DOÑA SISANG. Unerring eye for stellar looks and charisma.
The local movie industry’s observance of the 135th birth anniversary of LVN Pictures producer, Doña Sisang (Narcisa V. de Leon), is bound to be a modest one, because non-stars in the movie biz tend to get short shrift in the fickle and forgetful public’s estimation.
For our part, however, we feel that the observance should be a big deal because, unknown to many, Doña Sisang and her producer-son, Manny V. de Leon, were partly responsible for making the 1950s the second Golden Age of the Filipino movie industry.
Along with their similarly enlightened colleagues over at the Sampaguita, Premiere and Lebran studios, the De Leon’s financed the production of some of the most exceptional local movies of that period, some of which emerged triumphant at the Asian Film Festival and other regional and international film festivals.
Doña Sisang should also be credited with being the matriarch of an unusually gifted clan of artists, including ace filmmaker Mike de Leon and classical guitarist Manito.
Truth to tell, however, in her son Manny’s recollection, shared with us in an interview for Monina A. Mercado’s book on his mother, the iconic lady producer went into film production, not to win awards, but to make money.
Resources
Luckily for us all, Manny was able to shunt some of LVN’s resources into the production of exceptional productions that did the country and its film industry proud.
But, this certainly doesn’t mean that Doña Sisang’s contribution to LVN’s cinematic cachet was restricted to the financial aspect. Her contemporaries recalled that she had an instinct for what would click with local moviegoers, and her eye for stellar looks and charisma was unerring.
True, she and her producer-son would sometimes clash in their opinions on which movie projects to green-light. She occasionally dismissed his “art films” as losers at the box office—but, she ended up supporting them, anyway!
We did meet Doña Sisang but had no extended conversations with her. However, her son Manny was another story entirely. We enjoyed shooting the breeze with him on many topics related to film, and our admiration for his taste and erudition, as well as show biz savvy, knew no bounds.
It was from him that we got the “exclusive” insider info that, before she became a movie producer, Doña Sisang didn’t like watching movies—in fact, she had never even seen one!
And yet, she was such a quick study that, before anyone knew it, her productions were competing quite favorably with the output of the other local film production companies who were active in the ’40s and ’50s!
Yes, she could be a terror. Yes, some of her stellar discoveries were in awe and even fear of her. But, LVN’s record for occasionally producing quality films speaks for itself, which is why her 135th birth anniversary should receive more than just cursory notice.
What about a retrospective on TV of the studio’s most exceptional and multi-awarded movies? The Grand Old Lady of Filipino films deserves nothing less.
As for her son, Manny, his many significant contributions to Philippine cinema should similarly be acknowledged.