This stand-alone entry is intended to provide additional information for the draft of an article titled “A Missing Installation in the Philippine Pantheon.” Barring further discoveries or corrections, the Internet Movie Database record on Gregorio Fernandez provides entries in three categories: as director, actor, and writer. The website’s information on the productions of LVN Pictures is fairly accurate, possibly a result of the close supervision by filmmaker Mike de Leon, grandson of the founder Narcisa vda. de Leon, over the family studio’s legacy. Since the lists are grouped according to decreasing number of output, we find only two credits for Fernandez’s writing (one of which, Higit sa Lahat, is still available), and several credits as actor. Nearly half of his acting credits, in fact, were for his own films: in one instance, despite his name appearing after those of the other stars, he was actually one of the lead actors in Kontrabando. One of the films, Carmen (uncredited, 1941), may also have been Fernandez-directed. In all, Fernandez participated in over 60 film projects, with 14 or possibly 15 of them in dual capacity.
Malvarosa (my transcription here) may be the closest to a complete Fernandez film, although several others do not suffer significantly from missing portions. The following are the IMDb-listed works attributed to Fernandez, arranged in chronological order, with additional information on his other roles in the projects as well as their availability and state of completion (where no directorial credit is indicated, the entry should be understood as made by Fernandez):
As actor (all pre-1937 films were directed by Jose Nepomuceno for Malayan Movies, with Hot Kisses, Ang Lumang Simbahan, and Ligaw na Bulaklak listed as silent): Hot Kisses and The Filipino Woman (1927); Ang Lumang Simbahan [The Old Church] (1928); Ang Anak sa Ligaw [Child Out of Wedlock] (1930); Ang Lihim ni Bathala [The Secret of the Pagan God] and Moro Pirates (1931); Ligaw na Bulaklak [Wild Flowers] (1932); Ang Kumpisalan at ang Batas [The Confessional and the Law] (dir. Rod Avlas, Filippine Productions, 1937); Taong Demonyo [Demonic Person] (dir. Tor Villano, Filippine Productions, 1937).
As actor and/or director: Asahar at Kabaong [Wreath and Coffin] (also as actor, Filippine Productions, 1937); Celia at Balagtas [Celia and Balagtas] (Excelsior Films, 1938); Ang Magsasampaguita [The Sampaguita Vendor] (Sampaguita Pictures, 1939); Tatlong Pagkabirhen [Three Virgins] (X’Otic Films, 1939); Palaboy ng Dios [God’s Vagrant] (as actor, dir. Eduardo de Castro, X’Otic Films, 1939); Takip-Silim [Nightfall] (as actor, dir. Don Dano, Sampaguita Pictures, 1939); Colegiala [Female Coed] (as actor, dir. Eduardo de Castro, Sampaguita Pictures, 1940); Katarungan [Justice] and Señorita [Mademoiselle] (also as actor, both Sampaguita Pictures, 1940); Princesita [Little Princess] (also as actor, Sampaguita Pictures, 1941); Carmen (as actor but directorial credit missing; Sampaguita Pictures, 1941); Principeng Hindi Tumatawa [The Prince Who Never Laughed] (as actor, dir. Manuel Conde, LVN Pictures, 1946).
All films in the preceding lists are considered lost. The following lists will indicate Fernandez’s participation (aside from directing) and will also indicate whether copies, or excerpts, are available:
LVN Pictures productions
• Dalawang Daigdig [Two Worlds] (also as actor; 1946)
• Garrison 13 (also as actor; 1946)
• Ang Lalaki [The Man] (1947)
• Miss Philippines (also as actor; 1947) – video transfer available
• Krus na Bituin [Cross-Shaped Star] (1948)
• P 1,000 Kagandahan [Thousand-Peso Beauty] (also as actor; 1948) – short entry; video transfer available
• Puting Bantayog [White Monument] (also as actor; 1948)
• Capas (also as actor; 1949) – video transfer available
• Florante at Laura [Florante and Laura] (as actor; dir. Vicente Salumbides, 1949) – video transfer available
• Hen. Gregorio del Pilar [General Gregorio del Pilar] (1949)
• Kampanang Ginto [Golden Bell] (1949)
• Candaba (1950)
• Kontrabando [Contraband] (also as actor; 1950) – video transfer available
• Pagtutuus [Reckoning] (1950)
• Bayan o Pag-ibig [Country or Love] (1951)
• Dugo sa Dugo [Blood to Blood] (1951)
• Bohemyo [Bohemian] (1952)
• Rodrigo de Villa (also as story writer; 1952) – video transfer available
• Dagohoy (1953) – video excerpt available
• Philippine Navy (1953)
• Squatters (1953) – video transfer available
• Prinsipe Teñoso [Prince Teñoso] (1954) – remastered copy available
• Singsing na Tanso [Silver Ring] (1954) – video excerpt available
• Dalagang Taring [Cranky Maiden] (1955)
• Higit sa Lahat [Most of All] (also as scriptwriter; 1955) – video transfer available
• Gintong Pangarap [Golden Dream] (1956)
• Luksang Tagumpay [Mournful Victory] (1956) – video transfer available, missing final sequences
• Medalyong Perlas [Pearl Necklace] (segment “Kapalaran” [“Fate”]; other segments dir. Lamberto V. Avellana & F.H. Constantino; 1956)
• Hukom Roldan [Judge Roldan] (1957) – video transfer available
• Sampung Libong Pisong Pag-ibig [Ten Thousand-Peso Romance] (1957) – video transfer available
• Ana Maria (1958)
• Ay Pepita! [Oh Pepita!] (1958)
• Casa Grande [Grand Dwelling] (segment “Gerilyang Patpat” [“Skinny Guerrilla”]; other segments dir. Manuel Conde & F.H. Constantino; 1958)
• Malvarosa [Geranium] (1958) – remastered copy available
• Panagimpan [Daydream] (1959)
• Awit ng mga Dukha [Song of the Dispossessed] (1960)
• Emily (1960) – video excerpt available
• Kung Ako’y Mahal Mo [If You Love Me] (1960) – video transfer available
Post-LVN Pictures productions
• Dugo at Luha [Blood and Tears] (Premiere Productions, 1961)
• The Macapagal Story (MML Productions, 1963)
• Ang Nasasakdal! [The Defendant!] (Kamagong Films, 1966)
• Daing [Dried Fish] (Tower Productions, 1971)
Availability and contact info: A summary of the available works of Fernandez, all from LVN, is as follows: Miss Philippines (1947); Isang Libong Pisong Kagandahan (1948); Capas (1949); Kontrabando (1950); Rodrigo de Villa (1952); Dagohoy (1953, excerpted along with Singsing na Tanso & Lou Salvador Sr.’s Doce Pares [both 1954]); Squatters (1953); Singsing na Tanso (1954, excerpted along with Dagohoy [1953] & Lou Salvador Sr.’s Doce Pares [1954]); Prinsipe Teñoso (1954); Higit sa Lahat (1955); Luksang Tagumpay (1956, missing final sequences); 10,000 Pisong Pag-ibig (1957); Hukom Roldan (1957); Malvarosa (1958); Emily (1960, excerpts); and Kung Ako’y Mahal Mo (1960). Video material may be found at Mike de Leon’s Citizen Jake pages (on either YouTube or Vimeo). Remastered and subtitled copies of Prinsipe Teñoso and Malvarosa may be ordered from the Facebook page of ABS-CBN Film Restoration, while the YouTube page of ABS-CBN Star Cinema occasionally posts censored copies of the organization’s collection.
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