Musmos Na Mandirigma (1969)

1969 – Musmos Na Mandirigma/"Child Warriors" (Jo-An Productions)  

[Release date 21st October 1969]  

Director/Story Tommy G. Citco Jr Screenplay Johnny C. Pangilinan Producers Peter M. Caballes, Cora Ridon Caballes Music Joseph Mendoza  

Cast Dante Varona, Sofia Moran, Roderick [Paulate], Cora Varona (Kumander Delgado), Martin Marfil, Bruno Punzalan, Miniong Alvarez, Fernando Marin, Chito Reyes, Jack Moreno, Leo Longalong, Abelardo Dacer, Benny Mallari, Buddy de Jesus, Felix Marfil, Lilia Castillo, Val Dalton, Eddie Mac, Dolly Fuentes, Luis Florentino, Norma Blancaflor, Angel Confiado, Rudy dela Pena, Dindoy, Joyce Padilla, Peter M. Caballes [as Pete Caballes]  

WAR  

NOTE by Andrew Leavold: Future producers of Weng Weng's films, Cora and Peter Caballes, released MUSMOS NA MANDIRIGMA ["Child Warriors"] to Manila theaters on 21st October 1969. A former department head at the Mariwasa tile company, Peter harboured a not-so-secret obsession to be part of the film industry. In 1968 he convinced Cora and both sets of parents to invest in a film production company named Jo-An Productions, after one of the Caballes' daughters. Their September 1969 debut was a racy science fiction-themed pulp flick ZOOM-ZOOM APOLLO starring sex siren Divina Valencia, Pampangan action specialist Bernard Belleza, and stuntman-turned-action-hero on the rise Dante Varona. The following month saw Jo-An's second feature MUSMOS... with ZOOM-ZOOM's child star Roderick Paulate in a prominent role alongside Dante Varona and Sofia Moran. Along with much of the Philippines' pre-80s cinema, both Jo-An productions have long disappeared, with only their black and white newspaper ads surviving. Not surprisingly, producer and frustrated actor Pete Caballes is listed in MUSMOS' acting credits.