Eddie Romero
Edgar Sinco Romero, NA (July 7, 1924 – May 28, 2013), commonly known as Eddie Romero, was a Filipino film director, film producer and screenwriter.
Eddie Romero | |
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Born | Edgar Sinco Romero July 7, 1924 |
Died | May 28, 2013 88) Manila, Philippines | (aged
Alma mater | Silliman University |
Occupation | Film director, producer, screenwriter |
Years active | 1947–2013 |
Awards | ![]() National Artist of the Philippines |
Early life
Romero was born on July 7, 1924. His father was José E. Romero, the first Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James's. His mother was Pilar Guzman Sinco, a schoolteacher and the sister of University of the Philippines President Vicente G. Sinco who signed the United Nations Charter in 1945 on behalf of the Philippines. His brother was Jose V. Romero Jr., former Philippine Ambassador to Italy.[1] He studied at Silliman University.[2]
Career
Romero was named National Artist of the Philippines in 2003, and his body of work delved into the history and politics of his country. His 1976 film Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon?,[3] set at the turn of the 20th century during the revolution against the Spaniards and, later, the American colonizers, follows a naive peasant through his leap of faith to become a member of an imagined community. Aguila[4] situated a family's story against the backdrop of Filipino history, while Kamakalawa[5] explored the folklore of prehistoric Philippines. Banta ng Kahapon,[6] his "small" political film, was set against the turmoil of the late 1960s, tracing the connection of the underworld to the corrupt halls of politics. His 13-part series Noli Me Tangere[7] brought Philippine national hero José Rizal's novel to a new generation of viewers.
Romero co-produced one of the earliest Filipino horror films, the 1959 Terror Is a Man, which was directed by his friend and fellow director Gerardo de Leon, with whom he would later co-direct other films.[8] Romero directed some critically acclaimed war films in the early 1960s, such as Lost Battalion (1960), The Raiders of Leyte Gulf (1963) and The Walls of Hell (1964).[9] Along with Filipino-language (Tagalog language) films, he made English-language films that became cult classics, like Black Mama, White Mama,[10] Beast of the Yellow Night, The Woman Hunt, Beyond Atlantis and The Twilight People[11] and worked with American actors like John Ashley and Pam Grier.
Romero's films, the National Artist citation stated, "are delivered in an utterly simple style – minimalist, but never empty, always calculated, precise and functional, but never predictable."[12] Quentin Tarantino drew on Twilight People as an inspiration for his "grindhouse" homages.[13]
Romero is especially known to horror film fans for his three "Blood Island" films from the late 1960s - Brides of Blood (1968), Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1969) and Beast of Blood (1970), which he directed, co-produced by "Hemisphere Pictures" (which was composed of Romero, Kane W. Lynn and Irwin Pizor).[14] Romero later called his American-financed "cult" films – including the "Blood Island" series – "the worst things I ever did".[15] When the kung fu craze started in the 1970s, Romero turned his back on the international market for Filipino films which he had virtually created. After 1976, he made smaller, more personal "art" films in Filipino.[16]
Personal life
Romero was married to Carolina Gonzalez (1922-2019), a great-granddaughter of Don Francisco Gonzalez y Reinado, owner of the legendary 39,000-hectare Hacienda Esperanza that included the municipalities of Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Rosales and San Quintin, extending through the rest of Pangasinan and the provinces of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.[17][18] Romero was also for a time the partner of actress Mila del Sol.[19] He had three children: film director and MTRCB board member Joey Romero, Ancel Romero and Leo Romero.
Death
He died on May 28, 2013.[20][21] He had been suffering from prostate cancer when he developed a blood clot in his brain[22][23]
Filmography
- Ang Maestra (1941) (writer)
- Anong ganda mo (1941) (writer)
- So long America (1946) (writer)
- Isumpa mo giliw (1947) (writer)
- Mameng, iniibig kita (1947) (writer, assistant director)
- Si, si, señorito (1947) (writer)
- La Paloma (1947) (writer)
- Ang Kamay ng Diyos (1947) (director, writer)
- Kaaway ng bayan (1947) (writer)
- Hele hele bago quiere (1947) (writer)
- Hindi kita malimot (1948) (director)
- Selosa (1948) (director, writer)
- Apoy sa langit (1949) (director)
- Abogada (1949) (director)
- Always kay ganda mo (1949) (director)
- Sa piling mo (1949) (director)
- Sipag ay yaman (1949) (writer)
- Milagro ng birhen ng mga rosas (1949) (writer)
- Camelia (1949) (writer)
- Batalyon trece (1949) (writer)
- Kasintahan sa pangarap (1951) (director)
- Sabas, ang barbaro/ Sabas the Barbarian (1952) (director) based on a comic book character
- Buhay alamang (1952) (director, writer)
- Ang asawa kong Amerikana (1953) (director)
- Ang ating pag-ibig (1953) (director)
- El Indio (1953) (director)
- Maldita (1953) (director)
- May bakas ang lumipas (1954) (director)
- The Day of the Trumpet (1957) (director, writer)
- The Kidnappers (1958) (director)
- The Scavengers (1959) (co-producer, writer)
- Terror Is a Man (1959) (co-producer)
- Espionage: Far East (1961) (director)
- Lost Battalion (1960) (producer, director, writer)
- Pitong gabi sa Paris/ Seven Nights in Paris (1960) (director)
- The Raiders of Leyte Gulf (1963) (producer, director)
- Cavalry Command (1963) a.k.a. The Day of the Trumpet (director, writer)
- The Walls of Hell (1964) a.k.a. Intramuros (producer, director)
- Moro Witch Doctor (1964) aka Amuck (producer, director, writer)
- Flight to Fury (1964) (producer, director of alternate Tagalog version only, titled Cordillera)[24]
- The Ravagers (1965) a.k.a. Hanggang may kalaban (producer, director, writer)
- The Passionate Strangers (1968)[25](director, writer)
- Manila, Open City (1968) (producer, director, writer)
- Brides of Blood (1968) (producer, director)
- The Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1969) (producer, director)
- Beast of Blood (1970) a.k.a. Beast of the Dead (USA: TV title), a.k.a. Blood Devils (UK)(producer, director, writer)
- Beast of the Yellow Night (1971) (producer, director, writer)
- Black Mama, White Mama (1972) (producer, director)
- The Twilight People (1972) a.k.a. Beasts, a.k.a. Island of the Twilight People (producer, director, writer)
- The Woman Hunt (1973) (producer, director)
- Beyond Atlantis (1973) (producer, director)
- Savage Sisters (1974) (producer, director)
- Ganito kami noon, paano kayo ngayon (1976) (director, screenplay)
- Sudden Death (1977) (director)
- Sinong kapiling? Sinong kasiping? (1977) (director, writer)
- Banta ng kahapon (1977) (director, writer)
- Durugin si Totoy Bato (1979) (screenplay)
- Aguila (1980) (director, screenplay, producer)
- Palaban (1980) (director)
- Kamakalawa (1981) (director, writer)
- Desire (1982) (director)
- Ang Padrino (1984) (screenplay)
- Hari sa hari, lahi sa lahi (1987) a.k.a. King and Emperor (International: English title) (director, writer)
- A Case of Honor (1988) (director)
- Whiteforce (1988) (director)
- Noli Me Tangere (1992) (director)
- Faces of Love (2006) (director)
- Teach Me to Love (2008) (director)
Awards and nominations
In 2003, Romero was awarded the National Artist Award by the Philippine government for his contribution to Philippine cinema and broadcast arts. Earlier in 1991, he was awarded the Gawad CCP para sa Sining. In 2004, he was also awarded the Cinemanila Lifetime Achievement Award.
See also
- Cinema of the Philippines
- Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Award
- List of Silliman University people
- List of University of the Philippines people
- National Artists of the Philippines
References
- "600th anniversary of Sulu Sultan's state visit to Beijing noted". Manila Standard. June 27, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- Agustin Sotto."EDDIE ROMERO: A filmmaker of" Archived 2018-08-08 at the Wayback Machine. Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP). Retrieved 2011-09-10.
- Romero, Eddie (1976-12-25), Ganito kami noon... Paano kayo ngayon?, Christopher De Leon, Gloria Diaz, Eddie Garcia, retrieved 2018-05-02
- Romero, Eddie (1980-02-14), Aguila, Fernando Poe Jr, Amalia Fuentes, Christopher De Leon, retrieved 2018-05-02
- Romero, Eddie (1981-01-15), Kamakalawa, Christopher De Leon, Chat Silayan, Tetchie Agbayani, retrieved 2018-05-02
- Romero, Eddie (1977-12-24), Banta ng kahapon, Vic Vargas, Bembol Roco, Roland Dantes, retrieved 2018-05-02
- Romero, Eddie (1992), Noli me tangere, Chin Chin Gutierrez, Gigette Reyes, Joel Torre, retrieved 2018-05-02
- http://www.cashiersducinemart.com/details/issue-18/article-518/strong-coffee-with-a-national-treasure-an-interview-with-eddie-romero.
- Ray, Fred Olen (1991). "The New Poverty Row". McFarland and Co. Inc. ISBN 0-89950-628-3. Page 81
- Romero, Eddie (1973-01-19), Black Mama White Mama, Pam Grier, Margaret Markov, Sid Haig, retrieved 2018-05-02
- Romero, Eddie (June 1972), The Twilight People, John Ashley, Pat Woodell, Jan Merlin, retrieved 2018-05-02
- "National Artist - Eddie S. Romero". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
- News, by Mario Dumaual, ABS-CBN. "Master of genres: Eddie Romero's legacy". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
- Ray, Fred Olen (1991). "The New Poverty Row". McFarland and Co. Inc. ISBN 0-89950-628-3. Page 83
- "Eddie Romero: Our Man in Manila".Lee Server. Film Comment. March–April 1999
- mwhite@impossiblefunky.com, Mike White. "Cashiers du Cinemart - Issue 18 - Strong Coffee with a National Treasure : An Interview with Eddie Romero". Cashiers du Cinemart Magazine.
- Mendoza-Cortes, Rosario (1990). Pangasinan, 1901-1986: A Political, Socioeconomic and Cultural History. Quezon City: New Day Publishers. p. 71.
- "G.R. No. L-32776". www.lawphil.net. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- "Mila del Sol: Hard life, beginnings, romances, hollywood days, the bright twilight years | Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP)". www.manunuri.com. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- "National Artist Eddie Romero dies". Rappler.com. 2013-05-28. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
- "Filmmaker, National Artist Eddie Romero dies". ph.news.yahoo.com.
- https://ph.news.yahoo.com/filmmaker-national-artist-eddie-romero-dies-151216391.html.
- "National Artist and famed director Eddie Romero dies". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- Stevens, Brad (2003). Monte Hellman: His Life and Films. McFarland. p. 44-52.
- "The Passionate Strangers (1968) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
- Romero, Eddie (1950-06-20), Ang prinsesa at ang Pulubi, Fred Montilla, Tessie Agana, Myrna Delgado, retrieved 2018-05-02
- Leon, Gerardo de (1951-08-19), Diego Silang, Jose Padilla Jr, Leila Morena, Nena Cardenas, retrieved 2018-05-02
- Romero, Eddie (1952-09-02), Buhay alamang, Fred Montilla, Anita Linda, Mona Lisa, retrieved 2018-05-02
- Leon, Gerardo de; Romero, Eddie (November 1963), The Day of the Trumpet, John Agar, Pancho Magalona, Alicia Vergel, retrieved 2018-05-03
- Romero, Eddie (1966-04-20), The Passionate Strangers, Michael Parsons, Valora Noland, Mario Montenegro, retrieved 2018-05-02
- Romero, Eddie (1968-06-12), Manila, Open City, Charito Solis, James Shigeta, Alex Nicol, retrieved 2018-05-02
- "FAMAS Awards (1971)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- "Metro Manila Film Festival (1976)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- "Gawad Urian Awards (1977)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- "Gawad Urian Awards (1978)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- Banta ng kahapon, retrieved 2020-05-11
- Sinong kapiling? Sinong kasiping?, retrieved 2020-05-11
- Herrera, Armando A. (1979-11-09), Durugin si Totoy Bato, Fernando Poe Jr, Charo Santos-Concio, Julie Vega, retrieved 2018-05-02
- "Bancom Audiovision - IMDbPro". pro.imdb.com. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
- "Bancom Audiovision". BFI. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
- "Gawad Urian Awards (1981)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
- Jr, Fernando Poe (1984-12-06), Ang Padrino, Fernando Poe Jr, Coney Reyes, Rey Langit, retrieved 2018-05-02
- "FAMAS Awards (1986)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- "FAMAS Awards (1993)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- "Gawad Urian Awards (1995)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- Milan, Willy; Jr, Fernando Poe, Kahit butas ng karayom, Fernando Poe Jr, Bing Loyzaga, Roy Alvarez, retrieved 2018-05-02
- "FAMAS Awards (2000)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- "FAP Awards, Philippines (2000)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- Faces of Love, retrieved 2020-05-11
External links
- Eddie Romero on IMDb