Bella & Zeny, anti-heroines remember when? By danny dolon

In the ’50s and ’60s, Bella Flores (right) and Zeny Zabala were the resident contravidas of Sampaguita Pictures. They made the lives of Gloria Romero, Lolita Rodriguez, Rita Gomez, Susan Roces, Amalia Fuenteds, Marlene Dauden and other screen heroines miserable.

Offcam, the two anti-heroines were actually friendly, although when provoked, Bella could be a fighter.

Zeny later freelanced and starred in movies produced by NGI Productions, notably Kalinga and Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

Bella stuck to contravida roles, every now and then going comic, especially on television. In 1989, Bella was honored by the Film Academy of the Philippines with a Lifetime Achievement award.