Pinoy Screen Legend: Alice Vergel—The Action Queen of Philippine Cinema

Alicia Vergel. Image: Beverly Vergel

It is a rarity among actors and actresses today to possess certain versatility in the way they project themselves in the camera. Some are good in drama, others excel in comedy, many though are simply too good-looking to give a rousing performance. But the same could never be said of Alicia Vergel, the screen thespian who reigned in the 50s and 60s. She was pretty as much as she was talented and versatile as a performer. She proved her mettle in action flicks many times over but more than held her own in a slew of drama and comedy features, too. But among her many performances, it was her stint in the action genre that made her the indelible and unforgettable queen of action movies. She had such an agile physique that she didn’t need to have a double to perform even the riskiest scenes actresses of her days dared not do. Years later, she entered public service and kept her life literally in “action” despite the lack of klieg and glitter that filmdom had to offer. Nevertheless, she sporadically lent her acting prowess to a few but worthwhile pictures in the 70s and 80s. These, she did while staying true to the vow of motherhood, rearing her children, who themselves carved their niches in show business. Indeed, Alicia Vergel is one, true lady for all seasons.

Early Years in Acting

Alicia Vergel started her acting career in Sampaguita Pictures, where she had a cameo role in the Tita Duran-Pancho Magalona starrer Milagro ng Birhen ng mga Rosas, a 1949 film that depicted a real-life miraculous event in Lipa, Batangas. In 1950, she landed a role in a “dream sequence” production number in the musical Huwag Ka Nang Magtampo. The film also saw Paraluman, Linda Estrella, Lillian Leonardo, Maria Corazon, Lita Rio, Norma Vales and Tessie Quintana do the routine performances.

Career Heights

Huling Patak ng Dugo (1950)

Bernardo Carpio (1951)

Berdugo ng mga Anghel (1951)

Basahang Ginto (1952)

Madam X (1952)

Alicia Vergel’s star began to shine after being cast opposite Pancho Magalona in the action flick Huling Patak ng Dugo in 1950. This was when she saw promise as a leading-lady doubled as an action star. She eventually reigned supreme as the country’s Queen of Action Movies, appearing opposite reel and real life romantic partner Cesar Ramirez in such films as Bernardo Carpio (1951), Espada (1952), Diwani (1953), Ukala (1954), and Lupang Hinirang (1955), perhaps their most unforgettable film together.

MN (1954)

Ukala: Ang Walang Suko (1954)

Balisong (1955)

Lupang Kayumanggi (1955)

Mambo-Dyambo (1955)

Vergel was also comfortable in starring with other leading mans, including Fred Montilla in Tenyente Ramirez (1951), Oscar Moreno in Dugong Bughaw (1951) and Ramon Revilla in Balisong (1955). Vergel was equally adept in drama and in comedy, as she was at home in performing feisty and tough characters. For her dramatic outings, she was well-received in Madam x (1952), where her character was based on the life of a millionairess and in MN (1954), where her durability as an actress came face to face with drama queen Carmen Rosales’ own. Her stint in comedy, especially in the film Mambo-Jumbo (1955) opposite Dolphy was also well-received by audience and critics alike.

Taong Putik (1956)

Kahariang Bato (1957)

Maskara (1957)

 With the end of her contract in Sampaguita, Vergel decided to freelance. While her status as a top leading lady considerably diminished during this time, Vergel’s acting skills remained evident though in such films as Bicol Express (1957), Day of the Trumpet (1958), Kadenang Putik (1960), NBI (1961) and Viva Caballeras (1961).

The Day of the Trumpet (1957)

Anak ng Lasengga (1958)

Cavalry Command (1958) 

Obra Maestra (1958)

Thereafter, Vergel kept herself busy as a public servant after getting elected as barangay captain of Brgy. Santo Domingo in Quezon City, a position she held for 22 years. She occasionally got lured from semiretirement whenever meaty roles came her way, such as starring with her own son Ace Vergel in the film Inay (1977). She also lent her dramatic appeal in such tearjerkers as Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig? (1987), Isusumbong Kita sa Diyos (1998) and Mundo Man Ay Magunaw (1990).

Kadenang Putik (1960)

Inay (1977)

Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig? (1987)

Career Achievements

Vergel’s career has been highlighted by many spotlights. In a time when actresses used doubles when doing difficult stunts, Vergel insisted on doing them on her own. She was also the only actress during her generation to enjoy enormous popularity as an action film regular. In the awards department, Vergel was the first actress to grab the Maria Clara Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Mapuputing Kamay (1950). She was also the first actress to win the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award for Best Actress for her role in Basahang Ginto (1952).

Personal life

Alicia Vergel was born on June 7, 1927. Her real name was Erlinda Gaerlan Asturias. She was married to screen partner Cesar Ramirez and they had two children: Ace Vergel, who went on as the "the Bad Boy of the Philippine Cinema” and Beverly Vergel, an actress, acting coach and director of the ABS-CBN Center for Communication Arts, Inc. Vergel and Ramirez separated; Vergel married another man and they had another child, Mike Vergel. She died in 1992.

Filmography

1990 Mundo man ay magunaw 

1989 Bakit iisa lamang ang puso? 

1988 Isusumbong kita sa Diyos 

1987 Saan nagtatago ang pag-ibig? 

1985 Victor Lopez Jr. 

1985 Jandro Nakpil: halang ang kaluluwa 

1977 Inay 

1976 Tatlong kasalanan 

1965 Tagani 

1961 Konsiyerto ng kamatayan (segment "Noche Azul")

1960 Kadenang putik 

1958 Anak ng lasengga 

1958 Cavalry Command 

1958 Obra Maestra (segment "Macao")

1957 Kahariang bato 

1957 Maskara 

1956 Taong putik 

1955 Mambo-dyambo 

1955 Lupang kayumanggi 

1955 Balisong 

1955 Kuripot 

1955 Artista 

1954 Aristokrata 

1954 MN 

1954 Eskandalosa 

1954 Ukala: Ang walang suko 

1953 Diwani 

1952 Basahang ginto 

1952 Madame X 

1952 Hiram na mukha 

1951 Bernardo Carpio 

1950 Huling Patak ng Dugo 

1950 Mapuputing kamay 

1949 Milagro ng birhen ng mga rosas 

1949 Teniente Ramirez 

Watch Alicia Vergel in this film clip of her 1954 film MN

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Why Amalia Fuentes can Afford to Back Out From a TV Soap: Lessons from the Movie Queen of the Philippines

Amalia Fuentes. Image: ABS-CBN

Note: I wrote this months ago when news surfaced that she resigned from Muling Buksan ang Puso, her supposed TV debut.

Amalia Fuentes has been a subject of my online research lately, as much as Dina Bonnevie has been the past few months. I was mesmerized by her goddess-like aura and the exotic look and Hollywood-like glamour that she projected during her heydays. To this day, she has maintained that beauty, although it’s also obvious that she has gained weight. She has indeed aged gracefully. No doubt, the Elizabeth Taylor of the Philippines never lost that title, let alone the looks that made her the Movie Queen of the Philippines (note: One movie observer way back in the 70s or 80s, if I am not mistaken wrote a magazine piece writing that Susan Roces is the Queen of the Philippine Movies. Now, there’s the difference).

From the height of her career in the 60s, until now that she has already maintained a semiretired status, Amalia Fuentes has been a constant newsmaker. In fact, such is her clout to run headlines that the ever enthusiastic press people never failed to pick up any news or scandal on which she is embroiled.

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Pinoy Screen Legend : Bella Flores – Philippine Cinema’s Queen of Mean

Bella Flores – Philippine Cinema’s Queen of Mean

Bella Flores is the epitome of mean and jealous stepmoms, cruel and ambitious madams and diabolic yet seductive other women that so often flood movies and soap operas. Her signature shrill, iconic menacing stare and overpowering performance in movies and on TV made her the one and only primera contravida of Philippine show business. Since the 1950’s, Flores has appeared in hundreds of movies and television shows and she held the bragging rights as the only actress to have slapped all movie queens of the Philippine cinema, herself a screen goddess in her own right.

Remedios Papa Dancel was born February 27, 1929 in Sta Cruz, Manila, to Emilia Papa and Matias Dancel.

Bella attended Cecilio Apostol Elementary School for her elementary education and proceeded to Arellano High School and Roosevelt College. She attended Far Eastern University for her college, although she dropped from her class during her sophomore year to pursue a career as an actress.  her first movie was Balaraw (1950) with Premiere Productions.

In 1950, she screen tested for Sampaguita Pictures and eventually won a four-year contract. In 1951, Flores got her breakthrough when she was cast as Tessie Agana and Boy Alano’s the cruel stepmother in Roberta (1951), a smash box office hit that broke record at that time. A far razed the entire studio at that the time and it went almost bankrupt until Roberta’s success lifted the studio’s financial prospects.

But the best thing that ever happened to Bella was that the strength of her character in that film enabled her to carve an image in the movie world. Her shrieky voice, signature, fiery stare, and bombastic acting made the country’s lead screen villain. Bella’s acting is recognized to this day as a watershed image that typified how a contravida should act.

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Following Roberta, Bella was cast in a series of films that utilized her contravida image. She was featured in Bernardo Carpio (1951), Batas ng daigdig (1951), Rebecca (1952), Kerubin (1952), and Ang Asawa Kong Amerikana (1953).

When her stint in Sampaguita ended, Flores freelanced from one movie studio to another. Her image as an iconic villainess, still a hit among producers, directors, and the moviegoers, especially.

Flores won the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS)best supporting actress award for _Kaibigan ko'ng Sto. Niño (1967)_. She was also nominated by FAMAS for Kilabot sa Makiling (1959), and Mga batang yagit (1984).

Her craft did not pass unnoticed. In fact, the movie industry much appreciated her performances that she easily won best supporting actress awards for Kaibigan ko’ng Santo Nino (1967) from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences and for Dugo ng Bayan (1973) during the Olongapo Film Festival. The Film Academy of the Philippines also honored her with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989.

Bella was proud to have slapped all movie queens. She quipped:“Lahat ng movie queens,  nasampal ko. Sila Gloria (Romero), Amalia (Fuentes), Susan (Roces), si Nora (Aunor), naku, ang dami.”

In fact, so harsh was her screen image that Nora Aunor’s fans wanted to her kill. That was during the height of the Superstar’s fame when fanatic followers even threw stones and pinched her.  “They didn’t know that I was kind to Guy.  Kasi nakikita nila, inaapi ko si Guy sa pelikula. Hinabol ko pa ng plantsa ‘yan eh,” she said in an interview with Gypsy Baldovino.

While Bella never achieved a top leading status, she was quick to admit that “no actress ever fazed her.” 

While she was a solid fan of Lolita Rodriguez and Charito Solis, the undisputed drama empresses of Philippine movie, she revealed that she always did her best to match their acting.

“Pero maski si Lolita, nilalabanan ko talaga. Talagang binibigay ko capacity ko.  Kay Charito, hindi rin ako umurong,” she said.

Bella was married to Nestor Reyes, a detective police officer. The couple had one child, Ruby Rose Arcilla.

In 2012, her daughter revealed Bella’s worsening condition. In fact, she had been suffering from diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease. Flores’ health was still robust until she accidentally slipped at her home. She lost her ability to walk after undergoing hip surgery.

She passed away quietly on May 19, 2004. Her daughter and her close friend, singer Imelda Papin was beside her. 

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Pinoy Showbiz News : Bella Flores dies

Rest in peace, Bella Flores.

Bella Flores, the legendary screen villainess whose screeching voice, iconic demon-like stare and overpowering performance in movies and on TV made her one of most recognizable personalities in show business, died. She was 84.

Manila Bulletin reports that Flores was rushed into the Quezon City General Hospital due to shortness of death. She was eventually declared dead.

Imelda Papin, a close friend of the actress, revealed that she was still alive when they hastened her to the hospital. Papin was called up by Flores’s daughter, Ruby Arcilla, after her mother's blood pressure plummeted. While doctors tried their best to revive the ailing movie queen, all hopes eventually deemed.

While death of a celebrity is often treated with utter shock, everyone in the local entertainment industry has expected the passing of the screen legend. Last year, Flores’ daughter revealed her mother’s worsening condition. She had been suffering from diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease. Flores’ health was still robust until she accidentally slipped at her home. She lost her ability to walk after undergoing hip surgery. 

Flores was launched as a character player in Balaraw in 1950. The following year, she got her breakthrough as a villainness when she was cast as Tessie Agana’s harsh stepmother in Roberta (1951), then the country’s top box-office hit. Flores’ effectiveness in portraying cruel step moms, madams, villain roles made her the Philippine cinema’s queen of mean. Image credit: Manila Bulletin.

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