Mila del Sol celebrates her 90th birthday today at Manila Polo Club, still very beautiful and young looking. She is truly a star of the first magnitude, movie queen of many decades, from pre-war to post-war.
When she attended the photo exhibit of pre-war movies last year at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Mila mesmerized the audience as she entered the lobby. Clad in orange gown, the white-haired actress elicited oohs and aahs, the other guests asking, wondering how she could maintain her beautiful looks.
The photo exhibit was mounted by this columnist in cooperation with CCP and Cinemalaya, where choiced indie films were shown.
Vilma Santos attended the event, seated beside Mila, proudly saying that years back the veteran actress played her mother in Bato sa Buhangin, with Fernando Poe Jr. as leading man.
The photo exhibit featured some of Mila’s pre-World War II starrers, including LVN’s first production, Giliw Ko (1939), directed by Carlos Vander Tolosa, who gave her the ‘musical’ screen name. Mila was born Clarita Villarba Rivera.
After the war, Mila starred in, among others, Garrison 13 (1946), and Sarung Banggi and Violeta (1947), the so-called Liberation Years. Mila continued acting until the ’70s.
In 1961 she appeared in a Hollywood film, Espionage Far East.
As Mila marks her 90th birthday today, family members (based here and abroad) and friends are expected to attend the grand celebration. She remains in touch with showbiz friends, attending the monthly reunion, singing and reminiscing about the good old days. — RKC