Stariray (1981)

1981 – Stariray (RVQ Productions)

[Release date 13th February 1981; sometimes listed as “Istariray”]

Director Romy Villaflor Story Roy Vera Cruz Screenplay Vic Felipe Executive Producer Dolphy [as Rodolfo V. Quizon] Cinematography Alfonso Alvarez Music Dominic Choreography Lito Calzado Song “Ulam” Sung & Lyrics by Dolphy Editor Efren Jarlego Sound Supervision Luis Reyes Sound Effects Demet Velasquez General Manager Manny “Boy” Quizon Assistant General Manager Laura Cooper-Nurse Production Manager Caledonio “Boy” Pineda Project Officer Danding Inocencio Assistant Director Danny Hernandez Fight Instructors Fred Esplana, Jay Grama, Roland Falcis Special Effects Danny Torrente Makeup Artist Ligaya Quince Dolphy’s Makeup & Costumes Joey Luna Dolphy’s Makeup Assistant Joe Ledesma Set Decorator Pepe Cruz Property Masters Maning Cabides, Doming Ocenar Cameraman Lito Lapara Field Soundman Ledwino Robiso Schedule Master Butch Peralta Post-Production Manager Alfredo Sta. Ana Assistant Editors Armando Jarlego, Dante de Leon Re-Recording Technicians Ramon Reyes, Oscar Magnaye Assistant Executive Assistant/Comptroller Paquito Principe Bautista Layout Artist Eddie Domer Stillman Narciso Ocampo Publicity Directors Danny Villanueva, Vic Felipe

Cast Dolphy (Serafica Parakikay), Panchito (Police Captain), Rod Navarro (Rod), Paquito Diaz (Frank), Rodolfo “Boy” Gutierrez (Boy), Anna Marie Gutierrez (Mother's Moll), Carmi Martin (Stella), Bentot (Stella's "Aunt" #1), Teroy de Guzman (Stella's "Aunt" #2), Renato Robles (Mother), Conde Ubaldo (Captain's Assistant), Georgie Quizon (Choreographer), Ferrarie Models, Lito Calzado’s Body Machines, Edgar Quizon (Macho Dancer), Weng Weng (Chief), Marissa Delgado (Serafica's Mother), Ading Fernando, Matimtiman Cruz (Captain's Secretary), Don Pepot (Boxing Referee), Balut, Pamela Amor, Benny Mack, Amay Bisaya (Boxing Commentator), Er “Canton” Salazar (Pasay Gangster), Laura Cooper-Nurse (Girl's Mother), Ben Johnson (Driver), Ben Manalo, Atong Maximo, Robert Talby (Quezon City Gangster), Paquito Bautista, Vic Santos, Roger Saulog, Nery Santos, Sauro Cotoco, Sim Jorge, Francis Ubaldo, Rod Maximo, Tommy Romulo Jr, SOS Daredevils Gagambas Lito Calzado, Panchito Jr, Fred Esplana, Jay Grama, Manny Samson, Roland Falcis [as Rolan Falcis]

COMEDY/KUNG FU/MUSICAL

NOTES: Second of three Dolphy films starring Weng Weng - preceded by The Quick Brown Fox (1980), and followed by Da Best In Da West (1981). Dolphy also guested in Weng Weng's first solo starring vehicle Agent 00 (1981). 

STOLEN MUSIC ALERT!! - Player 1's "Space Invaders" (around 0.58.00] and "Twilight Zone" by Manhattan Transfer[around 1.20.00]

 

Excerpt from The Search For Weng Weng book by Andrew Leavold

Stariray, released in February 1981, morphs several of Dolphy’s popular cross-dressing characters into Serafica Parakikay, a mournful Cinderella trapped in a barangay and forced to dress and act like a girl by his domineering mother (Marissa Delgado). While cooking and cleaning for his three crooked Ugly Brothers (Paquito Diaz, Rodolfo “Boy” Garcia and Rod Navarro), Serafica dreams of being a glamorous singer – the opening song-and-dance number through a fish market, ripping off both The Village People’s “Can’t Stop The Music” and the theme to The Twilight Zone, is superb – and despite the fact he’s called a bakla (homosexual), moons over fashion model and undercover agent Stella (Carmi Martin).

Unbeknownst to Serafica the brothers run with a crime syndicate known as the Gagambas (“Spiders”), a group specializing in hypnotizing and swindling tourists, led by the androgynous “Mother” and backed by some very questionable goons (all three of Dolphy’s fight directors, SOS Daredevils Jay Grama, Fred Esplana and Roland Falcis, appear in lipstick!). After the Gagambas’ crime spree includes the brothers robbing their own mother’s coffin, Serafica is drafted by the Police Captain (Panchito) to help defeat the gang and his dastardly brothers. The Captain and his diminutive Strategic Planner (Weng Weng) start training in earnest: first up, at the shooting range, Weng Weng – looking dapper in white shirt and striped flares – stands astride and supervises as the Chief and Stella teach Serafica how to use a pistol (Panchito gets his ear blown off for his trouble). Next, in a fantastic continuous shot, student Serafica watches while mentor Weng Weng assumes an attack stance, then flips his opponent several times and bows. When it’s Serafica’s turn, he sits Weng Weng on a deck chair, hands him a drink, massages his legs and slinks off.

There’s more romance in the shape of Mother’s tomboyish moll (Anna Marie Gutierrez) and a macho dancer (Dolphy’s son Edgar Quizon) who help Serafica and Stella escape from the Gagambas’ clutches. Outside the lair, the Strategic Planner stands on a jeep, and in a gruff baritone voice (his only line in the entire film) yells at the Chief to “Take charge!” The final six minutes is a whirlwind of bullets and flying karate chops in an all-out assault on the Brothers and Mother’s goons in what looks like a Country Club on the side of a hill, all filmed in magnificent Goonerama. The newly-confident Serafica proves himself to be a man after all and gets the girl; even Weng Weng takes part in the action when grabbed by a Gagamba – he flips backwards onto the goon’s shoulders and delivers a crushing elbow to the skull, before somersaulting along the body and finishing with a swift kick to the head. In the final shot, as the baddies are led away by police, Weng Weng truly owns the final moment – he strides up to Serafica and Panchito, salutes, then walks between Rod Navarro’s legs.  

A typical RVQ Productions masala comedy generously packed with the Quizon clan (in addition to Edgar, brother Georgie Quizon and sister Laura Cooper-Nurse), Stariray is far from vintage Dolphy - more mid-level, akin to many of Dolphy’s efforts from his incredibly prolific late Seventies/early Eighties period – but as far as gay disco kung fu musicals go, I can safely declare that Stariray is certainly up there with the best of them.

 

 Dolphy (Serafica Parakikay)

 Panchito (Police Captain)

 Rod Navarro (Rod)

 Paquito Diaz (Frank)

 Rodolfo “Boy” Gutierrez (Boy)

 Anna Marie Gutierrez (Mother's Moll)

 Carmi Martin (Stella)

 Bentot (Stella's "Aunt" #1)

 Teroy de Guzman (Stella's "Aunt" #2)

 Renato Robles (Mother)

 Conde Ubaldo (right - Captain's Assistant)

Georgie Quizon (right - Choreographer)

 Edgar Quizon (Macho Dancer)

 Weng Weng (Chief)

 Marissa Delgado (Serafica's Mother)

Matimtiman Cruz (Captain's Secretary)

 Don Pepot (in hat - Boxing Referee)

Amay Bisaya (blue shirt - Boxing Commentator)

Er “Canton” Salazar (Pasay Gangster)

 

Laura Cooper-Nurse (Girl's Mother)

 Ben Johnson (Mother's Driver)

Robert Talby (Quezon City Gangster)

Lito Calzado (Gagamba)

 

Fred Esplana (Gagamba)

Jay Grama (Gagamba)

...and unnamed actors I need help in identifying! 

THEATRICAL

 

PHILIPPINES – 6th November 1980

USA – Embassy Theatre, Los Angeles for a week starting 13th May 1981; also at the Embassy in February and March 1982

 GUAM – Week beginning 3rd November 1981 at the Hafa Adai 3, Tamuning

 HAWAII – Week beginning 18th February 1983 at the Toyo Theatre, Honolulu

VIDEO

 USA – VHS release via Trigon Video [in Tagalog with no subtitles, for the Filipino community in the US]

 

- mp4 [in Tagalog with no subtitles - sorry, it's not for sale]