Pancho Magalona as D' Artagnan in Tres Mosqueteros

In the late ‘40s up to the mid-‘50s, Pancho Magalona was one of Sampaguita’s top leading men, usually paired with wife Tita Duran. After which he freelanced, appearing in other studios, including LVN.

Pancho’s LVN movies included Luis Latigo, Emily, and Tres Mosqueteros (1960), a spoof of Alexandre Dumas’ Three Musketeers. He is D’ Artagnan, with Pugo and Lopito as the two other Mosqueteros.

Although typecast in romantic and musical roles at Sampaguita, Pancho proved to be an adept comedian and fencer in the spoof, shot in Eastman color and ‘with apologies to Alexandre Dumas.’

Pancho also appeared in two American films, Day of the Trumpet and The Hook. He was memorable in El Filibusterismo (as Simoun) and Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig, which gave him the FAMAS Best Actor award for 1958. —RKC