Mother Lily: 70 little accolades

(First of two parts)

While everyone is fighting about awards, I would just like to point out that there is one member of the entertainment profession who has not been properly recognized for her contributions to the Philippine movie industry. I am talking about Ms. Lily Monteverde, who established Regal Films, which still remains to be the biggest movie studio today.

No, I am not pushing for her to become National Artist — just a little recognition that had long been due her. Of course, some people say that she is just there for the money. Surely she is, but we have to remember that moviemaking is primarily a business. But even if Ms. Monteverde churns out commercial movies mostly, she was also behind some classic film projects and is now in the process of giving back to the industry.

Lily Monteverde turns 70 tomorrow and in this two-part series, I am listing down 70 little accolades as my tribute to this great film producer and wonderful person (she had mellowed by the time I met her).

1. She is one of the strongest pillars of the industry.

2. Thanks to her Regal movie projects (and some from Star Cinema and GMA Films), local cinema is still kept alive in these very difficult times.

3. I know for a fact that she also helps other film producers to earn more at the box-office — just to keep the local movie business going.

4. She had always had vision. She was among the early proponents of the pito-pito style of filmmaking and now all the indie directors and producers are into it.

5. She was bold enough to produce the now classic City After Dark (Manila By Night), which showed the seamy side of the metropolis even if it was still martial law that time. The film won the 1980 Urian Best Picture award.

6. She was instrumental in helping Gloria Romero and Nida Blanca regain their above-the-title billing status in movies. One was in the comedy film Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday.

7. She always cast Celia Rodriguez in Regal projects in the early ‘80s and made sure such great talent didn’t go to waste.

8. She produced Broken Marriage, which won the 1983 Urian Best Picture.

9. She produced the political film Sister Stella L. at a time when there was unrest and it was still a no-no to fight the Marcos dictatorship. The movie went home with the Urian Best Picture trophy in 1984.

10. She gave Nora Aunor the chance to regain her box-office strength via Till We Meet Again in 1995 and in December of that year (during the Metro Manila Filmfest), she cast the superstar and Tirso Cruz III again in Together Again, another major hit.

11. She gave Vilma Santos the chance to score a three-in-a-row Urian Best Actress win in Relasyon, Broken Marriage and Sister Stella L.

12. She produced Adultery, my favorite drama movie, which was based on a real-life legal case.

13. She developed Maricel Soriano from an awkward child star to a teen sensation until she matured as an actress and now she is the Diamond Star, an actress of top caliber.

14. She was very patient with Snooky Serna. Her patience paid off. There may still be reports of Snooky being unprofessional, but you can’t deny the fact that she has developed into one of the finest actresses today.

15. She built up Dina Bonnevie, who also turned into another fine actress.

16. She built up Cherie Gil via Problem Child and Ms. Gil is now a top-rate villainess, one of the best if not the best in the field.

17. She gave the late National Artists Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal some of their most important film projects.

18. She kept reliable character actress Alicia Alonzo perennially employed. I wonder whatever happened to Ms. Alonzo.

19. She produced Temptation Island, which eventually became a cult classic.

20. She built up Albert Martinez, who became an excellent actor upon his return from abroad in the mid-‘90s.

21. She built up Gabby Concepcion, who was already an excellent actor even before he fled to the US in the mid-‘90s.

22. She gave Gina Alajar’s career the much-needed shot-in-the-arm by way of Diborsiyada in 1980. After that film, Gina established herself as one of the greatest actresses in local cinema.

23. She produced Pabling (starring William Martinez), an Ishmael Bernal comedy with a lot of social commentaries.

24. She produced in 1982 Elwood Perez’s Santa Claus is Coming to Town, one of my favorite local Christmas movies.

25. She gave stardom to Claudia Zobel, who unfortunately died in a car crash shortly after, but not before leaving behind an important work, Mel Chionglo’s Sinner or Saint.

26. She gave importance to Amalia Fuentes when she cast the former movie queen in Where Love Has Gone.

27. She built up Richard Gomez, now a multi-awarded actor.

28. She allowed the late Joey Gosiengfiao to go crazy in his films and let’s admit it, some were truly hilarious, fun and entertaining.

29. She gave in mostly to the demands of her production designers. Peque Gallaga won his first Urian, not as a director (this was before Oro, Plata, Mata), but as Best Production Designer in City After Dark.

30. She gave Luciano “Chaning” Carlos, an old hand at Sampaguita Pictures, the chance to shine anew via his Regal comedies and one of my favorites of his was Maricel Soriano’s Inday Bote.

31. She produced Virgin Forest, one of Peque Gallaga’s finest works.

32. She gave importance to the late veteran comedienne Chichay by casting her as the narrator in Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (based on Severino Reyes’ works that were aired on radio in the ‘50s), which was a very entertaining trilogy directed by Maryo J. delos Reyes.

33. She produced Hinugot sa Langit, which dared tackle the issue of abortion (among other important social issues), even when censorship was at its strictest then.

34. She gave Michael de Mesa the chance to win his first Urian Best Actor trophy in Unfaithful Wife, another one of Peque Gallaga’s finest works.

35. She gave Gretchen Barretto her first break and for whatever it’s worth, Ms. Barretto now always keeps showbiz entertained and the ratings of local talk shows soaring.

 (To be concluded)