Soliman Brothers (1966)

Images courtesy of the Video 48 blog

1966 – Soliman Brothers (Emar Pictures)  

[Release date 13th May 1966]  

Director Augusto Buenaventura Story/Screenplay Nestor St Roy [poster lists "Writer" as Augusto Buenaventura] Producer [uncredited] Joseph Estrada Executive Producer Emilio Ejercito Assistant Executive Producer Jesus M. Ejercito Cinematography Fredy Conde Music Restie Umali Editor Atilano Salvador Sound Manuel C. Daves Production Coordinator A.C. Montesines Production Manager Raul Aranda Assistant Director Simplicio Pajarillo Makeup Artist Baby Maclang Field Soundman Godofredo de Leon Assistant Cameraman Manuel C. Roxas Jr Schedule Master Roger Bonagua Assistant Editors Rogelio Salvador, Edgardo "Boy" Vinarao Laboratory Antonio Camato, Ananias Latagan Printers Zeny Ambos, Nelfa Arce Titles "MRL" Stills Francisco Salanga   

Cast Joseph Estrada (Joe Soliman), Jess Lapid [Sr] (Jessie Soliman), Jun Aristorenas (Johnny Soliman), Paquito Diaz (Bernie), Imelda Ilanan, Gina Laforteza (Gina), Rebecca (Elisa), Renato Robles, Larry Silva, Avel Morado, Ben Dato, Max Alvarado (Rosco), Romy Diaz (Iscarella), Angel Confiado, Ben Bernal, Bobby Gianzon, Rudy Samoy, SOS Daredevils, Ike Fernando, Jose Padilla Jr (Diego Soliman), Anita Linda (Carmen)  

ACTION

NOTES: Executive Producer Emilio Ejercito is Joseph Estrada's father, while his assistant Jesus M. Ejercito is Joseph's youngest brother

Mini-review by Andrew Leavold  

Equal parts romance, comedy, fisticuffs, back-alley knifings and family melodrama as the Soliman boys - Sixties action icons Joseph Estrada, Jess Lapid Sr and Jun Aristorenas - defend their poor Manila neighbourhood from the Syndicate, while released felon Bernie (Paquito Diaz) reignite their father's (Jose Padilla Jr) criminal ties. Brother Joe (Estrada) is primarily concerned with maintaining the family's dignity in its poverty; his siblings are more interested in climbing the social ladder - the hotheaded but terminally shy Jesse (Lapid, playing against his usual confident type) trying to impress the boss' daughter (Rebecca), gigolo Johnny (Aristorenas) strutting around rich girl Gina (Laforteza), whose father, another past associate of Bernie, is being blackmailed by henchman Iscarella (a young, clean-cut Romy Diaz). Anita Linda is fantastic as Carmen, fallen woman and consort of Soliman Sr, as well as mama-san at Carmen's Place where Joe's girlfriend (Imelda Ilanan) works and observes the unfolding tragedy, and Max Alvarado, Larry Silva and the SOS Daredevils help with the regulation goons. Soliman Brothers' slum dramatics are underscored by Restie Umali's terrific, frenetic jazz, surf and pop numbers, strictly by the numbers and, as formulaic Sixties goon actioners go, impressively so.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Joseph Estrada (Joe Soliman)

Jess Lapid [Sr] (Jessie Soliman)

Jun Aristorenas (Johnny Soliman)

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

- mp4 file [b&w, in Tagalog with no subtitles]

Alamat Ng 7 Kilabot (1967)

1967 – Alamat Ng 7 Kilabot/“Legend Of 7 Terrors” (FPJ Productions) 

[Release date 11th September 1967, also listed as “Alamat Ng Pitong Kilabot”] 

Director Armando A. Herrera Screenplay Teodorico C. Santos, Fred Navarro Producer Fernando Poe Jr Cinematography Sergio Lobo Music Tony Maiquez Editor Augusto Salvador Sound Recordist Ago Salvador Re-Recording Angel Avellana, Greg Ella Special [Sound] Effects Jun Martinez Magnetic Tape Editor Jay Jacinto In Charge Of Production Ben Esteva Assistant Director Manuel "Fyke" Cinco Unit Manager Rodolfo Meyer Art Director Vicente Bonus Special Effects Santos Hilario Makeup Artist Tinay Manahan Propsman Pete Herrera Field Soundman Resty Castro Assistant Cameraman Ben Lobo Schedule Master Boy Aguilar Assistant Film Editor Rene Esteva Printers Lina Evangelista, Pete Jamco Titles Greg Alcid Jr Stills Diog de Castro Horses Provided by Juan Venturina 

Cast Fernando Poe Jr (Nando Aguila), Joseph Estrada (Pepe), Jess Lapid [Sr] (Cardo), Bob Soler (Dante Cortez), Dan Moreno (Moreno), Roberto Talabis (Roberto), Zaldy Zshornack (Zaldo), Van de Leon, Eddie Garcia, Johnny Monteiro, Ramon D’Salva, Lito Anzures, Victor Bravo, Bert Olivar, Paquito Diaz, Rebecca (Nena), Joe Garcia, Dencio Padilla (Dencio), Manolo Robles, Vic Varrion, Francisco Cruz, Mario Escudero, Resty Sandel, Vic Uematsu, Diego Guerrero, Paquito Salcedo, Romy Diaz, Andy Poe [film debut], Joe Cunanan, Robert Talby, Nonoy de Guzman, Ben Sanchez, Belo Borja, Manny Sanchez, Royal Dahlen, Romeo Mabutol, Bert de Dios, Ester Vizconde, Danny Riel, SOS Daredevils 

WESTERN 

Mini-review by Andrew Leavold

[Previously published in Leavold's book The Search For Weng Weng (2017)]

The Pinoy Western genre produced one of the finest examples of all-star teams in Alamat Ng 7 Kilabot ("Legend Of The 7 Terrors"; 1967) rounding up FPJ, Joseph Estrada, Jess Lapid Sr, Zaldy Zshornack, Bob Soler, and half-brother Andy Poe, making his film debut. Along with Dan Moreno and Roberto Talabis, the seven hired gunmen ride into a town besieged by bandits (itself an all-star team of bad guys Van de Leon, Johnny Monteiro, Eddie Garcia and Paquito Diaz), posing as San Diego's saviours sent by the Governor, but in fact searching for treasure buried somewhere in the Church graveyard. The film's obvious riff on The Magnificent Seven (1960) is mixed ingeniously with the "gold in the graveyard" idea from the then-enormous The Good The Bad And The Ugly (1966), while at the same time borrowing Leone's deliberate blurring of the Western's clear cut moral divide - itself a revolutionary leap within Philippine cinema's customary good-vs-evil morality plays. 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

THEATRICAL

PHILIPPINES - released 11th September 1967

- mp4 file [in Tagalog with no subtitles]