The pre-war films of Manong Gerry

The year-long celebration of the 100th birthday of National Artist for Cinema Gerardo de Leon is well under way. The activities include the monthly screening of his extant films, a search for his long-lost films, an exhibition and the launching of a book on him before  the centennial ends in September 2014.

The De Leon centennial is a project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA).

University of the Philippines professor and artist Cesar A. Fernando provides Remember When? with accompanying photos (ads of some of his pre-war films and portrait as a young man) and write-up.

National Artist for Cinema Gerardo de Leon belongs to the famous Ilagan clan of film and stage. At age 24 in 1937, he was studying medicine at the University of Santo Tomas and at the same time appearing in many films as character actor for Parlatone Hispano-Filipino Productions. He finished his medical studies and placed fifth in the medical board examinations. In 1938, director Don Danon didn’t finish the shooting of the musical film Bahay Kubo and let his actor De Leon finished it. The film starred his future wife Fely Vallejo and her brother violinist Ernesto Vallejo, Rogelio de la Rosa, and Fleur de Lis (later Mona Lisa). It was a big commercial success that ran for almost a month at Fox Theater at Rizal Avenue which was a record during those days.

De Leon’s next directorial assignment in 1939 was Ama at Anak in which he himself played an ex-convict just released from prison and adjusting to his old family life. However, his son, played by his real brother Tito Arevalo, knows him only as his brother. The other actors in the cast were his siblings — Edo Nagali, Laling Talti and Moneng Ilagan. The film was a critical success judging from the many comments that came from the press.

In 1940, he made a film for LVN Pictures titled Princesa ng Kumintang which starred his brother Angel Esmeralda and Mila del Sol; and for Sampaguita Pictures in that same year, he made Estrellita starring Corazon Noble and Angel Esmeralda and Rogelio de la Rosa and Lota Delgado. The reel couples later became real couples in life.

De Leon directed Panambitan in 1941 with Sampaguita’s box-office star Carmen Rosales paired with Rogelio de la Rosa. De la Rosa then formed his own company R-D-R Productions and took De Leon to helm his company’s maiden offering Ang Maestra starring himself and Rosa del Rosario. The film was the first screenplay of Eddie Romero who became De Leon’s protégé. The film was also the inaugural opening of Life Theatre on Quezon Boulevard. Then, De Leon directed Anong Ganda Mo again for R-D-R starring De la Rosa, Norma Blancaflor and Pugo and Togo. The film was on its post-production stage when bombs fell on Pearl Harbor. De Leon was able to finish it and was shown in the first months of the Japanese Occupation in Manila in 1942. —RKC