A DEBUTANTE TAKES A BOW (Literary Song-Movie Magazine, March 16, 1967)

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(courtesy of Simon Santos, Video 48)

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TWO MOVIE QUEENS WAX NOSTALGIC (by Behn Cervantes, Inquirer, May 29, 1999)

             Two movie queens wax nostalgic

                                     By Behn Cervantes
                              (Conclusion)

                   Inquirer.net, May 29, 1999

WHAT do you think was the chemistry in the Nida/Nestor, Gloria/ Luis combination? Gloria: Luis and I looked good together. Mestiza ako, siya more Filipino. Ako tahimik. Si Luis pilyo. Nida: We were a good dancing pair. Kami ni Nestor galawgaw. Gloria and Luis were more dignified. Our roles were varied. We were a lovable pair. Nagpapantalon ako, parang a break with conservatism. Magbubuga-buga ng usok na sigarilyo sa sabung, mga sneaky little things to show me to be more modern. Who was your favorite leading man? Gloria: The late Ric Rodrigo, Mario Montenegro and Ramon Revilla. Si Ric was very funny. Sayang 'di na-exploit ang pagka-funny niya. He had difficulty with Tagalog, but he worked hard at improving himself. He was very correct, a real gentleman. Juancho Gutierrez? Actually, he did more movies with Amalia Fuentes because he was Mr. Number One and she was Miss No. One in Sampaguita contest for new faces for the studio. Nida: Si Dolphy. He has great timing. Wow, saludo ako diyan. Hindi siya galawgaw. He's a gentleman. Did you ever fight with Luis/ Nestor? Gloria: Si Luis? May ugali yan-mapagbiro, always fooling around even when the scenes are serious. So I would get angry at him, ''Will you concentrate? This is a drama, not a comedy!'' He would bow to me and reply, ''Opo! O, nagalit na naman si Aling Gloria.'' Ako? Seryoso sa trabaho! Nida: Oh yeah… about crazy things. About our dance steps, personal appearances and other minor things. Did the studios (LVN and Sampaguita) exploit your rivalry? Gloria: Oo, siyempre. Very healthy naman, e. Kung sasayaw si Nida at Nestor, sayaw na din kami. (Laughs again.) Naku nakakapagod. Scribes Nida: Hindi naman. It was the scribes and the reporters. They would come up with contests like the one for the most popular love team. The fans would vote by means of ballots published in those movie magazines. How did the fans fuel the rivalry? Gloria: Of course, they would say mas maganda o mas magaling ang favorite nila. They would show who had more autographed pictures of their stars, or thicker scrapbooks, things like that. I tried to be very nice to the fans. In Sampaguita, there used to be fans' day. Ako naman pirma ng pirma. We never said anything against each other. No, we didn't do that. Nida: They would vote for us in those contests. They would flock to see our movies and cheer us when we (Nida-Nestor) did our dance numbers. What was your first film together? Gloria: ''Huwag Kang Sumingit.'' It was produced by Nida and Nestor. Nida: ''Huwag Kang Sumungit.'' Nestor and I produced it. How did the pairing fare at the box office? Gloria: Very well. Si Nida, nag-free lance na. Sa Sampaguita, nagkikita kami when she was hired by the studio to make movies there. Nida: Very successful! I didn't mind getting second billing to Gloria. Did you do anything for each other? Gloria: I think it was in ''Magdusa Ka'' where she won a grand slam. I was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress. We even sat at the same table. We were cheering for each other. It was her name that was called. I was very happy for her. Promotions Nida: Nakakatawa. Doing promotions in the past, we would both have to dance. Ayaw na niya. "Pagod na ako," Gloria would complain. I would even carry her step-ins for her. These days, I go to her house before Christmas for the usual talk and exchange of gifts. We know each other's birthdays and things like that. How do you recall your years of rivalry? Gloria: It was okay; very healthy. Sabi ko sa sarili ko pagbutihin mo! Nida: Okay naman, I enjoyed it. I had nothing to lose kasi. I feel a rival can, make you more popular. Iba kung may kompetisyon, especially someone like Gloria, di ba? How do your fans recall your days of rivalry? Gloria: (laughs again.) They tell me what Nida's fans were supposed to have said then. They show me their old pictures and scrapbooks. They also say, ''Aba, bakit hindi kayo ni Nida tumatanda?'' They also say: "Sana gumawa pa kayo ng pelikula na magkasama." Of course, I'd love to work with Nida again. Nida: They still call me galawgaw. They still see me holding a balisong. They say: ''Naku, si Batangueña!'' I guess that's the way they remember me. Who is the Nida/ Gloria of today? Gloria: Sabi nila, si Snooky. Nida: (With conviction) Si Maricel (Soriano)! Anything else you recall about that rivalry? Fashion shows Nida: I really envied Gloria for appearing in fashion shows. It was very sosyal then, with gowns designed by Ramon Valera. So, for one big movie ''Ikaw Kasi'' in LVN, I was supposed to be crowned the town reyna for a fiesta it was shot in Villa Escudero in Tiaong Quezon, and I requested Doña Sisang if I could wear a Valera gown. She scolded me and said it was nothing but a ''capricho.'' I walked out crying. She called me back and granted my wish. But, at the end of the scene, there was a fight in the fiesta and nilihis ko ang sleeves ng Valera gown. ''Diyos ko,'' sigaw ni Doña Sisang, ''bakit mo ginawa yan? Ramon Valera pa naman!'' What other common memories of that period do these Box Office Queens have? I asked the former rivals to react to the following: 1. Tropicana? Nida: (Laughs out loud. Does a pose.) Glamor portraits! Basta glamour shots, sa Tropicana for sure. Ador would even come to my house to take pictures of my sayas and gowns. Gloria: (laughing): Mang Ador! Of course, we all went to Tropicana for those glamour shots! (Actually, so did the starlets, the hopefuls and wannabes, the debutantes, town queens and whoever wanted to have the ''Tropicana look.'') 2. LVN and Sampaguita? Family Nida: At LVN, we were like a family. I still feel that closeness. Too bad, it isn't like that now. Gloria: What do I remember about Sampaguita Pictures? Siyempre, the Vera-Perezes. We were all treated well, like a family. Yes, we still get together and talk about the old days. 3. Fashion shows? Nida: I hated them. I don't know why they kept getting me. I'm not built for them, you see. Si Gloria Romero, ang taas-taas. Eh, ako? Petite ang size ko. Pero when LVN said go, I didn't have a choice. Basta, I didn't like them. Gloria: They were fabulous! The Oca-Valera shows at Manila Hotel! During our time, those fashion shows were elegante. Really classy. Today, they are more informal. Noon, formal affairs talaga. I asked Ching, a new-generation fan, what she thought of Nida and Gloria. ''Si Nida pang-masa, ang charisma niya ay pang-lahat. Si Gloria naman pang-drama. Lately lang siya nag-kokomedi,'' she said. If that is true, do we expect a new rivalry between these former celluloid queens? Yes and no. Both continue to work hard to improve themselves. They are consummate professionals in this competitive field, but the former rivals have become fast friends and know their rivalry is a thing of the past--that glorious era when Nida would dance with Nestor to the delight of their fans. Soon after, Gloria would execute fancy tango steps with Luis to the delight of their fans. It was a tit for every tat. In the process, Nida and Gloria made everyone happy. There was no malcuie in their rivalry. Instead, the competition spurred the duo to excel in their craft and to deliver the best entertainment they could to their many fans. No wonder the Gloria-Nida rivalry holds happy memories even for the protagonists, who continue to delight their loyal fans to this day. More impressive yet is the fact Gloria and Nida have amassed more followers from among the new generations who have come to admire their skill and professionalism long after their much-publicized movie rivalry. Long live the two formidable and long-lasting queens of Philippine cinema.