Last week’s “Guess Who” piece garnered a lot of feedback. It’s a summer of sequels (or prequels, in the case of Prometheus and MIB3), so here’s a sequel; or prequel, since these are from the past. Take this “Guess Who” quiz. The answers are at the end. Good luck.
1) Before SMS, FB and Twitter we (and politicians) relied on newspapers and magazines as a medium for reaching out ...or harassing us with spin, scandal and sensational stories. Here’s an image from the Weekly Graphic of May 1964, showing four political party stalwarts when they were apparently still friends (or “frienimies”?) The questions: Identify these four politicos. What party did they represent? Where was this shot taken? Why did the fellow on the left like wearing suits?
2) I’m still recovering from that six-hour battle royale between Nole D and Rafa Nadal! They both are true champions (of course for 2+ million dollars in prize money I’d battle for 600 hours!). We had our own champion. Who is this 5’3” wonder (shown here standing with a Davis Cup opponent in the ’50s) who won the 1950 Pan American Tennis title in Mexico City? He bested top players from Europe and America, many of whom stood a head — and a few balls — taller than him. Who is that American tennis player he is posing with (who has Latino blood ...and played with a lot of cujones)?
3) In the 1960s the hot babes of UP Diliman were all in the Corps of Sponsors of the ROTC. Here is the lovely leader of the corps in 1963, who is she?
4) Baseball was a popular sport here until the ’50s. It was played everywhere until silly basketball took over. This famous baseball player (as well as others) could have made it to the big leagues in the US. Size does not matter in this sport... only talent and savvy just like football. Who was this Mr. Baseball of 1955? Where was the picture taken? What famous US ball players played in the same venue in 1934 (hitting home runs)?
5) Here’s an iconic (or iconoclastic) creative genius... one who shook the foundations of literature... and whose poems mind-blowingly stood out against everything... else much like Job’s creations did. Who was he? (The picture is the cover of the Sunday Times Magazine in 1959 — time was when poets were given as much value as other less deserving celebrities — unlike today!)
6) In the ’50s, before climate change, our rainy seasons were disastrous only every few years (...nowadays every year is a disaster year ...sometimes every month ..and lately every week!) This cover of the Sunday Times Magazine in 1959 features a charming coed... then a sophomore at the UST... eight years later she would meet and marry a famous American pop star. Name the coed... who did she marry? What was the name of the guy’s 1) band? and 2) famous father?
7) This ballerina from 1968 wants to be a mermaid... she is prancing around the construction site of what would become eventually become a modernist architectural landmark... 1) What is the structure being built behind her? And 2) who is this ballerina?
8) We had a popular cycling competition from the ’50s to the ’70s called the Tour of Luzon, I marked my summers by that... and the cute graphics the newspapers always had showing cartoon cyclists racing at the bottom of their front pages. The questions: What competition was this tour inspired by? Where was the finish line? Who’s the champion in the picture?
9) Time was when foreign airlines advertised the Philippines. I wonder if they do this today? Who was their model then?
10) In 1961, this Hollywood starlet visited. She gamely tried on a modern terno. Who was she?
11) This teen star was one of the busiest endorsers in the ’70s. Who is this actress/singer/governor?
The answers:
1) (L-R): Senate President Ferdinand Marcos, Senator (and former VP) Fernando Lopez Sr., Senator Arturo Tolentino, and Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez, all of Nacionalista Party. This picture was taken in the old Congress (now the National Museum). My friend Ige Ramos says that Marcos was clearly a fashion victim; he wanted to stand out among his peers. “That is why when the time came for him to be sartorially nationalistic, he got Pierre Cardin’s designer Giovanni Sanna to design the “Marcos Type” barong, which was highly tailored, the bodice tapered complete with cut-offs, French cuffs and collar and dart manipulation.”
2) Felicisimo Ampon and Pancho Gonzalez
3) Boots Anson (later Roa)… a fellow corps sponsor was Miriam (Santiago)
4) That’s Johnny Briones Mr Baseball of 1955. In December of 1934 the New York Yankees including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig came to play here. The two hit home runs against a Philippine selection. We beat the Japanese at this game until the 50s too. If we kept on swinging we would have had a professional league like Japan and Korea. My dad used to go the games before the war. Many of the players were siblings like the Codinera brothers but alas their kids turned to basketball. If we revived our baseball league and our national team what would the name be? ...I don’t like Blueboys because it sounds like they’re always sad ...or frustrated. The Azkals and Volcanoes are cool ...’Blueboys’ is just …blue. Maybe, the Aztigs!
5) The late great Jose Garcia Villa
6) Jinkee Suzara. Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Jerry Lewis.
7) Tina Santos in front of the CCP being constructed in 1965.
8) Tour de France... Quirino Grandstand/In front of Rizal Memorial... Mamerto Eden 1958
9) Susan Roces, she’s more fun.
10) Shirley McLaine, sister of Warren Beatty
11) Vilma Santos. “Direk! Paki-off ’yung bagyo please!”
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Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.