Spellbound

American movie stars Vin Diesel and Sarah Jessica Parker, who came to the Philippines recently to endorse their films, were surprised by the warm reception they received from Filipinos. Last year, residents of Manila came to see the filming of The Bourne Legacy in different parts of the metropolis, if only to get  a chance to meet some of its cast, take their photos and autographs.

Visits by Hollywood stars always excite  Filipinos, which only shows how long we’ve been spellbound by mainstream American cinema. When did this love affair with movie stars begin?

The actor as celebrity did not really emerge during the infancy of cinema whose main draw was its own novelty. Film advertisements did not mention the names of actors partly due to the fear of producers that they might demand higher fees if they became famous.

Yet, some actors made strong impressions on viewers, who started to inquire about their names and ask for autographs. Critics, too, paid more attention on the distinct acting ability or appeal of certain screen players. The film companies soon realized the potential of cashing in on the actor’s drawing power and started promoting them. To make sure they don’t leave, contracts were made and the popular actors became part of the studio’s “stable”. Thus, the star system was born.

The growth of cinema in Cebu during the first two decades of the 20h century reflected the public’s increasing interest in certain actors who appeared to them as having a divine image on screen. During the silent years of cinema, Cebuano moviegoers followed the “cliffhanger” serials and comedies of such stars as Pearl White, Mary Pickford, Edwin Stevens, Charlie Chaplin, and Marie Walcamp.

The latter came to Cebu in January of 1920 to film parts of her film Los Petales de Lao-Tze (The Petals of Lao-Tze), barely a year after her movie The Red Glove was screened in the city. But the arrival of the crew raised concerns by some over how they might portray the Cebuanos in the movie. An article in twin newspapers Nueva Fuerza / Bag-ong Kusog urged the public to witness the filming of the foreigners to make sure that Cebuanos would not be presented in a bad light.

Such apprehensions were not totally unfounded. The public seemed to have in mind the racist documentaries of the Dean C. Worcester, the American anthropologist who became Secretary of Interior in the colony between 1901 to 1913. His films portrayed the “savage” ways of native Filipinos and how they became “civilized” under the Americans.

When Worcester planned to transfer to Cebu to hold an executive position in the Visayan Refining Company based in Mactan, Nueva Fuerza ran a series of articles attacking the man they considered to be “the worst enemy of the Filipinos” for how he used his films to try to persuade the American public to go against the granting of independence to the Philippines.

It was thus natural that some Cebuanos would be wary about the news of Americans filming in the city. In an interview with Bag-ong Kusog, Marie Walcamp expressed dismay over these misconceptions and tried to assure Cebuanos that they had no intention other than to show the beauty of the Philippines as well as the industry and wisdom of Filipinos.

But the writers themselves could not help but admire the beauty of the controversial actress in their article. They were obviously star-struck. Such attitude represents the general public’s ambivalence over movie stars: it’s a mix of fear and awe.

In the case of Walcamp, awe won over fear as soon as Cebuanos heard her side in the papers. In those days when Filipino women were about to win their right to suffrage, Cebuanos were easily smitten by the lovely adventurous girl who did jaw-dropping stunts and single-handedly fought against criminals on the mute screen.

The crew started filming scenes in Cebu which show her jumping from a wall in Fort San Pedro, climbing the lighthouse in Liloan, and other places such as Magallanes street, a smaller “kota” (fort) in Mandaue, and the bridge over the railway in Sangat. Aside from Cebu, Marie Walcamp’s group also went to shoot in Manila, Dumaguete, Jolo, and Zamboanga.

Finally, in July 1921, the film, billed in its other title, The Dragon’s Nest, had its premiere in Cine Ideal, one of the few moviehouses in the city (others were Cine Empire, Cine Royo, and Teatro Oriente). The theater ran anunzios urging Cebuanos not to miss the rare opportunity to see Walcamp and their own place on screen.

Unfortunately, the Hollywood film, which must have given us rare glimpses of Cebu, is now considered lost. What’s left are a few pictures of Walcamp shooting in the Philippines and those articles about her in old newspapers at the university archives.

This was an early case of an actual encounter of local viewers with a Hollywood star as she came here to film her movie. It’s as if the goddess had descended from heaven to be with the mortals. That memory is not easily lost. It’s the stuff dreams are made of.