves her convent work to help the workers in their efforts against unfair labor practices. While she looks upon the matter as an opportunity to put into practice the teachings of Christ, the strikers on the other hand are quick to realize the strategic advantage of having nuns at the picket line. This utilitarian stage gradually develops into a relationship of deep involvement. Sister Stella begins to think like a worker. She learns to identify with their cause. Denounced by corporate officials, the strikers and the nuns align themselves together to fight off harrassment from management and, para-military agents. On order from higher-up, the group’s labor leader, Ka Dencio, is abducted, tortured, and killed. But his death fails to destroy the spirit of the protest. The workers, Sister Stella L, and the journalist, resolve to carry on the fight. – MPP
“Mr. Silayan, I would like to do a documentary on your career as an actor.” “A what?” came his voice over the telephone. “A documentary – on your life.” This was June of 1984. Sadly, he was perplexed at the idea of committing his life story for the screen. He didn’t know who I was and my request was even stranger. He hesitated for a few seconds. “Why don’t we talk about it. Are you busy right now?” “No,” I replied. ‘Why don’t you come over?” I got on the first bus to the Villamore Driving Range. It was his “office.” People who needed to get in touch with him called or went to this place. When I arrived, he was watching some golfers practice. Later, I found out that he spent most of his time in the driving range just watching. “I’m not allowed to play. I haven’t played in two years. Doctor’s orders, you see.” His heart trouble prevented him from doing a lot of things. Including accepting certain movie roles. But despite his precarious health, he persisted on taking certain risks. For instance, he drove his own car. I introduced myself as a preservor of films from De La Salle University. Our first meeting, a short one we both assessed, stretched to four hours. He was a fascinating storyteller. With some prodding, he unleashed a storm of details about his youth, his experiences in the war and his work in the movies. He capped the meeting with a fervid account of his close brush with death which happened towards the end of the second world war. “I was talking to a group of friends when a bomb exploded a ten meters away from where we were seated.” He was 16 at that time. “I remember getting up from my seat when the explosions came. As I was being helped back to the house, all I could hear was a sharp ringing sound in my ear. As we entered, my sister saw me and they started screaming. Later, they told me that while I was trying to explain what has happened, blood was profuse coming out from mouth.” he has shown wound all over his body. His right leg got partly burned and he lost his toenails. I remember the day flies crawling on the wounds on my upper legs. (later, he grew a mustache to cover the scar.) I was brought to San Lazaro where the doctors tried pulling the steel wires that got embedded in my chest. They pulled me up as they tried to pull out the wires.” Born in Manila on Jan. 31, 1929, Vic Silayan is unquestionably one of the finest Filipino actors of this century. A Bachelor of Arts graduate from Ateneo, 1951, he once said that his education had a strong influence on his acting style. As an actor, he is a multi-media talents: be excelled on stage, on radio, on TV and in film. “Acting came naturally to me.” He had done Shakespeare, Arthur Miller and even Broadway musicals. In the times that we met during and after the making of the documentary, he often talked about his own feeling about performing and creating character before an audience.
Among his early plays, Cyrafina J. Bergerac (1952), where he did the starring role, comes foremost to mind. “I remember the applause even though one is exhausted, the applause fills the heart. I remember Carlos P. Romulo being in the audience. I also remember Hilarion Henares, Sr. talking about Jose Ferrer’s Broadway performance and how I compared to it; he said the limited budget did not diminish the impact of my performance at all. I only overheard it and I cried in the dark.” A legend in his own time, Vic Silayan’s film career began in 1953 when he was cast by director Lamberto Avellana to appeal in the role of a PC captain in the film Huk sa Bagong Pamumuhay. Since then he has appeared in over 300 films some of which where foreign production. Often, he was cast as a bad guy, a part which according to him, is more difficult to portray. Needless to say, he was a victim of typecasting – for a time he was the film industry’s favorite Japanese officer. But it’s to his credit that he has managed to make a mark in several Filipino classic. Among them are Anak Dalita, Badjao and Malvarosa. However, he is best remembered for his role of a psychologically imbalanced retired policeman in Mike de Leon’s Kisapmata. In the film, he portrays an over possessive father who murders his whole family and eventually kills himself. “I didn’t like the person I portrayed in that film,” the actor once said. “There have been bad-men roles that I liked. But that one I didn’t like. May diperensiya siya. He was mean to other people who couldn’t fight back.” Nonetheless, it was performance that earned him an Urian best actor award, his second. (In 1983, he won best supporting actor honors for Marilou Diaz Abaya’s Karnal.) Aside from his work as an actor, many remember him for the rich, deep quality of his voice. Yet, he is modest about it.
“My father had a better voice. He was good in public speaking. He spoke excellent English. He even had a good singing voice but he refused to sing professionally.” I say Vic Silayan for the last time at the Kidney Center, three weeks before he died. Obviously, his health had deteriorated – he had lost so much weight and he had difficulty in breathing. With his weak voice, he asked me how I was. I said, “Fine.” “It’s my heart,” he mumbled. “The doctors said they couldn’t do anything for me anymore.” He had aneurism, a lump on a blood vessel in his heart, which he said could rupture anytime and kill him. I promised to do all the talking that afternoon. And as if on cue, I started out on the subject of old movies, a subject which he always relished. Despite his condition, he tried recalling some films that he had seen as a boy. He also tried his best to show me that his memory has not failed him. We ended our talk on the subject of Filipino short films. “It’s quite promising,” I assured him. Before we parted, he asked me, “Do you think I should start thinking about another career?” “Why not try writing?” I replied. “I don’t know. Sometimes it’s fear that stops people from trying anything. Maybe I should.” When I learned about his death last August 30, my mind raced back to the time after we had our first meeting. At that time, a thought crossed my mind: If I had lived just to hear him tell his own story, I believe it was worth it. The same thought still holds true today. – Emmanuel A. Reyes, Manila Standard, Sep 06 1987 (READ MORE)
Vic Silayan and Vilma Santos
Paano Ba Ang Mangarap (1983) – Vic Silayan played the husband of domineering snotty rich, Armida Sigueon Reyna and Vilma Santos played the unwed pregnant fiance of their son, played by the late Jay Ilagan.
Sinasamba Kita (1982) – Vic Silayan played the rich death-stricken father of Vilma Santos whose last wish is for Vilma to find her illigitimate daughter played by Lorna Tolentino.
Karma (1981) – Vic Silayan played a hypnotist/psychiatrist who explained to Ronaldo Valdez the concept of reincarnation. Vilma played the lover of Ronaldo Valdez.
Langis at tubig (1980) – Vic Silayan played the judged who convict the bigamist, Dindo Fernando. Vilma played one fo the two wives Dindo wed.
Ang galing-galing mo, Mrs. Jones (1980) – Vic Silayan played a conniving politician who abuse, Mrs Jones played by Vilma Santos.
Ikaw lamang (1973) – Vic Silayan played the supporting role to the new team of Paolo Romero and Vilma Santos.
Ito ang Pilipino (1966) – Vic Silayan played one of the major role in this Joseph Estrada-Barbara Perez film. Vilma Santos played a minor child star role with another child protege, Jay Ilagan.
Victor Payumo Silayan (popularly known as Vic Silayan) is a veteran movie-stage Filipino actor. He was born in Manila on January 31, 1929 and died on August 30, 1987 due to heart attack. His acting prowess has been higlighted in the movie, Kisapmata where he played a man who had an incestuous attraction to his daughter, traumatizing everyone around them. Silayan’s sterling portrayals have earned him four awards. – Wikipilipinas (READ MORE)
Ang tambalang Vilma-Boyet ay pinagtibay ng panahon. Hindi basta-basta na maigugupo ng kahit sino o ng kahit anong tambalan. Tulad din ng alak na habang tumatagal ay lalong sumasarap. There have been many loveteams in Philippine cinema but the tandem of Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon has chalked up the longest list of movies that have been given awards and made good records at the boxoffice. Until now, their tandem has been unsurpassed. Their loveteam is the most enduring tandem in local cinema. Siguro may iba pang loveteam na nakagawa ng mas maraming pelikula kaysa sa kanila like during the height of the Vi and Bot and Nora-Tirso but theirs did not span decades, nakakaahon lang sila within the short period of time at the height of their popularity. Hindi man naging magkapalad sina Vi at Boyet bilang lovers sa tunay na buhay ay nagklik naman sila sa masa bilang lovers sa pelikula. Matatandaan na sumibol din ang tambalang Nora-Boyet noon sa pelikula at kapag-daka’y nauwi sa totohanan. Sa kabila ng katotohanang ito ay hindi gaanong tinanggap ng publiko ang kanilang pareha sa puting tabing. – Willie FerrnandezREAD MORE
Basic Information: Directed: Ishmael Bernal; Story: Ricardo Lee; Screenplay: Ricardo Lee, Raquel Villavicencion, Ishmael Bernal; Cast: Vilma Santos, Christopher De Leon, Jimi Melendez, Ernie Zarate, Lucy Quinto, Manny Castañeda, Beth Mondragon, Bing Fabregas, Olive Madridejos, Augusto Victa, Dante Castro, Tony Angeles, Thaemar Achacoso; Executive producer: Lily Monteverde; Original Music: Winston Raval; Cinematography: Sergio Lobo; Film Editing: Augusto Salvador; Production Design: Benjie De Guzman; Art Direction: Dennis Cid; Sound: Vic Macamay; Theme Songs: “Relasyon” performed by Eva Eugenio
Plot Description: He sees nothing wrong in having a wife and a mistress. She would do anything to make him happy, including putting up with his idiosyncrasies, babysitting his child, and finding loopholes in the law so she could be with him. The characters are so familiar and so realistic that you might see yourself. Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon star in this very touching story about two people who truly love each other but are trapped by the circumstances. Relasyon is another fine motion picture from director Ishmael Bernal. – Regal Films
“…From 1972 to 1988 Vilma Santos were nominated twelve times. Most critics considered this as a huge accomplishments, she won for 1988 (Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos), 1987 (Tagos ng Dugo), 1982 (Relasyon), 1981 (Pakawalan Mo Ako), 1972 (Dama de Noche), but some were worried that this is premature as they expected more breakthrough performances from her young career. Now, 37, Vilma is still honing her craft. The 38th FAMAS Awards held again at the Fiesta Pavilion of Manila Hotel on May 19, 1990 was not only memorable for Vilma Santos but also for her rival, Nora Aunor. Vilma relegated to hall of famer, disqualify her to compete with Nora. Not surprisingly, Nora won her fifth best actress, which also automatically qualifies her as next year’s hall of famer…” – RV (READ MORE)
The Award: The Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences bestows the Hall of Fame Award to individuals who have displayed mastery over their craft and artistry over their chosen fields in the Philippine motion picture industry. First given in the 24th FAMAS Awards (1975) in 1976 to actor Eddie Garcia, sound engineers Angel Avellana and Demetrio de Santos, director Gerardo de Leon, cinematographer Felipe Sacdalan and musical scorer Tony Maiquez for winning five or more FAMAS Awards in their respective categories, the Hall of Fame Award is a gold-plated FAMAS statuette with two semi-circles of laurel leaves anchored to each of her shoulders and her base. The cylindrical base, on the other hand, contains a gold leaf at the front, which contains the acronym “FAMAS” in big bold letters, the winner’s name, the category in which he or she has won the Hall of Fame Award and the year in which it was given. The original Hall of Fame statuette presented in 1976 was almost identical to the present one, except that the laurel leaves only arched up until the FAMAS lady’s hips. In the 1980s, the redesigned Hall of Fame Award contained the FAMAS lady standing atop a trapezoidal pedestal with two semi-circles of laurel leaves anchored to each of her shoulders and base. The trapezoidal base bore a gold scroll where FAMAS’ name, the name of the winner, the year of bestowing and the category in which it was won was written.
The bestowing of a Hall of Fame Award is determined by the number of FAMAS awards won by a certain individual in a category. To win a Hall of Fame Award, one must have won five FAMAS Awards for a certain competitive category. The Hall of Fame Award is given to an individual on the next awards ceremony following his/her fifth FAMAS Award on a certain category. A Hall of Fame Award signifies the end of one’s chances of nomination for the same category and thus, the end of one’s chances of winning a FAMAS Award for the same category, with the exception of the Best Picture category, since the merits of a Best Picture nomination and win depends on the collaborative effort of many movie artisans rather than a single effort of an individual, which is awarded in the rest of the other categories. This explains why Premiere Productions, Producer Hall of Famer, still had FAMAS Best Picture nominations beyond 1977, its year of receiving the Hall of Fame. The following individuals (and production company) were bestowed a Hall of Fame Award. Each Hall of Fame inductee are grouped according to the category in which they won the award and the calendar year in which they have received their Hall of Fame Award. – FAMAS (READ MORE)
Dama de Noche (1972) “…It is, Vilma was quoted as saying, her dream role fulfilled. The very professional Vilma has come out with the resolution than henceforth she will demand to see the script and also see that the script is demanding— or she’ll say nix. Well, Dama de Noche is exactly just that: demanding. In it she delineates the twin-sister roles of sweet Armida and deranged Rosanna. Vilma sobs and screams, giggles, and crazy-dances, claws and clowns, sobs again and screams some more. But she does more than all these things. She acts. In the Filipino movieworld where crying is synonymous with acting, that certainly is being ahead of one’s kind. Vilma as Armida is drab and dry, almost a movie prop. It is in the portrayal of Rosanna that Vilma would tear one’s heart away. The many close-ups so effectively used throughout the movie show the unglamorous Vilma: her frowns, her lip-twitching, her uninhibited and stifled sobs. But Vilma is less successful with the shifty look that is the distinctive trait of the deranged. She compensates for this in the ‘betrayal’ scene when Rosanna suspects that Leo, Armida and the psychiatrist (Fred Montilla) all conspired to imprison her in the hospital. Another outstanding feat is the subdued scene where Rosanna learns that Leo has gone to the Lerma villa to meet Armida. The vivacious Rosanna is just as winsomely pathetic. Watching her is just like seeing a bosom friend trying to pretend she’s happy when both of you know she’s not only in this case, Rosanna is truly happy. Her non-knowledge of her plight is what is particularly heart-curling…” – The Times Journal (READ MORE)
Pakawalan Mo Ako (1981) “…Mula umpisa hanggang sa huli’y umiikot ang istorya sa karakter ni Vilma bilang si Ana, isang escort girl. Markado ang papel ni Vilma at makikita ito sa mga eksena sa kulungan at hukuman. Ang Pakawalan Mo Ako ay mula sa panulat ni Pete Lacaba at iskrinplay nina Pete Lacaba, Mao Gia Samonte at Isko Lopez. Kung ikukumpara sa mga ibang pelikula ni Elwood Perez mas pulido at makatotohanan ang mga eksena’t dialouge ng pelikula. Tulad ng konprontahin nga ma ni Bernard si Ana sinabi nito na: “Puta, Puta! Puta! Hindi lang naman kayo ang unang nagparatang sa akin ng ganyan! Puta! Puta! Putang Ina n’yong lahat…” At nang unang dalhin ni Bernard si Ana sa bahay nito at pagtangkaang gahasain, pumiglas si Ana at sabay kuha sa pera at sabay sabing: “kukunin ko ang bayad sa halik may sukli ka pa!” At siyempre ang eksena sa hukom kung saan paulit ulit niyang sinasabi ang salitang: “Sinungaling!…” Ang musika ni Lutgardo Labad ay minsan nakakaabala sa tunay na eksena ngunit angkop na angkop ang theme song ng pelikula, ang “Dati” na kinanta mismo ni Antony Castelo. Merong mahahabang linya si Christopher DeLeon sa bandang huli at nakuha naman niyang bigyan ng buhay ang papel niya bilang abogado ng taga-usig kahit na parang pilit ang pagpapalit niya ng panig para sa tagapagtanggol sa bandang huli, sa kanyang closing remarks. Alam niya marahil na talagang pelikula ito ni Ate Vi…” – RV (READ MORE)
Relasyon (1982) “…Like 1972 of the previous decade, 1982 turned out to be a repeat in terms of success for Vilma Santos. If critics took noticed in 1972, her performance in Dama De Noche, a decade after, the critics went gagah over her performance in ”Relasyon,” directed by Bernal. The film earned Vilma all the local best actress trophies from all award-giving bodies. Aside from this success, she will also be crowned as the box office queen of 1982 (the next year for her body of work this year) because of the financial success of her six films notably, “Sinasamba Kita” a film directed by Eddie Garcia and “Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan?’ directed by Danny Zialcita. Bernal on the other hand not only was credited for Vilma success for “Relasyon” he also received accolades for “Himala” a film by Nora Aunor, Vilma’s rival. Both “Himala” and “Relasyon” were considered two of Bernal’s signature films. In addition to this, he did two Marecel Soriano films, the comedy “Galawgaw” and the drama, “Hindi Kita Malimot” and finally another Cherrie Gil film, “Ito Ba Ang Ating Mga Anak…Bernal gave Vilma Santos her first grandslam best actress awards and consecutive Gawad Urian best actress (1982 and 1983). Their first film together was Inspiration (1972) and last was Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga (1989).” – RV (READ MORE)
Tagos ng Dugo (1987) “…So what could be all the fuss about Tagos’ value? “Production values” is the often-heard reason, needing elucidation. A breakthrough for Philippine psychological movies? Probably. Let me explore a few other angles on this seeming cross between Francois Truffaut’s The Bride Wore Black and Luis Buñuel’s Belle du Jour — I don’t know if screenwriter Jake Tordesillas or De los Reyes himself should be congratulated for the cohesion of multi-resultants in this work. Part of this multi-readings would be the movie as a feminist take on womankind’s monthly pains as a form of excuse for female monthly insanities, insanities our machos regard as regular terrorism on the whole of mankind (men or society as a whole). It is with that reading that the ending apologies, by Vilma Santos in the lead role, might be understood as a plea for understanding of how all of woman’s monthly Eve-behavior should not be seen as a Biblical sin but as an equal (to, say, men’s beastly) naturalness…Another feminist reading, more radical perhaps, would treat the film as a view of how Philippine society (the men in it, primarily) approaches provincial innocence, educational weakness, and “females’ weaker sanity” as stimuli for abuse. . . . There is, however, the possibly more general reading of the film as an apologia for insanity qua itself, how it should be treated as a disease instead of as a monster to be eliminated. And finally, there’s the possibility that the film is actually a depiction of how crazy the world outside the insane mind really is, albeit this view would probably be the least successful direction for the film….As a bonus, maybe we can also bring the movie to more latent, more philosophical territory, say, how it depicts the sanity of innocence. But, given the validity and possible weight of all those approaches, what finally makes this movie a jewel in Philippine cinema history is how it brings forth — every time you watch it — its case achievements in directorial and film editing dramaturgy (including the recurring stage-like choreography, Hitchcockish camera positionings, and acting pacing within). For the serious student of third-world filmmaking, here is a requisite Philippine movie from where to cull precious fragments. In these fragments, he/she is sure to find sparkles that are in themselves gems…” – Vicente-Ignacio S. de Veyra III (READ MORE)
Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos (1988) “…Vilma hit the jackpot. After 11 nominations with four wins, her twelfth nomniation produced her an unexpected win. It elevated her to the hall of fame status. All artist who wins five automatically put them to the hall of fame list. It is a big honour but prohibit any one on the list to compete in the future for the same category. Regal films’ Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos, directed by Elwood Perez was a surprised winner. Not only it earned Vilma her fifth award as best actress, it also gave the late Miguel Rodriguez a best supporting actor award and the best director for Perez. Technical awards were also given to Ricardo Jacinto, cinematography, Rey Maliuanag, production design, Gary Valenciano, theme song, and George Jarlego, editing. The late Nida Blanca was also nominated for best supporting actress…” – RV (READ MORE)
“…Elwood Perez and Vilma Santos colloborated in seven films. The first one was the trilogy that he co-directed with two other director, Borlaza and Gosiengfiao (these three are the most underrated and under appreciated directors in the Philippines), the remake of Mars Ravelo comic super hero, Darna in Lipad Darna Lipad. The film was a record-breaking hit Box-office Film. They follow this up with a more mature projects as Vilma started to switched her image from sweet to a mature versatile actress, pairing her with Christopher DeLeon in five films starting with Masarap Masakit Ang Umibig in 1977. The Perez-Santos-DeLeon team produced seven blockbuster hits that gave Vilma two FAMAS best actress awards that secured her elevation to FAMAS highest honour, the FAMAS Hall of Fame award. She won in 1979 for Pakawalan Mo Ako and 1988 for Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos…” – RV (READ MORE)
“…A series of unfortunate events seemed to hound Nora’s career up to this point. October 1, 1989 was to be the last airing date of the 22-year-old musical-variety show Superstar on RPN 9. A month later, it was revived on IBC 13 with a new title, The Legend … Superstar, but this was short-lived lasting only up to early 1990. Naging mas masuwerte si Vilma Santos sa hinu-host na Vilma! on GMA 7, which started in 1981 as VIP (Vilma in Person) ng lumang BBC 2 (naibalik sa Lopez owners ang ABS-CBN after the EDSA Revolution). Nagbida si Vilma sa isa sa mga pinakaimportanteng pelikula ng Dekada ‘80: Regal Films’ Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga (by Ishmael Bernal), na sinimulan in 1988 at ipinalabas in early 1989. In December 1989, Vilma headlined a period romance-drama (Viva Films’ Imortal, megged by Eddie Garcia) at nanalo sila ng kaparehang si Christopher de Leon ng acting plums sa MMFF. Sa awardings for that year, si Vilma ang nanalong Best Actress sa Star Awards (for Pahiram), her first form the Philippine Movie Press Club. ‘Kumpletung-kumpleto na ang career ko!” nasabi ni Vilma as she accepted her trophy. Later, it was Nora’s turn to get a Best Actress trophy for the first time from the Film Academy of the Philippines, for Elwood Perez’s three-year-in-the-making Bilangin Ang Bituin Sa Langit. ‘Kumpletung-kumpleto na ang career ko!” sabi rin niya in her acceptance speech. Na-elevate si Vilma sa FAMAS Hall of Fame, for having bagged five Best Actress statuettes: Dama de Noche, Pakawalan Mo Ako, Relasyon, Tagos ng Dugo, and Elwood Perez’s Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos. Nora won her fourth Best Actress plum sa FAMAS, also for Bilangin. Walang itulak-kabigin sa dalawa, kaya marapat lang na mag-tie sila for Best Actress, as in the 1990 Gawad Urian, na ‘pantay na parangal ”ang ipinagkaloob ng Manunuri kina Nora (for Bilangin Ang Bituin Sa Langit) at Vilma (for Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga)…” – William Reyes (READ MORE)
Curtains down “…Dolphy, or Rodolfo Quizon Sr., passed away Tuesday at 8:34 p.m., at the Makati Medical Center (MMC), thus ending one of the longest and most colorful lives and careers in Philippine show business history. He was 83 and about to turn 84 on July 25. Eric Quizon, one of Dolphy’s sons, gave the following statement to the news media at the MMC at about midnight: “He lived a full life. He’s at rest. He’s at peace. He knew as he was going how much the country loved him. He knew how everyone was praying for him. And if he could, he would have stayed just so he could thank you personally. But where his spirit was strong, his body had so weakened. He had to go. “Pray for his eternal repose and in his honor, please smile at the person standing next to you. Heaven is a happier place with him there. And for us whom he’s left behind, comedy is dead but long live comedy,” Eric added. Dolphy starred in over 100 movies, including several reprising his lovable lead character in John en Marsha, a popular, long-running television show. He is survived by 18 children by six different women….” – GMA News (READ MORE)
Dolphy and Vilma Santos
“…Batangas Governor Vilma Santos, who’s now identified with ABS-CBN, told the Inquirer: “The whole country is saddened by the news. He was simple but someone with a big heart for Filipinos. He entertained us for over 60 years.” The actress-politician recalled that she first shared the screen with Dolphy when she was a child star. “I worked with him and the late comedians Panchito and Chichay when I was 11 years old in the Sampaguita movie ‘King and Queen for a Day.’ That was 1963…” – Bayani San Diego Jr, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jul 12 2012 (READ MORE)
Dolphy and Vilma Santos did four films together (King and Queen for a Day (1963), Pag-ibig masdan ang ginawa mo (1968), Happy Days Are Here Again (1974), Buhay Artista Ngayon (1979)). The first one was in her first year in show biz and in a Dolphy-Chichay film. After six years, the two reunited in one of early films of Nida Blanca and Dolphy. The film was sort of about family planning and birth control. Vi was in minor role and one of the child actors featured in the film. They followed this up with minor roles in the Cirio Santiago’s all-star-cast film. By later part of 1970s, both Dolphy and Vilma became a regular staples in award shows receiving several trophies as box office king and queen. Finally, after almost a decade from their last outings and no longer his film daughter, Dolphy and Vilma did their last film (to this day), this time, Vilma played the leading lady, in a film, ironically, about show business. Also, that year, Doply became the only male actor who portrayed Darna, the female comic-super-heroine in Darna Kuno. Not to be undone, Vilma will reprise the role the following year in her fourth and final film as Darna in Darna at Ding. At present time, both superstars made headlines as contenders for Philippines’ National Artists honors. Vilma respectfully and publicly asked for Dolphy to confer the title ahead of her. – RV
Star For All Seasons 
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