Dance-O-Rama: ‘Em were the days - STAR BYTES by Butch Francisco

Fighting for audience share in the late afternoon to early evening slot on television these days are shows with various formats: investigative (Mission X), celebrity profile (Pipol), showbiz-oriented (Kris & Tell) and documentary features (Extra, Extra).

By 6 p.m., the Tagalog news programs Saksi on Channel 7 and TV Patrol on ABS-CBN continue to pounce on each other in the ratings game.

During the early years of television in the Philippines, however, variety shows reigned supreme in this time slot.

In the very early ’60s, there was The Big Broadcast on Channel 11. Starring Cris de Vera, Eddie San Jose and Sylvia la Torre, it featured song/dance numbers and comedy skits (conducted live).

The Big Broadcast became such a big hit that Sampaguita Pictures even cashed in on its title and used it for one of their major productions: a comedy that starred Amalia Fuentes and Susan Roces and featured in a grand production number in the end all the contract stars of the studio.

In 1962, Channel 5 introduced the concept of a daily dance show by coming up with Dance-O-Rama. Aired from 6-7 p.m. Monday to Friday, it featured a different band, then known as combo, every day.

The show was staged live at the Channel 5 studio in Makati (near the fire station) and had a spacious dance floor where teen couples were encouraged to display the dance crazes of that era. Prizes in kind were given to the best dance couple, most charming couple and even to the earliest couple every single day. On Fridays, the show had a theme (Hawaiian, the shipwreck look, etc.) and everyone had to come in costume.

The show also chose the Dance-O-Rama Queen of the day, of the week, of the month and, finally, at one point of the year, assembled all the monthly winners and crowned the fairest of them all.

The Dance-O-Rama Queen of the Year was given prizes in cash and in kind, a trip abroad and a movie contract. This contest, in fact, was what got Gina Pareño and Mary Ann Murphy to the movies.

The grand coronation night was always a big event — with the year’s queen selected by a panel of judges from top society: Mary Prieto, Chona Kasten and then senatorial wife, Imelda Marcos.

During the first year that Dance-O-Rama went on the air, Sampaguita Pictures made a movie based on the show. It starred Susan Roces as Adoracion Luna, a Dance-O-Rama Queen aspirant who, of course, went on to win the crown at the end of the film.

The original hosts of Dance-O-Rama were Pete Roa and Baby O’Brien. In July 1963, however, O’Brien was pirated by ABS-CBN and was given her own program in the Lopez-owned station. It was called The Baby O’Brien Show and this became the direct competitor of Dance-O-Rama. (Same time slot and practically the same format.)

In order to find a replacement for Baby O’Brien, Dance-O-Rama had to conduct an informal search and went around the different campuses in Manila.

UP Diliman suggested the name of Boots Anson, a graduating speech and drama major. (Her professor in broadcasting that time was Nestor U. Torre.) Although she was a popular campus figure, she was — until then — better known as the daughter of actor Oscar Moreno.

In the beginning, Boots was hesitant to accept the offer to co-host Dance-O-Rama. She was in her final year in college and was batting for cum laude. Her mother, however, encouraged her to take on the job because it was related to her course, after all.

Straight from school (her classes ended at 5:30 p.m.), therefore, she found herself rushing every day to the Makati studio in order to catch Dance-O-Rama’s 6 o’clock telecast. (The only time she was late for work was on her first day on the show.)

As you and I already know it by now, Boots and Pete Roa fell in love on the set of Dance-O-Rama. Every day, Pete would give Boots a long-stemmed rose that — Boots would only discover later — was snitched by Pete straight from the bouquet of the Dance-O-Rama Queen.

Although they were already going steady that time, Pete still left Boots on the set of Dance-O-Rama to move to ABS-CBN where he was reunited with O’Brien in The Baby O’Brien Show. (This career move on the part of Pete Roa had the blessings of Boots though.)

Pete Roa was a valuable asset to Dance-O-Rama. He was not only host of the show. At one point, he also served as choreographer and lighting director. Eventually, he also assumed the position of executive producer from Bessie Castañeda.

But the ABS-CBN offer was difficult to resist. Along with the on-cam job in The Baby O’Brien Show, he was also made into one of the network’s top honchos.

Meanwhile, Channel 5 had to act fast and get Boots a new co-host. The station brought in Jinnie Pia who would later marry (and get separated from) dancer Laura Danao (daughter of singer Bimbo Danao).

Although Pete and Boots were working for different stations, they still continued with their romance that ended up in the altar on June 5, 1964.

After their wedding, it was Boots’ turn to flee Dance-O-Rama. Where did she move? You guessed it right — at ABS-CBN where she took over the hosting slot vacated by Leila Benitez in Student Canteen.

At that point, Channel 5 must have gotten tired of building up new talents to host Dance-O-Rama. They let Jinnie Pia do the show alone.

But Jinnie Pia apparently was not destined to stay long in Dance-O-Rama either. He, too, eventually moved to ABS-CBN where he was given a managerial position.

(On Saturday, I am writing about Oras ng Ligaya and other subsequent early evening variety shows on local television.)