15 Responses to “A Komiks To Film Curiosity”

1. Jose Mari Lee on March 10th, 2008 2:12 am

   Gerry:

   This was the order of the day, actually.
   Once the a serial became too hot, the filming would go ahead. In fact, I don’t remember too many komiks serial that were filmed AFTER the series had ended. Usually, after .75% of the story had been serilazed, a film would have been shot and wrapped up for showing. This practice became very rampant starting in the 70s, especially during this time when film production was quite busy in RP. We were producing 400 plus films per year (we were the biggest filmmaker then in Asia), and the producers would not be caught dead not releasing the film of a hot komis serial ASAP, or face the consequence of letting some independent COPYCAT producers (who would not hold their breath to produce a quickie resembling the hit serial within a time frame of 2 weeks). They also had a radio drama over DZRH, on a version of the film while it is being shown in the theaters. It is a one-hour feature where all the spoilers are included:).

   A very good example is RICO BELLO OMAGAP’S KULAY DUGO ANG GABI directed by Gerry de Leon. The serial in Hiwaga Komiks was very hot and it was also bought by some Hollywood producers BEFORE they filmed it. The English version was called THE BLOOD DRINKERS. I remember talking to Gerry de Leon about it. He told me that he shot the film by having double shots: one for tagalog, one for English. Same scene, shot twice. The voices of Amalia Fuentes, Ronald Remy, Celia Rodriguez, Eddie Fernandez and Nancy Roman – were all used in the final copy of the English version. Their accents were not too thick, and therefore were good enbough for the international market. They had to dub MARY WALTER’s voice, though, because of her thick BICOLANA accent.

   This film was released later and was retitled: THE VAMPIRE PEOPLE. This was narrated by VIC DIAZ. The film is actually visually stunning, even the color experimentation done by Gerry De Leon – and if not for the PESKY fake bat they used as Tiva Lava’s pet, it would have been a really amazing film.

2. Rod Samonte on March 10th, 2008 2:55 am

   Gerry,
   Wowwww. Nostalgia na naman. An old favorite, the lovely Leila Moreno, is top-billed over the great Efren Reyes, and the equally great Johnny Monteiro (billed as Juan Monteiro), just happens to be my two favorite swashbucklers, hehehe. Imagine a movie – can’t remember which one – where Efren and Johnny, clash swords for about 30 minutes on the screen in the finale of that movie. Niluma si Errol Flynn. I saw this movie, and yes, the movie is definitly based on the komiks. If you look at the “Ang Nakaraan” section, the names of the characters are the same as those of the actors. And the nobelist Cirio Santiago, I think was actually one of the owners and a director in his own right of the makers of the movie, Premiere Productions. See where the movie poster says serialized in Hiwaga Komiks.
   Rod

3. Philip Tan on March 10th, 2008 3:08 am

   Holy bajeejeez…. Alfredo Alcala…. ang galeng….

4. Rod Samonte on March 10th, 2008 4:25 am

   Gerry,
   Movies adapted from komiks, usually were released towards the end of the komiks novel while it is still being serialized, and sometimes you’ll see, Coching’s Movie Fan for example, Coching drawing the likenesses of his main characters looking like the actors that’s going to be in the movie, in this case Amalia Fuentes (or was it Susan Roces? hehehe na-senior moment na naman) and Juancho Guttierez.
   Rod

5. Rod Samonte on March 10th, 2008 7:21 am

   Also Jennings Sturgeon (mispelled Stargeon in the poster), was an American actor and painter who appeared in a few Philippine movies, notably he played Jesus Christ in 1952’s “Kalbaryo ni Hesus.”
   Rod

6. dennis on March 10th, 2008 7:55 am

   Hi Gerry,
   It’s the usual practice back then to have a film made before the end of the komiks series. I think the practice started with Mars Ravelo, who, as soon as he submitted his novels to Ace, began selling the adapted script to the movie producers.

   This practice was followed by Coching, Gomez, Vir Redondo, and many others. And so, while the komiks series was still running, advertisements that it was being filmed were already in the komiks itself! This is tolerated by Don ramon Roces, because the advertisements keep his publishing costs to a minimum. However, there is always a condition that the film must be shown two or three issues before the end of the komiks series, or it would compromise the sales of the komiks. This happened in Roberta, Darna, Dyesebel, and countless others.

   In the case of Ifugao, the page you showed is already the 24th issue, and there are two more issues remaining (the series ends in the 26th).

   There were no movies adapted to komiks, it’s vice versa..movies are always adaptations of komiks series, at least in the Philippines!

   Dennis

7. Gerry Alanguilan on March 10th, 2008 7:59 am

   Thanks for the information, everybody! I knew I could count on you guys! Then that pretty much confirms it for me. What an amazing time for komiks, no? Imagine, if they could schedule the release of the film even before the komiks ended, then they must have been planning and shooting it when the komiks barely started.

8. Jose Mari Lee on March 10th, 2008 9:20 am

   That’s why in those days, you don’t dare divert your movie version too far from the original, or your film would get the audience’s brunt.

   A very good example of this caveat is PABLO S. GOMEZ’ TANIKALA.

   This serialized nobela was a huge success. People were talking about it on buses, kapehan, karinderias and even in school campuses. It was a fantasy-love story.

   Almost all the producers in town wanted to film it. Gomez had a hard time deciding to which movie outfit he was going to sell the rights. Finally, FILIPINAS Films won.

   Screenplay was written by EDGARDO M. REYES and directed by MARILOU ABAYA.

   Unfortunately, Abaya and Reyes decided that the komiks version was not up to par for their taste that the only thing they used from Pablo’s original were the characters’ names and the title!

   Starring Susan Roces and Romeo Vasquez, the opening day was jam-packed with viewers. But, as soon as they realized that what they have religiously followed in the komiks wasn’t the same stuff they saw on the screen, the audience lost interest hearing from word of mouth and the film was yanked out of the theaters only after a week of showing.

   Not that the film version is bad. It is good and acted by very talanted actors. But people became disapointed. They were expecting what the komiks showed them and the material was already pre-sold to the viewing masses.

   So, when they saw that the beating heart in the grave reciting poetry to his one and only love wasn’t there, but rather saw a story of a rape victim trying to cope with whatever is left of her life, people got turned off. And Filipinas Films lost a lot of moolah at the box ofice.

   And how can we forget Gerry de Leon’s EL FILIBUSTERISMO? It is riveting, competently-made, well-acted and can be considered one of the best Filipino films of all time.

   But when Gerry de Leon made KABESANG TALES shoot to death SIMOUN, the critics panned the film claiming how de Leon’s revisionism ruined Rizal’ book. As we all know, Simoun took poison to end his life in Rizal’s book.

   But in this case, I would agree with de Leon’s version. I find it even BRILLIANT.

   For a starter, SIMOUN is one heck of a COWARD. All the terrorism he engaged in showed how callous he can be. And being such a coward, I doubt if he will have the courage to take poison to end his life.

   Therefore, it is more logical to me that he be killed by Kabesang Tales – for the man was trodden by the anti-hero.

   Boy, this film should be preserved and be shown to young people. This is one of our very best. And PANCHO MAGALONA! When I workjed with POL SALCEDO at the tail end of his career, I thought he was the best Filipino actor. Until I saw FILI with Magalona. He blew me away.

   But of course we’re talking about komiks, aren’t we? He-he. Sorry guys. I got carried away.

9. Gerry Alanguilan on March 10th, 2008 9:57 am

   No, JM! Please feel free! I find this all very interesting. Where else can you get information like this? The post is after all, movie-related anyway. I only saw a snippet of a movie with Pancho Magalona in it, and I thought he was terrific. I don’t even remember the movie now, though.

   As for FILI, I think suicide can still be considered as a coward’s way out because a person doesn’t have the courage to face life. I’ve yet to see the movie, but I trust your word that it’s a very good one. I can stand changes when books or comics are adapted to movies, but that change in Simoun’s death is quite fundamental. The movie may have been very good, but it’s not a complete representation of what Jose Rizal may have wanted to say.

10. Rod Samonte on March 10th, 2008 11:43 am

    JM,
    That’s really interesting. Nalugi dahil hindi sinunod ang komiks, hehehe. Marilou Abaya is actually a very good director, wasn’t she? And you have movie connections too. Wow nasa pelikula ka pala. What were you doing in the movie industry, actor, writer, director?
    I’m quite a movie fan as you’ve probably gathered by now, hehehe, I watched Pinoy movies, which was shunned by most people who watch English movies only. But I watched everything, Tagalog o English. The great thing was, as I showed in my movie map of Manila, there were so many movie houses showing all these movies. Dalisay, Gala and Life however were the only ones showing Pinoy movies, and when I was a boy and could only afford second or third runs, Zest and Rosy were showing Tagalog movies, pasok kahit maraming surot, and worst maraming bakla nangangapa, hehehe. Anyway, I would go to personal appearance by actors. Magalona was actually one of my favorite actors. At the premiere showing of his Famas Award winning performance in “Sa Dulo ng Daigdig,” I saw Pancho Magalona and wife Tita Duran at the lobby of Life Theater. The lobby was crowded and when Pancho and Tita arrived somebody in the crowd said something demeaning to Tita. Pancho Magalona apparently a hothead, turned around, faced the crowd and asked in a loud voice and really mad, “Sinong hindot ang nagsabi nun? Lumabas ka diyan!” Hehehe. The crowd was quiet.
    I don’t think I’ve seen FILI though.
    Rod

11. Jose Mari Lee on March 10th, 2008 11:55 am

    “The movie may have been very good, but it’s not a complete representation of what Jose Rizal may have wanted to say.”

    True enough, that the RIZALISTS were offended. But take note as well that 1966 wasn’t very far from 1946, the end of the second world war. The Filipinos were looking for a hero to look up to. And in the 60s, the movies were beginning to be accepted by more Filipinos compared to the 50s. And De Leon cannot jeopardize the film by making Simoun cowardly kill himself because it would make him look less heroic. In a way, the second to the last scene when he was shot by Kabesang Tales (played beautifully by Ben Perez), it was some sort of de Leon’s redemption of Simoun’s character. In fact, the effect to the viewer was more cathartic than anything else. After 115 minutes of Simoun’s hatred and manipulations of the people around him, we learned to hate him to the core. Yet, when he was shot helplessly, not by the guardia civil who were chasing him (and his enemy), here comes another Filipino, killing him instead, thus suddenly making us , the audience, symphatize with Simoun.

    The final scene is unforgettable. When Father Sybilla stood on a precipice overlooking the ocean, with the voice over of the priest lifted from Rizal’s book, then dropped the chest of Simoun’s treasure, Rizal’s point was truly magnified and you leave the theater thinking about it.

    It’s just too bad that one minor revision to the novel irked so many critics and ignored the brilliance of this film.

12. Jose Mari Lee on March 10th, 2008 1:19 pm

    Ginoong Samonte:

    May print ng Fili na nagpo-float dito sa North America. I’ve seen it here in Vancouver about 4 years ago. You really must see it. I think if you check out some critics circle, baka mapanood mo pa ito.

    Oh, after I started writing komiks in 1974, I was hired by Channel 2 to write several weekly drama anthologies. Maybe you were still in RP when it happened, so you must have seen some of them. I wrote for ALINDOG (Alma Moreno’s show), ULILA (Rosa Rosal’s show), BATA (Romnick Sarmenta); TRUE STORY (Rosa Rosal); PEPING, ANG MUNTING ANGHEL (Romnick); SEÑOR SANTO NIÑO (Romnick), and INFINITUS (Snooky Serna).

    There was a very good project which I really looked forward to seeing it come to fruition, THE CHARITO SOLIS STORY. I interviewed Charito and she told me her hard life before she becane an actress. We were about ready to shoot when some of her realatives (the villains) threaten to sue the network. They pulled the plug.

    I also wrote BEDSPACERS for Mother Lily, directed by Joey Gosiengfiao. I was really busy then from TV work so I invited three of my friends who also want to write, to help me fill in the blanks on some of the sequences. After I have written the treatment and the framework, they helped me fill in some of the dialogs so that I could meet the deadline for shooting. And when the first ad came out, my name was the only one placed by Regal as story-screenplay writer. I made a lot of noise to make them create a new ad with my friends credited as my co-writers. It was rectified later and all’s well that ends well. In the 70s, the Filipino films were just too popular that this film was shown in 35 theaters simultaneously. Joey Gosiengfiao, myself, Al Tantay, William Martinez and Mark Gil checked out all the theaters during its opening and they were all filled to overflowing. Mother Lily raked in so much dough from this movie. I think what made it so popular was because we used the so-called ALL STAR CAST. We utilized the prettiest and the most popular NYMPHETS of the day: ALMA MORENO, RIO LOCSIN AND AMY AUSTRIA. Plus we concocted this sort of feud between Joey Gosiengfiao and Al Tantay, that when the Skylab was about to fall to earth, Joey was interviewed by Manila Times. He was asked what he thinks of this impending disaster, to which, Joey replied with a question: “Where’s Al Tantay?” And this was on the front page of the Manila Times. He-he. Anyway, the show run for more than a month. I think it was joey’s better film because it has a well-structured story, interesting dialogs, intriguing characters – plus we tackled the hottest scandal of the day: THE CELEBRATED FORBES PARK RAPE CASE, where five boys from rich families were involved. The role played by Rio Locsin was that girl in Forbes Park. Remember the involvement of Carlos P Romulo’s grandson and Margie Moran’s younger brother? That’s the case I am talking about. I was about to make more films for Joey but in 1980 I had to leave the country to study in the States. Then I visited Canada and liked what I saw and I moved here. Now you know my boring life in a nutshell.

13. Rod Samonte on March 10th, 2008 3:03 pm

    JM,
    Linshak, paborito ko si Alma Moreno sa lahat. Pinanood ko lahat ang pelikula niya. Hehehe.
    May kaso ba ang grandson ni Carlos P. Romulo. No I don’t remember that. Pinsan o pamangkin pangalawa siguro ni Lawin yun, at ng misis ko. Tiyo nila si Romulo e. Taga Camiling, Tarlac sila.
    Rod

14. Jose Mari Lee on March 11th, 2008 2:44 am

    Yeah. That Forbes Park case was swept under the rug and it fizzled. I was a Forbes Park resident as well and I knew some of the people involved. Wala nang narinig afterwards. What thye were saying was that the girl was a social climber who deliberately went to a party in Forbes Park and seduced the young men and then later accused them of rape.

    Only God knows who’s saying the truth.

15. ERWIN SAMONTE on May 20th, 2008 5:28 pm

    wala pa ring tatalo kay ALMA MORENO,maski may edad na,ma apeal pa rin,our favorite until the end of time.