STAR FOR ALL SEASONS: Bella Flores

Showing posts with label Bella Flores. Show all posts

Monday, May 19, 2014

Remembering Bella Flores

Hatred (poot) and Jealousy (inggit) - "...In the Joey Reyes short film, Bella gave her audience an idea of how she became a most hated screen villain. On the whole, the film was a funny but down-to-earth crash course on how to achieve immortality as a screen villain. The fool-proof ingredient, according to Bella, was to invest and perfect that art of hatred (poot) and jealousy (inggit) and make use of them to the hilt. Then she added another lesson on the fine art of slapping and hair-pulling and how to produce an equally important wicked laughter as she saw the object of her hatred expire from her equally malevolent stare. Declared Bella in her last film (Kontrabida 101) after dousing wine on the face of the poor waiter: “Bidas (heroines) they come and go. Pero kaming mga kontrabida, we never fade away.” There is a ring of truth in Reyes’s declaration: “There is one and only Bella Flores. She is indeed one of a kind.” Stage director Anton Juan can only agree: “Bella Flores, how many who tried to imitate your art in front of their own mirrors could approximate your wicked eyebrows, flaring nostrils, the sharp-lined lips that formed the word at the edge of gritting teeth, a voice that rasped deep through the breath of smoke. You created the Filipino archetype of the ‘kontrabida’ till your name itself was synonymous with villainy. Rest in peace, Ms. Bella Flores and flowers for you..." - Pablo A. Tariman, The Philippine Star, 20 May 2013 (READ MORE)

Roberta and Trudis - “…Contravida Queen Bella Flores was featured in “Showbiz Central’s” Most Influential segment as she plays a big part in GMA Films’ new movie with Rhian Ramos and Aljur Abrenica, “My Kontrabida Girl.” It’s also a tribute to Bella as she’s celebrating her 60th anniversary in showbiz. The screen name Bella Flores was given to her by the late Sampaguita Pictures’ boss Dr. Jose Perez. “I was so glad when I was told it means beautiful flowers,” she said. Her real name is Remedios Dancel and she was born on Feb. 27, 1936, which means she turned 76 yesterday, Monday (Feb 27/2012). She was only 15 when she did her first villain role maltreating child star Tessie Agana in the blockbuster “Roberta.” She recounted that Vilma Santos auditioned with her for her first movie, “Trudis Liit,” in 1963. “Natakot siya at tumakbo dahil nakita niyang pinahirapan ko ‘yung ibang batang nag-audition,” she said. “Ngayon, governor na siya. Sina Roderick Paulate at Gina Alajar, sa’kin din nagsimula as child stars sa ‘Kaibigan Kong Sto. Nino’…” - Mario Bautista, Malaya (READ MORE)

Female Eddie Garcia - "...There is nothing that I can ask for more," sambit ni Bella. "I've played all kinds of roles. I played the madre roles. Meron akong mga action pictures...plus mga drama. "Even on television, all of my TV shows got the highest ratings. Honest to God! Katulad ngayon, itong Trudis Liit, nakadagdag na naman ako. Nakasama ako sa magandang ratings ng show. "I'm so proud and I'm so happy and so contented that after all those five decades, you know what I mean, I'm still standing up, not sitting down." Marami nga ang naghahalintulad kay Bella bilang female counterpart ni Eddie Garcia sa patagalan sa showbiz industry. "They compare me always to Eddie Garcia when they interview me. It's true that we have the most respected names in the world of showbiz. "Kapag sinabi mong Eddie Garcia, sold na lahat. Yari na ang lahat. Wala nang puwedeng ipalit. Ganoon din ang sinasabi nila sa akin," aniya. Aminado naman si Bella na may mga pagkakataon din na hindi dumarating ang projects sa kanya...." - Paul Mata, PEP, 20 October 2010 (READ MORE)

Miss Bulaklak - "...Acting didn't run in Bella's family of eight brothers and seven sisters. Remedios Limson in real life (a mixture of Chinese, Spanish, and German bloods), Bella was a rice vendor on Blumentritt and Antipolo streets in Sta Cruz and eventually became "Miss Bulaklak of 1949" before she invaded the movies. She had her first taste of movies without the knowledge of her parents. "It was only when I arrived home with five stiches on the head I sustained from a freak accident during a shooting that they learned about it. My producer, the late Mommy Dolores H. Vera, took me home. So my parents couldn't back out anymore!" Bella Flores started out in films as an extra in Ang Lumang Bahay Sa Gulod which was Premiere Productions' first picture in color and starred Rogelio de la Rosa and Leila Morena. She transferred to Sampaguita Pictures where the late Dr. Jose R. Perez screen named her Bella Flores, which means "magandang bulaklak" in Pilipino. She was to be an extra again in Kilabot Sa Makiling but a sudden twist of fate landed her a longer role as the "other woman." Bella's biggest break came when she portrayed the stern and mean aunt to then child stars Tessie Agana and Boy Alano in Roberta, a tearjerker. The sob movie was a smash hit and literally revived Sampaguita Pictures, which was razed by fire in 1951. Bella was then signed up for 13 years and got P500 per picture with a P50 weekly allowance. On top of that, for every picture she made there after, she would be paid P3,000. "During those time, you could already buy a house and lot for only P10,000. Regular taxi fare was P10 and you could go back and forth to studio and home...Age is a state of mind. If you say you're old, then you'll look old. Me? I don't believe I'm old because I always feel young!..." - Manny B. Fernandez, People Magazine, 05 February 1982 (READ MORE)

Bella Flores and Vilma Santos' Films

Ikaw Ang Mahal Ko (1996) - ”…In 1996 Vilma Santos did “Ikaw Ang Mahal Ko” with the late FPJ. The film did not do well, both critically and commercially. This year also was a bad year for the local entertainment industry as Ishmael Bernal died on June 2nd. It was reported that he was scheduled to direct a film about the life story of Lola Rosa Henson, the comfort woman during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. The project was also reportedly offered to Vilma Santos. From 1997 to 2009, Vilma Santos completed 6 full featured films, two were considered record breaking films and almost all gave her acting recognitions including two international best actress recognitions…” (READ MORE)
Pinay, American Style (1979) - "...The film was so forgettable that the critics didn’t even bother to write any reviews. The lack of enthusiasm on the part of the critics was compensated with the box office success of the film. Vilma fits the role as the illegal alien, PX. Her attempt to speak fluent English and pretend that she’s rich when she met the boyish looking Christopher was funny and poignant. She was given enough scenes to shine. One was when she was harassed by her landlady, she promised her the rent money the next day and when she’s gone, she opened her refrigerator and found a staled piece of bread. She took bottled water and ate the staled bread, went to the bedroom and found her mom’s letter. Lying down in bed, she started to break down. A quiet scene without dialogue. A contrast from the earlier scenes where she was talkative as she tried to impress Christopher and telling him she’s rich and from a well-known family. It was obvious in 1979, Elwood Perez wasn’t the kind of director you will expect to produce a serious output. He wasn’t a Bernal or Brocka. He’s a commercial director. It was a better effort though, compared to a much more convoluted Magkaribal or their past successful projects like Nakawin natin ang bawat sandali and masakit masarap ang umibig. In Pinay, Toto Belano’s script wasn’t efficient in ironing out the “love quadrangle” plot twists and establishing the characters of four actors. So the blame can’t be put to solely to Perez’ shoulder. There was a scene were Vilma Santos and Christopher were watching a concert which was obviously not part of the script..." (READ MORE)
Huwag hamakin! Hostess (1978) - “…Do you always succeed in packaging a movie? “Often, yes, But, alas, I have failures too.” For instance? “Well, some reasons for failure are due to wrong chemistry of the cast, to the vehicle (story) and/or unsuitability of both elements. Let’s take the movie, Huwag Hamakin: Hostess, which with solid actresses, a move that proved to be contrary to the image of La Aunor. It would have been all right, if Alma Moreno, Nora’s co-star, was paired with another bold actress. But that, we learned only later and too late! I was aware of Guy’s image. But I wasn’t aware that her image wouldn’t go well with the combination. Not even the controversy of including Vilma Santos in the cast helped. It only antagonized both camps of Nora-Vilma fans…” (READ MORE)
Big Ike's Happening (1976) - "...Enrique “Big Ike” Lozada (August 13, 1940-March 8, 1995) was a Filipino comedian, actor and TV host. He was born on August 13, 1940 in Iloilo City. He started acting at the age of 11 on the movie Mga Bituin ng Kinabukasan with the younger Susan Roces. He died on March 10, 1995 in Manila, of heart attack. He was 54. His had lain at Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City..." (READ MORE)
Ding Dong (1970) - "...Ding Dong, adapted into movie from comics written by Pablo S. Gomez; Illustrated by Alfredo P. Alcala for United Komiks, 1970..." (READ MORE)
Young Love (1970) - “…The loveteam of Edgar Mortiz and Vilma Santos endured a stiff competition from teeny bopper love team of Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III and came up with equal success with string of hit films during the musical era of the 70s. Together they did forgettable but commercial hits and also some hints of the years to come to Vilma Santos’ long career. The most notable one: Dama De Noche. Total Number of films with Vilma Santos – 25 (Young Love, Teenage Jamboree, Songs and Lovers, Renee Rose, My Pledge of Love, Mga Batang Bangketa, Love Is for the Two of Us, I Love You Honey, From the Bottom of My Heart, Baby Vi, Love Letters, The Wonderful World of Music, The Sensations, The Young Idols, Sweethearts, Sixteen, Leron-Leron Sinta, Edgar Love Vilma, Don’t Ever Say Goodbye, Dama de Noche, Anak ng Aswang, Because You Are Mine, Kampanerang Kuba, Kasalanan Kaya, Karugtong ang Kahapon…” (READ MORE)
Trudis liit (1963) - “Ang pelikula ni Ate Vi na Trudis Liit ay tandang tanda ng maraming Vilmanians. Nagdulot ito ng unang karangalan para kay Ate Vi at sa murang edad ng siyam. Sa mga Vilmanians ang maraming madramang eksena ni Vilma rito’y natanim sa ating alaala. Ang sabi nga ng isa sa ating Vilmanian na si Henry Llaneza, “the first movie I’ve seen in Black & White TV mula sa bintana ng kapitbahay ay ang “Trudis Liit” na napaiyak ang lahat ng nanonood dito nagsimula ang lahat…” ng kanyang pagiging isang Vilmanian. Katulad ni Henry, dito rin nagsimula ang aking paghanga sa star for all season. Galit na galit ako nuon kay Bella Flores dahil sa pang-aaping ginawa niya kay Trudis. Sa pagkapanalo ni Ate Vi ng FAMAS Best Child Actress sa pelikulang ito, sinundan pa ng Sampaguita Pictures ang tagumpay nito sa pamamagitan ng pelikulang Ging. Dito makikita ang malinaw na talento ni Ate Vi. Hindi lamang sa kanyang hindi pilit na pag-iyak kundi sa pagkanta rin. Dito rin sa pelikulang ito’y nakipagsabayan siya sa pagganap ni Olivia Cenizal at sa pang-aapi ni Carol Varga. Ang dekada ng sisenta ay patuloy na nagbigay ng maraming pelikula kay Ate Vi magmula sa pagiging isang batang artista hanggang sa isang teenager. Umabot ito sa unang karangalan niya bilang isang hindi na batang artista sa pamamagitan ng pagkanominado niya sa Best Supporting Actress muli sa FAMAS at ang kanyang pagkapanalo ng parehong titulo mula naman sa San Beda College…” (READ MORE)

Bella Flores (February 27, 1929 - May 19, 2013), was a FAMAS award-winning Filipino film actress. She was best known for her "iconic" portrayals of film villains. Flores was born in Manila. She was a college sophomore at the Far Eastern University when she appeared in her first film, Tatlong Balaraw (1950), at age 14. Flores was signed by Sampaguita Pictures. She was cast in Roberta as the cruel stepmother of Tessie Agana's titular character, despite being 15 years old. The film was a box-office success, credited with saving Sampaguita Pictures from bankruptcy after a fire had destroyed its studio. The film's success also elevated Flores into the upper tier of stars, and typecast her in villainous roles. The film critic Nestor Torre remarked that Flores had "been making life miserable for many generations of hapless stars—all the way back to little Tessie Agana and Boy Alano in 'Roberta' in the early 1950s, to her fresh batch of victims in the New Millennium... doing it without skipping a beat—and without aging (much) to boot." She received the 1967 FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Ang Kaibigan Kong Santo Niño. Flores died on May 19, 2013, in Quezon City General Hospital. Her death was a result due to complications from a recent hip surgery. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)

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Wednesday, January 1, 2014

In Memoriam

Pepe Pimentel

"...Along with fellow “Kuarta o Kahon” co-hosts Encar Benedicto-Ordoñez and Plinky Recto, Amy Perez had been planning to visit mentor, pioneering TV host and comedian Pepe Pimentel for the longest time. Pimentel passed away on Thursday. He was 82. (He was found lifeless in the bathroom of his home by wife Cecil.) “It’s shocking. It’s sad,” said Perez. Ordoñez, who co-hosted the long-running game show “Kuarta o Kahon” with Pimentel for 11 years, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that she would usually call him on his birthday on April 27, just to keep in touch and thank him for teaching her the basics of hosting...Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos recalled: “He surely left his mark in the Philippine entertainment industry. ‘Kuarta o Kahon’ was a classic.” Pimentel also appeared in movies (like the comedies “Ang Tatay Kong Kalbo” in 1963 and “I Won! I Won!” in 1985) and commercials..." - Bayani San Diego Jr., Philippine Daily Inquirer, 26 January 2013 (READ MORE)

Subas Herrero

"...Actor Subas Herrero, one half of the comic tandem “Champoy,” loved sweets, his youngest son Choy recalled. Herrero, who passed away in Rochester, New York, on Friday (Manila time), was diagnosed with diabetes at age 30. Still, show biz colleagues related, he managed to live a full and fulfilling life until his passing at the age of 69. He was a true-blue foodie, for one. Mitch Valdes, costar on “Champoy,” also a groundbreaking gag show, said: “He was a big, passionate man with big appetites. A gentle giant"....Herrero was a versatile performer, too. “Although he was previously known as a comedian, Subas delivered a powerful performance as a villain in my film ‘Pakawalan Mo Ako,’” recounted filmmaker Elwood Perez. Actress and Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, star of that 1981 movie, asserted: “No one can deny the extent of his contributions to both the movie and television industries..." - Bayani San Diego Jr., Philippine Daily Inquirer, 17 March 2013 (READ MORE)

Danny Zialcita

"...Danny Zialcita, who passed away last March 10 at the age of 73, is Philippine cinema’s poet of modern love — a distinction that evolved from his long stint, starting with espionage and his other variations in the ’60s. The most widely discussed facet of Zialcita’s work in the wake of his passing is the writing — the swinging repartee of his dialogue that is by turns smart and shoddy, saucy and snappy. This bright, popcorn dialogue articulates the expressive amorality of his characters and also drives the pacing of the narrative, even if it’s not exactly a visual element per se. Apart from that compelling feature, a Danny Zialcita film is a delirious and earthy spectacle, evoking the lost art of the hand-painted movie billboard, and animated all the more by his actors, who demonstrate how a great ensemble is itself a visual ingredient...The rampant femininity of Zialcita’s films is what finally distinguishes their identity. Vilma’s body of work is amazing — with Zialcita, and also with Garcia and Bernal — such that she might have been endeavoring to be a comprehensive interpreter of the contemporary Filipina. But every actress in the alluring roster of Zialcita’s canon has wielded her singular, tonic presence ― from Beth Bautista, torchbearer of the Charito Solis school of acting, to Lyka Ugarte, a flighty embodiment of the spirit of Zialcita’s sex comedies, to several other ladies..." - Ricky S. Torre, Rappler, 21 March 2013 (READ MORE)

Bella Flores

"...Bella Flores, the legendary character actress best known for kontrabida roles in films and on TV, passed away early Sunday morning at 1:27AM. In an interview with radio station DZBB, singer Imelda Papin who helped bring the 84-year-old actress to the Quezon City General Hospital, said doctors tried to revive Flores three times but to no avail. A source who declined to be identified said the remains of Flores can be viewed starting Sunday night at the Loyola Memorial Chapel in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. Early this year, Flores was confined at the San Juan Medical Center due to complications from a recent hip surgery. At the time, daughter Ruby Arcilla was already resigned to her mother’s fate and wished nothing more than for her to be around long enough to celebrate her 84th birthday last February 27...She was nominated a total of seven times for a FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award, the first in 1957 for “Busabos” and the last in 1985 for her unforgettable turn in “Mga Batang Yagit”. She won the award in 1967 for “Kaibigan Kong Sto Niño”. Playing kontrabida roles in most of the more than 100 films to her credit, Flores made life miserable onscreen for generations of lead stars that included Tessie Agana, Charito Solis, Lolita Rodriguez, Gloria Romero, Susan Roces, Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos, Alma Moreno, Dolphy, Joseph Estrada, Fernando Poe, Jr., Ramon Revilla, Maricel Soriano and Gelli de Belen..." - Edwin P. Sallan, InterAksyon, 19 May 2013 (READ MORE)

Ama Quiambao

"...Ama Quiambao is a familiar face to many Filipinos. She has played mother, grandmother, maid, storekeeper, or ordinary taongbayan (crowd) in countless movies and television shows that her name does not seem important to many - people simply recognize her as an actress even if they do not know her name. People associate roles with her. When a group of friends watched a play at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last year, my companions nudged me when they saw her in the audience. They didn’t know who she was, but each one had a distinct memory of a movie or TV show where she played a memorable role. My distinct memory of her as an actress was her performance as Sepa, one of Nora Aunor’s devotees in Himala. She’s the actress that declares Elsa as a saint and rallies the faithful to come back to the hill to pray at the end of the film. To say that Quiambao was a constant and steady presence in the lives among those of us who were babysat by television would be apt. Supporters of local theatre, however, know Ama Quiambao as a magnificent theatre actress. Quiambao collapsed onstage at the Huseng Batute Theatre of the CCP last Friday while playing Ester in Pamamanhikan, a one-act play on the special friendship between two middle-aged women. The Play is one of 13 plays being staged as part of the ninth edition of Virgin Labfest, a festival featuring – as the blurb says – untried, untested, unstaged plays. Quimbao had a heart attack while doing what she loved doing best – being an actress. Quiambao was therefore top of mind all throughout the Virgin Labfest this week. Performances began with an appeal for prayers and donations for her..." - Bong Austero, Manila Standard Today, 07July 2013 (READ MORE)

Eddie Romero

"...Eddie Romero, one of most best-known Filipino filmmakers, died of prostate cancer on Tuesday, May 28. Romero was 88. Named a National Artist of the Philippines in 2003, Romero (born on July 7, 1924, in Dumaguete City) began his film career in the late ’40s, when The Philippines were still recovering from the devastation of World War II. His international reputation rests chiefly on his low-budget horror and action movies; usually Filipino / American co-productions made in collaboration with actor-producer John Ashley. Among those are the the horror sci-fier Brides of Blood (1968), featuring veteran Kent Taylor, Beverly Powers, tropical-island natives, and radioactively mutated human-eating plants; Beast of Blood (1971), featuring John Ashley and a headless monster; The Twilight People (1972), which has no connection to either Stephenie Meyer or the Cullen Clan — in the film, reminiscent of Erle C. Kenton’s Island of Lost Souls (1932), a mad scientist living on an isolated island creates half-human, half-animal beings, among them Panther Woman Pam Grier...omero’s most prestigious film is probably the 1976 musical drama Ganito kami noon… Paano kayo ngayon?, winner of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences’ Best Director Award, and Metro Manila Film Festival Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay (Romero and Roy Iglesias). Set at the turn of the 20th century, Ganito kami noon… Paano kayo ngayon?, which translates more or less as "We Were So … How Are You Today?" tells the story of a country bumpkin who becomes a member of an imaginary community during the time The Philippines went from being a Spanish colony to a de facto American colony. All the while, the movie’s hero looks for his "Filipino identity." Ganito kami noon… Paano kayo ngayon? starred Christopher De Leon and Gloria Diaz. Of note, as per the IMDb Eddie Romero was an associate producer in Francis Ford Coppola’s Best Picture Academy Award nominee Apocalypse Now (1979). Set in Vietnam but shot in The Philippines, Apocalypse Now featured Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Frederic Forrest, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper..." - Andre Soares, Alt Film Guide (READ MORE)

Behn Cervantes

"...Stage and screen actor-director Behn Cervantes died Thursday, August 15. He was 74. Sources have confirmed to Rappler his death at about 10:00 Thursday morning at the Asian Hospital in Alabang, Muntinlupa, where he had been confined due to complications from pneumonia. Cervantes was due to turn 75 on August 26. His dying wish for a belated announcement had complicated the disclosure of his passing. According to a close family friend, the stage and screen actor-director had expressed his wish that his death be announced a week later...He takes pride in his 1976 film, “Sakada,” which counts among the great social-realist and allegorical films at the time. Cervantes’ other film credits, as listed in imdb.com, include “Masikip, Masakit, Mahapdi” and “Bawal na Pag-ibig.” “Sakada” also featured a diverse cast representing the vital chapters of Philippine cinema — including Hilda Koronel, Bembol Roco, Alicia Alonzo, Robert Arevalo, Rosa Rosal, Gloria Romero, and Pancho Magalona (whose son, Francis, would fashion his own distinct milieu in our country’s pop culture). Together with the late film director Lino Brocka, Cervantes had been at the forefront of the anti-Marcos protest movement during the 14-year dictatorship. His wit and flair for drama still showed even in this theater, which, in hindsight, the actor-director jokingly qualified as the “ibagsak” genre..." - Rappler, 15 August 2013 (READ MORE)

June Keithley

"...Media and theater personality June Keithley, who was thrust into the historic 1986 EDSA Revolt as the voice that held the line for anti-dictatorship forces with her continuing broadcast from a renegade “Radyo Bandido,” died Sunday night, according to the ABS-CBN network, where she and her late husband Angelo Castro worked for many years. Keithley had been battling cancer for the past few years, alongside the equally cancer-stricken Castro, a broadcast journalist who anchored the network’s late-night English-language news program until several weeks before his death. Keithley succumbed to cancer at the St. Luke’s Medical Center. Few other details were available at press time. As a convent-bred colegiala who once admitted in an interview that she was in “rebellion” mode in her youth, the talented Keithley credited her most important mentor, the late Jesuit communicator Fr. James Reuter, with giving her direction and inspiring her to do social action work. It was also the influence of Reuter, once persecuted by the Marcos regime for encouraging churchmen critical of martial law, that was seen as instrumental in making Keithley a willing participant in the dramatic events that unfolded at EDSA starting on February 22, 1986. Ms. Keithley’s role became critical on the second day of the 4-day revolt after the Catholic Church-run Radio Veritas, the only one trusted by people to run independent live broadcasts of the unfolding developments, suddenly went off the air, its facilities having been damaged by loyalist forces. When Marcos forces bombed the broadcasting tower of Radio Veritas on February 23, it seemed the dictatorship had taken away from Filipinos the only access to news and information they had on the unfolding events..." - InterAksyon, 24 November 2013 (READ MORE)

Thursday, March 1, 2012

TRUDIS LIIT (1963)

Basic Information: Directed: Jose De Villa; Story: Mars Ravelo; Screenplay: Chito B. Tapawan; Cast: Vilma Santos, Connie Angeles, Lolita Rodriguez, Luis Gonzales, Bella Flores, Charlie Davao, Rodolfo ‘Boy’ Garcia, Ely Roque, Matimtiman Cruz, Ray Marcos, Ven Medina, Venchito Galvez; Original Music: Pastor de Jesus; Executive producer: Dr. Jose Vera Perez

Plot Description: Ang Trudis Liit ay isang pelikulang Drama kung saan inaapi ang kaawa-awang si Trudis (Vilma Santos) ng kanyang madrasta (Bella Flores). Ito ay ipinalabas noong Pebrero 21, taong 1963. Wikipedia

Film Achievement: 1963 FAMAS Best Child Actress – Vilma Santos; 2010 – Trudis has been recently remade into a televison series and also into film in 1990s

Film Reviews: “This is, of course, Vilma’s first film and it has all the elements of a melodrama – the good guys and one extremely bad woman (Bella Flores). This early, you can already tell that Vilma was to the acting profession born. (She won FAMAS Best Child Actress for this film). She doesn’t allow herself to be eclipsed by her veteran co-stars: Luis Gonzales and the Lolita Rodriguez. But with due respect to Vilma, even if she is the one who plays the title role here and is undeniably good in this Sampaguita Pictures box-office hit, the one who leaves a really lasting impression in the minds of most viewers is the character played by Connie Angeles – Oreng. After all, wasn’t it this girl who gets chewed up by a German Shepherd in the film?” Written by Butch Francisco, Newsflash.org, Feb 2004

"Nakihalo lang ako doon sa mga nag-a-audition sa Trudis Liit [1963]," pagbabalik-tanaw ng aktres kung paano siya napasok sa showbiz at naging bida nga kaagad sa nabanggit niyang proyektong iyon. Hindi ako dapat talaga doon [sa audition na iyon]. Nakipila lang ako. Pagpila ko, tinatawag ako ng mommy ko na, 'Hindi ka diyan! Sabi ko, 'Andito na, e!' Makulit na ako no'ng time na 'yon! So, anyway, tinawag ako ni Doc Perez [of Sampaguita Pictures] at that time. Pinaarte ako. Nag-adlib-adlib pa ako. Nakuha naman ako. So, when I started, dalawa kaagad ang pelikula ko—Trudis Liit at Anak, Ang Iyong Ina [1963]. Ang naaalala ko lang tungkol sa maaga kong pagpasok sa pag-aartista, parang laro lang sa akin iyon. Parang naglalaro lang ako noon kaya hindi trabaho sa akin iyon, e. So, very-very memorable sa akin iyon. At saka no'ng Trudis Liit, every lunch, lagi akong may apple. Lagi akong may chicken. Every lunch talaga 'yon. Parang... Siguro bata, so ibibigay nila 'yong gano'ng ano sa 'yo. Parang may prize ka, gano'n. So, memorable sa akin iyon." - Vilma Santos (READ MORE)

"...Contravida Queen Bella Flores was featured in "Showbiz Central’s" Most Influential segment as she plays a big part in GMA Films’ new movie with Rhian Ramos and Aljur Abrenica, "My Kontrabida Girl." It’s also a tribute to Bella as she’s celebrating her 60th anniversary in showbiz. The screen name Bella Flores was given to her by the late Sampaguita Pictures’ boss Dr. Jose Perez. "I was so glad when I was told it means beautiful flowers," she said. Her real name is Remedios Dancel and she was born on Feb. 27, 1936, which means she turned 76 yesterday, Monday (Feb 27/2012). She was only 15 when she did her first villain role maltreating child star Tessie Agana in the blockbuster "Roberta." She recounted that Vilma Santos auditioned with her for her first movie, "Trudis Liit," in 1963. "Natakot siya at tumakbo dahil nakita niyang pinahirapan ko ‘yung ibang batang nag-audition," she said. "Ngayon, governor na siya. Sina Roderick Paulate at Gina Alajar, sa’kin din nagsimula as child stars sa ‘Kaibigan Kong Sto. Nino’..." - Mario Bautista READ MORE

"Siyam na taong gulang si Vilma Santos nang gawin niya ang kauna-unahang pelikula niya ang “Trudis Liit” ng VP Pictures na itinanghal noong Pebrero 21 – Marso 2, 1963. Naging abala siya pagkatapos sa linguhang taping ng TV series na “Larawan ng Pag-ibig” sa ABS (ang dating KBS sa Roxas Blvd. Noon) kung saan nakasama niya sina Zeny Zabala at Willie Sotelo. Noon pa man, kapuna-puna na madaling kumuha ng direksiyon si Vi, bukod pa sa mabilis itong magmemoya ng linya. Lubha rin siyang maingat sa kanyang pangkalahatang kaanyuhan bago humarap sa kamera. Kapag ang eksena ay sa loob ng tahanan, medyo guguluhin niya ang buhok, titiyakin na may kalumaan ang suot na simpleng damit, pati na ang tsinelas. Kapag sa labas naman ang eksena, pipili siya ng angkop na kasuotan, na para sa kanya ay komportable at simple. Dito sila madalas nagkakaiba ng panlasa ng kanyang ina. Pati na sa ayos ng buhok. Ang kay Vi, ang pananatili pa rin ng dating gawi. Ang sa kanyang mama, artista at kinakailangan nga naman ng kauting pagbabago sa panlabas na kaanyuan. Siyempre, ang kadalasang resulta, ang Mama niya ang nasusunod. After all, mother knows best, hindi ba? Bagay na hanggang nagdalaga si Vi ay muli at muli niyang napatunayan. Anyway, noon pa man, natural lang na mamalas kay Mama Santos ang understandeble pride sa anak, lalo pa’t madalas sabihin nina Zeny at Willie, “Artista talaga! Madali niyang masakyan ang prepesyong ito!” na matinding intriga at kontrobersiya..." - Ched P. Gonzales, Vilma Santos: Noon At Ngayon, Modern Romances True Confessions Magazine, December 15, 1980 (READ MORE)

"...The late starbuilder, Dr. Jose Perez, saw Vilma when she was 9 yrs old and realized early on her potential as an actress when she auditioned and eventually won the title role in Mars Ravelo’s “Trudis Liit” (1963) produced by Vera Perez Pictures where Vilma won her first acting award as Best Child Actress from the FAMAS..." - Paolo Salas, Celebrity Chronicle, Nov 2006 (READ MORE)

"...Vilma was talking about Trudis Liit, the ’60s Sampaguita tearjerker in which she played the title role, with Luis playing her father, now US-based Lolita Rodriguez her mother and Bella Flores as the kontrabida. Luis, whose real surname is Mercado, died of complications of pneumonia at 11:30 Thursday night, March 15, at the Makati Medical Center where he was confined for the last time (he had been in and out of the hospital). As in the case of movie greats, Luis’ age is confidential and maybe not even his wife Vina Concepcion, who belongs to the clan that owns Concepcion Industries, and their three children can be forced to reveal it. After Trudis Liit, Vilma would star with Luis years later when she was already a teenager, in Iginuhit ng Tadhana and in Pinagbuklod ng Langit, produced by Sampaguita Pictures, believed to have helped Ferdinand Marcos win when he ran for President and then for reelection. In both movies, Luis plays Marcos, with Gloria Romero as First Lady Imelda Marcos and Vilma as Imee Marcos (now Ilocos Norte Governor). In the second, Gina Alajar plays as Irene Marcos (Mrs. Greggy Araneta), Now-Sen. Bongbong Marcos plays himself in the first movie (it was Jonjie Aranda, ex-husband of Sen. Loren Legarda, who plays Bongbong in the second). “I shot Palimos ng Pagibig (a Viva drama, with Edu Manzano and Dina Bonnevie) at Luis’ house,” added Vilma. “I remember him as sobrang kalog, palabiro. Ang tawag namin kay Tito Luis palengke kasi nga Mercado ang real surname niya. I was nine years old then and he always reminded me to just enjoy everything. We were always shooting dramatic scenes at parati akong iyak nang iyak, but after every take, tawa na kami nang tawa because Tito Luis would start cracking jokes..." - RicoJr (READ MORE)

"...Bella Flores (born Remedios Dancel) began terrorizing lead actors and actresses since she was cast as the evil stepmother in the 1951 film Roberta. Since then, she has been cast in over a hundred films, making life miserable for the likes of little Vilma Santos in the 1964 film Trudis Liit and young Gina Alajar in the 1970 film Robina...Her screen name might mean "beautiful flowers," but she has piercing eyes (always with tons of black eyeliner) and a husky voice that easily send shivers down one's spine. She seems to excel in terrorizing kids in movies..." - Spot.ph (READ MORE)

Oreng, Trudis' sister "...I was five when I did ‘Eskuwelahang Munti,’” Connie begins. “Maybe, my mother harbored a secret ambition to become an actress that’s why she took me there. Sintunado ako pero wala namang pinipili doon. As long as you can face the camera, and tumula ka d’yan, kumanta ka…Its products were Edgar Mortiz, Ike Lozada and Perla Adea. ‘Pag bata kasi, patatawarin ka kahit sintunado. May ribbon ako na malalaki, bungi pa ako noon. “In Trudis, we were 800 plus during the audition. Tita Lolit (Lolita Rodriguez) and Tita Bella (Flores) talked to my mother. Siguro, natutuwa sa akin. They told her na kukurutin daw ako para umiyak pero kailangan daw sabihin ko ang lines ko. So, nakuha ako, kasi the other children forgot to say the dialogue when they started crying. “I played Oreng, yung sister ni Trudis na kinagat ng aso. But I never became a dramatic actress, because I didn’t know how to cry. In one scene, inaagaw na yung baboy namin do’n, ipagbibili na ni Bella. When Ate Vi (Vilma Santos) cried, iyak na din ako pero boses lang. Wala talagang luha. Kakausapin na naman nila nanay ko. Kunwari papauwiin na ako. ‘Pag umiyak na ako, they would start shooting. After our scenes, Tito Luis (Gonzalez) and Tita Lolit would buy us Max chicken kasi pinahirapan nila kaming umiyak..." - Gypsy Baldovino (READ MORE)

"...a star, er, actress was born. Impressive start, easily cries on cue, rewarded by the FAMAS for best child actress. She had a movie with Gloria Romero and Rita Gomez in Anak, Ang Iyong Ina..." - anonymous (READ MORE)

Sampaguita vs LVN - "...During the 1950s and the early 1960s Sampaguita and LVN were acknowledged leaders of the industry. Dr. Jose Perez, Sampaguita general manager, went on to discover an array of luminaries including Gloria Romero (who won the FAMAS best actress award in "Dalagang Ilocana"), Rita Gomez, Greg Martin, Susan Roces, Amalia Fuentes, Romeo Vasquez, Barbara Perez, Tony Marzan, and Eddie Garcia who has won more acting trophies than any other Filipino thespian in the history of Philippine movies. It was also Doc Perez who gave both Vilma Santos and Rod Navarro their first movie breaks. Vilma was the child star of "Trudis Liit" while Rod appeared as an extra in a now forgotten Sampaguita movie. Meanwhile, LVN too was turning out blockbusters during the 1950s. Among its many stars were Pugo and Tugo (Doctor X, Pulo ng Engkanto, Dalawang Prinsepeng Kambal), Armando Goyena (father of Maritess and Tina Revilla), Celia Flor, Teody Belarmino, Tony Santos, Lilia Dizon, Tessie Quintana, Mario Montenegro, Jaime de la Rosa, Delia Razon, Rosa Rosal, Nestor de Villa and the uninhibited Nida Blanca. LVN produced such unforgettable musical comedies as Batanguena, Waray-Waray, and Saydwok Bendor (all starring Nida Blanca); such fantasy films as Tungkod ni Moses (where Director Richard Abelardo divided the Red Sea) and Rodrigo de Villa; and such dramatic tearjerker as In Despair (Mila del Sol and Jaime de la Rosa), Pag-asa (Armando Goyena and Priscilla Cellona), Yolanda (Celia Flor and Teody Belarmino), and Aklat ng Buhay (Rosa Rosal and Oscar Keesee)..." - Joe Quirino, Times Journal, August 19, 1977 (READ MORE)