Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Jennings Sturgeon


JENNINGS STURGEON biography (from askART): Born May 10, 1918 in Youngstown, Ohio, Jennings Woodrow Sturgeon spent his youth in Cranesville and Albion, Pennsylvania. He painted and displayed his mother's portrait in Northwestern High School.


He married his high school sweetheart, and they had one child.

The divorced and recruited for the army, he served in the Philippines as part of the Corps of Engineers to thwart the Japanese's last-ditch effort to expel the American invading forces. As a result Sturgeon suffered PTSD (Post Traumatic Syndrome) as we call it today.

He had a live-in partner until she left him with two daughters. He re-married with a widow, who has two children and together they had six more children.

Copper Sturgeon (son): "He was introduced to Philippine films by an uncle, Johnny Monteiro, sometimes using Juan Montero, actually John Montgomery. Moses Montgomery married my grandmother's sister and had children, one of them was Uncle John, Moses, Virginia, Richard etc...

Anyways, my father decided not go back to the USA, he thinks US is too much and stifles his creativity.

All of my father's children were trained as actors first, problem is that we are not all attractive to the camera, me for instance have a small face, making me look small and in the big screen, that would not do.

Then we are all trained as painters, because this was our world.

Our father would be too drunk to finish a painting, and the buyer is on the way, so we finish it, sign it and everything. Anyways, it was fun growing up. Growing up and knew no other way."

Jennings Sturgeon took his own life at his Quezon City home on 27th June 1966.

FILMOGRAPHY (in progress)

1962 - as Major Emmett Wilson in The Raiders Of Leyte Gulf (dir. Eddie Romero)


1964 - as the drunk and doomed painter Carlos in Ethan (dir. Michael duPont)

1964 - as "Bearded Man on Boat" in Flight To Fury (dir. Monte Hellman)

1965 - as the East German agent Alfred Kohner in Contra Senas (dir. Eddie Garcia)


GALLERY














Tuesday, April 14, 2026

The Secret Of The Sacred Forest (1970)

1970 - The Secret Of The Sacred Forest (William Copeland Productions/[uncredited] Sark-Marok Productions/Shermart Distribution/AFTRS)  

[US production filmed in the Philippines around October 1967, eventually released in Biloxi on 26th June 1970. Also known as “Sacred Forest”]  

Director Michael DuPont Writer/Producer William Copeland Cinematography Vincente Sempio Music Herschel Burke Gilbert Orchestration/Arranger Ernest Hughes Songs "Has Any One Seen Chris" by William Copeland & Herschel Burke Gilbert, "Filipina Filipina" by William Copeland & Angel Pena Singer Maurice Santa Lucia Editor Tony DiMarco [as Anthony DiMarco] Sound Demetrio Carrianga  

Cast Gary Merrill (Mike Parks), Jon Provost (Jimmy Carpenter), Vic Silayan (Commander Ramos), Leo Martinez (Bayani de la Cruz), Henry Duval (Garcia), Michael J. Parsons [as Mike Parsons] (Chris Carpenter), Laurie Agudo (Annie), Dave Harvey (Brownie), Rolf Bayer (Captain Kram), Mona Morena (Mother), Lola Boy (Grandmother), Luis Florentino (Sergeant), Joseph de Cordova (Police Chief), Carol Varga (Rosa), Bruno Punzalan (Colonel Romero), Poch Apostol (Priest), Fred Viray (Dispatcher), Don Smith (2nd Mate), Zenaida Amador (Nun), Gami Virray (Pirate), Vicente Sempio (Hotel Manager), Cristina Ponce Enrile [as Christina Ponce-Enrile] (Fely)

ADVENTURE  




COMING SOON!



Gary Merrill (Mike Parks)

Jon Provost (Jimmy Carpenter)

Vic Silayan (Commander Ramos)

Leo Martinez (Bayani de la Cruz)

Henry Duval (Garcia)

Michael J. Parsons [as Mike Parsons] (Chris Carpenter)

Laurie Agudo (Annie)

Dave Harvey (Brownie)

Rolf Bayer (Captain Kram)

Mona Morena (Mother)

Lola Boy (Grandmother)

Luis Florentino (Sergeant)

Joseph de Cordova (right - Police Chief)

Carol Varga (Rosa)

Bruno Punzalan (Colonel Romero)

Poch Apostol (Priest)

Fred Viray (Dispatcher)

Don Smith (2nd Mate)

Zenaida Amador (Nun)

Vicente Sempio (Hotel Manager)

Cristina Ponce Enrile [as Christina Ponce-Enrile] (Fely)




THEATRICAL

USA
- screened around the US from its premiere screening in Biloxi on 26th June 1970 to 1975

AUSTRALIA - a 16mm print was submitted for a G rating in February 1975 but there is no evidence so far of a commercial release

VIDEO


UK
- released on VHS in 1987 via the Network Channel as "The Sacred Forest" 




- UK VHS, mp4 file