93. ROY T. GONZALEZ, 1st Filipino Design Genius to Conquer Europe's Fashion Houses

IMAGE 1:  DESIGN WIZ. 22-year old Roy T. Gonzales, works on designs for the House of Cardin at his Paris office. Pierre Cardin handpicked the young Filipino to join his fashion house after seeing his award-winning designs while a student at the famed Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Image: Sunday Times Magazine

In 1964, a young Filipino design student placed first in a class of 80 students from  France’s premiere fashion school Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. It was a historic triumph in the fashion capital of the world for the unassuming Kapampangan boy who displayed his mastery in cutting and designing to beat competition.  Little did his professors and classmates know that Froilan “Roy” Gonzales, had long prepared for this, living and breathing fashion design in all  his 20 years.

His auspicious win would presaged a long career in Paris, where he would conquer the elite fashion houses of the city—the likes of Cardin, Patou and Lecoanet-Hemant, the Versace and Calvin Klein of that period.

Undoubtedly, his creative genius was in his genes, imbibed from both his grandmother and mother, prominent couturiers back in Manila. But the course of his career was also shaped an influenced by a unique background, the kind of story that movie dramas are made of, and which must be retold.

IMAGE 2: ALING BELTA, MODISTA PAR EXCELLENCE. Roy’s design genius was inherited from grandmother Roberta “Belta” Paras, whose own drama-filled life story tested her will and shaped her character. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Roy’s grandmother was  Roberta “Belta” Tablante Paras, a woman of extraordinary talent and character, very much ahead of her times. She was the daughter of Modesto Paras, a juez de paz of Angeles, Pampanga and Juliana Tablante. Early on, Belta showed dexterity in handling needle and thread; she could cut and sew clothes with such skill that she started making a name for herself as dressmaker of note. Thus, in 1902, the young modista opened her Angeles shop.

IMAGE 3: JOSEFINA PARAS. Roberta Paras’ love-child with prominent Angeles doctor, Dr. Jose Tayag, and Roy’s mother, at her communion. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

By a twist of fate, she would fall in love with Dr. Jose Tayag, a prominent Angeles doctor who was very much married man.  Her father disowned her, so she fled to Manila, heavy with the child of Dr. Tayag. Yet, she managed to open a small dressmaking shop in Quiapo on Fraternal St. near the Pasig River in 1912. She would give birth to her daughter, Josefina,  on November 9, 1912, but once she recovered, the single mother went back toiling in her little shop.

IMAGE 4: CLIENT CALL. Lola Belta gained a reputation for her beautiful bridal gown creations. Her early commissions include this bridal gown of Socorro Brigida Naval for her wedding with Zosimo P. Ricafort. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Her ambition and determination paid off; her creations—from bridal ensembles to ball gowns and formal wear found a steady stream of clients, many from among Manila’s elite. So in 1918, she moved her shop to Binondo in where her business gained more ground

IMAGE 5: R.T. PARAS BUILDING, along Rizal Avenue, housed a school of dressing as well as the fashion shop of Roberta Paras. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

But there was more to come. With her substantial earnings, Belta invested on a property along Manila’s premiere commercial center, Avenida. She put up her own R.T. Paras Building at 859 Rizal Avenue, which housed not only her couture shop but also a school of dressmaking. The last venture, too, flourished, and Belta’s fashion business was now a big-league enterprise.

IMAGE 6: ALING BELTA WITH GRANDCHILDREN, TITA & ROY GONZALES. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Roberta Paras lived long enough to reap the rewards of her dreams and enjoy them. She remained selfless in the midst of her success, welcoming even Dr. Tayag’s children to her house in Manila during their schooling in the University of the Philippines, and treating them as her own. Most important too, she managed to pass on to daughter Josefina her passion for her art and craft, her exacting eye for good design, and her fine taste in fashion couture. These too, were not lost on grandson Roy, who, at a young age, was a witness to her grandmother’s talent, work ethics, and strong family values that  that would serve him well as a design student in Paris.

IMAGE 7: INANG, THE SUCCESSOR. Josefina “Inang” Paras (with  Roy), continued the R.T. Paras fashion house and her business savvy helped grew the family enterprise. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

When Roberta Tayag Paras passed away in 1952, her daughter, Josefina, took on her mantle and embraced her new role as the head of the fashion house. She brought to the table, her sharp business acumen honed by years of being an assistant to her mother as a teen. She finished her high school at St. Theresa’s College and earned a Commercial Science degree from Jose Rizal College. She also enrolled at her mother’s dressmaking school, and successfully completed that course too.

 “Inang” (b. Nov. 9, 2012) as she was fondly called, married Francisco Gonzales of Camiling, Tarlac who gave him two children, Robertita (Tita) and Froilan (Roy). The two would tag along with their mother when she reported to the shop of their Apung Belta, staying close as the elders managed the affairs of the day.  Tragically, at age 9, Tita would  drown in a summer swimming accident that would test Inang’s faith and spirit. A woman of weaker constitution would have spiraled into profound despair at this great loss, but Inang pulled herself together, buried her daughter, and carried on with what she had left—her son Roy, and her mother’s legacy, now a flourishing fashion business she had promised to run.

IMAGE 8 : ON THE MOVE. The House of R.T. Paras at the new Quezon Boulevard location in 1957. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Inang proved to be as strong-willed as her mother, but on her own, she was also a visionary of sorts. In 1957, Inang moved R.T.Paras to a new location in Quezon City, an area that was then just being developed. A spanking, modern building was built to become the all-new House of R.T. Paras Haute Couture.

IMAGE 9: A WEDDING GOWN CREATED FOR BRIDE NONNIE AGUINALDO. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

This proved to be a smart move as the fashion house even became even more popular, its elite roster of clients growing by leaps and bounds. In its heyday, the House of R.T. Paras got to dress all the First Ladies of the country (except Dra. Loi Ejercito), beginning with Mrs. Aurora Aragon Quezon . Presidents Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were also valued clients. Manila’s 400 came knocking at the doors—the Cojuangcos, Aranetas, Tansecos,  Lagdameos , among others.

IMAGE 10: THE SON ALSO RISES. Young Roy Gonzales showed his design skills early, using his school notebooks to sketch and do fashion illsutrations.Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Froilan “Roy” Gonzales (b. Mar. 23, 1944) remembers distinctly how, as an 8-year old, he started sketching his own designs in his school notebooks. He was just 13 when the House of R.T. Paras opened in Quezon City. Although not a stranger to the comings and goings in the house—client consultations, design discussions, cutting, sewing, endless fittings--the pace of activities have quickened at an accelerated rate. And, he was absorbing, as he was observing everything with much interest.

Roy’s horizons expanded when his mother took him to her trips abroad, traveling to such places as Hong Kong, Egypt and Europe, with the last making the most impression on him. He was an Economics sophomore at the Ateneo when he made up his mind to help continue the legacy left behind by his grandmother, now in the able hands of his hardworking mother. And so, still in his teens, he decided to study Fashion Design in Paris no less, home to the world’s leading fashion houses.

IMAGE 11: PARIS, HERE I COME. Roy Gonzales was admitted to the hallowed fashion school, Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Roy enrolled at the famed Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, a fashion school founded in 1927. For almost four decades, the school have been turning young talents into polished,  highly-skilled professionals who are seen to chart the course of fashion and the fashion industry. Beginning in 1960, the school started creating international affiliations, paving the way for Roy, a Filipino, to be a student of the school.

His first place award for school year 1963-1964 drew the attention of Pierre Cardin, the French-Italian designer who would take the fashion world by storm for his avant-garde unisex creations—including the bubble dress launched in 1954. Taking an interest in Roy’s talents, he handpicked him for an interview one day in June 1964.  Roy strode in to meet Monsieur Cardin armed with his sketches, that so impressed the design icon that he hired him on the spot.

The Filipino designer, who had just turned 20, was quickly put to work on the Spring Summer Collection of the House of Cardin. The Op Art collection reflected the rage of Paris at that time, marked by stark, geometrical patterns, with a bold splash of orange and yellow, the colors of the season.  Unlike in Manila, it was not just the dresses that Roy designed, but also the accessories to go along with the look, including hats, jewelry and shoes.

 IMAGE 12: DESIGNS BY ROY. Some of Roy’s designs for the House of Cardin reflected the style of the season: op art. Creations include dress inspired by a kimono, day dresses, and accessories like hats and pieces of jewelry.Image: Sunday Times Magazine, 8 May 1966 issue.

As Cardin’s lone fashion designer, Roy reported daily at the Cardin workshop that occupied a whole building along Rue du Fauborge Sainte-Honore, on Paris’ 5^th Avenue. He worked directly under Cardin, and a small staff that includes a business director (who took care of contracts involving the sale of patterns to American department stores), two Frenchwomen  and a Swiss who staged Cardin’s fashion shows.

His rigid schedule begins from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then from 2:00 pm. to 7 p.m., a full 8 hours that involved sketching and designing. Cardin would then choose the ones he liked for production. In his first attempts, only a few would be selected by Cardin from his scores of design. Being a quick learner, he was soon averaging about 5 approved designs for every 10 sketches submitted. “I think I know Cardin’s taste by now”, he says, “which is for me an accomplishment”.  The cutters and seamstresses are then put to work to execute the design, and when finished, are shown off by models to prospective clients.

IMAGE 13: TWO TERNOS, by Roy T. Gonzales. Even in a foreign land, Roy also designed Filipiniana pieces. These ternos, designed 40 years apart, shows a tri-colored terno and a terno specially designed for her mother, Inang. Images: Sunday Times Magazine/  A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

In the six years (1964-1970) with Cardin, Roy got to know many high-profile customers of Cardin, like actresses Jeanne Moreau (who was romantically linked with his boss), Greek superstar Melina Mercouri, Natalie Wood, Bridget Bardot, Mme. Dewi Sukarno and Mme. Claude Jacqueline Pompidou, First Lady of Prance.

From the House of Cardin, Roy worked for a year (1972-1973) at the House of Cerruti, founded by Italian stylist Nino Cerruti. As an assistant modéliste (model maker), he created the patterns of a garment based on a sketched design, which showed his cutting skills at his best.

IMAGE 14: JUDOKA JACKET of white cotton pique damask, edged in braid over pleated black satin trousers. Jean Patou designed by Roy Gonzales. 1978. Image: https://www.shrimptoncouture.com

It was at the House of Patou that Roy’s star would shine even brighter. The venerable couture house was founded  by designer Jean Patou, who died unexpectedly in March 1936. His sister Madeleine, together with husband Raymond Barbas,  continued the House of Patou which have come to include world- renowned designers like Marc Bohan (1954–1956), Karl Lagerfeld (1960–1963) and Jean Paul Gaultier (1971–1973).

Enter Roy Gonzales, now with more fire, more experience tucked under his belt. Starting as a modéliste, he proved his worth for five years, where his technical wizardry in design served him well, indeed.  

IMAGE 15: PATOU IN THE PHILIPPINES! Roy T. Gonzales, design head of the House of Patou, brought the Jean Patou Collection to Philippines in 1976. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

In 1976, Roy returned to the Philippines, to stage a homecoming fashion show at Hotel Intercon featuring his designs worn by statuesque Patou models. The show was a smash hit; Manila revelled in his international success, which further elevated the quality high-fashion reputation of the House of R. T. Paras. The next year, Roy was finally named design head of Patou, thus establishing him firmly as a world-class fashion genius.

In the summer of 1977, Roy  presented his summer collection for Patou that was hailed as “one of its prettiest collections in recent years”. Here, he deftly replaced traditional blouses with little waistcoats. He also featured a lot of strapless dresses which doubled as evening skirts when dropped from bust to hip. Singled out as Patou's best was a fluttery shirt of red-striped beige over a red dotted beige skirt and topped by a beige canvas waistcoat. The collection  was noted for its eminently European, ultra-feminine look.

He made quite a splash at the fall couture show held in July 1977 in Paris with such eye-turning numbers such as a vest made of feathered patchwork and a batwing cardigan sweater. In the 1978 editorial of Vogue Paris, his sumptuous designs for Patou were featured on the pages magazine considered as a fashion bible.

IMAGE 16: GET WELL SOON! An illness forced Roy to slow down and check-in at a French rest house where he would convalesce. While recovering, he was visited by his mother Inang. Photo: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

But a debilitating illness befell Roy, which would hound him for months, so in 1981, he took off from work to recover in a country home in France where his mother, Inang,  visited him. His convalescence however, took more time than usual,  and he sadly decided to quit the House of Patou in 1982, and return to the Philippines for a much needed rest. Roy would be succeeded by the equally brilliant Christian Lacroix as design head in 1982, and who, in a matter of years, become a fashion superstar.

Back on his feet in 1982, Roy returned to Paris and  was signed up as by Dorothée Bis as its modeliste-stylist . The ready-to-wear house was founded by Jacqueline and Elie Jacobson in 1962. It would earn repute for its stylish sportswear line, that included knits.

In 1984, he would start a long and illustrious career at Lecoanet Hemant, which was founded by Didier Lecoanet and Hemant Sagar in the ’80s, right on the street where Roy first worked for Cardin, close to the Elysée Palace. The fashion house became known for a unique style that mixed eastern and western elements, most evident in the drapings reminiscent of the Asian sari, that characterized most of their creations.

IMAGE 17: ROY IN THE PARIS METRO, after a 1984 Didier Lecoanet Hemant Sagar fashion show 1984. Photo:  Jean-luce Huré, http://snap361.com/ig-tag/roygonzales/

Draping was one of Roy’s area of expertise being a superbly-skilled technician, and he would leave his mark in this haute couture house that was patronized by European aristocrats, Middle eastern blue-bloods, as well as the international jet set crowd. He would stay with Lecoanet Hemant until 1998.

By then, Roy’s mother Inang was already 86 years old. Away for more than three decades, he finally decided to come home for good in 1998 to spend time with her. It was also the perfect time to take over the reins of the R.T. Paras Couture House which her mother had so productively ran by herself with her loyal staff, and which had set a record by becoming the longest continuing haute couture shop in the country. Indeed, the name “R.T. Paras” was top-of-mind when it came to creating opulent wedding gowns, smart corporate attire, suits and formal wear.\

IMAGE 18: HER MOTHER’S SON. Roy Gonzales and her mother Josefina Gonzales at the pinnacle of their success, Photo: Ruppert Jacinto, A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

 Comfortably settled in Manila, Roy indulged her mother’s passion for dinners, dances and costume parties with her ‘amigas’. They were even planning the 2002 centennial of the House of R. T. Paras, plus her 90^th birthday. Roy had already designed a fabulous terno for her mother to wear for the said occasions. But Inang would not be there to see the celebration of their milestone of the design empire that she helped built; she passed away on January 28, 2001. It was a most heartbreaking moment for Roy, and he would reflect later on that “her absence scooped out a portion of our lives…and for me, it was a bucketful.”

On November 9, 2002, on what would have been the 90^th birthday of Inang Gonzales, the House of R.T. Paras celebrated its 100^th year, marked with a spectacular fashion show and an exhibit of vintage Paras gowns at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio.   The beaming Roy chose to call it a “family reunion”, as it was attended by many patrons of the house, veritable members of Manila’s who’s who.

Roy Gonzales now holds high the torch of the esteemed fashion business that was begun a century ago by his Apung Belta and his beloved mother, Inang. But he also keeps the fire close to his heart, as he strives to continue the legacy of the house—now solely  his own.

These days, Roy has totally immersed himself in the local fashion scene, and his couture creations been seen everywhere—from the President’s State-of-the-Nation Address to gala balls and fashion runways. Part of his continuing journey is his mission to share and impart his couture knowledge to budding designers and students. In 2010, Roy was one of the mentors in the Designer Fashion Workshops  organized by fashion professionals in collaboration with iacademy.

The trailblazing Filipino who conquered the leading fashion houses of Europe and who paved the way for other local designers to leave their mark in the international fashion scene, can afford to rest on his laurels, no doubt.  But he chooses not to, for while he holds high the torch of the fashion business started a century ago by his Lola Belta and Inang, he also keeps the fire close to his heart. Now infused with the lifeblood of three generations, the House of R.T. Paras lives on.

 SOURCES:

Gutierrez, Lydia C., The Wizard of Op. Sunday Times Magazine, May 8, 1966, pp. 50-51.

A  Century of Couture, R.T. Paras 1902-2002, Le Recueil des Anniversaires

Tayag, Claude. My Tita Inang, TURO-TURO column,  6 October 2002 https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/sunday-life/2002/10/06/178780/my-tita-inang

https://prabook.com/web/froilan_tayag.gonzales/775456

Shrimpton Couture: Photos of Patou Designs,

https://www.shrimptoncouture.com/blogs/curated/shadows-and-lights-on-the-new-evening

 Photo, Vogue Paris, 1977. Photo by Helmut Newton. http://snap361.com/ig-tag/roygonzales/

 The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois · Page 28, Publication: Thursday,  October 27, 1977, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/73127955/

 Image: “Surprise Encounter ! Didier Lecoanet Hemant Sagar in the Paris Metro after their show 1984 and Roy Gonzales”,  Photo Jean-luce Huré, http://snap361.com/ig-tag/roygonzales/

 

 

85. GEORGE REY URBANO: A Filipino Trailblazer in International Professional Wrestling

GEORGE REY URBANO. For over 3 decades, this trailblazing Philippine-born wrestler made waves in the American wrestling circuit as Rey Urbano, Tokyo Tom, Taro Sakuro, and his most famous wrestling persona—the Great Kabooki.

Wrestling has always had a worldwide audience, ever since the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), was founded in 1948 as a governing body for professional wrestling. Based in America, NWA began promoting brawling matches on television back in the early 1950s.  By 1961, canned wrestling programs (Men’s and Women’s) were seen regularly on late-night Philippine TV over DZBB Channel 7.

Curiously, Filipinos did not catch on to wrestling despite their love for contact sports, preferring boxing instead. After all, the boxing world included many Filipino champions—Pancho Villa, Ceferino Garcia, father and son Cely and Anthony Villanueva, Flash Elorde, among others-- fighting figures of our national pride. They were the best reasons to root for the sport—not alien names like Bobo Brazil, Gorgeous George, Killer Kowalski, and the Fabulous Moolah.

Not until the mid-1980s that Filipinos took a second look at wrestling. By then, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) took command of the sports, booking champions and producing big wrestling events, beamed on cable TV from huge venues like Madison Square Garden and Shea Stadium.

SMACKDOWN SOUVENIR. A 1950s fight program from the first golden age of American wrestling features a match between Rey Urbano of Manila versus Axel Cadier from Sweden.

WWF signed up and headlined wrestlers Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, Roddy Piper and Bret Hart, in shows like WWF Superstar, set amidst music, lights and much theatrics. Merchandising gimmicks were launched for its pool of talents, spawning action figures, video games and toys. When the programs went into syndication, they were lapped up by a mainstream audience who found new heroes to idolize.

The entry of Filipino-American grapplers further fueled the Filipinos’ crazy fascination, and later, obsession, with wrestling. There was Dave Batista (David Michael Bautista), a hulking 6’6” wrestler who was snapped up by WWF (now World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE) in 2000.  Now retired, Batista remains visible in action films like “Riddick”,  “Guardians of the Galaxy”, and “Avengers: End Game”.

Benny Cuntapay (B.Boy), has also successfully fought in the All-Pro and Combat Zone Wrestling. While T. J. Perkins, who used to fight as “Pinoy Boy”,  won the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Championship in 2016. Recently, Fil-Am Michael Paris (aka DJZ), 2-time Impact X Division Champion, was reported in March 2019 to being squired by WWE.

REY OF LIGHT.  Rey Urbano resplendent in a Philippine Muslim costume. Photo by Libnan Ayoub, 100 Years of Professional Wrestling in Australia via Online World of Wrestling.

The extraordinary feats and skills of these world-class Filipino matmen, however, were foreshadowed not too long ago by a Manila-born strongman who blazed trails by breaking into the competitive world of international wrestling—in his time, the only professional wrestler in all of the Philippines: GEORGE REY URBANO.

FATHER JUAN. Rey’s father was born in Samar and became an inventor, the first Filipino to own a U.S. patent for a fountain pen and pencil that can write in the dark. He later entered the movies business back in the Philippines.

Born in Manila on 25 Apr. 1924 to Juan and Sixta Urbano, Rey had quite a comfortable life. His father was a successful inventor and businessman, the cousin of famed movie director and actor, Manuel Urbano (screen name: Manuel Conde), who had made waves in Venice in 1952 with his opus, “Genghis Khan”.

COMING  TO AMERICA. As a student of the San Francisco City College, Rey Urbano (on the right) was a valuable member of the school’ football team in 1948. Photo courtesy of The Guardsman via RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue. Used with permission.

Four year old George Rey,  his older 3 siblings (Belen, Marina, Isidro) and their mother Sixta moved to America in 1928, to follow Juan, who had  gone there ahead to set up a manufacturing business. Sixta boosted the family income by selling jewelry pieces. The children went to schools in the San Francisco area where they had settled.

Things were going well for the family, until tragedy struck in 1939 with the death of their mother. Rey was only 15 then, still a student at the San Francisco Polytechnic High School. To make things worse, his father Juan decided to return to the Philippines to look for business opportunities in the field of movie production—an obvious influence from his showbiz cousin whose career was about to peak.

Left in the U.S. in the care of relatives, Rey immersed himself in football and judo. The war in his native Philippines cut short his college dreams, and so, at age 19, like his brother Isidro before him, he joined the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment in early 1943.

REMEMBER THIS ALAMO SCOUT. 19 year old Rey Urbano, Rey Urbano, as a member of the 1^st Filipino Infantry Regiment in 1943. He and his brother would also sign up as volunteers of the Alamo Scouts. Used with permission from RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue.

The 2 brothers would later volunteer to become Alamo Scouts, an elite reconnaissance unit that saw action in the jungles of  New Guinea. The next year, Rey and Isidro were deployed to the Philippines as part of the Allied landing forces.

When the war ended, the young veteran left his military career to go back to school. He entered San Francisco City College in 1947 which had an excellent football program. Though a bit underheight for the sport (he was 5’9”, 200 pounds), Rey became an outstanding player of the 1948 team, which snagged a mythical national junior college championship.

To build his stamina and strength on the gridiron, he took to an alternate sport he had also been avidly indulging in: wrestling. He underwent intense training in the school put up by the acclaimed Filipino wrestler Pantaleon Manlapig, who had previously held many Pacific Coast titles, under the name Tony Aguinaldo in the 1940s.

MENTORED BY MANLAPIG. Rey Urbano trained under Filipino wrestling legend, Pantaleon Catanghal Manlapig, who fought in Hawaii under the name Tony Aguinaldo. He held the Pacific Coast title in the 1940s for several times.

Rey was instantly hooked. He came to master many fighting styles and techniques—Greco-Roman, Sumo, catch-as-catch-can styles.  Bitten by the wrestling bug, he passed up a football scholarship from the University of Southern California,  ignored his father’s pleading to return to the Philippines and be a movie star, and instead, chose to focus on a new goal: to become a professional wrestler.

STRIKING A FIGHTER’S POSE. Rey Urbano in his first official photo as a professional wrestler, taken in 1950. Photo courtesy of L.A. Public Library via RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue. Used with permission.

He debuted in a match held in Honolulu, Hawaii on 23 April 1950, using his real name, “Rey Urbano”, defeating Chico Garcia in his very first professional outing . The Ogden Standard-Examiner in Utah was effusive in its review of Rey’s performance: "Rey Urbano came here recently from the Philippines and has impressed with his ability under all kinds of fire… The Islander uses the side of his hand in a cutting manner not unlike the chopping knife he used at home in the sugar cane fields. It is both legal and effective."

Rey was on his way. The next year, Rey was billed in a match at the Los Angeles Olympic Coliseum, capturing the attention of the nearly ten thousand screaming wrestling fans that crammed the venue. The one sad setback he experienced was the death of his brother, Isidro, who was killed in action in the Korean War of 1952.

Though he found steady work throughout the west and southwest in the next few years, Rey realized that the crowd drawers of wrestling bouts were not the favorites like him, but the villains of the ring. In fact, they also brought in the big bucks!  Rey, thus, in a complete turn-around, shed his clean, good boy image to assume a villainous wrestling persona.

TURNING JAPANESE. Rey Urbano made a major career shift by becoming a wrestling villain in the person of  “Taro Sakuro”, a name he used from the late 50s and 60s. Photo courtesy of RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue. Used with permission.

As it was just a few years after the terrible War in which the Japanese earned a reputation as heinous villains for their war crimes, Rey chose to be known as “Taro Sakuro”. In 1959, in his first fight in Tennessee, the bearded “Japanese” hulk in a short robe and wooden sandals, ascended the ring and struck fear with his evil eye gaze and calm, but fearful exterior. But most of all, his behavior and fighting tricks disgusted the crowd—which he had hoped would happen—a despicable anti-hero that the audience loved to hate.

Rey enjoyed immense success with his new wrestling character. In  1962, he won the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship, and, with Oyama Kato, the NWA U.S. Tag Team title. Promoters began matching him  with more popular, more high-profile wrestlers. Needless to say, this move paid off, and he began collecting more susbtantial paychecks. 

 THE TERROR THAT WAS TARO. Rey Urbano as “Taro Sakuro” demolishes Alberto Torres in a 1962 fight. Photo courtesy of Wrestling Revue. Via RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue. Used with permission.

As the new bad guy of wrestling, Rey had to deal with the backlash of fans. He survived a shooting, stabbings, and countless verbal and physical attacks. The most serious of all was being spiked on the foot by a woman using her sharp,  stiletto-heeled shoe,  a bloody injury that required surgery. He took all these in stride as occupational hazards that he had come to expect from the job.

Through all these, Rey carried on and retained the Japanese guise that helped  revitalized his career. Appearing in Texas in 1965, he briefly became “Tokyo Tom” and a substitute for “Tokyo Joe”, a convicted wrestler who was banned from the ring. He introduced gimmicks like incorporating over-the-top karate chops and thrusts in his moves that had the audience reacting wildly.

Shortly after the Texas stint, Rey faced another difficult, life-threatening hurdle. He was afflicted with a brain tumor and underwent a crucial operation. Thankfully, the mass was benign. He spent his 5-year long convalescence by going back to the California State University-Hayward  to finish a college degree (Recreational Studies). He found gainful employment at a recreational park where he held P.E. classes and occasionally wrestled to raise funds for his advocacies.

THE GREAT KABOOKI. The most well-known wrestling character conceived by Rey Urbano was a huge, hulking menacing Oriental warrior, a villain that the audience loved to hate. Alex Castro Photo.

Though doctors believed he will never wrestle again, he defied their dire prognostications and returned to the ring in late 1972 in a new incarnation. This time, he transformed himself into a villainous Japanese warrior of unspeakable brutishness, with a fierce-looking face painted for battle, and a name that no one will forget: The Great Kabooki.

He took his Japanese character to heart, dressing in authentic robes, and performing the ceremonial sumo ritual of throwing salt in his fights, which he also used to blind his foes. Everywhere he made an appearance, the Great Kabooki was a daunting figure to behold, inspiring fear and awe. His triumphant rebound was met with roars from the audience, who lapped up his acts and antics on the ring, catapultin him again to national prominence.

THAT KABOOKI FACE. Rey Urbano was the first wrestler to use paint make-up to make his Japanese character more theatrical, and more fearsome.

Rey, as The Great Kabooki, made a surprising comeback and toured the Midwest and the Southwest region. In 1973, he secured a spot in a Detroit promotion starring top wrestling star, The Sheik. He also worked the Great Lakes area, and wrestled in a few International Championship Wrestling shows.  Approaching 50, he still managed to complete 22 matches that year but the tolls of advancing age had begun to show, and he felt it.

To slow down, he accepted a job as a part-time chef in a California restaurant. He also seemed to have inherited his father’s creative genes. He devised “First and Ten”, a football board game and “Knockout”, a boxing game, both for kids. He formed a company—Urbano & Associates—to market these, but they generated little interest, so he eventually sold them off.

THE NAME OF THE GAME.  “First and Ten” was a gameboard developed by Rey Urbano, who inherited his father’s inventive genes.

With failed financial expectations, he returned to wrestling at age 58, reviving his Great Kabooki image. This posed some confusion, however, as by 1981, a younger Japanese wrestler by the name of Mera Akahishi, had started using the same name using the original spelling—the Great Kabuki.

In his 1982-83  farewell tour with ICW in the Midwest,  the Great Kabooki finished 16 matches, including one against the hugely popular Macho Man Randy Savage. His final fight was staged in a high school gym in Illinois. Like a true professional, he fought with his partner, Ratamyus,  in a tag team match and won---this, despite an audience of only 250.

KABOOKI FOR THE KILL. As a wrestling villain, Rey Urbano was jeered and harassed by hostile fans, but he took all these in stride. He entertained fans with his nasty stage demeanor, his tricky karate chops and martial art moves. 

In his twilight years, Rey joined an association of both retired and active wrestlers and boxers known as the Cauliflower Alley Club, which, in 1992 gave him recognition for his valuable contribution to the sport. Though he was married 3 times in his lifetime, Rey had no children; his family consisted of fellow wrestlers with whom he kept in touch regularly in annual reunions.

His fame reached the Philippines, but he was largely overlooked by his countrymen as they were more engrossed with rising boxers who were starting to win world championships in the 60s and 70s.  His occasional trips to his original homeland were more for family visits.

Jun Urbano, the TV funny man known as ‘Mr. Shooli’, remembers meeting his uncle twice. In one of his uncle’s rare homecomings, his family hosted him lunch and was served a specially-large dish of “kare-kare”. He watched him eat until he finished everything off. Then, Rey turned to Jun’s mother, smiled and hollered: “O-kay! Now bring out the main dish!”. His relatives were stunned at his voracious appetite. “Ang laking tao niya! (Such a big man)!”, Jun Urbano recalled.

GOLDEN GEORGE. In his golden years, Rey Urbano became a member of a fraternal wrestling group, and joined wrestling reunions for 15 years.

But Rey Urbano also had a big heart. In his own, quiet  way, he managed to entertain hundreds of wrestling fans for many decades, never mind that he did not attain the great financial success he worked so very hard for.

Described as “an all-around good person”, Rey  made many friends along the way.  In all, he fought a total of 989 matches in his lifetime career under 4 names, and wrestled against revered names like Bobo Brazil, Bruno Sammartino, Randy Savage and Mighty Igor—credentials that are nothing short of impressive.

Rey spent his remaining days in a Las Vegas nursing home, passing away on 16 Oct. 2007 at age 83. He is interred at the Southern Nevada Veterans Cemetery.

Today, wrestling and its related full contact disciplines like mixed martial arts, have a large, loyal Filipino fan base that continues to grow,  thanks to a constant fare of TV wrestling shows: Raw, Smackdown, This Week in WWE,  Bottomline and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), among others.

URBANO LEGEND. George Rey Urbano, (b. 25 Apr. 1924/ d. 16 Oct. 2007)

While Filipinos are currently rooting for Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, The Miz Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss, they are also rediscovering their very own Dave Batista,  Brandon Vera, T. J. Perkins,  Michael Paris and Kris Wolf who have become worthy sports icons for legions of Filipino fans. Add to that the name of  George Rey Urbano—the Great Kabooki—a kickass Pinoy came before them, who broke barriers and made history to  become the only Filipino international wrestler in the first golden age of American professional wrestling.

 SOURCES:

Zedric, Lance. By Any Other Name the Story of Alamo Scout George Urbano

RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue, pp. 1-8. http://www.alamoscouts.com/news/RECON_MarApr2017_OL_Magazine.pdf

 Pictures used with permission from Mr.Lance Zedric, unless otherwise noted.

 -Clovis News Journal (NM). “Wrestling Star Has Colorful Background.” Dec 17, 1952

-Drason, Dave. Wrestling Revue. 2007.

 -Friend, Percival. Rest in Peace, Reynaldo Urbano, The Original Kabooki. 2007. Wrestling Newsletter by Mark Bujan. http://www.oocities.org/percivalafriend/friend102207.htm

 -Funk, Dory, Jr. on Rey Urbano. As reported by Reported by Adam Martin of WrestleView.com On Thursday, October 18, 2007.

 -The Guardsman Yearbook. City College of San Francisco. 1948-1949.

 -Hurschmann, Bill. He Makes Football Better Game. San Mateo Times. Jul 11, 1977

 -Johnson, Steve. Original Kabooki faced a tough foe. Slam Sports. Oct 11, 2007. http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2007/10/17/4584657.html

 -Jourdan, Walt and Lee. “From Shoeshine to Star Wars” (The Chronicles of Walt Jourdan).

 -Lamas, Demas. Wild Wonderful Career Recalled. Fremont Argus (CA). Apr 15, 1971. P. 11.

 -Ogden Standard-Examiner. Twin Main Events on Wednesday at Berthana. Dec 16, 1951. P. 12A

 -Online World of Wrestling.http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com

 -Oxnard Press-Courier (CA). “On the Town with ‘Bud’” Jun 25, 1976.

-Urbano, Rey. www.Wrestlingdata.com

 -Wrestling Revue Magazine. 1963. P. 48. Photo of Taro Sakuro.-The Great Kabooki: http://www.geocities.ws/percivalafriend/friend102207.htm

 -World Wrestling Federation, https://www.encyclopedia.com/media/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/world-wrestling-federation

Other Photos:

·       The Great Kabooki close-up photo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKQ7YXXQ_L4

·       Rey Urbano older photo: Rey Urbano at the 2003 Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in Las Vegas., Photo by Rose Diamond

·       Rey Urbano photo by Libnan Ayoub, 100 Years of Professional Wrestling in Australia via Online World of Wrestling, http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/r/rey-urbano/

86. His Life and Times: FERNANDO POE SR., the King of Kings of Philippine Movies

THE ORIGINAL KING. Fernando Poe Sr., one of the early male superstars of the local silver screen. At his peak, he also became a director, producer and a short career as a military man. Alex R. Castro Collection.

At the peak of his fame, he was hailed as the King of All Stars—“Hari ng mga Bituin”. He was in the top triumvirate of 1930s-50s male screen legends that included Rogelio de la Rosa and Leopoldo Salcedo.

As an actor, he appeared in a South Sea epic that was the first Philippine film to be shown worldwide. He went on to blaze trails by starting his own production company—producing his own films which he himself wrote, directed and also starred in, to great acclaim.

As a director, he megged the first Darna film starring Rosa del Rosario that became a blockbuster hit here, and across the seas.

But his achievements went beyond films—he was also  a distinguished soldier who  served in the military and was a decorated veteran of the war.

When he met his untimely death, half a million people turn up for the long, sad march to his final rest.

Perhaps, his best-known legacy is having fathered “Da King”—Fernando Poe Jr.,--who, just like him was once known as the King of the Philippine Movies.

Yet, today, Fernando Poe Sr.’s life and works are hardly remembered because few of his films survived.  His influences, however, still resonate in varying degrees in today’s Philippine filmcraft, thanks largely to the efforts of his eldest son and namesake.

A Catalan in Pangasinan.

Fernando Pou y Reyes was born on 27 November 1916, in San Carlos, Pangasinan, the son of Catalan Lorenzo Pou, a dramatist, originally from the island of Mallorca, Spain, and local woman Marta Reyes. The elder Pou sought his fortune in the Philippines by establishing a mining business in north Luzon. “Pou” was later Anglicized to “Poe” , a surname deemed more fitting to carry, in the years of the American rule.

PROFILING POE: Poe’s father, Lorenzo Pou, was a Spanish playwright, while his mother, Marta Reyes, was a Pangasinan belle who was previously married to a Samson. The chemistry graduate was also taking up a dentistry course when showbiz beckoned. Photo: Alex R. Castro Collection.

Poe grew up in Manila, and as a young boy, he was affectionately called “Brick”, and later, Nanding. When he came of school-age, he went to the premiere Meisic Primary School. He went through his elementary grades at the Sampaloc Intermediate School, then to Araullo High School, where he got his secondary school diploma in 1931.

Then, it was off to the University of the Philippines where he finished his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry course in 1935. (Note: An  urban legend has it that Poe, Sr. served as a model for the iconic statue of  U.P., the Oblation, but this has never been proven.) 

From 1937 to 1938, he worked as a chemist for the Blue Star Products, Co. During this time, he was already dabbling in movies—he shot the love story drama, “Birheng Walang Dambana” topbilled  by Rosa del Rosario in 1936.

He felt, though, that acting was an unstable profession, he enrolled at the famed Philippine Dental College and earned a degree in Dental Medicine in 1942. He, however, did not take the licensure exams. (It is interesting to note that the acclaimed actor/director Gregorio Fernandez, who was 12 years’ his senior, was also a dentistry graduate from the said school. )

Saga of a star.

ZAMBOANGA. Thefilm that Poe starred in was the first Filipno film shown worldwide. With his dark, handsome features and lean physique, he was perfect for the role of the island boy who cavorted on the sand and surf of Sulu with Rosa del Rosario. Photo: http://petersmovieposters.com/

But a movie he shot in 1936 and released in 1937 would change Poe’s career path forever. That movie was Filippine Film’s “Zamboanga”, a lush adventure saga about native islanders down south, which paired him again with Rosa del Rosario, then the country’s most popular female star.

The lithe, 20 year old Nanding, with his muscular frame, long legs, firm jaw and smoldering eyes was the perfect choice to portray Del Rosario’s love interest. Clad only in loin cloth, the athletic Poe climbed coconut trees, frolicked in the tropical paradise and traded underwater kisses with her leading lady.

He made such a deep impression on the moviegoers, and the film, released in 1937, would go on to be subtitled and exhibited all over Europe, in countries such as Spain, Finland and France. In the U.S.,”Zamboanga” was exhibited at the Embassy Newsreel Theater at the New York Times Square under the title “Native Bride”.

In no time at all, Poe was being snapped by producers to star in their films.  But he decided to sign up with the newly-founded X’Otic Films put up by Jose Nepomuceno, Julian Salgado and Jesus Cacho in 1938.

The hunky Poe was first groomed into a well-rounded, dashing matinee idol who can do a bit of everything—from light drama, period  movies, a bit of action and musical romance. He became the biggest box-office star of the company in such films as ”Giliw Ko”,  “Datu Talim”and  “Bayani ng Buhay” (1940).

PUNIT NA BANDILA. Poe teamed with Lucita Goyena in this 1939 classic movie set against the backdrop of war. It was the first of 6 consecutive smash hits for the love team. Photo: Alex R. Castro Collection.

With the lovely Lucita Goyena as her leading lady, Poe completed 6 movies in succession—“Punit na Bandila”, “Leron-Leron Sinta” (1939), “Biyak na Bato” (1939), “Ala-alang Banal” (1940) , “Dilim at Liwanag”, and “Dalagang Pilipina” –all smash hits. For this feat, Goyena and Poe were acclaimed as the “1940 Queen and King of Philippine Movies”.

It was in the mega-blockbuster hit “Palaris” (1941) that his star shone the brightest. As the fabled hero of the Philippine jungles who fought against Spanish oppression, Poe captivated movie fans with his inspired performance opposite Mona Lisa.

An officer and a leading man.

Unfortunately, World War II intervened. Twelve days after the war officially started in the Philippines, Poe , who was a member of the Reserve Officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was called to active duty on 20 December 1941 as 1^st Lieutenant.  His first assignment was as assistant Provost Marshall of the 59^th Provisionary Brigade under Gen. Simeon de Jesus, from the December 1941 to January 1942.

HANDSOMEST MAN ALIVE. Fernando Poe Sr. at the zenith of his popularity. Alex R. Castro Collection

He rose to become a Platoon Leader, then the Morale Officer of the Lamao Combat Team Regiment.  He saw action in Bataan—where he saved residents from a house that was bombed by the Japanese, carrying children and the wounded to safety. He stayed in his position till Bataan fell on 9 April 1942. With the surrender of the American-Filipino forces, Lt. Poe joined the dreaded Death March.

“Oh. the Death March”, he would recall after the War, “it  was a veritable journey to the grave. It was gruesome!’.  Nonetheless, he survived the march and was released from the camp, as he was recognized as a famous Filipino movie star by the Japanese officers.

During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese imposed strict censorship on Filipino and American films, so Poe bided his time by staging plays, often directing and starring in them. Little did the enemies know that Poe had secretly joined the Panay Guerrilas under Col. Macario Peralta. He became an undercover man of the Llanes Intelligence and Information Corps. These, he revealed, during his inquisition by the post-war Loyalty Status Board.

Family, fame, fortune.

HIS GIRL, BESSIE. Poe’s wife, Elizabeth Kelley Poe, was a schoolmate at the University of the Philippines. The American-Kapampangan mestiza is the mother of  Ronald Allan (FPJ), Andy Jr. and Freddie Poe, who all  became movie stars. Motion Pictures in the Philippines. by Vicente Salumbides. © 1952., Alex R. Castro Collection.

Poe rose to become a captain, but there came a point when he had to leave his military career. In 1940, he had married Pampangueña beauty, Elizabeth “Bessie” Gatbonton Kelley (b. 8 Nov. 1918) the daughter of Marta Reyes Gatbonton and Irish-American Arthur Kelley, who had settled in Lubao.  They had met at the state university, college mates, in fact, as Bessie had also taken up Chemistry.

By 1943, he had a growing family of three children—daughter Elizabeth,  sons Ronald Allan and Fernando Jr. or Andy. (Ronald would later borrow the full name of his younger sibling Andy. as his screen name: Fernando Poe Jr.). Poe, thus, made the painful decision to go full-time into movie making, which he deemed more lucrative.

DUGO NG BAYAN. Produced by Palaris Films, Starring Fernando Poe Sr. and Priscilla Mijares. Mijrae would have a child with Poe Sr. who also became an occasional actor,  Conrad Poe.  Photo: The Golden Years: Memorable Tagalog Movie Ads 1946-1956, ed. By Cnstantio, Ronald K., Lo, Ricardp. Published by Danny Dolor.(c) 1994. p. 80

In 1946, he put up his production company,  Palaris Films, named after his hit pre-war movie, using the defunct Manila Pictures  in  San Francico del Monte, Quezon City. His first offering for 1946 “Dugo ng Bayan (I Remember Bataan)” was a huge hit, and provided more capital to produce a string of hits like “Awit ni Palaris”, “Hanggang Pier” (1946) , and ”Intramuros: The Rage of a City”, “Limbas” (1947).

 

FERNANDO POE PRODUCTIONS INC., at San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City. Photo:  Motion Pictures in the Philippines. by Vicente Salumbides. © 1952., Alex R. Castro Collection.

In 1949, Poe built his own state-of-the art studio, with equipment ordered from the U.S., and renamed his outfit as Fernando Poe Productions, Inc. A subsidiary, Royal Films, was set up in 1951.

It was also in that year that Poe directed a barrier-breaking movie featuring the country’s first female comics superhero. Created by comics legends Mars Ravelo and Nestor Redodo, the 1951 film was “Darna”,  with Rosa del Rosario in the lead role as Darna, who saves a town from the snake-headed woman, Valentina, played by Cristina Aragon.

DING,ANG BATO! The first Darna film, shown in 1951, featured Rosa del Rosario as the high- flying heroine and her nemesis, Valentina, the snake-woman played by Cristina Aragon. Photo:  Motion Pictures in the Philippines. by Vicente Salumbides. © 1952

The 1951 film featured some of the most mesmerizing visual effects ever seen on the celluloid screen—from high-flying scenes,  magical transformations of the cripple Narda into Darna, and special prosthetics and make-up that included real, live snakes.

“Darna” was such a spectacular hit not only in the Philippines, but was also shown in Thailand and Indonesia where it set unprecedented box-office records. The original movie would spawned more hit sequels, and no other version is as loved and remembered as the 1951 “Darna” classic.

Fallen star.

Riding on the crest of his directorial success, Poe began work on a new melodrama, “Basag na Manika”, a story about a maltreated child of a leper, Nene, played by Mila Nimfa, who had been in the “Darna” movie, as the young “Narda”. He had just wrapped up the film when a tragedy befell him, that left the movie industry in shock and in tears.

BASAG NA MANIKA. The last film directed by Poe Sr., starred Mila Nimfa, as the maltreated waif in this super-tearker of a drama. Its premiere was postponed in deference to the death of the director. Photo: Alex R. Castro Collection.

On Monday night, October 21, 1951, Poe went to the Family Clinic on Maria Clara St., Sampaloc, to have himself admitted to seek treatment for a severe pain on the hip area that he couldn’t shake. He thought it was the result of a hip injury he sustained a few days before, after a pillow fight with actor Fred Peñalosa, at a party.

Eight doctor-specialists attended to him from an orthopedist, neurologist to contagious disease and cardiovascular specialist.  They gave him several medications, to which Poe did not respond. The next day, Poe complained of difficulties in breathing and stiffness of muscles, especially in the neck.

It was at this point that  Dr. Eliodoro Congco, owner of the clinic and Poe’s family friend, suspected something, so she took Mrs. Bessie Poe aside and asked her if her husband had any incident with a dog. She then revealed that in August, Poe was bitten by a puppy, but brushed this aside and did not underdo anti-rabies injections. (Years later, son FPJ clarified that his father had a dog lick his wounds that he accidentally sustained, in the belief that it will hasten its healing.)

The end.

By early the next morning, all doctors confirmed that Poe had contracted rabies,  and had reached a point where nothing could be done. His condition took a turn for the worse, and he was given the last sacraments.

POE SIBLINGS, led by Ronald Allan (age 12) take a final look at their father, while their mother, Bessie Kelley-Poe, also looks on. Photo: Literary Song- Movie Magazine/ November 1951, Alex R. Castro Collection

Shortly before midnight on 23 October 1951, Fernando Poe Sr., just 35 years old passed away, leaving behind his widow, Bessie , their six children, Elizabeth, 13; Ronald Allan, 11; Fernando Jr.  (Andy), 9; Martha Genevieve (Jenny), 7; Frederick (Freddie), 4; and Evangeline Ida, 1, and his mother, Marta Reyes. He also left behind his legion of sorrowing movie fans, and colleagues in the industry who could not believe his early demise.

His body was laid in state at the large studio of Royal Productions, to accommodate an endless stream of visitors who had come to pay their last respects who had done much  for the Philippine film industry.  The presence of beautiful movie stars at his wake—like Delia Razon, Patria Plata, Diana Recto, Corazon Rivas, and the sobbing Rita Gomez, certainly contributed to the spike in the number of movie fan, industry attendees, and gawkers.

STARGAZERS. Grieving artists like Mila Nimfa, Oscar Keesee, Delia Razon and Patria Plata pay their last respects to their fallen colleague.  Photo: Literary Song- Movie Magazine/ November 1951, Alex R. Castro Collection

At the requiem mass in Quiapo Church, 10,000 people were packed like sardines; 50,00 more were outside unable to squeeze in.

Over half a million Filipinos showed up at his funeral procession, bigger than the crowds that came to the funeral of Pres. Manuel Roxas in 1947. From Quezon Boulevard to the North Cemetery, the sides of the roads were lined with thousands of people who braved the heat to catch a final glimpse of their idol’s bier.

WEEPING WIDOW.  Mrs. Bessie Kelley-Poe takes a final glimpse of his husband Fernando Sr., dead at 35 years old. Photo: Literary Song- Movie Magazine/ November 1951, Alex R. Castro Collection

Three hundred thousand waiting people were massed at the cemetery grounds to witness his interment. In life, and in death. Fernando Poe Sr. was admired by all who knew him as a fine actor and a gallant soldier, a great director-producer, kind and upright, a pride not only to his profession, but to his race as well.

The King is dead, long live Da King.

He left behind much unfinished business—his last film as a director, “Basag na Manika”, was scheduled to premiere  at Clover Theater on the day before he died, and had to be postponed.

FINAL PAGE. Five months after shooting this print ad for Glo-Co Tonix, Fernando Poe Sr. succumbed to rabies infection. Photo: Literary Song- Movie Magazine/ May 1951, Alex R. Castro Collection

 He had also set the groundwork for the filming of a war documentary chronicling the feats of the Philippine’ 20^th  Battalion Combat Team that was fighting in Korea at that time, a project that then-Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay praised and endorsed. Like the generous person that he was, Poe had also scheduled a fund-rasing ball for the benefit of the Philippine Anti-TB Society.

Elder half-brother Jose Reyes Samson, the company treasurer, took over the helm of Poe’s production outfit which had been renamed Royal Productions.  Eventually, he would be elected president and Royal would go on to produce many more films as well as act as distributor for other movies.

Ronald Allan, Poe’s eldest son, would take over the mantle of his father as an actor, a responsibility that certainly seemed heavy for a 12 year old. He would stop schooling at age 15 to earn a few bucks as a movie extra. He was billed as ‘Fernando Poe Jr.’, a name borrowed from his younger sibling, Andy, to ride on the crest of his father’s popularity

THE SON ALSO RISES. The Fernando Poe name lives on in the showbiz success of eldest son Ronald Allan (aka Fernando Poe Jr.) would be known as the Da King of Philippine Movies, just like his father before him. Alex R. Castro Collection

In 1955, the sixteen year old finally came of age and was chosen to play the lead in “Anak ni Palaris”,  a tribute to his father who had starred as the swashbuckling hero more than a decade before. Heralded as the “sensational new, teenage heart throb”,  he had big shoes to fill but he acquitted himself well for a first-timer.  Though the movie did not do so well, the movie crowd took note of the promising, dreamy-eyed lead star.

But it was his next movie that would catapult Poe’s eldest to national fame—“Lo’Waist Gang”, a timely story about rebel teen-age gangs from Premiere Productions. The young Poe was paired with rising star Corazon Rivas, and the result was a smash movie hit that also earned rave reviews from local critics.

 For the next 50 years, the Poe legacy would live on in the lifeworks of his son, who would realize greater, more lasting fame than what he himself had reached. Which is why, in the hallowed history of Philippine cinema today, the name “Poe” not only endures, but has achieved immortality.

 ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR ESQUIRE.PH, UNDER THE TITLE: "The Amazing and Tragic Life of Fernando Poes Sr., the King of Kings of Philippone Movies". Posted on 3 July 2019. 

SOURCES:

Literary Song- Movie Magazine/ May, December 1951 issues, Alex R. Castro Collection

Motion Pictures in the Philippines. by Vicente Salumbides. © 1952.

The Golden Years: Memorable Tagalog Movie Ads 1946-1956, ed. By Cnstantio, Rinald K., Lo, Ricardp. Published by Danny Dolor.(c) 1994.

 A Movie Album Quiz Book, Garcia, Jessie B. , Erewhwon Books and Magazine, Iloilo City © 2004