Tita Duran: From screen moppet to versatile actress

Tita Duran was the biggest child star of Philippine movies before the war. Her fame was likened to that of Shirley Temple in Hollywood. She was only 9 years old when she starred in Elsa Oria’s first picture, 1936’s “Awit ng mga Ulila,” where she also sang and danced. Her partner was Lubin Nepomuceno, producer Jose Nepomuceno’s son, who portrayed the young Rogelio dela Rosa in the early part of the movie.

The movie was such a big hit that, by 1938, Parlatone had to share Duran’s talents with three other studios vying for her services—Filippine Films, X’Otic Films and Sampaguita Pictures.

Endowed with a natural singing voice, Tita won her fans’ hearts when she appeared as the young Corazon Noble in Filippine Films’ “Pusong Wasak” (1938), with her rendition of “Kung Ako’y Maging Dalaga,” which became an instant hit. She also appeared as the young Lucita Goyena in X’Otic’s “Sa Duyan ng Pagmamahal” opposite Angelito Nepomuceno. But, X’Otic lost her to Sampaguita Pictures when she signed a long-term contract with that company in 1939 after it made its biggest hit, “Ang Magsasampaguita,” where she was paired with Narding Anzures, the son of Miguel Anzures and Rosa Aguirre.

So much talent, beauty and cinematic artistry in one as frail-looking as Tita, who was by nature a shy person!

During the war, all the movie studios closed down, but Sampaguita Pictures was one of the first who resumed making pictures in 1946. Carmen Rosales and Tita both portrayed the title role, “Guerilyera,” the latter’s first grown-up role at age 19.

When I saw the film after the war, I couldn’t initially relate to the image of Tita as a guerrilla fighter to what I had seen previously of her in earlier movies (like the abandoned orphan in “Mariang Alimango” or the singing flower vendor in “Ang Magsasampaguita”).

On close-up, her eyes reflected the cruelty that war inflicted on its victims. It was only after I heard Corazon relate their experience in Intramuros during the liberation of Manila in 1945 that I began to see Tita in a new light.

Few people know that Tita survived a harrowing experience during the war when she and Corazon were inside the Red Cross bldg. in Intramuros, where they had taken refuge from the fighting in the streets. They thought they were already safe, because no one would dare harm the civilians inside the Red Cross confines.  But, they were wrong.

The civilians were massacred by the retreating Japanese forces, and many were killed on the spot, including Corazon’s baby.

Fortunately, for Tita, she was able to immediately hide inside an empty refrigerator in an adjoining storeroom. The Japanese were like rampaging beasts, firing shots at everyone, thrusting their bayonets here and there, as though they had gone totally berserk. A stray bullet hit Corazon’s arm, and she fell to the floor. Then, a siren sounded—and everybody rushed out of the room, leaving only the wounded and dying!

Bleeding arm

When all was still except for the sobbing and weeping, Tita slowly opened the door of the refrigerator and rushed to Corazon’s side. “Please look for my arm—it’s somewhere over there,” Corazon told her, pointing with her left hand, not knowing that her right arm was still dangling by her side!

Tita immediately took hold of a clean piece of clothing from the bed and wrapped the bleeding arm in the form of a sling on Corazon’s shoulder. Together, they made their way out of the building into the sanctuary of the American Army, whose arrival had driven the enemy away.

After filming “Guerilyera,” now that she had an exclusive contract with Sampaguita Pictures, Tita decided to live near the studio. She led a quiet life moving from childhood to adolescence onscreen with roles that were tailor-made for her.

In her next film, 1947’s “Unang Pagibig,” she portrayed a young girl with a crush on Oscar Moreno, and in “Tatlong Puso” (1948), she was the object of Fred Montillla’s affection.  But, it was Pancho Magalona with whom she fell head over heels in love. They decided to get married after the filming of “Dahil Sa Iyo” in 1948.

The Pancho-Tita tandem continued in Sampaguita from “Always, Kay Ganda Mo” in 1949 to “Sa Isang Halik Mo, Pancho” (1954). Some of the films they made within that five-year period were “Umaga Na Giliw,” “Kay Ganda Mo Neneng,” “Sa Isang Sulyap Mo Tita,” and “Vod-A-Vil.”

Contract

When their contract with Sampaguita Pictures expired, Pancho and Tita appeared together in a film directed by Gerry de Leon, “Mr. and Mrs.”  In their movies and in real life, Pancho and Tita were the epitome of the ideal married couple for Filipino families.

Their son, Francis Magalona, distinguished himself in show business as a rap singer. Tita herself was a mainstay on the TV drama series, “Kadenang Rosas,” until her death in 1990.

Tita was cited as a Famas Best Actress nominee for her performance in “Yaya Maria.”  In 1987, she and Pancho Magalona were jointly honored by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) with a Life Achievement Award for their contributions to Philippine cinema.