A life so reel: Azucena Vera-Perez

Act I, Scene 1: In the sitting room of an Art Deco mansion on Valencia Street, overlooking the grounds of the Sampaguita Studios and Gardens, there’s an 86-year-old woman in purple-tinted granny-glasses, holding fort in a very lucid and animated manner. Sharp and alert, she’s fully aware of all that goes on around her. She’s reluctant at first, and complains with a twinkle in her eyes about having to undergo this "ordeal" of an interview.

"There were so many of them, and while I’ll have fond memories of them all, if there are two I’ll always consider as extra special, those two would be Gloria and Susan," she ventures. "When Gloria first caught our attention, it was during these affairs we’d hold, where starlets and ingénues would come, show off their talent, and be crowned Queen for the Day. She couldn’t sing if her life depended on it, but my husband, Dr. Perez, noticed her lakas ng loob, and we knew with those looks and dramatic flair, she would go a long way."

There is a pause and she continues. "Once, there was this dance sequence in a film with Luis Gonzalez and Gloria was in a Ramon Valera gown. There was some accident and her toe nail broke–natuklap–and it was bleeding profusely. The director was ready to pack up as we could see she was in pain. But just to show what kind of trouper she was, Gloria told us that it would be so hard to get all the extras back again, plus there would be production budget lost if we just packed up. Taping her toe tightly, she said she preferred to finish the scene–and they did. You can’t find that kind of attitude and dedication anymore.

"With Susan, the funny incident I remember is how she had been promised a screen test and came here, only to be told by some assistant that she was better off looking for work in the other studios. Luckily, someone from my husband’s office was passing by and knew of Susan’s test. I shudder to think of what might have come to pass had she left right away! For us, she was the ‘Face that Refreshes’– there was a vitality and freshness that set her apart from the other leading ladies of that era."

Of course, the Gloria being referred to is Gloria Romero, and Susan is Susan Roces, and our storyteller is Azucena "Mama Nene" Vera-Perez, matriarch of the Sampaguita Vera-Perez Studios.

Flashback: In the glory years of Hollywood, the studio system held sway. A studio built its "family", a pantheon of stars, directors, writers and ingénues, and despite its production line output, quality films were churned out. At the MGM studios, the products of those glory days were The Wizard of Oz, the Busby Berkeley musicals, searing dramas, film noir classics, and even more musicals. All over the world, fledging film industries would emulate the Hollywood system, cashing in on a growing audience and the endless supply of celluloid wannabes. The Philippines, with our American colonial past, was no exception.

In the 50s and 60s, the Philippine film industry consisted of the "Big Four": Sampaguita, LVN, Premiere and Libran. And if there was one studio that came closest to being our version of MGM, it was Sampaguita. Known for their dramas and musical variety films, Dr. Perez and Mama Nene ran a very tight ship: it was a family, with a code of conduct and rules on etiquette and how to appear in public. Sampaguita alone would herd all their stars in a special bus to attend events, premieres and public functions. Even the stars of the rival studios with gnash their teeth in envy at the patina of glamor that would accompany any move of the Sampaguita cinematic heroes and heroines.

The female stars would be decked in Ramon Valera and Pitoy Moreno ensembles. The sharpest imported suit fabrics would drape the shoulders of the male romantic leads and drama kings. Dolphy, Rita Gomez, Pancho Magalona, Eddie Garcia, Romeo Vasquez, Eddie Guiterrez, Tita Duran, Loretta Marquez, Lito Legaspi, Barbara Perez, German Moreno–the list goes on and on, just some of the stars who proudly considered themselves part of the Sampaguita Family.

Act II, Scene 1: Walking through the gardens, one is told that this is where various party scenes were shot, and that the little chapel across the creek served as location for marriage scenes and even horror films.

"The studio was founded by my father, Jose Vera, and along with my mother, Dolores, they ran the studio. My mother was especially strict on the behavior of anyone associated with the studio; it was like having a morality clause. When Pancho Magalona joined Sampaguita, he already had a reputation as being something of a ladies’ man. Knowing he had the eye for Tita (Duran), he was immediately warned ‘Aqui en Sampaguita, kasal bago ligaw (Here in Sampaguita, it’s marriage before courtship)!" she recalls.

"When my husband took over the helm and I was treasurer, we made sure that same tradition was upheld. Of course, that’s not to say that there weren’t naughty and pilyo ones who’d find their way into Sampaguita. Incorrigible, and we loved them for it. I’ll never forget Bobby (Vasquez)! He wanted an advance and approached me. I refused, as it was not the first time he was doing this. He went to my husband who was always Mr. Softy when it came to money matters. So my husband tells me to make an exception as Bobby said it was especially needed because his father had just passed away. A few days later I see a mutual acquaintance and I relay how I sympathized for Bobby on account of his father’s death. Well, the friend was dumbfounded as he had just spent the previous night at a party with Bobby’s father. I never let Bobby forget that episode."

Act II, Scene 2: The back lot of Samapaguita is now a quiet, languid area. They stopped producing films years ago, and now devote the facilities to post production work. At the center courtyard, one still finds their little version of Graumann’s Chinese Theater Sidewalk of Stars– signatures, little dedications, hand and feet imprints of the Sampaguita celebrities. Dolphy’s is simply inscribed "Smile", perhaps a nod to Charlie Chaplin, who composed the song. Rita Gomez, in her inimitable fashion, signed "Love and Sex".

We talk to Mama Nene about how she spends her days and whether there are any regrets about no longer being actively involved in the industry her family helped pioneer.

She smiles. "Between you and me, I have no regrets whatsoever that we shifted to post production work. I look at what’s happening now and I’m happy I was involved with the industry in my time. Values were different then. I look at how they build up some of the stars nowadays and really, I can’t imagine us ever doing a ‘I Lost my virginity at 13’ publicity angle just to jumpstart some starlet’s career. Now, most of the big money makers are simply a matter of special effects, with story and character playing second fiddle. I’m content to know we played a major role in our time and that we’ve passed on the baton.

"If my concept of family then extended to the people who were working here at Sampaguita, I now have great grandchildren of my own to keep me company. Ichu (Marichu) has a three-year-old grandson and he’s one of the joys of my life. The other night he was at his own home, being told to pray, and what did he do? He began reciting my phone number!" she laughs heartily.

"I have seven children–Ichu, Pepito, Gina, Lilibeth, Kokoy, Chona and Bobby, who passed away. Between them they have their kids and in some cases, these children already have started their own families. Most Sundays, people like Gloria, German... they drop by, we set up tables by the driveway and we spend the afternoon playing pusoy and tong-its."

Closing Credits: The kids trooping to watch the premieres of the latest installment of The Lord of the Rings or Mano Po 2 may not have recognized the robust octogenarian who sat through the films. Accompanied by her daughters and grandchildren, it may have seemed to others like a night out at the movies for this family. Little do they know just how instrumental a role this headstrong woman played in making any notion of Philippine cinema a reality.