Sila...Sa Bawa't Bangketa (1976)

1976 - Sila...Sa Bawa't Bangketa/"They…On Every Sidewalk" (Liliw Productions) 

[Release date 17th December, 1976; re-released in cinemas 9th April 1977] 

Director Dante “Boy” Pangilinan Writer "Cora C. Ridon"/Cora Ridon Caballes Producer "Twinkle" [Caballes] Executive Producers Peter M. Caballes, Cora Ridon Caballes Cinematography Nestor Orense Music Kuya Mimo 

Cast Rez Cortez, Ramon “Boy” Bagatsing, Ingrid Salas, Yoyoy Villame, Weng Weng, Joy Navarro, Michael Vallar, Marie Grace Santos, Linda Castro, Sarah Gumaboa, Vivian Velez, Danny Glenmore, Ruel Romano, Odette Khan, Rudy de la Pena, Tony Orbeta, Angel Confiado, Gil Arena, Leo Langalong, SOS Daredevils, Larry Esguerra, Amay Bisaya, Peter M. Caballes 

ACTION/COMEDY  

THE LOST MOVIE PROJECT: Piecing together the fragments of the Philippines' vanished cinema

Andrew Leavold on Sila...Sa Bawa't Bangketa [from The Search For Weng Weng book]; the fill interview with Dante 'Boy' Pangilinan's interview is HERE, and the Rez Cortez interview is HERE

"We are supposed to make Sila…Sa Bawa't Bangketa," Dante 'Boy' Pangilinan related. "I am the Assistant Director and Maria Saret is the director. But eventually, Direk [“Director”] Maria Saret is already pregnant and almost to deliver. So my producer, Ms Cora Caballes, 'Direk, we're supposed to shoot this coming week!' 'Oh, Ms Caballes, I'm already delivering this baby!' 'Who will direct the movie?' I'm very lucky, direk Maria Saret pointed at me, 'Boy Pangilinan will direct the movie.' So I'm surprised! 'Boy, can you make it?' 'Oo [yes], Direk Maria Saret said I can make it, so I can make it.' (laughs) I'm very happy Direk Maria Saret gave me the strong [recommendation]. That's where I started, my first film, I'm very lucky." 

The Caballes presented Dante with his diminutive star. "When Cora introduced to me Weng Weng, I was surprised…what can I do with this little boy? No…he's not a boy,” Dante laughed, “it's already 24 years old, I think. What? You make this boy one of the partakers in Sila…Sa Bawa't Bangketa? All I can say is, 'Ninang? Are you serious? OK, what talents do Weng Weng have?' So I began screening Weng Weng. Wow! Weng Weng do the martial arts… the only thing is the dialogue, I cannot… 'What? OK, subject for dubbing!'” Dante laughed heartily. “But, I like his voice, I don't make dubbing. That's why when you see the film, Sila…Sa Bawa't Bangketa, original voice of Weng Weng." How would you describe his voice? "Very small, like coming from the balloon? Understandably he's a small guy, but with a big heart, big strong… If you can feel him, he's very strong." 

What were your impressions about his mental abilities? Did he seem like a child? "Mentally, Weng Weng is I think half-half. There is a time when we I talked to him, straight answers, and eventually he says, 'Hey, look at that girl, wow!' So he's normal. 'Wow, direk, she's sexy!' He's normal. But there was a time, I think, when small kids started playing with him, he also played. 'Oh you're playing, you're already a big boy!' But then, 'Just look at the legs of Ingrid Salas, my leading lady!' In fact, Weng Weng asked me, 'Direk, do we have a kissing scene?' 'What? OK, I made a scene where you have a kissing scene…' You can look at the face of Weng Weng, shines. But eventually, I think he's already thinking, 'How can I do that?' 'OK, just relax!' So, as the shooting goes on, I think Weng Weng is thinking their kissing scene, when will that scene be taken? Weng Weng is a normal guy, a nice guy." 

Sila…Sa Bawa't Bangketa featured a fourth-billed Weng Weng as a jeepney barker collecting fares for driver Rez Cortez. The pair fall foul of the crime syndicate boss, played by Ramon 'Boy' Bagatsing Jr - a future politician, his father Ramon D. Bagatsing was the one-legged Mayor of Manila from 1972 to 1986 - who also has eyes for Rez's rich-girl sweetheart (Ingrid Salas). Weng Weng ends up a police informer posing as one of the syndicate's child drug couriers. Unseen since its brief theatrical run, even Dante has trouble remembering the plot. But for certain, it was made quickly and cheaply, made the Caballes' money back plus profit, and its two-foot nine star was noticed. 

"I made that film in 35mm," said Dante. "I think, one of my goals there is to shorten my film shooting days. So hopefully I don't offend another director or another film producer, during that day they made a film in 30 days, one month, but Cora said, 'Direk, can we make this film about eight to ten days?' I told my producer, why? 'We have just a limited budget.' So I said, 'Ninang, why me?' It's a challenge to me. We even don't have a complete fully-equipped shooting unit! Just a cassette, one camera, and a number of lights. I said, 'Ninang, I will try my very best in doing this film.' So I started my first day film. My lead actor Rez Cortez, Weng Weng, and the first film of Vivian Velez. That was the first lead role of Miss Vivian Velez as an actress. So we start shooting, together with Ingrid Salas, one of the leading ladies, and Ramon 'Boy' Bagatsing, that was his first starring role - the villain opposite Rez Cortez, the father of the actor Raymond Bagatsing, now a big actor in television. 

"We started shooting. First day, second day, third day…here comes the seventh day. So I told my Ninang, 'This is my last day.' 'Oh…are you sure?' 'Yes.' 'How many film did you expose?' I already exposed during that day - other directors expose 35 to 40 film rolls - so I already exposed 25 rolls. When I edit that film, I will already compress it to 12, the maximum reel to be exact in the theatrical film, it's already good. So when I make that last day of shooting, even my whole staff, and together with my Ninang we celebrated. For the first time we made an eight-day shooting. Here comes the editing process, so my producer, my Ninang was nervous. How come I made that film in eight days, but my editor, 'Oh, there's so many more excess!' I made more excess! So there's more plenty of materials. My producer was very happy. So even my film Sila… is not yet shown, oh, you make your next movie! 'OK Ninang, we just wait the outcome in the theatrical showing.' When my first movie, cross my finger, Sila… was shown, I thank God it made, not so big, but eventually it made money.  

"Peter Caballes, as my Ninong, the husband of my Ninang, I make him as the villain. He's the villain, contrabida of that movie. The big guy - well, he's handsome - before I started that film, it happens I talk to my Ninong, 'Boy, who is your contrabida in that film?' I can see in his eyes the glow that he wants to be a movie actor. He makes his part OK in my film..." 

Can we say, then, that Cora is the businesswoman and Peter is the movie lover? "Yes, I can feel my Ninang, Cora Caballes, goes to this show business because of my Ninong. Why? Because my Ninong is a frustrated actor, I can feel that! That's why my Ninang Cora continues doing movies, because of him." 

What do you remember about the Caballes as a family? "As far as I remember, their family was too close, and I think even their children were enrolled in nice universities. Cora and Peter Caballes were good parents, they provide all the goods for their children." They were like family to you? "More. I think of Cora and Peter Caballes more of my parents. Because they treated us as a family, not as a worker." In what way? "Especially when you have your personal problems, they're the one attended to personally." 

When I finally interviewed Rez about Sila…Sa Bawa't Bangketa, like Dante he recalled very little about the film itself. He did remember, however, being taken aback by his two-foot-nine co-star. “'What’s this Weng Weng?’” he asked himself. “‘Is he a TOY?’ Then I realize he’s human, he’s a person. He’s…" Rez took a while to choose his words carefully. "He's a very sad person. He tried to smile, but you can see it in his eyes that he’s very lonely, his connection with people is very superficial. But we play like humans, to be teased by women. When he looks at the actresses he’s working with, he’s titillated. You say, ‘Hey Weng Weng, this actress, I think she likes you!’ He enjoyed that.  

“Of course his voice is very small, sometimes I had a hard time understanding what he’s talking about. I have to ask, ‘Anong?' ['What?’] He tried to connect. But he’s got limitations, I think he cannot get in touch with his feelings. Because when you ask, ‘Do you feel lonely?’ ‘Yeah, I cried…’ So his inner thing is somehow very superficial. As an actor you have to be in touch with your emotions. And that’s why there’s a style or a way to direct Weng. How can you draw out that emotion if he himself cannot recognize those emotions? When you ask him, ‘How do you feel?’, his answer is something else. It’s not a feeling that he’s thought about. It’s a factual thing that he can experience.  

"Also I’m aware that he’s taken care of by the producers, that somehow the producers are not giving him the compensation that he’s supposed to get." 

"You can tell this?" 

"Yeah." 

"Just from being on the set?" 

"Yeah. The producers are taking care of him, but the problem is he’s the lead star. He’s very small, yeah? He’s supposed to ride in a car, but you can see him on the set riding in the utility service [truck]. Because maybe the production manager said, ‘Hey, pick up Weng Weng!’ They don’t repackage him as a star. Actually I think Weng Weng’s happy with that. Maybe for him it’s a blessing; for him it’s something higher than what he’s having. But he deserved more. 

“I don’t like to be judgmental, but they’re part of the system. There are a lot of producers like them. They’re there for the wrong reasons. Not necessarily wrong, but it’s a reason that I don’t agree with. But if you’re going to be a producer, you must have the vision, you have to have a hold on your material. But of course everything came down to economics. They’re that type of producer. 

“In the first place they’re not filmmakers. They’re just there because they know they can make money. So, that creative aspect of a producer is non-existent. They continue producing because of Weng Weng. It’s an opportunity for them to make money and spend less. But they’re good people, and I like them, Pete and Cora. They’re OK. But they’re not filmmakers, they’re businessmen, and they’re producers that believe money saved is money earned." He paused and smiled conspiratorially. "On an EXTREME!" 

 

Chop Suey Meets Big Time Papa (1978)

Image courtesy of Simon Santos and his Video 48 blog

1978 - Chop Suey Meets Big Time Papa (Liliw Productions)  

[Release date 3rd February 1978; newspaper ads list the film as "Chop Suey Met Big Time Papa", which according to Dante "Boy" Pangilinan is a typographic error]  

Director Dante "Boy" Pangilinan Screenplay Coran Ridon Caballes Producer "Twinkle" [Caballes] Executive Producers Peter M. Caballes, Cora Ridon Caballes Music Anthony Castillano Assistant Director Eddie Nicart Fight Instructors Mando Pangilinan, Oscar "Oca" Reyes 

Cast Ramon Zamora (Chop-Suey), Weng Weng (Big Time Papa), Mike Cohen (Crime Boss)  

KUNG FU/SPY/COMEDY  

THE LOST MOVIE PROJECT: Piecing together the fragments of the Philippines' vanished cinema

Andrew Leavold on Chop Suey Meets Big Time Papa, from The Search For Weng Weng book; full Eddie Nicart interviews are HERE, and Dante 'Boy' Pangilinan's interview is HERE

In late 1977, Dante "Boy" Pangilinan presented Weng Weng to Cora Caballes as main foil to Ramon Zamora (They Call Him Chop Suey [1975]). "I have my belief to that small kid to be a big star. So, she read my synopsis and my treatment. 'OK, when do you like to start your filming?' Right then and there. 'OK!' 

"I'm very thankful to my Ninang. 'You're ready? Shoot!' Weng Weng is very happy. 'Direk, can I already make that film as one of the lead roles, with the famous Ramon Zamora?' 'Yes! You already proven that in our first film. That's your testing ground. And this time you have plenty of leading ladies!' 'OK!'" Dante laughed. 

Chop Suey Meets Big Time Papa (1978) was Weng Weng's first lead as secret agent "Big Time Papa" roping in hapless martial arts instructor Zamora to bring down an American crime lord (Mike Cohen, aka Professor Von Kohler in For Y'ur Height Only) and his syndicate. Once again, Dante was sketchy on the film details, but did remember the film's contrabida well. "Mike Cohen's a good actor," recalled Dante of the squat, big-browed White Goon from countless local and international productions, Tony Ferrer actioners and Chiquito comedies; a retired Colonel operating a theatre in Malate’s Harrison Plaza while lending out is rotund, officious presence to local and international productions. "He's already well-versed in Filipino [film]making. He already understands more Filipino dialects, and he even talked Tagalog when I directed him!" 

Don Gordon Bell served time as one of Cohen's red-jumpered goons in the Tony Ferrer-starring Sabotage 2 (1979). "Colonel Michael Cohen was a great man. Served in the guerilla forces during World War 2 in several places of Luzon. He had stories that have proven true about the actions of Filipino guerrilla units against the Japanese/Korean troops during the occupation. He was a Captain in the US Army and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, made honorary Filipino citizen by former President Marcos. Mike was a great friend of the lads during our years in Filipino cinema, working with us as a character actor in a number of films. A Russian Jew, Mike was willing to do anything, even suffered a bite from a poisonous snake during a shoot. He insisted on finishing the scene after treatment!" Sadly, Colonel Cohen died soon after the snake bite.  

"What I most admire about Mr Mike Cohen," said Dante, "as far as compensation is concerned, he understands the budget of the Filipino filmmaking." What kind of budgets are we talking about? "This time Ninang Cora Caballes gave me an even higher film budget, because this film already, one of the lead roles, Ramon Zamora, is already proven as an actor, and box office, during that day." How much exactly? Dante laughed... "During that day, around 300,000 to 400,000 [pesos], it was already a big budget, excluding the publicity. Just for filmmaking, for Chop Suey…." And the previous budget for Sila… was much smaller? "It's already from 100,000 to 250,000. During that day. That was 1976, already a bigger compensation, the value of the peso during that day is very big." 

Eddie Nicart in The Game Of Death! (1974)

Chop Suey… also marked Weng Weng's first association with Eddie Nicart, a person who, after Peter and Cora Caballes, would transform his life beyond recognition. "Eddie Nicart is my assistant director, and Mando Pangilinan, my cousin, is the fight instructor of Eddie Nicart. Because they both belong to SOS Daredevils, they are like brothers in that association of stuntmen. He's very nice, Eddie Nicart is a good man…" 

For Chop Suey…, did Eddie and Mando train Weng Weng to be a stuntman? "Yes. That's when Mando and Eddie Nicart already started Weng Weng training more on the stunts, more on action. So Weng Weng, in this small size, become more effective as an action star."  

Eddie Nicart’s previous stunt and acting work with Johnny C. Pangilinan and son Dante on a number of films - most notably in Dugo At Pag-ibig Sa Kapirasong Lupa (1975), and playing the revolutionary Luis Prang in Gomburza – led to the offer of Assistant Director with Liliw Productions, as well as supervising Weng Weng’s training. “Although not like the other outfits which were big, but they were doing lots of films - even non- Weng Weng. So I sometimes join those films as [fight] instructor, or actor. So when Weng Weng arrived, Ninang Cora knows me. When they did Weng Weng, Boy [Pangilinan] did not have his crew, unlike me, I have a five-man crew, and we can already make movies. It’s all there - the caterer, the crew, we were all working. Even though I’m the director, sometimes, I’m still the caterer, I would be cooking. We all were moving, working. We can do it cheap. So when I say that we can finish a film in one week, we can do it. Fifteen days, seven days…  We can do it. We were intact. We were together. It was teamwork. 

“The first time I saw him,” Eddie told me of his first meeting with Weng Weng, “they said that he was discovered in the streets of Baclaran. When I first saw him in the [Caballes’] house, I told myself that if this kid will be dressed and trained properly, his [career] will fly. Because he can comprehend things. He obeys. And when I [teach] him karate, he has good footwork. And I said that if he will be trained properly, he will have better moves. And that’s what happened. We taught him. We brought him to the gym.”  

Eddie and his assistant directors-cum-fight instructors Mando Pangilinan and Oscar 'Oca' Reyes put Weng Weng through an SOS Daredevils’ version of Boot Camp for several months. By training’s end, Weng Weng was the real deal, a professional stuntman and genuine miniature Goon.  

Everyone says he was already a blackbelt in karate before he started in films? “I do not [believe that]. It was with our trainings that he became a blackbelt. Because when he was with us in the gym, he was made to wear the belts. First, the white belt, and then he was promoted to brown, and then red… because of his abilities. But at first, I did not notice that. When he was still not with Ninang Cora, I did not know how he was. I know that he was just a stand-by in Baclaran. Because nobody was really taking care of him. His brothers did not know that he would turn out like that.” 

Where did you train Weng Weng, I wanted Eddie to answer. "Mostly at SOS, and at the Karate Club of our friends. That’s where we train him karate. And for his stunts, he trains at the SOS gym. That’s where we teach him. Jump off the building, jump off the bridge! It was okay. The kid was obedient, even though he was like that. Because he’ll do whatever you tell him to. When you tell him to jump, he’ll jump. He does not have any fear. Probably because he’s slow in the head, but it was good because he was obedient."  

How long did you have to train him? "Months. A couple of months, I think. Karate, jumps, fight scenes. Most especially the fight scenes. It should not come off awkwardly. And this is because Peter and Cora want to turn him into a leading action star." 

Chop Suey Meets Big Time Papa was enough of a minor hit to make money for the Caballes. “As far as I know,” said Dante, “before I started the film, they only renting the one-space apartment. But when I made these films Sila… and Chopsuey…, they already own that place. Why? Because of the outcome of my movies. When I visited them, wow, they already owned that apartment."   

Red Belt Master (1974)

Image courtesy of Simon Santos' Video 48 blog

1974 – Red Belt Master (Gerald Productions)  

[Release date 23rd June 1974]  

Directors Carlos O. Manalastas, Angel Labra Story/Screenplay Jerry O. Tirazona  

Cast Trovador Ramos, Rommel Valdez [as Rommell Valdez], Gina Pareno, Paquito Diaz, Charlie Davao, Perry Baltazar, Max Alvarado, Protacio Dee, Johnny Vicar, Ernie Ortega, Robert Rivera, Ruben Ramos, Sancho Tesalona, Jun Santos, Pong Pong, SOS Daredevils, PMP [Stuntmen], PIS [Stuntmen], Tracma Boys, Pepe Cruz, Rey Javier, Jim de Leon  

Proposed Cast* Trovador Ramos (Cabigat, an Igorot brave whose father was killed by a band of goons), Rommel Valdez (Rommel, top undercover agent of the law who comes to the small Igorot village to get classified information about landgrabbing in the place), Gina Pareno (Lamya, the Igorot maiden), Charlie Davao (Don Manolo, the greedy landlord and miner), Sancho Tesalona (Sancho, one of the Don's trusted men), Johnny Vicar (Johnny, another trusted man of the Don), Jim Delon (Jim, Rommel's detective partner) Don's Henchmen Aldo Cruz, Rey Javier, Larry Silva, Jimmy Javier, Jimmy Evangelista

KUNG FU  

*from the shooting script submitted to the Board of Censors in 1974

THE LOST MOVIE PROJECT: Piecing together the fragments of the Philippines' vanished cinema

NOTE by Andrew Leavold: Yet another Pinoy martial arts film from the initial rush of Bruce Lee-inspired movies. This time Trovador Ramos, head of Filipino-based martial arts organization TRACMA (hence his own stunt team TRACMA Boys) and, so the story goes, the only man to ever beat Bruce Lee in a sparring match, was top-billed along with former stuntman Rommel Valdez. Red Belt Master was entered in the 1974 Manila Film Festival and vanished soon afterwards; other than the newspaper ad, the only evidence we can find of the film is the outline in the shooting script submitted to the Board of Censors in 1974...

SYNOPSIS: Time was during the early part of the 1950s. In the far-flung areas, the rich and the powerful harass and oppress the poor - using their riches and power to amass wealth; and amass more wealth just to maintain their power and stature.

Our story is centered on a group of Igorot tribesfolk somewhere in a sleepy community in the Mountain Province, ruled by their chief, Lakay Bugan. 

A group of armed goons harass the tribe, the purpose is to frighten them into leaving their village. The leader of the goons is a rich landed gentry named Don Manolo - who wanted the place of the Igorots vacated so that his secret in a nearby coal mines will not easily be made vulgar. Actually, he is not just mining coal as what he wants the authorities to believe: He is mining diamonds in a secret compartment inside the coal mines caves, a mining operation which he hides so much from the government and the people around so he won't pay large sums of money in taxes plus the fact that the government may take over the mining operations from him.

In trying to frighten the Igorots, Don Manolo's armed goons hang Lakay Bugan from the branch of a tree. With this, he is successful.

Classified information reaches the office of Colonel Ramos who is head of an intelligence group about several cases wherein those who were said to have gone near the Black Mountain were not able to get back and were believed to be either lost or dead. The Colonel right then and there sends his top-calibre undercover agent to the place to conduct an investigation.

It so happens that a certain man called Cabigat also arrived in the area and finds his way in the wooded area until he comes to the newly-settled Igorot tribe who had fled their former settlement. Actually, Cabigat is the only son of the murdered tribal chieftain. He had left his tribe when he was at the age of 12 when he was brought along to Tokyo by a Japanese soldier just after the last World War. In Tokyo he served under a Japanese karate master and had learned the art himself by which he earned the 13th dan red belt championship honor.

The undercover agent - Rommel Valdez - arrives in the vicinity of the Black Mountain, pretending to be hunting for wild pigs. Goons chance upon him. They shoot him, wounding him on the breast, then maul him and left him for dead. Later that evening, some Igorot braves chance upon him and bring him with them to their new settlement where an Igorot maid named Lamya takes care of him to nourish him back to health.

Cabigat and Rommel come to know each other, the tribe being now under the leadership of the former. Cabigat wants to fit force against Don Manolo and his goons but Rommel convinces him about using peaceful means. But this becomes a vain attempt because the town mayor is in cohorts with the Don.

A series of incidents lead one day to the disguise of Cabigat and Rommel as miners and penetrate the mining camp where they are immediately unmasked. They have no other way but to fight to defend themselves. They discover the secret and are able to kill some of the goons and capture the rest. As for Don Manolo, he is brought by Rommel to justice. 

Lady Untouchable (1968)

Image courtesy of Simon Santos' Video 48 blog

1968 – Lady Untouchable (Taurus Productions)  

[Release date 21st April 1968]  

Directors Bert Balilla, Anthony Ocampo Story Bert Balilla Sr Screenplay Pepe Mesina Producers Roberto Gonzalez, Nena Gonzalez Music Demetrio Velasquez  

Cast Magna Gonzales, Jing Abalos, Ronaldo Valdez, Tony Villar, Rocco Montalban, Ernie White, Eddie Gallegos, Nonong Palomar, Rod Francisco, Jun Santos, Norma Blancaflor, Jose Garcia, Danny Rojo, Raquel Gordon, Elmer Imperial, Protacio Dee  

KARATE/ACTION  

THE LOST MOVIE PROJECT: Piecing together the fragments of the Philippines' vanished cinema

NOTE by Andrew Leavold: One of the rare starring vehicles of Magda Gonzalez, daughter of Valentino "Latino" H. Gonzales, aka "The Father of Filipino Karate", and sister of action stars Roberto and Rolando Gonzalez. Like most of the family's films from the Sixties, Lady Untouchable has long been relegated to landfill, but thankfully we have this remarkably detailed recollection on Melchor's CinePlex blog: 

“Lady Untouchable” was a Filipino action movie released in the 1960s during the popularity of movies about secret agents and masked crime fighters around the world. The title role was played by Magna Gonzalez who is a karate expert in real life. The other cast of characters of the movie were Jing Abalos, Ronaldo Valdez, Jose Garcia, Tony Villar, Danny Rojo, Rocco Montalban and Ernie White among others.

A trio of enemies of the state in trench coat outfits and in dark eye glasses (Villar, Rojo and Montalban) sent a message to the head (Garcia) of an intelligence agency called “Philippine Bureau of Investigation” by attacking his home when he attended a party one night with his daughter (Gonzalez).The said attack killed his sick wife (Norma Blancaflor in a special appearance). The private nurse was almost killed, but before she lost consciousness, she was able to take a look at the face of one of the trio: Villar. She identified him in a photograph shown by a PBI agent (Abalos) to her. With this as lead, Magna decided to look for him personally. She thought that she could handle this task well because of the lessons she learned as a Criminology student. However, she did not tell this to her father because the latter will not approve it because he knew that revenge is on her mind.

The trio take their orders from an unseen superior. The latter’s voice was only heard by the former and their other comrades. During one of their meetings, their superior asked Rojo’s character to stay behind. He was ordered to kill Villar’s character. Rojo was shocked to hear this because Villar is his brother. However, for the sake of their organization, he killed him by shooting him with a rifle with telescope in a party at the penthouse of a building. Magna also aimed her own rifle at Villar, but she was beaten to the draw by Rojo. A team of agents led by Abalos was also at the scene because someone gave them a tip and chased the shooter. Abalos went to the direction where she went and thought  that the lady she loves was the killer (he was one of her suitors, the other was the character played by Valdez who became her boyfriend). She told him that he was wrong and she will explain at a latter time why she was carrying a gun.

It was later revealed that she applied and was accepted as an undercover agent of another intelligence agency and set aside her revenge for the death of her mother. This surprised her father and Abalos. However, she kept this secret from Valdez so that her cover would not be compromised. She, her father and Abalos later learned that the dead body of Villar was not found at the crime scene after he was shot.

With her official appointment as an agent, a series of encounters happened between her as “Lady Untouchable” and the target lawless elements where the three mentioned in the second paragraph of this post belongs. The latter found out the real identity of their masked adversary and sent Montalban’s character to kill her. He failed and was killed by her.

In retaliation, the enemies of the state kidnapped Valdez who did not know that her lady love is an undercover agent. He was brought to their secret headquarters where he was taken as a prisoner and killed later. His dead body was brought to her home and placed it in a sitting position as if he was taking dinner. It was in this position that Magna saw him when she arrived home.

In a later scene, her father was kidnapped by a group of men led by Rojo’s character in the locker room of a sports club when he was about to change his clothes after a badminton game which Magna and their family driver (White) watched earlier. She relayed this to Abalos who in turn talked to his fellow agents the day after if their sources have information on the whereabouts of their director. At first, they faced a blank wall. But an information from a source told them that agency head was brought to an island. Magna also received this information from her sources and went there ahead of Abalos.

When she arrived at her destination, she met her informer and told him that she will look quickly for her father. However, she fell into a trap door which led her to the secret headquarters of the men who took her father. This is where Valdez was brought and killed. She was taken to a cell where her father was held prisoner.

The mysterious leader of the group wanted to get a set of secret documents from the director of the PBI and with daughter Magna to be executed with the use of a certain device for torture, he will be forced to gave these to them. He requested them (the leader has access to the device’s button) to let go of her and told them that he will give to them what they want. This turned out to be a trick made by the director and told her about this when they were returned to their cell. The reason was these documents have been turned over already to the highest official of the nation.

The bars of their prison cell are charged with high voltage electric volts, so escape is impossible. However, Magna hid a bullet like device in her outfit which she used in  creating power interruption in the place by throwing it an electric outlet. It caused chaos in the enemy’s headquarters and the father and daughter were able to escape from their cell. But the emergency generator was activated which brought back power and they had to fight their way out. A secret was revealed to the part of the characters of Magna, Abalos and Rojo separately which surprised them: Villar’s character is alive and is the actual leader of the group.

The lady agent tried to chase the leader, but Rojo stood in her way to protect his brother and fought with her in a hand to hand combat. Rojo was killed.

Villar killed Abalos by bullets which came from the armchair (which doubles as a machine gun when needed) where the former always sits. But before the latter expired, he was able to shoot the former with a hail of bullets from his gun which killed Villar and destroyed the major facilities in the secret headquarters which eventually led to its destruction. Magna and her father were informed of the agent’s death by their family driver (served as a back-up who will call for help in case of trouble) who was in an alert mode when Magna went to rescue her father and saw for themselves the explosion of the area where they came from.

Fight! Batman, Fight! (1973)

1973 - Fight! Batman, Fight! (Pacific Films)  

[Release date 5th December 1973]  

Director/Story/Screenplay Romeo N. Galang Producer Pacifico D. Laxa Cinematography Justo Paulino Music Ernani Cuenco  

Cast Victor Wood (Batman), Gloria Romero, Rosemarie Gil, Eva Linda, Rosanna Marquez, Nick Romano, Romy Diaz, Ike Lozada, German Moreno, Danny Rojo, Robert Talabis, Arnold Mendoza, Lotis Key (Cat Woman), Rod Navarro (The Joker), Pinky [Montilla] (Bat Girl), Roderick Paulate (Robin), Manolo Noble, Joaquin Fajardo, Greg Lozano, Franco Guerrero [as Chito Guerrero], Royal Dahlen, Ruel Vernal, Edward Torres, Leon Pajaron, Roger Saulog, Romie Medalla, Cris Cruz, Dagul Se, Enrico Villa, Rodin Rodriguez, Tony Aragon, Mar Enriquez, Rey “Big” Boy, Tacio Tangkad, Totoy Laki, Paeng Giant, Pandak, SOS Daredevils, Mona Morena, Carmen Romasanta, Camille  

Proposed Cast* Victor Wood (Batman), Roderick Paulate (Robin), Pinky [Montilla] (Bat Girl), Rod Navarro (The Joker), Lotis Key (Cat Woman), Gloria Romero (Planet Girl), Liza Lorena (Lota), Rosanna Marquez (The Temptress), Eddie Garcia (Satan), Max Alvarado (Maxie), Romy Diaz (Romulus), Nick Romano (Detective), Manolo Noble (Police Commissioner), Ike Lozada (Club Manager), German Moreno (Joker's Assistant), Eva Linda (Lucifera), Roberto Talabis (Planet Man), "Five Unanos" (Joker's Jesters)

SCIENCE FICTION/COSTUMED SUPERHERO  

*from the treatment submitted to the Board of Censors

THE LOST MOVIE PROJECT: 

Piecing together the fragments of the Philippines' vanished cinema

NOTE by Andrew Leavold: Not the first Filipino Batman rip-off - at last count it was Number Seven! - and certainly not the last, unseen since the Seventies, and until now one of the most mysterious due to a complete lack of information on its story and characters. Finally, from the treatment Pacific Films lodged with the Board of Censors in 1973, all can be revealed - and it sounds completely insane! Fight...'s alliterative title alludes to the massive hit from just months before, Lipad Darna Lipad, and naturally, in true Pinoy style, copies its multi-part structure; it's not just a direct theft from the American TV show, stringing four episodes together. Exactly how much changed between the treatment and the actual shooting, we can only imagine. But if the film is only half as wild as its outline, the Philippines has indeed lost a camp masterpiece. 

THE PICTURE IN BRIEF: The setting is a fictional (only in comic books) City of Gotham. The time is the present. It might even be in the future.

Gotham City is a modern and peaceful metropolis - like Manila today. Except when the Joker and his menagerie of mayhem-makers attempt to disturb the peace. But there are always the two masked and caped super sleuths - Batman and Robin - to check their misdeeds and protect the rights of the citizens. 

The film is composed of four interrelated stories. The first one is the Joker's plot to eliminate Batman and Robin through Cat Woman and her hoods. A trap is set for the masked heroes at the Navotas Fish Market. The duo escapes the trap. After a long car chase along the city streets, the Cat Woman and her men are captured and securely tucked in jail.

The second story is about the secret landing on earth of five creatures - they all look human - from the planet Venus. Their mission: recruit men and women to repopulate their dying planet. The Joker sees a money-making venture on the mission. He agrees to supply the Venusians with their needs provided they do something for him. The Joker uses the Venusians' powerful ray gun to blackmail the city into paying him P10 million. Batman and Robin foil the plan and destroy the invaders from Venus at the same time. 

In the third episode, Batman and Robin are pitted against a huge mechanical robot controlled by Lota and his boys via remote control. The robot could break into banks and jewelry stores unchecked by security men. Half of the loot goes to Joker. Again, as expected, the masked marvels are able to turn the robot against its master. Lota and her boys are captured and jailed. The Joker narrowly escapes. 

In the final story, the Joker makes a bargain with Satan (not the original from Hell but similarly attired and made up). The plan is to lure Batman and Robin into a big costume ball where guests will wear expensive jewelry. The possibility of a heist is imminent. Our heroes attend the party. Satan, the Temptress and cohorts gang up on the caped crusaders. The Joker is there to pitch in. It is a riot of a party. After the fight, Satan and his advocates are neatly tied in a bunch for the police to pick up. 

Batman and Robin trail the Joker to his hideout. A chase on foot follows. The race ends in a country brook where dozens of lavenderas are washing the day's laundry. They recognize the Joker (out of a bar soap ad on TV?) and hit him with bars of soap. A soaking-wet but well laundered Joker is captured and jailed. 

Batman assumes his other role - owner and singer of a supper club in the city. Robin is back in business: parking attendant and cigarette vendor. 

The City of Gotham can again sleep peacefully. Justice always triumphs in the end. 

THEATRICAL

Images courtesy of Simon Santos' Video 48 blog

PHILIPPINES - released 23rd December 1973