A Closer Look on: The Queen

In every kingdom, there is a Queen who, at a glance, mesmerizes everyone.. including the King. She dazzles with royalty and elegance and everywhere she goes, the people bow down to her with the same way people look up to her.

Ms. Susan Roces - Poe : The First Lady of Philippine Cinema

She has the name that surpassed time. Shining with glamour, she is one of the highly respected actresses in Philippine History.

Ms. Gloria Romero says: "She is loved by everybody around her" and Sharon Cuneta adds: "she must be emulated by everyone, very gracious, she's way up there, a class all by herself". Ricky Lo states that she has retained "The Face That Refreshes", all sweetness and light, the paradigm of things bright and beautiful.

(Source: http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/Susan_Roces/)

Born in July 28, 1941, Jesusa Porifcacion Sonora also known as 'Ms. Susan Roces' started her career just by admiring her favorite actress, Ms. Gloria Romero. One day, her uncle told her to come to Sampaguita Pictures and see her idol in person. Through her amusement in finally meeting her idol, she re-enacted a scene in which a man in mustache approached and was amazed of her talent. He said to send in her audition tape. This man is none other than Dr. Perez, owner of Sampaguita Pictures.

Her very first movie is 'Mga Bituin ng Kinabukasan' by Nepomuceno Films. From then on she partnered with Luiz Gonzales in their first tandem movie, Boksingera. Followed by other loveteams with famous names such as Romeo Vasquez, Jose Mari Gonzales and the very handsome Eddie Gutierrez. But it was a man of action who had the tall, dark and handsome features that bagged the heart of Susan Roces, the King of Philippine Movies, Fernando Poe Jr. (+). Emerging herself in unforgettable movies such as to Susan with Love, Mga Ligaw na Bulaklak and Maruja, she earned the title as the Queen of Philippine Movies.

Today, she still continues to dazzle everyone. She is still supported by her loyal 'Susanians' and is a highly respected figure in the industry.

Her legacy is continued by ABS-CBN's Susan Roces Cinema Collection where they have showcased two of her best horror films of all time. (Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara & Maligno). Along with her friends, Amalia Fuentes, Delia Razon, Lilia Dizon, Gloria Romero and many more, she remains to be the "Face that Refreshes" that no one can equale or replace.

Mr. Bing C. Manalo shares his moments with the Queen and her friends

Sir Bing with the Queen

Ms. Delia Razon, Sir Bing, Ms. Lila Dizon and Mr. Eddie Garcia



Sir Bing with Ms. Barbara Perez

And Sir Bing's short advice for my thesis:

Just keep a positive outlook, you will reach your dream. I fulfilled one of my dreams, Susan Roces considers me her friend now, may bonus pa, her family is also very very nice to me. Sharing w/ you some memorable moments I had w/ the Queen of All Movie Queens

-- Bing C. Manalo, GMA Program Analysis - Office of the President

I wish I could also meet them.. I can feel that my destiny is getting crystal clear. I might after all belong to this industry. But that's too soon to tell.. Hope I could probably say it 5 years from now. :p

Hope you enjoyed this mini-tribute to the Queen.. Wait until you see her in my event! oops! I mean.. Theoretical event.. :D

Til next! :)

My Cinema Beginnings

I look up to the stars and imagine the world they are in. Fans supporting them, critics who bring them either to stardom or kingdom come and of course, the industry who pays them both fame and fortune. I even wonder how they manage to portray their roles without filling the character with their own trademark. Being a star is a tough job. And to be honest, they serve as our inspiration. They portray the nation's reflection of its own personality. Just like the movies. 

When I was young, I thought of the movies as a simple means of entertainment. My grandfather would pick me up at school and bring me to the cinemas for a feel-good quality time with each other. It was then at the age of 5 when I started admiring 'Da King' Fernando Poe Jr.'s moves and 'the King of Comedy' Dolphy's sense of humor. Thus, it became a daily routine to escape the harshness of reality until there came to a point where my week isn't complete without seeing any movie. This is where my love for cinema began.

I never thought that movies would play a bigger role in my life. I was raised by my mom's job as a scriptwriter to the industry. I was influenced by my grandfather who think of movies as a daily habit. It served as my creative juice for ideas to be applied in college. And most of all, as I celebrate my last year in college (hopefully), it is my chosen topic for my thesis in partial fulfillment to the University of Santo Tomas. Thank you Sir Velez the support you've given me and to the team. :) 

So what is the purpose of this blog? It will serve as my online journal for every facts I discover, goodies for my event and a reference for future researchers. Through this study, we will soon realize what Philippine cinema is all about, how the Golden Age has contributed to the industry, why we must take care of our movies and how we can market this by creating an event to help save the movie industry.

I'll be posting the beginnings of cinema and its arrival in the Philippines on my next entry.

Til next time ;)

Justine, 

P.S. Here's a pic of Papa (my grandfather) while waiting for the next showing:

isn't he adorable? :p