PASSERBY

Good to hear that MMFF 2023 grossed over a billion pesos, a positive sign that our audiences are ready to return to cineplexes. What’s the biggest lesson here? Offer them good, quality movies, and people will troop back to movie houses. Enough of those inane comedies.

Dingdong Dantes looks like the biggest winner among actors in the 49th filmfest. He’s the star in two box office champions, topnotcher Rewind, and third placer Firefly.

From where I sit, other award-winning performances in MMFF 2023 are those by Alessandra de Rossi (Firefly), Sharon Cuneta (Family of Two), Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes (Rewind), Piolo Pascual and Gloria Diaz (Mallari), Christopher de Leon (When I Met You in Tokyo).

xxx

How wonderful to see a clip of Helen Gamboa-Sotto dancing with such energy and glee during a recent event.

The Song and Dance Queen of Philippine Movies in the mid-to-late 1960s took to the dance floor upon the prodding of friends and family during the 90th birthday celebration of movie queen Gloria Romero at the Sampaguita Gardens in Quezon City on Dec. 15.

I caught the video on Facebook wherein Helen hooped it up with a dance partner to the tune of Great Balls of Fire, switching from a bit of tango to what was then known as Twist. Through it all, Helen showed them she still has got it and in fact, hasn’t lost it.

The film clip brought me back to the mid and late 60s when Helen sprang from leading lady roles in action pictures to top billing movie musicals. She became a big star as a lead in movies like Bang Shang A Lang, Boogaloo, Let’s Go, and Banda 24. She was also a best-selling recording artist with hit songs to her credit.

At that time, Helen was considered an emerging movie queen herself in the tradition of Amalia Fuentes and Susan Roces, whose films she confronted with her own at the box office. Helen was on her way to greater stardom when, in an instant, in 1969, she married Tito Sotto, then a recording executive and soon-to-be Senator. Marriage and child-rearing side lined her blossoming acting career.

On occasion, she would make a movie or two, this time, showcasing her prowess in dramatic roles like Kailan Mahuhugasan ang Kasalanan, Etiquette for Mistresses, Unsung Heroine: Flor Contemplacion. Helen won the Best Actress award for Contemplacion.

Before facing a few health issues, she managed to act in a couple of successful teleseryes, too. 

Nice to see Helen up and about, even dancing ever so gracefully at that, in her late 70s.