1990-1991 Natatanging Gawad Urian

The changing colors of the painted bird and the princes turning into stone in Ibong Adarna, the gangplank over a deep chasm in Prinsesa Urduja, the castle in the air in Prinsesa Basahan, the transformation of Jaime de la Rosa in Taong Paniki, the parting of the Red Sea inTungkod ni Moises, and the rampaging monster in Tuko sa Madre Kakaw- these are some of the cinematic memories created by Richard Abelardo.

Richard Abelardo – or Mang Kandong to his intimates – is a visual effects man par excellence who pioneered in special effects in the late Thirties and taught the craft to his relatives (brother-in-law Teody Carmona, brother Bayani Abelardo and nephew Benjamin Resella), later important film artists in this field.

Richard was born on September 29, 1902 in Bulacan. He learned scene design from his father, Juan Abelardo, the sculptor of the Biak na Bato monument and the foremost scenic artist of his time. His father painted the backdrops of zarzuelas and stage presentations at the Zorilla and other theaters.

Early in his teens, he became scenic artist for a photo studio. He was commissioned to do the sets of a silent film being photographed by Ricardo Marcelino. However, the production wasn’t finished, but this firmed his resolve to go to Hollywood. He learned to play the saxophone in first cousin Nicanor Abelardo’s orchestra and applied as musician in a band playing aboard a President liner. In 1923, he jumped ship in San Francisco and motored to Hollywood.

Because of his-artistic abilities, he became a Union member and was allowed to work in a number of Hollywood productions at Warner Brothers and Universal. Among the films he worked on are The Cat and the Fiddle, Footlight Parade (1933), One Night of Love and Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times.

Because he wanted to see his ailing parents, he went back to Manila in 1936. He was invited by Vicente Salumbides to work on his Florante at laura (1939). For this, he created the domed palaces of the fictitious royalty. He worked at X’OTIC when it opened in 1939 and was later summoned by his kababayan Dona Sisang to work on Ibong Adarna. He introduced the crane to local filmdom in the movie Palaris and background projection in Ibong Adarna. After the war, he opted to stay in the Philippines, working for Palaris Productions, Fernando Poe Sr.’s movie company. He directed his first film for him in 1948 with Malikmata with Jaime de la Rosa. Dofia Sisang got him to direct Engkantada for LVN, about archaeologists stumbling upon the fabled kingdom of Mu ruled by centuries-old Lilia Dizon. As it was the last film of Lillian Velez, it was a big hit at the box-office. His career as film director already established, he, however, continuedto do special effects. In 1950, he worked on Fritz Lang’s An American Guerrilla in the Philippines.

He collaborated with Botong Francisco on two films which he directed: Haring Kobra and Higit sa Korona. For the former, the duo created stupas and other Balinese structures to visualize a mythical country south of the Philippines. For the latter, they recreated the Egypt of the Pharoah. They also worked on the big LVN movies directed by Gregorio Fernandez and Lou Salvador Sr. For Doce Pares, they built a Moorish palace atop Intramuros. For Rodrigo de Villa and Prinsipe Tenoso, they had mattes of medieval kingdoms.

Richard also pioneered in prosthetics with the hairy face of Jaime de la Rosa in Taong Paniki and the giant reptile in Tuko sa Madre Kakaw. For Big Shot, he developed a special kind of trick photography that would show dancers atop a ceiling.

Aside from films, Richard designed the sets of some theatrical productions, especially those of Bert Avellana’s Barangay Theater Guild.

Clearly, Richard Abelardo’s achievements have enriched Philippine cinema.

Richard Abelardo: Eksperto sa Visual Effects

Ang mga nag-iibang kulay ng pinintang ibon at mga prinsipeng nagiging bato sa Ibong Adarna, ang tulayan sa pagkalalim-lalim na butas sa Prinsesa Urduja, ang kastilyo sa hangin sa Prinsesa Basahan, ang pagpapalit-anyo ni Jaime de la Rosa sa Taong Paniki, ang pagbuka ng dagat sa Tung-kod ni Moises, at ang rumaragasang halimaw sa Tuko sa Madre Kakaw. Ilan ito sa mga pamana sa ala-ala na nilikha ni Richard Abelardo.

Ekspertong numero uno sa visual effects si Richard Abelardo, o Mang Kandong sa mga kapalagayan niya ng loob. Namuno siya sa special effects (SFX) noong matatapos na ang dekadang ’30s, bagay na itinuro niya at ipinasa sa mga kamag-anak na umangat din sa larangang ito bilang importanteng artists: ang bayaw niyang si Teody Carmona, kapatid na si Bayani Abelardo, at pamangkin na si Benjamin Resella. Ipinanganak si Richard noong ika-29 ng Setyembre, 1902 sa Bulacan. Itinuro sa kanya ang sining ng pagdidisenyo sa entablado ng kanyang amang si Juan Abelardo, na bantog na iskultor at scenic artist nang panahong iyon at siya ring gumawa ng monumento sa Biak na Bato. Dinisenyo ng matandang si Juan ang mga backdrop sa zarzuela at iba pang pagtatanghal sa entablado, na kadalasa’y sa Zorilla at iba pang sikat na teatro pinalabas.

Naging scenic artist siya sa isang photo studio nang siya ay batam-batang teenager. Ang scenic artist ang siyang nagdidisenyo at nagpipinta ng telon sa likuran ng mga artista sa entablado, upang magpakita ng iba’t ibang tanawin at kinalalagyan ng mga ito. Kinomisyon siya na gawin ang sets ng isang pelikulang walang tokis, na kinukunan noon ni Ricardo Marcelino. Hindi nga lamang natapos ang pro-duksyong ito, pero nagpursigi si Richard na tumungo sa Hollywood.

Naging musikero rin si Richard, at saxophone ang kanyang instrumento sa orkestra ng kanyang pinsang-buong si Nicanor Abelardo. Nagprisinta rin siyang musikero sa isang banda na tumutugtog noon sa isang barkong pampan-gulo. Nagpaiwan siya sa San Francisco, at mula roo’y puma-Hollywood siya noong 1923.

Dahil sa kanyang kakayahan, naging kasapi ang estranghero sa Union sa Hollywood, at nakasama sa ilang produksyon ng Warner Brothers at Universal Pictures, llan sa mga pelikulang nasalihan niya ang The Cat and the Fiddle, Footlight Parade (1933), One Night of Love at ang klasikong Modern Times ni Charlie Chaplin noong 1936.

Bumalik siya sa Maynila noong 1936 upang dalawin ang mga magulang na may karamdaman. Inanyahan siya ni Vicente Salumbides na sumali sa Florante at Laura noong 1937. Sa pelikulang ito siya gumawa ng isang mistulang napakalaking palasyong bilugan ang bubong. Nagtrabaho siya sa X’OTIC nang magbukas ito noong 1939. Pinatawag siya ng kanyang kababayang si Dote Sisang upang gawin ang Ibong Adarna. Ginamit niya sa pelikulang ito ang background projection, ang paggamit ng pinalaking image na nanggagaling sa ilaw. Inintrodyus din niya sa atin ang paggamit ng crane sa pelikulang Palaris.

Pagkatapos ng digmaan, minabuti niyang tumira sa Pilipinas, bilang kasapi sa Palaris Productions, ang kumpanya ni Fernando Poe Sr. Pinamahalaan ni Abelardo ang una niyang pe-likula sa Palaris, ang Malikmata (1948), kung saan bida si Jaime de la Rosa. Kinuha siyang muli ni Dote Sisang upang pamahalaan ang Engkantada para sa LVN, isang pelikulang tungkol sa pagkakatuklas ng mga archaeologists sa engkantadong kaharian ng Mu, na pinamumunuan ng isang lider na maraming siglo ang tanda, si Lilia Dizon. Malaking tagumpay sa takilya ang huling pelikulang ito ni Lillian Velez. Kilala na siya bilang direktor, pero tuluy-tuloy ang paggawa niya ng special effects para sa ibang pelikula. Noong 1950, katulong siya ng batikang direktor na si Fritz Lang sa An American Guerrilla in the Philippines. Sadalawang pelikulang pinamahalaan niya, ang Haring Kobra at Higit sa Korona, nakipagtulungan kay Abelardo ang napakahu-say na artist, na si Botong Francisco.

Para sa Haring Kobra, na nagaganap sa isang bansang maka-pantasya na nasa ka-timugan ng Pilipinas, gumawa si Abelardo at Francisco ng mga stupas at iba pang gusaling tulad ng nakikita sa Bali. Para sa Higit sa Korona, lumikha sila ng Ehipto nang panahon ng mga Paraon.

Nagtulungan din ang dalawa sa mga engrandeng pelikula ng LVN, na pinamahalaan ni Gregorio Fernandez at Lou Salvador Sr. Sa Doce Pares, makikita ang isang palasyong Moro sa itaas ng Intramuros. Sa Rodrigo de Villa at Prinsipe Teftoso, gumamit sila ng mga matte ng mga kaharian noong Middle Ages.

Inintrodyus din ni Abelardo ang prosthetics sa mabuhok na mukha ni Jaime de la Rosa sa Taong Paniki at sa higanteng tuko sa Tuko sa Madre Kakaw. Para sa Big Shot, nag-imbento siya ng isang espesyal na paraan ng trick photography, na nagpapakita ng mga mananayaw na nakatuntong sa kisame.

Bukod sa mga pelikula, dinisenyo rin ni Richard ang ilang produksyong pang-teatro, katulad ng mga pagtatanghal ng Barangay Theater Guild ni Lamberto V. Avellana.

Malinaw na pinayaman ni Richard Abelardo ang pelikulang Filipino.

(Sinalin sa Filipino ni Mario A. Hernando)

In Philippine cinema’s long history, only a handful of directors are women. Starting with Brigida Perez Villanueva, the first woman director who also earned the distinction of directing the last silent film (“Pendulum of Fate”), women directors have not numbered more than seven.

Of these, Susana C. de Guzman ranks not only as one of the foremost directors in film history but also as an accomplished Tagalog novelist, scriptwriter and radio dramatist. She has directed more than 40 films, written countless screenplays, novels and radio serials. For three decades, her name was a household word that was associated with top rated entertainment. Her plots and characters are still being adapted for the mass media. Susana C. de Guzman was born in Manila on May 24, 1912. She is the niece of Lope K. Santos and Severino Reyes. Her brother is composer Constancio de Guzman. She started writing at an early age. She won several prizes for her novels and short stories — Ang Pamana ng Tulisan, Ang Kanilang Lihim. Her pre-war screen writing credits include “Kalapating Puti,” “Arimunding-Munding,” “Prinsesa ng Kumintang,” “Pasang Krus,” “Ibong Sawi” and “Ikaw Rin.” Just before the war, she married Antonio Astudillo, a reporter who later became the actor-director, Tony Arnaldo.

In 1946, she wrote and directed the first film of Premiere Productions — “Probinsyana” starring Carmen Rosales. This was a big hit that established one of the major studios as well as her career. She was persuaded by Dona Sisang to become a director for LVN. Despite the fact that she had a standing offer to direct for Sampaguita, she stayed put in LVN until it closed in 1961.

Wearing only pants since a star guessed her underwear, Susana C. de Guzman directed her best films in LVN. She had a knack for screwball comedies laced with social messages. In “Milyonaria,” newspaper heiress Mila del Sol is taught a lesson in social understanding by editor Rogelio de la Rosa. In “Lupang Pangako,” the penniless but bemedalled guerrillas are given a piece of land which they convert into their version of Walden. In “Tininti del Barrio,” a spoof on political corruption in a small town, illiterate farmer Gregorio Ticman is taught how to write in order to generate more graft for wife Patsy Mateo.

But her name is associated more with powerful romantic dramas. In “Teniente Carlos Blanco,” Armando Goyena, a war hero, agrees to pose as his departed friend, Nestor de Villa, in order to escape poverty. In “Huling Dalangin,” Norma Blancaflor’s husband, Tony Arnaldo, shoots up the corporate ladder because of favors given to heiress Rosa Rosal. In “Mahal Mo Ba Ako?,” nightclub singer Rosa Rosal is blackmailed by Gil de Leon and is prevented from living a happy family life with Tony Arnaldo.

Susana C. de Guzman has also elicited memorable performances from her cast: Rosa Rosal in her Famas-award-winning role in “Sonny Boy,” Lilia Dizon in “Sa Paanan ng Bundok” and Charito Solis in “Ang Langit Ko’y Ikaw.”

Susana C. de Guzman’s plots are still being adapted for many popular films, although unauthorized. It is testimony to her vast influence in popular culture.