Philippines film industry steps forward

Title

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XIII (No. 7) July 1933

Year

1933

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

6 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL July, 1933 Philippines Film Industry Steps Forward The airplane enters into the making of Manila talkies Showmen Tait & Harris bid fair at present to become the pioneers in the Philippines in putting Tagalog talkies over in a really big way. The reason seems obvious. To their bent for showmanship they have added an investment in lot and equipment of 1’80,000 and must add more to the tune of thousands for the sound proof studios necessary to make talkies success fully during the rainy season. These studios arc under construction. Meantime, Malayan Movies under Jose Nepumoceno, continues making pictures; they have recently made three in collaboration with Tait & Harris for the sound effects. j Behind another budding company, Mayon Pictures, is Roman Caro of the Caro Electric Company. The Tait & Harris lot is on calle Inverness, Santa Ana. Four successful talkies have been made there, under such drawbacks as the record ing of the crowing of roosters during the filming of a storm at sea. It is such drawbacks that soundproof studios eliminate. The trade name chosen for their talkie business is Filippino Films, Inc. It is (piite definitely proved that Tagalog talkies will be popular, if well done, far beyond Manila and the surrounding provinces where Tagalog is the popular language. Apparently Tagalog is acceptable in all provinces south of Manila, even Zamboanga. A Tagalog talkie made in Manila recently grossed more on its first showing in Iloilo than in its first showing in Manila, yet Iloilo is a Bisayan city where Spanish is still much in vogue. The merit of the camera work has much to do with the popularity of locally made pictures. Tait & Harris have tried to omit nothing, in founding their talking pictures venture, to make the photography, .pound and synchronization first rate. Sound and picture are simultaneously filmed, on different films. Then, when the cutting is done, on a third film sound and picture come out together. .It is claimed the technique is the latest and best. Saving the owners and the experts from Hollywood, everyone on the lot is Philippine born. So there is a slogan : Philip pine Films Made by Filipinos. Cameraman John Silver finds - Manila actors adaptable to work before the camera; they are not camera conscious, their natural histrionic ability is tractable. Director Fernando Toledo, native of Valencia, experienced at Hollywood, works agreeably with the castes and finds among the actors a willing ness to learn and be taught. Harry Blanchard is the tsar of sound. Hugh Gwyne dominates the developing and cutt ing department. George "Doc” Harris takes general charge. With two companies in the field and another in prospect, making talkies will mean additional employment in Manila. The themes of Philip pine talkies are of course very simple. Generally they ring the changes on the old, old story of rural innocence betrayed by the city’s dash and brilliance: the cruelty of life in town, its sweet ness in the kind and unspoiled country. They keep to the field of melodrama, and play upon the domestic emotions. The emotional appeal can’t be too broad. An early picture made by Nepumoceno was advertised: A Very Sad Story! Don't Miss It! Tragedy goes over well. Comedy. relief is of the broadest. Names indicate the type: Any Mutia ny Pamilihan, The Pearl of the Market; Dr. Kuba (a striving after Lon Chaney effects); Any Monyhita, The Little Nun; Puilal na Ginto, The Golden Dagger; and Tait & Harris’s next release, Mya Ulila, The Orphans. The. Orphans is a shipwreck theme. The cabin set is oscillated on rockers to simulate a tossing by waves. Wind comes from a squirrel cage wheel turned under stretched canvas, thunder from a suspended sheet of iron, all very realistic. It takes hours to prepare a set, moments only for the use of it. Modern in ventions come into the pictures, airplanes and landings by parachute, swanky motor cars, opulent home scenes. Islands’ Oldest Life Insurance Company Celebrates Annual Banquet of the Insular Life Assurance Company 7'1'7’ Phnto On June 2(> the Singson Encarnacidn club of the Insular Life Assurance Company, oldest of the local life insurance companies, banqueted the company’s directors at the Manila hotel. Vice President Charles >S. Salmon of the chamber of commerce is the general agent of the company. Left to right in the picture: Isaac Barza, Dr. Ignacio Ortigas, R. U. Sanchez, Jose McMicking, D. B. Ambrosio, Secretary of Agriculture V. Singson Encarnaci6n, E. W. Schedler, Vicente Arias, Dr. E. Roa, Jose Arancta, G. Abella, Leopoldo Mclian, Abdon Llorente, Jose Mc Micking, jr., C. S. Salmon, Francisco Ortigas, Romulo II. David, and F. J. Santos.

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