Danny Dolor presents: First Golden Years photo show at CCP

MANILA, Philippines - Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) are mounting a photo exhibit of movie ads from The First Golden Years of Philippine Cinema, 1936-1941 on July 20, 2:30 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater Lobby. The rare vintage photos come from the collection of Danny Dolor.

The photo exhibit is billed Alitaptap Kikilapkilap, harking back to the years when black and white Filipino movies flickered like fireflies in theaters in Manila and the rest of the country.

Alitaptap Kikilapkilap coincides with the opening of Cinemalaya.

Stars and other celebrities of yesteryear and today have been invited to grace the exhibit.

Film historians call the period from 1936 to 1941 as the first golden years of Philippine movies.

Six glorious years of filmmaking which saw the emergence of great stars, directors, producers, writers, composers and other cinema artists and craftsmen. They collaborated in making memorable movies, some of which were influenced by Hollywood films.

The Philippines was then an American colony and the US had a big impact on the country’s economy, lifestyle, fashion, art, culture, including cinema.

The exhibit captures that era through movie ads from the collection of Dolor.

It is a follow-up to The Golden Years: Memorable Tagalog Movies Ads 1946-1956, exhibited on Nov. 9, 1993 at the Ayala Museum and then went to the SM Megamall Art Center on Jan. 8, 1994. Due to clamor from movie aficionados, the exhibit was made into a book, published by Dolor in 1994.

In 1937, Sampaguita Pictures was set up, with Bituing Marikit as its maiden offering, topbilled by Elsa Oria, Rogelio de la Rosa and Ely Ramos, and directed by Carlos Vander Tolosa.

In 1938, Excelsior Pictures was established, with Ang Maya as opening film, starring Consuelo Salazar and directed by Jose Nepomuceno.

In 1939, LVN was founded with Giliw Ko as its first movie, starring Mila del Sol, Ely Ramos, Fernando Poe and Fleur de Lis (later renamed Mona Lisa), and directed by Vander Tolosa.

The other big movie studios during the ’30s and ’40s were X’Otic Films, Parlatone Hispano-Filipino, Inc. and Filippine Films.

While there were big studios during the first golden years of Philippine movies, most of the films were independently produced. Indies they are called these days.

By then, watching movies had become a national pasttime of Filipinos.

The biggest and brightest stars of those golden years were Carmen Rosales, Rosa del Rosario, Rogelio dela Rosa, Leopoldo Salcedo, Elsa Oria, Ely Ramos, Rosario Moreno, Rudy Concepcion, Mila del Sol, Fernando Poe Sr., Arsenia Francisco, Jose Padilla Jr. and brother Carlos, Lucita Goyena, Angel Esmeralda, Yolanda Marquez, Corazon Noble, Norma Blancaflor, Fely Vallejo, Mary Walter, Purita Sta. Maria and Tita Duran, then a child star.

The compositions of Constancio de Guzman, Francisco Buencamino, Miguel Velarde and Josefino Cenizal were used as theme songs and background music of movies of the ’30s and ’40s.

The popular comedians included the tandem of Pugo and Togo, Billy “Surot” Vizcara, Vicente Ocampo, Monang Carvajal, Menggay and Manuel “Sano” Silos.

Silos was also one of the top directors of the ’30s and beyond, along with his brother Octavio. The other noted directors: Vander Tolosa, Gerardo de Leon, Lamberto Avellana, Gregorio Fernandez, Manuel Conde, Ramon Estella, Lorenzo Perez Tuells, Tor Villano and Carmen Concha, known as the first woman directress.

In 1942, Japanese forces invaded Manila and the rest of the country, cutting short the first golden years of Philippine movies.

De Leon and Avellana remained active until the ’70s. They were the leading directors of the second golden years of Philippine movies, the ’50s. The two giants were named National Artists.

The third golden years of Philippine movies came in the ’70s led by Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, also elevated to the halls of National Artists.

This article features the movie ads of the ’30s and early ’40s, when life was simpler and sweeter. Those years called Peace Time.