Digitally-restored Home Along Da Riles kicks off tribute for Dolphy
For several decades, and even today, the comedic genius of the Philippines’ King of Comedy, Dolphy, has continued to bring laughter and joy to millions of Filipinos across generations through his funny antics, witty humor, and lovable persona that never fail to tickle a funny bone.
And as a fitting tribute to the King of Comedy, the Film Development Council (FDCP) is launching the third installment of its Philippine Film Industry Month with the theme “Tuloy ang Tawanan” with Dolphy himself as the face of this month-long celebration.
The festivities kicked off with a screening of the digitally-restored version of Home Along Da Riles Da Movie, courtesy of ABS-CBN Film Restoration. The event reunited the cast of the sitcom made into movie, namely Claudine Barretto (as Bing), Vandolph Quizon (Baldo), Boy 2 Quizon (Estong), Smokey Manaloto (Bill), Gio Alvarez (Bob), and Nova Villa (Aling Ason), among others.
Present at the screening was Sagip Pelikula head Leo Katigbak, who emphasized the importance of preserving Dolphy’s legacy by restoring and remastering his cinematic works, especially for today’s younger audiences.
“From the beginning, we have always wanted to restore a lot of Dolphy’s works because I feel that despite him being known as the King of Comedy, the younger generation may not know him well, especially through his timeless films and TV shows that resonated to audiences of all ages,” Leo shared.
“I saw the restored works of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Isang tingin ko pa lang noon, si Dolphy agad ang pumasok sa isip ko. He is in that league, and he is indeed world-class. Unfortunately, not much of his works survived for the younger generations to appreciate him even more,” he added.
Leo then recalled instances of the continuous clamor to hail Dolphy as a National Artist, highlighting that restoring his works is vital in strengthening his candidacy for the prestigious honor and further cementing his legacy as the King of Comedy.
“A part of the criteria for the national honor is that there is a body of work that survives. For us at Sagip Pelikula, if there’s a push to make him a National Artist, we make sure that his works that define him as the King of Comedy should still be around,” Leo noted.
To date, ABS-CBN Film Restoration has restored eight of his films spanning five decades, with the scanned and enhanced version of The Graduation (1969), Captain Barbell (1973), Omeng Satanasia (1977), My Juan En Only (1982), John En Marsha ‘85 Sa Probinsya (1985), Home Along Da Riles Da Movie (1993), Markova: Comfort Gay and Daddy O, Baby O! (2000).
Dolphy’s Home Along co-stars also expressed gratitude for ABS-CBN’s efforts to preserve his legacy for today’s audiences and for future generations seeking to learn the roots of Philippine entertainment.
“Ang saya-saya kasi ang sarap balik-balikan ‘yung mga nagawa niya noon in color and high definition. Napakalaki ng effort na ginawa ng ABS-CBN kaya’t maraming, maraming salamat sa kanila at sana lahat ng pelikulang luma ma-restore,” Smokey shared.
Meanwhile, Dolphy’s grandson, Boy2 Quizon, also thanked ABS-CBN for continuing to re-air his works on various platforms. Through these efforts, Filipino audiences today can share Dolphy’s legacy of bringing laughter to their future children or grandchildren, and further highlight how his shows are anchored towards our culture and timely family values.
“It’s nice na ma-restore lahat ng ito, lalo na sa mga kabataang hindi nakaabot na mapanood ang mga palabas niya. It’s a matter of showcasing the core values of family. ‘Yung iba kasi napanood na nila, nakikita pa rin nila through various digital platforms, meron pa tayong Jeepney TV, Cinema One, etc. Parang lumalabas muli si Tatay Dolphy,” he said.
Today, many actors and comedians seek to emulate and continue Dolphy’s lifetime of laughs shared with millions of Filipinos. However, restoration plays a significant role in preserving his works, ensuring that valuable lessons and hearty laughter are passed down from one generation of viewers to the next.
(Kapamilyas can watch more restored versions of ABS-CBN’s comedy titles in FDCP’s month-long celebration of Philippine Film Industry Month. Catch Here Comes the Bride on Sept. 13; Ang Tanging Ina, Sept. 26; and Daddy O, Baby O!, Sept. 28 for free at the Rizal Open Air Auditorium and all of FDCP’s Cinematheques.)
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