Pa(Ng)Labas eBook

P A ( n g ) L A B A S architecture + cinema Projections of Filipino Space in Film 1 Publication of this book has been assisted by the Office for Initiatives for Culture and the Arts (OICA) University of the Philippines, Diliman and Charter Chemicals and Coatings, Incorporated © 2009 National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Gerard Lico Photographs contained herein are owned by their respective film companies. Printed in the Republic of the Philippines. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Author: Gerard Lico Curation and Thematic Text: Patrick D.Flores Photographic Research: Cesar Hernando Design: Gerard Lico ISBN:978-971-814-126-7 Cover: Studio set of Bahay Kubo interior for the film Pasang Krus produced by Sampaguita Pictures in 1939. This book was made possible through the cooperation of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts with Office for Initiatives in Culture and Arts of the University of the Philippines at Diliman and Charter Chemicals and Coatings, Incorporated. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila www.ncca.gov.ph 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Architecture in 24 frames per second Tickets to Dreamscapes Design Location Enchantment Dwellers Device Bibiliography Acknowledgement 2 9 28 54 74 84 94 124 125 3 . 4 . PA(ng)LABAS architecture + cinema Projections of Filipino Space in Film 5 . Architecture and cinema are both influenced by a somewhat analogous mode of production: plan. probes the transformation of Filipino space. and urban landscape as visualized and mediated through the cinematic lens. The camera can follow the eye or footstep. through the accretion of fragmentary images over time through montage and the dogged stalking of scene in deep focus. taking on the flesh of time and inhabiting a life of movement. The director assumes a god-like role as he controls the entire syntax of space. and movement expressed in different camera angles. architecture and cinema share natural built-in affinities. tempo. a sense of locus. architecture has the potential to create. conscious or unconscious. time. the viewer’s eyes are practically replaced by the camera. architecture. one that mutually informs and interpenetrates. Akin to cinema. and place for the action. character. Architects and filmmakers pass through parallel routes in appropriating space and orchestrating the spatial experience and modes of perception of building occupants and movie audiences. The title Pa(ng)LABAS is doubly coded to encompass both the concepts of projected moving image (palabas) and the exteriority of architecture (panglabas). and thus may be cast as spatial. which is essential to the experience of architectural space. destination. setting the mood. Like film. zooming. production. A film without architecture is unthinkable. but cannot establish the relationship between body and vision. implicating the selection of path. advance. The most interesting contribution of cinema to architecture is how film creates a distinct synthetic space. voluntary or involuntary. or frame events so they assume discursive density and the rondure of signification. It affords it the sensibility of position. stage. retrogression. respectively. Architecture gives film its semblance of dimensions. iteration. architecture can be programmed into sequences to unfold a spatial narrative and to confirm or negate expectations of location: origin. 2 . spiral. Cinema frustrates this logic or habit by providing a preselected route. Architectural and cinematic practice thrives on the apprehension of space. In a way then.Architecture in 24 frames per second Throughout the twentieth century. and the cinema roams. In exploring cinematic space. To experience architectural events is to get entangled in a web of choices. Film offers a representation of movement through space in real time. routine. panning. How is architecture mediated through the language of cinema? Cinema can imitate the human eye in recording reality and evoke the kinetic experience of a body as it moves through architectural space. The collection of works dramatizes the juxtaposition of architecture and the imaginary environment of the cinema. Both posit a sense of place. approximating the architectural experience of the moving subject in an immersive milieu. film and architecture have played out a relationship forged in space. where we psychologically abandon our capacity to choose and orchestrate our individual experience of space by allowing the director to maneuver it for us. rupture. the house of architecture has many rooms. At the basic level. cycle. and at the same time. construction: script. 3 Glass Shot of a Moorish Palace Ibong Adarna (1941) LVN Pictures. Inc. . Inc. .Mayan-inspired Kingdom of Mu Enkantada ng Mahiwagang Pulo (1948) 4 LVN Pictures. re-presented and mediated by the director. and landscapes in wood.” Part of this surprise is the future. matte paintings. constricting us to fit into a scheme of space. painted backdrops. indeed. With plastic freedom that disregards all formal rules of architectural vocabulary. cities. 5 Otherworldly Landscape Zarex (1958) LVN Pictures. Space and its process of taking root. is now captured. But on the other hand. rather than experienced directly. logistical. But as art forms and viewers as aesthetic agencies they are not reduced to convention. Cinema. too. the very essence of architecture. becomes a forerunner of style as edifices are desired before they are actually built. Film provides architecture with an outlet for realizing visions that can never exist and conjures up experiences that in reality have not occurred. the architect may at a particular level be authoritarian. celluloid space becomes an aesthetic laboratory for unbuilt and unbuildable architecture. Film architecture is gifted with the alacrity to fulfill its own visions. thus. they emerge in the tension between “scheme and surprise. mirror tricks or virtually-generated digital images that come into transient existence as projected patterns of light and shadow. and an illusion played out in 24 frames per second. set designs have recreated imaginary environment from a distant past or experimented with new spatial ideas. Inc . Freed from reality’s financial. back projections.and editing techniques. This prospect is open. They are buildings. the viewer may also defy the omniscience of this central aesthetic intelligence and feel film in a range of creative ways and dispositions. and legal constraints. however impossible. Conversely. cardboard. in the celluloid space neither negotiating with client demands nor contending with constraints imposed by the structural engineer. fading the once glorious architectural tribute to the world of extravagant imagination to black. From the list. Architecturally.” watching movies became a way of life. but also a majestic place detached from reality. Today. a new building typology was born. the standalone cinema is rendered obsolete. The fascination with moving 6 images created a special kind of architecture of spectatorship that heightened the vicarious experience of flickering light and shadow within an atmosphere of illusion and enchantment. elevating the colonial diversion into a national pastime. Unwittingly. The promise of aesthetic stimulation within the dimly-lit interiors of the cinema houses also rivaled the numinous church architecture of the previous era. the phrase ‘THE END’ which concluded every movie now describes the fate of the cinema palace of yesteryears. In the 1930s. the Cine Bellevue (1933). until it was converted into a clothing store early in February 2008. Philippine cinema and the space of spectatorship that it bred stood at the intersections of colonial theater and Hollywood. even contesting their presence as the new congregational space where Filipinos were captivated by the allure of Hollywood liturgy. providing not only a dark rectangular hall for public screenings of motion pictures. The principal elevation of cinema buildings resorted to architectural gimmickry and fantastic ornamentation articulated at the immediate front. as these have succumbed to the swing of the wrecking ball. 1897 witnessed the first public screening. decrepit but still a Manila landmark. Theatre owners realized that whimsical architecture sold tickets and gave a unique theatre identity. In the late 1920s. December 1896 marked the arrival of film. published in 1933 by the American Express Company. downloadable movies and pirated DVDs. It was announced in El Comercio newspaper as Pertierra’s Scientific Spectacle: The Chronophotograph and screened at Fonógrafo Pertierra. the motion picture palace in the early 20th century rose simultaneously with neoclassical infrastructures of American colonial tutelage. which the exotic motifs of Art Deco readily supplied. . and the last fully-functional single-screen theater. made possible by the construction of the first electric power plant in the country in 1895. so designed to lure audiences inside a contrastingly dark and sparsely ornamented main viewing hall. movie theaters have become great Filipino congregational spaces. The conflation of the quasi-religious aura and the persistence of vision of cinematic technology facilitated the slow but effective acculturation of the native subjects as they unwittingly participated in the rituals of devotion to the “Great American Dream” at the altar of projected images. only two structures survive to this today. not to mention the pluralist mall environment burgeoning with cineplexes. patterned after the studio system of Hollywood to sustain the profitable demand. creating a cornucopia of stylized decorative elements emanating from a myriad of orientalist influences. The Philippines’ cinematic dream palaces offered a fascinating escape from colonial bondage. Thus. the Metropolitan Theater (1931). the heyday of the American colonial era and often referred to as the mythical “peacetime. a hall on calle Escolta 12 (interior). just two days after the execution of José Rizal by firing squad.TICKETS More than a century after the first movie delighted audiences on the fourth wall of a darkened interior. architects and stylists of movie houses turned to picture books of exotic cultures and archeological sources for themes and motifs. creating magical venue that transport moviegoers to a realm of make-believe. A new industry rose. akin to colonial ecclesiastical structures’ frontal indulgences. employing the spectacle of disbelief and sumptuous facade. The origin of the cinema house as a building form can be traced from the first exhibition of film in the Philippines. Philippine movie houses or sinehan was merely a box with a decorated façade. and January 1. The tourist guidebook Manila and the Philippines. with the shift in spaces of spectatorship to the privacy of one’s home brought about by the onslaught of television. Emerging slowly on the landscape. listed 20 movie houses and their respective addresses. 1946) Pablo Antonio .7 Life Theater (reconstructed. 8 Addresses of Manila’s Cinematographs and Film-related Advertisement Late 19th century to early 20th century . Leibman and Peritz. but together with the Filipino suffix “han.” “Card Players” and “A Train’s Arrival” passed through the projection lens. projecting patterns of light and shadow on the fourth wall of an improvised theater at the Salon de Pertierra at No. to revise colonial loyalties and inculcate the ideology of American cultural supremacy. Escolta. Movies. 12 Interior. The cinema as a colonial tool was not only meant to entertain.Tickets to Dreamscapes and the Evolution of the Filipino Space of Spectatorship The advent of cinematic technology. While the Spanish conquistadores built monumental church edifices to create a space for the propagation. When monumental public buildings of the Neoclassical style rose in the architectural landscape to project an image of American benevolence and a civilizing presence. American and European businessmen flocked to the islands to seek their fortune through the machine called the cinematograph .” 9 . As Filipinos sat within the dark escapist realm of cinema houses.” the colonial technology of flickering light and shadow proved to be a valuable instrument of assimilation – transforming the natives from “savage beings” into “cultured people. the viewing hall metamorphosed into a magical space where the audience transgressed the bounds of geography and unfamiliar cultures as such filmstrips as “The Czar’s Carriage Passing Palace de la Concorde. Two years later. as well as the architectural form it gave rise to. in January of 1897. “Les Boxers” (The Boxers). and eventual pacification of the natives through Christian liturgy. “Une scene de danse Japonaise” (Scene from a Japanese Dance).” were actually maneuvered to reiterate cultural superiority. The Philippine Cinematic Encounter The origin of cinema houses as a building form can be traced back to the first exhibition of film in the Philippines. two Swiss entrepreneurs. and half a dollar for general entrance. but to also divert the natives’ attention from the oppressive colonial schema and imperialist policies. Leibman and Peritz charged one Mexican dollar for the front seats. in the guise of American benevolence and philosophy of “White Man’s Burden. The policies in culture and education. the American colonial period used cinema houses as the space for assimilation. 31 Escolta (now near Tomas Pinpin Street). every hour on the hour from six to ten in the evening. There were four screening sessions each evening. according to film historian Agustin Sotto. were made possible by the construction of the first electric power plant in the country in 1895. and the hegemony of Hollywood in the cinema industry. would all play an indispensable part in the Americanization of the Filipino. the architecture that it spawned. and “La Place de L’ Opera” (The Place L’ Opera). While the Americans ruled as the new colonial masters with the mandate of “Manifest Destiny. screened Lumiere films. they were gripped with potent doses of illusion framed by film aesthetics and architecture – to suspend disbelief about the harsh realities of colonial existence. but on a modest scale. where the natives eagerly received the liturgy of Hollywood Americanism.” which featured four filmstrips namely “Un Homme Au Chapeau” (Man with a Hat). preferencia. As soon as the American colonial government was established.” “Snow Games. 32) The event was advertised in the newspaper as “Cinematograpo. Such cinematic encounters. which depicted banal scenes from Europe at No.” The constructed social milieu under this period underwent a gradual process of Americanization. film began to be unreeled in 60mm Gaumont Chronophotograph. particularly cinema. The new colonial masters saw the potential of education and cultural reorientation by way of the public school system and the popular media. That evening. were facilitated by the advent of American colonialism in the Philippines in the last years of the 1890s. so did motion picture palaces. (Pilar 1977. This term would later be shortened to cine to generically refer to the film medium. conversion. In September of the same year.” “An Arabian Cortege. The screening was advertised as “Espectaculo de Pertierra – El Kronofotografo.” a French patent label of a film projector. they would pass through a series of spaces – entrance vestibule. by then. the movie hall had to close down due to the lack of new films to screen.A. This impelled Leibman and Peritz to transfer the viewing hall to a warehouse in Plaza Goiti and reduce the ticket prices. spectators could more easily forget about their own lives and explore what it could feel like if they were the character on the screen. reaching its lowest level in the 1930s. Movies. ranging from the musical sarsuela to American vaudeville. It could be surmised that the beginnings of an architecture for watching movies stood at the crossroads of colonial theater and Hollywood. mainly in Manila and Cebu. its potential as a new medium of entertainment was not immediately realized. Once people entered the theater. the lobby was considered the most monumental space to stimulate the imagination of the large crowd. the image on the silver screen was still smaller than the stage performance.C. as defined here. which will produce… a desire to gain admittance to other parts of the house. as they were cut off from the realities of their mundane existence outside the cinema premises and were transported into a rich and self-contained auditorium. The movie showings continued nightly for two whole months. these initial screenings were few and far between because films were perceived as mere fleeting scientific novelties. strategically initialized at the façade of the cinema. For this reason. fantasy was a necessary ingredient to substantiate the movie-going experience with a sense of astonishment. Hence. Film screenings were not resumed until 1900. More importantly. a place where the waiting throng may be transformed… the walls and surfaces of the lobby should…(permit) the theatergoers to get one vista after another. lounges. Architectural spectacle. rather than the film medium itself. From exterior to interior. that was to be considered the most vital element to animate the entire ritual of watching movies. Thus. and watching movies became a way of life. In other . maintaining theatrical performances. Filipino movie houses were just plain wooden or reinforced concrete box architectures with a decorated façade. Fantasy was made possible through the various technologies of visually seductive architectural spectacle. In fact. were fast becoming a national pastime. Initially. and then to lead them into a dream world concocted by film. The scarcity of fresh movies may have been caused by the turmoil of the Spanish-American War.” By this technique. audiences were conditioned to be more receptive and interested. the entire experience inside the cinema house had to be framed in such a way that the experience was potently suffused with a sense of “suspension of disbelief. the popularity of stage performances soon declined. since movies were shipped all the way from Europe. upper level promenade and waiting rooms – all of which functioned in comfort and promotion to enable audiences to escape from real life. movie theatres assumed a different tactic to attract potential cinema patrons from the street into the showcase. From Theater to Cinema Around the 1920s. American Architect E. In this dream world. Furthermore. “cinehan” or “sinehan” would refer to a place for showing motion pictures. but overall. Bullock described his architectural concept for the cinema palace in a 1925 Architectural Forum article: “…the lobby must be a place of real interest. it was architecture. until the attendance dropped. in the years before the Pacific War. Among those. The Philippine sinehan had to assume the schemes of fantasy in its richly articulated façade. This facadistic inflection was manifested in the application of grandiose marquees and pulsating signs on the entrance façade. A reversal of circumstance was impending as the new century came to the fore when movies emerged as an inexpensive alternative to theater. the films made an insignificant impact in Philippine society. the showing of motion pictures was limited. Compared to classic theaters. where their minds were emancipated from their usual preoccupations and freed from their customary lives. foyers. As the public of cinema settled in place. signaling to the people who would enter the building that it would be a totally different experience from their normal lives. Between the 1910s and the 1930s. constituting a part in a theatrical program as the intermission between acts. the dominant form of entertainment. lobbies.that denotes a place. By the end of November. could be the total manipulation of meaning-making processes through carefully choreographed spatial events that serves to mislead the subjects from reality in the face of manipulative designs. designers tried to wheedle out 10 the patrons’ imagination with fantasy by utilizing architectural elements. the design of cinema architecture began to distinguish itself from the legitimate theater design. 11 Teatro Circo Zorilla Constructed in 1893 Savoy Theater 1920s Vision Theater (1945) Cebu City Ideal Theater (1933) Pablo Antonio . Manila 12 . Araneta Bellevue Theater (1931) Paco.Perspective of Ideal Theater (1933) Pablo Antonio Oriente Theater (1950s) Cebu City Times Theater (1941) Luis Ma. and rows of benches or uncomfortable chairs. above which was a dome. theater design accounted for the following: audience’s line of sight in a seated position in relation to a projection machine. The details in her diary. At this point. though tainted with a European bias. began to integrate and alternate movies in its programming. As film claimed its space from the domain formerly ruled by theater. could be attributed directly to the competition posed by the new film medium. This marked the symbolic transition from stage to screen. So. but live actors sang and declaimed their lines behind the screen as their image was projected onto the screen. a strong interest in the movies began to manifest.” but the architecture formerly dominated by live theatrical performances were remade to accommodate movie projecting equipment. made chiefly of wood. it was imperative that theater design be realigned to conform to the givens of film technology. the early venues for cinema were converted illventilated warehouses or bodegas constructed of wood.” (which is actually either a remodeled accessoria or bodega). among others. 33) As early as the 1900s.” Ang Dalagang Bukid. and theaters specializing exclusively in the showing of motion pictures began to mushroom sporadically. it was later reconstructed after the Pacific War. The grand circular theater. Such spatial alterations drove the sarsuela away from its original venue. there was nothing great about the architecture of these cinemas.” (Pilar 1977. according to theater historian Doreen Fernandez in her book Essays on Philippine Theater History. loge and balcony. a marked reduction or complete elimination of the orchestra pit and stage. For a long time. From then on. was no exception to the motion picture craze. a screen. she noticed that the cinehan she went to was an “empty basement. a lot of large-capacity theaters were transformed into movie houses where audiences could enjoy not only movies. (Lico. deteriorated in less than 40 years of existence. particularly on the site presently occupied by Isetann Department Store). Dauncey. relief sculptures. In fact. entrepreneurs came to recognize the promising profit of attracting the Filipino masses to the movies. the sarsuela was literally transplanted into the film medium. It was a silent picture. as it began showing movies in 1909. when the “first Filipino film. the elongation of the length of the theater to magnify the projected image. reducing the sarsuela as the provider of fiesta entertainment in the barrios. Cinema architecture necessitated adaptive interventions applied to existing theaters based on technical criteria imposed by moving pictures. and. Burned in 1943. It is also important to note that the emergence of Philippine cinema happened at a crossroads when the sarsuela was on the brink of demise. had to be undertaken. This decline. as it had to follow the standard movie house configuration that divided the space into main floor. The venerable Circulo Teatro Zorilla at Calle Azcarraga (now Recto. Post-war reconstruction plans required the elimination of the tiered boxes. 13 . but also live stage performances. such as stained glass. the Manila Grand Opera House.words. cinema theaters were designed to accommodate both live theatrical presentations such as the sarsuela and vaudeville. prompting owners to demolish the building in 1936. Incidentally. At that time. During the first 20 years of the twentieth century. Thus. except that they were modest theaters or viewing halls fitted with a projection machine. “the sarsuela died with the coming of cinema. demanding new design parameters. built in 1902 and designed in the manner of an opera house. “carrying a large sign in glass letters lighted from behind by electricity in the most approved European fashion. It is through the pages of history that we remember this building as the venue of the first Philippine Assembly in 1907. The building featured tiers of boxes around the main floor. The film was an adaptation of a popular sarsuela of the same title and featured the original leading actors of the theatrical version. movie palaces were designed to accommodate both live theatrical performances as well as film features. 1998) In fact. the lobby should be so designed and so equipped that the fascination resulting from it will keep the mind of the patron off the fact that he is waiting…” Thus there were many distractions in the lobby. the Manila Grand Opera House enjoyed a prominent place in the cultural arena until it was reduced to ashes by a mysterious fire in the late 1970s. with the infrequent vaudeville show on the side. Renovations. A Wooden Box with a Decorated Façade No other contemporary description recreates as vivid an account of an early 1900 cinema space than the 1906 published memoir of the Englishwoman by the name of Mrs. In one of her passages. Indeed. ornate fountains and statuary. including the predictable formulaic plot of the eternal love triangulation convoluted with emotionally-charged song-and-dance numbers. and the showing of motion pictures. Generally. could be considered useful in the reconstruction of the movie houses of the period. was made by Jose Nepomoceno in 1919. built in 1893. it became a cinema palace. Just a stone’s throw away. the early Filipino films snatched the audiences away from the sarsuela by offering the same convention that the sarsuela had. film became more dynamic. On 12 October 1929. however. A unique ventilation system permitted fresh air into the theater. Exteriors of cinema buildings resorted to architectural gimmickry and fantastic stylism expressed only at the immediate front. The movie palace with full stage facilities began to decline. all of which appeared between 1909 and 1911.In 1902. In July 1910 (coincidentally. Radio Theater presented the first talkie: Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanian Syncopation. Recto Avenue). the showing of films increased. Filipino films dubbed live behind the screen by stage actors were advertised as talkies. and the entrada general (general admission). earning its title as the first movie row of Manila. Goullete came out the victor in the race to build the first true cinema palace in the Philippines. Breakthroughs in cinema architecture were to flourish only in the 1910s as foreign businessmen tried to outrace each other in opening the first cinema palace in the Philippines. Philippine movie houses of this period could be likened to a box with a decorated façade. The Marionettes at the Opera. In 1907. According to Sotto. Leon Britton. “the building amounted to P80. for at that time. a British engineer. These theaters included It. Gaiety. American entrepreneur Albert Yearsley transformed the Cine Orpheum into a movie house named Majestic. In 1904. it had a way of segregating people according to social status and economic class. there was no need to combine film experience with live show and orchestras anymore. From the 1910s to the 1930s. necessitating the conversion and construction of new theaters. Most of these theaters were strategically located near or within the stretch of Calle Azcarraga (now. The next day. the American consumerist culture permeated Filipino society. by Spaniard Samuel Rebarber. and so forth. there were significant changes in the design concept of movie houses. Hollywood companies established their overseas offices in the Philippines and had exclusive cinema houses for showing their films: the Ideal Theater for MGM. As expected. Cine Anda. It was trumpeted by a Manila newspaper as the most modern cinema palace in the Orient. That same year. The audience floor was divided into sections – the palcos (boxes). the Gran Cinematograpo Parisien was inagurated at No.” Yearsley’s competitor. On 3 August 1929. 80 Calle de Crespo. arrived in Manila with 35 cases of equipment and 35. Talkie fever gripped Manila at once. while the stage was 70 feet long and 54 feet deep. Paz. however.000 feet of film. In 1903. Likewise.000 and had asbestos curtains and concrete walls making it fire-proof. Filipinos fast became avid consumers of film. With these phenomena at hand that assured the constant supply of films at introductory prices. Apollo and Cine Savoy. British businessman Walgrah established a viewing hall called Cine Walgrah at No. Quiapo. American and European film-distributing agencies were established in Manila. a warehouse at the back of Quiapo Church at Calle Evangelista was converted into a cinema named Cine Orpheum. With the advent of sound in 1927. Cabildo. Avenue for Warner Brothers. a scenographic painter named Jose Jimenez constructed the first Filipino-owned movie theater. the construction boom of movie theaters reached the provinces that had electricity. Universal for Universal Studios. Tivoli. the audience complained. Comedis. the butacas (orchestra seats). Thus. The price of sound equipment was prohibitive 14 .600 seats and 50 boxes. in the same district. Dr. In the early days of cinema. a day ahead of Yearsley’s announced schedule of opening. which was comparable to stage performance. Among these was the Pathé Fréres Cineme. Frank Goulette. and A Trip to the London Zoo. Another warehouse on Ongpin Street metamorphosed into Cine Cervantes. State for Colombia Pictures. opened his theater. Empire. he presented a program of optically recorded sound films at the Lyric Theater — Rainbow Man. Intramuros. Ideal. was not long in coming. The real thing. Typologically. The seating arrangement of early cinemas was no different from what we have today. This was the Cinematograpo Rizal at Azcarraga Street. This was achieved by synchronizing phonograph records with the film. Lux. in front of Tutuban Train Station. Ever for 20th Century Fox. The sound was faint and muffled in parts. the year also marks the construction of the first palatial movie theater in Paris). There were 2. Steamboat Bill. 60 Calle Santa Rosa. Claro M. By the 1910s. which began to lease and sell film projection gears. Valentin Guidote retrofitted an accessoria along Legarda Street in Sampaloc to become the Cine Moderno. These frontal indulgences were designed to lure audiences inside a contrastingly dark and sparsely ornamented main viewing hall. Nakpil . Nakpil Main Theater (1950s) Juan F.15 State Theater (1935) Juan F. Nakpil 16 . Nakpil Avenue Theater (1939) Juan F.Capitol Theater (1935) Juan F. steps. dramatic massing in simplified geometric forms and exotic imagery derived from polyvalent archeological sources. rich ornamentation. fashion. interior design. In the 1930s. The most obvious expression of Art Deco’s opulence was often found in movie theaters. these same personalities would be at the forefront of the “streamlined moderne” idiom in the Philippine pre-war architectural milieu. The aesthetics of movie palaces of the era were designed “to astound the people. The archetypal streamlined building was simply a horizontal rectangular container with rounded corners or semi-circular bays. for the mere price of a ticket. In architecture and design. ocean liners. flat roofs.by Filipino standards. where Filipinized forms were found in the details. double triangles. Coincidentally. The word Art Deco is derived from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes held in Paris. fragmented circles. to awe them with its size and grandeur. often marked by the signature trio of horizontal speed stripes that were meant to suggest motion. industrial design. furniture. Pablo Antonio. Pablo Antonio’s Ideal Theater (1933) and Luis Araneta’s Times Theater (1941) exemplify the adaptation of “streamlined moderne”. which are rendered in low relief with sharp angular contours. mechanistically smooth wall surfaces and interiors that were far less sumptuous. This stylistic departure was made possible through the cultural osmosis and diaspora of Filipino architects in the 1920s. tubular steel railings. Filipino cinema took off and became the country’s most popular entertainment. zigzags. Acoustical consideration became an issue in the design of movie houses. triangles. sunbursts. Later. hexagons. it would take a few more years to import and master the technology. fountains. to remove them as far as possible from their modest flats and toil-worn lives and make them feel. carved banana and mango ceiling reliefs. These were first-run movie houses showing only American movies. and surmounted by a parapet or projecting thin slab roof. Movie Theater Aesthetics from Art Deco to Modernism The late 1920s and 1930s witnessed the construction of cinema palaces designed by foremost architects of the period. smooth wall surfaces and steel railings. gazelles. banded windows. the design of cinemas gave way to “smooth curves and the aura of precision and exactitudes of the streamlined style with its signification of the power of the machinery. automobiles and household appliances. The homecoming of the second generation architects – Andres Luna de San Pedro. Escolta and Rizal Avenue were a movie buff’s seventh heaven. bamboo banister railings. however. The fashionable Art Deco aesthetic swept the fancies of architects and designers. in the 1930s. the preferred style was Art Deco. geometric motifs and chevrons. Inspired in part by great transatlantic ocean liners. 17 . glass blocks. The “streamlined moderne” in the Philippines was considered the precursor of the International Style. with a smooth building skin with punctured porthole windows. Its architectural translation was based on horizontally-oriented buildings with aerodynamic curves. the new style featured aerodynamic curves. abstracted vegetal forms. colorist effects. sunflowers. sculpture. and Asian nations with the aim to catalyze a wider application of decorative arts in light of technology and mass-production.” Designers responded to economic constraints of the time by eliminating from the structure the abundance of applied ornament in favor of a more austere variant of Art Deco known as “streamlined moderne”. such as Philippine floral motifs. Despite these limitations. The influence of the Art Deco style had a worldwide following in the period between the two World Wars. Building silhouettes of the Art Deco asserted themselves in profuse abstraction and stylization. painting and architecture. initiated a deflection from the Parisian Beaux Arts tradition and ushered the Art Deco sensibility. speed stripes. nautilus shells. graphic design. The zenith of this stylistic was embodied in Juan Arellano’s Metropolitan Theater (1931). like kings and queens in a castle. which permeated virtually every palimpsest of the design world. The Paris World Fair showcased more than a hundred pavilions representing twenty European. locomotives. it was also a time to break away from neoclassic Beaux Arts tradition and welcome moderne style. Art Deco was a synthetic form of stylization mediating between the traditional and avant-garde. It paralleled the imagery used by industrial designers for airplanes. African. It reached its pinnacle in the 1930s and was hailed “Jazz Age Baroque”. and Juan Nakpil – who after studying abroad and observing the various trends in Europe and America.” Theatre owners realized that the cutting-edge design of architecture sold tickets and gave a unique theater identity. and Batik mosaic patterns. where the lavishly decorated interiors completed and reiterated the experience of escape offered by talking pictures. applied arts. The recurring motifs in Art Deco ornaments include spirals. making their appearance known in Hollywood films. Metropolitan Theater (1931) Juan Arellano 18 . and Manila. In November 1945. was located at the core of the Chinese community. Zest. 19 . like Vision Cinema (1935) built in the Beaux Arts revivalist style in Cebu. which is further delineated by a bell-shaped emblem at the center. Metro. Confucius. Watching movies was temporarily interrupted with the coming of World War II. Cinema houses were also erected outside Manila. The entrance to the theater is flanked by two massive pillars in between vertical bands. in Baguio. as well as Pines (1939) and Session Theater (1930s). Globe. Life Theater (1941) on Quezon Boulevard was a first-class cinema devoted only to Filipino movies. The Lyric was destroyed during the war. Nakpil’s ziggurat-like Capitol Theater survives today in Escolta after it reopened in 1947. The building extols symmetric balance and Art Deco motifs of recessed geometric grillwork (squares overlapped by circles) on the central tower over the entrance marquee. Times Theater was the first to utilize backlighting as a decorative effect to its façade. The Lyric Theater in Escolta was Antonio’s deviation from Art Deco’s machine aesthetics. The planar surface flanking the grillwork defied monotony through the placement of stylized maidens dressed in baro’t saya in bas-relief. Rajah. on opposite sides and in the form of pointed arches. austere geometry. Luis Araneta designed the Times Theater (1941) on Quezon Boulevard. Juan Nakpil. To grace its opening with American presence. The theater is symmetrical. The façade features a wide central bay bounded by smaller bays on both sides. ushered an important phase in the development and revival of Filipino theater. Manila. During the Japanese occupation. coheres with the facade’s claims to symmetry and Indo-Saracenic maneuvers. Coco. the popularity of modernism also had a profound effect on movie palace design. as they carry the symbols of cinema and sound on both sides. It was the only theater to solely showcase Chinese movies. By the post-war years and the next two decades. designed the Capitol Theater (1934) in Escolta and the State Theater (1935). The white façade fuses Art Deco streaming and neoclassicism with its exaggeratedly scaled round columns tipped with conical finials. Cathay Theater (1937) in Gandara. State and Avenue Theaters were rebuilt in 1946. Astor. Importation of Hollywood movies was banned. he abandoned streamlining in favor of an exotic Middle-Eastern theme. with the central plane of elaborate concrete pierced work dominating the building’s composition. movie houses breathed new life to the ailing Philippine theater as moviemakers turned to the stage. segmented by protruding pilasters pinnacled by finials. movie houses began to reopen one by one. some were provided with a stage of ample depth and had provisions for an orchestra pit. surviving from the ashes of war. Vertical window strips on the undulations are capped by small curving eaves. The Ideal Theater was a statement in streamlined Art Deco aesthetics. flanked by two rectangular volumes topped by domes on both sides. Apollo. Here. Movies provided a venue to cushion the impact of war upon the Filipino psyche. originally built of wood in 1908 on Rizal Avenue. it was no less than Gen.Pablo Antonio’s first architectural work for cinema was the Ideal Theater (1933). The middle bay is defined by pointed Islamic arch windows. The Art Deco grilles are framed by large square pillars in receding bands that bound the square top. utilizing Art Deco’s plasticity. which is guarded on both sides by gilded sculptures of Harem maidens. Two emergency doors. The Pacific War grounded the motion picture industry to a halt in 1942. Douglas MacArthur who inaugurated the theater. Ideal was made an exclusive theater for Japanese movies. the cinema opens into a small foyer that leads to a psuedo-grand staircase. at the same time. It features an undulating wall broken in the middle by a flat concrete surface. Theaters that renewed their commitment to their audience included Lyric. Bellevue Theater (1931) in Paco is a small neighborhood theater that exudes the theme of Orientalism along the Neo-Mudejar Art Deco strain. At the height of the Japanese occupation. Avenue Theater (1939) and Galaxy Theater in Rizal Avenue. The concept of modernism encouraged designers to abandon exaggerated architectural ornament to pursue the merit of modern architecture: the application of new technology. It was also the first theater to install permanent equipment with ozone to cleanse and deodorize the air inside. Stage shows regained their stronghold in the entertainment scene and. a maestro of the Art Deco language. Alegria. We can only surmise that its architecture must have been Sinicized Art Deco architecture. Though these theaters were intentionally designed for movies. At ground level. Plaza Santa Cruz 1941 20 . glass was vividly articulated on both the façade and the lobby. In the fifth decade of the century. The lobby features a staircase with aluminum railing winding up to the balcony section along a mirrored wall. from architecture and roadside signs. Thus. It also claimed to have the distinction of the largest proscenium opening and the biggest panoramic picture screen in the Far East in the 1950s. This theater introduced the concept of the one-floor auditorium in which orchestra. The stylistic essentials of “Googie” include abstractness. car washes. and Galaxy Theater (1955). With the drop in audience attendance. restaurants. as moving pictures allowed Filipinos to recover from the psychological traumas of war. the rise of the television began to threaten the existing downtown movie palace. Reconstruction and Enlargements). malls and motels. gas stations. Lyric Theater (1935). it was so designed “to serve its physical requirements honestly and featured with great simplicity. as the new theaters incorporated the language of the International Style. Rehabilitation). An example of this new style is the now demolished Rizal Theater (1960). By 1950.” In Antonio’s words. together with the expansion of the suburbs. and the defiance of gravity. The seating arrangement was to be replicated in movie houses that came later. the cantilevered monumental staircase with the side mirror. began appropriating the kitcsh and glitz of the so-called Googie Architecture popular in Southern California in the 1960s. roadside signs. The profusion of folded plates as structural members spurred the utilization of diamond-shaped supports on the exterior. Lyric Theater (1947. so did we carry the whole baggage of Californian suburban imagery. which are typical of lively roadside signs of the time.simple surfaces and lower cost. people stayed home and switched on the boob tube. At this stage. Theater.” The 1960s was. Also in the 1950s. adobe screen walls. Eventually. as we adapted the Californian bungalow as our residential architecture. there were about 450 movie houses in the Philippines. aside from adapting new cinematic technologies.” Technologically. the use of multiple structural elements. Premiere and Lebran. Life and Dalisay Theaters solely showed Filipino movies produced by the Big Four studios: LVN. the resulting usage of structure both as an architectural element being the product of vision and progressive planning so essential to honest architecture. wooden stairs and screens with a natural finish. the theater possesses the power. Boomerang shapes were popping up everywhere. the choice of materials. Here. From then on. for Nakpil. lodge and balcony formed one uninterrupted slope. movie theaters. The interiors emerged as a sumptuous play of textures – pebble-washed floors. Scala Theater (1947). Sooner or later. Juan Nakpil’s Ever Theater in the Avenida was notable for its elegant lobby. Theater and Auditorium. and the manner in which the auditorium has been successfully designed. Sampaguita. He can be credited as the “Father of Philippine Cinema Palaces” due to his numerous works. Life Theater (1946. even residential areas swiftly embraced this kooky metaphorical style. to Formica tables and butterfly chairs. ornate downtown showcases merely became monuments to the past. I am impressed with the treatment of the lobby. inclusion. Bauhaus-pioneer Walter Gropius hailed it as “…a beautifully designed piece of work. This phenomenon approximates and reimagines the suburban expansion in American cities. movie theaters. Nakpil’s architecture espoused a vociferous pronouncement of the International Style. The movie houses built during this time were clad in “Googie” to ensure the total reproduction of American suburban fantasy. Starbursts and atomic model shapes were direct reminders of man’s scientific 21 .” Antonio called this structure “architecture in the nude” since the structural framework had been left bare: “unadorned in controlled pattern for harmony. beauty and the soul of modern architecture. applied to coffee shops. Partnered with boomerang shapes were blobby amoebae forms. The Galaxy Theater (1955) was praised in Design Magazine as “…a monument to the progressive architecture in the Philippines. a time for looking forward to more geometric lines. such as the Ideal Theater (1933. Pablo Antonio dominated the scene in the production of modern cinema spaces. especially for those found inside the mall. The concurrence of post-war reconstruction and the Golden Age of Philippine cinema provided a suitable condition for the landslide increase in the number of movie houses. and 1954. The Ever Theater was the first to use glass as a prominent architectural material. By the late 1950s and 1960s. The downtown movie showcase dropped dramatically from then on. 1954-1955). Galaxy Theater was the first theater designed for wide-screen formats such as cinemascope and cinerama. and Alterations and Enlargements. “Googie” is loosely classified as a humorous but futuristic style of vernacular architecture that thrived as a commercial style. Galaxy Theater (1957) Pablo Antonio 22 . Manila 1941 Rizal Theater (1960) Juan F.23 Life Theater Quiapo. Nakpil . Escolta Nightscape 1950s Movie Houses (1950s) Marcos de Guzman 24 . A new kind of spectacle awaits the crowd every weekend in theaters such as Circle Theater and Paramount in Quezon City. the Kenny Rogers restaurant. all of which enticed audiences to go back to the conventional movie theater. 25 . was a billiard hall too. lacked the glamorous aesthetics of yesteryear – their facades were reduced to small back-lit plastic signs listing the names of the movies inside.ingenuity. Meanwhile. On the extreme hand. In Rizal Avenue alone. Gala Theater in Evangelista Street. but is now housing a Hortaleza beauty store. the application of new technologies also affected the layout of the buildings. Most notable is Music Warehouse for keeping the façade and interior bas-relief of the two-faced theater mask. The glory of Manila’s cinema lane faded to black. gutting. Quiapo features adult entertainment with GROs and a karaoke. The exterior geometry and interior layout inevitably had to be changed. Scala and Galaxy in Rizal Avenue. Rizal Theater and Magallanes Theater in Makati City. One look at the deteriorating theater edifices of Life Arcade and Times in Quiapo. such as a ticket office for shipping vessels and stores for cellular phones. Santa Cruz and Quiapo – declined. Cruz becomes a synergistic stage for spectatorship and exhibitionism. the once proud and magnificent cinema façade was concealed under the shadow of the LRT line. in lieu of declining receipts. since the nature of the shows featured in them is still directed towards the arts. Capri. such as Jesse Cinema and Imperial Theater. a site for displaying a continuous parade of bodies and personalities. for a while. Cebu is now a billiard hall with various commercial tenants. Movie-going activities lessened as Cubao and Makati became the new business centers. some of these old theaters earned notoriety as gay cruising spaces or what scholar Aaron Betsky identified as queer spaces. for example. Dilson and Tandem in C. video games. Manila is now an outlet store for direct sales business. Vision Theater in downtown Colon. become nostalgic walks down memory lane. like most other run-down theaters these days. for they required large amounts of space and equipment. Hollywood. as they have become houses of worship for various Born Again Christian groups. cinemascope. theater owners. Odeon. Given the increase in the maintenance cost of the extravagantly decorated theatres. the theaters themselves have internally shifted to make way for adaptive reuse. typified the Philippine Googie adaptations for the 1960s cinemas. a queer appropriated space conducive to the performance of publicized same-sex sexual encounters. Luneta Theater in Ermita has closed but has kept its once famous marquee by the bay alongside the signs of its new tenant. the original business districts – Escolta. Auditoriums were smaller with screens set in the center of a blank wall. vista-vision and cinerama. Cine Bellevue in Paco. like the newer theatres that were constructed between the 1960s and the 1980s. these theaters now have become pulpits of the gospel for the deliverance of spectators who once sought earthly pleasures inside its dark halls. dividing or abandoning many of the old style palaces. there were several introductions of new presentation techniques in showing films: three dimensional films. Delta Theater in Quezon City and New Love Theater in Quezon Boulevard fronting the Manila central market have been transformed into a red-light venue with billiard tables. native costumed folk dancing and playing musical instruments. Galaxy Theater transfigured into Jollibee. The dark realm of the auditorium of Alta Cinema in Cubao or Pearl Theater in Sta. embellished by neither proscenium curtains nor decorative walls nor seductive lighting. The works of Marcos de Guzman. These entertainment venues more than fit the call for adaptive reuse for non-operational cinemas. and were featured elements of vernacular design. The renovated cinema spaces. Life Theater in Rizal Avenue metamorphoses into a mall specializing in electronics.M. Roxan. called Virus and Music Warehouse respectively. Meanwhile. until the ownership disputes are resolved between the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the City of Manila. have already yielded to the wrecking ball of real estate development. and most of all. Death of a Dream Factory With the onset of urban sprawl. Representatively. The Metropolitan Theater in Lawton is in limbo. Cine Regent in Iloilo is a mall. Recto. when movies were movies. Spectators are not the only ones cueing-out of the buildings. live musical bands and rave parties. found themselves demolishing. Roxan in Rizal Avenue. Since the late 1950s. and other film iconography. Theater Strip Avenida Rizal 2004 Scala Theater (1947) Pablo Antonio 2004 26 . These places eventually led to the rise of the monolith mall with multi-screen offerings.The second type of theater we encounter these days is perhaps the most detrimental culprit in the exodus being experienced by the stand-alone theaters – the equally fantastic malls that contain bland Cinemaplexes. The once magnificent architecture of fantasy is now deteriorating and crumbling. The last remaining seats inside are infested with mites and prostitutes. The mechanic hum of the projection room and the faint sound of the audience’s laughter still seemed to reverberate through its cavernous auditorium. it was a place where dreams were born. saying that once upon a time. 27 Galaxy Theater (1957) Pablo Antonio 2004 . but the spirit of the Filipino cineaste has not died down. Tracing its path. such as Harrison Plaza in Manila and QUAD in Makati. the shift from stand-alone theater to mall started as early as the 1970s with the concept of the shopping center with a Cinemaplex. The curtain might have fallen on those glorious edifices. The super malls and multiplexes have made the cinema palaces obsolete and forgotten. They are mere relics of nostalgia. Television and video technology shifted our attention from the vicarious delights of the silver screen. it is very telling of fantasy. a world beyond the worldly: different planets. and statuary. architecture provided color to the film cinematic experience even before the advent of glorious Technicolor. ornate fountains. These elements reside in spaces and edifices as well. the origin of a dreamscape. a progression that approximated the structure of film narrative 28 – from exposition to climax. and so on. This alternative world is possible because it is designed. superheroes. The movie house is residence. A far cry from the camarin-teatro or warehouse-like theaters of the primeval years of cinema. . a blueprint of what might be. even just a dream house. The attraction of film going was not only based on the movie that one went to see but also on the total architectural ambience. What would they be without artifice? What would they be. what would they be if they could not signify a prospect and make it flesh on celluloid. lobbies. It stands with its signs: marquee. all of which meant for comfort. putting under its spell the star-struck rabble. allowing audiences to spend time in a place detached from the harsh and dull surroundings of quotidian life. space ships. they would pass through a series of space: entrance vestibule. the lobby was considered all but stellar. its dark cave of allegories of possible futures. such as stained glass. Once people entered the theater. the togetherness it fosters. aliens.DESIGN Ornament is not merely frill or whim. staircases. To build form and an abode is not only to survive. the zone of comfort and security whenever everything else is threatened or on the verge of falling apart. but to draw up a place of certain mythologies: the kinship that binds families. And if it ever were. The art deco movie house is a case in point because its design was both within and without. an address that is visited as a matter of ritual and on a regular cycle. it gave film audiences a new experience beyond mere visual appeal of the façade appliqué. This is the stuff cinema is made of and the movie house is its temple. if they could not pose as distinct places. curtains. foyers. lounges. There were a lot of distractions in the lobby. Among those spaces. The circulation of the public was orchestrated in sequence of spaces. artless and plain? But more than that. ghosts. upper level promenade and waiting rooms. Overall. relief sculptures. 29 Datu’s Royal Residence Zamboanga aka Fury in Paradise (1937) Filippine Films . Pre-colonial Muslim Palace Waling Waling (1948) LVN Pictures. Inc.Ifugao wedding ritual Waywaya (1982) Four N Films Muslim Wedding Ritual Badjao (1957) LVN Pictures. (opposite page) 30 . Inc. 31 . Inc. 32 . Inc. Colonade Pulo ng Engkanto (1951) LVN Pictures.Sultan’s Palace Palasig (1952) Sampaguita Pictures (opposite page) Toranas of the fabled Kingdom of Mu Enkantada ng Mahiwagang Pulo (1948) LVN Pictures. 33 . Harem Dalaga Mayor (1966) Virgo Film Productions Shell Gras-o-line Station Juan Tamad Goes to Society (1960) LVN Pictures. (opposite page) Palace Ruins Bernardo Carpio (1951) Sampaguita Pictures 34 . Inc. Inc. Moorish Palace Prinsipeng Hindi Tumatawa (1946) LVN Pictures. 35 . Inc. Inc.Royal Bedchamber Aladin (1946) LVN Pictures. Sultana’s Chamber Prinsipeng Hindi Tumatawa (1946) LVN Pictures. Holy Land (Ruins of Guadalupe Church. 36 . Makati) Dimas (1951) LVN Pictures. Inc. Inc. . Grecian Bedchamber Florante at Laura (1949) LVN Pictures. Inc.37 Palace Interior Ibong Adarna (1955) LVN Pictures. 38 . Biblical Kingdom (Agri-Fina Building in Luneta) Haring Solomon at Reyna Sheba (1952) LVN Pictures.Glass shot of Prince Constantine’s Castle Reyna Elena (1951) LVN Pictures. Olympia Venus (1951) LVN Pictures. 39 Throne Room (Lobby of Department of Finance) Prinsipe Amante sa Rubitanya (1951) LVN Pictures. (opposite page) . Inc. Inc. Inc. Egyptian Hypostyle Higit Sa Korona (1956) LVN Pictures. Inc. Inc. 40 . Staircase Siete Dolores (1948) Nolasco Brothers Zaguan of a Bahay na Bato in Bulacan Heneral Gregorio del Pilar (1949) LVN Pictures. Inc.Colonial Town Street Sakay (1993) Alpha Omega Zeta Entertainment Inc. Inc. 41 Neocastillian Residence in New Manila Gitano (1949) LVN Pictures. (opposite page) . Inc. Altar of the Black Nazarene Kuba sa Quiapo (1949) LVN Pictures. 42 . Façade of a Colonial Church Simaron (1956) Everlasting Pictures Garrote at the Plaza Virgin Forest (1985) Regal Films Interior of a Colonial Church Sisa (1998) Good Harvest Spanish Garrison Emilio Aguinaldo (2000) Joe Mari Avellana 43 Baroque Church of Ilocos Andalucia (1976) Lea Productions (opposite page) . 44 . 45 Presidio Rizal sa Dapitan (1997) Independent Cinema Association of the Philippines (opposite page) . Inc.Exterior of Church in Laguna Ganito Kami Noon Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976) Hemisphere Municipal Hall Siklab sa Batangas (1952) Sampaguita Pictures Sala of a Bahay na Bato in Bacolod Gumising Ka…Maruja (1978) FPJ Productions Neocastillan Mansion in Broadway. Quezon City (owned by LVN matriarch Doña Sisang) Romansa (1947) LVN Pictures. 46 Interior of 1950s modern vernacular residence Sa Libis ng Nayon (1959) Sampaguita Pictures (opposite page) . Inc. Balcony of Malacañang Palace Gintong Pangarap (1956) LVN Pictures. Inc.Mansion Interior (Built-in set of staircase at LVN studio) Manugang at Biyenan (1948) LVN Pictures. 47 . Bedroom Baluga (1969) Vera-Perez Pictures Bedroom Tanikalang Dugo (1973) Lea Productions 48 .Balcony Oro Plata Mata (1982) Experimental Cinema of the Philippines Baguio City Sumpaan (1949) LVN Pictures. Inc. Exterior Set of Bahay na Bato Casa Grande (1958) LVN Pictures. 49 . Inc. Inc. Opulent 1960s Living Room Siete Dolores (1968) Virgo Film Productions Set of Japanese Military Torture Chamber Tagumpay (1946) LVN Pictures. Studio set of an overscaled room Nuno Sa Punso (1950) LVN Pictures. Interior of Spacecraft Zarex (1958) LVN Pictures. Inc. Inc. Miniature Model of an Accessoria Hantik (1950) LVN Pictures. 50 . Inc. Inc.Location shooting at an Accessoria Hantik (1950) LVN Pictures. Living room set built at LVN studio Honeymoon (1946) LVN Pictures. Inc. Caida of de Leon house at San Miguel. 51 . Studio set of an American Residence Magkaibang Lahi (1947) LVN Pictures. Bulacan Itim (1976) Cinema Artist Studio set of a Police Precinct Maling Akala (1948) LVN Pictures. Inc. Inc. 52 . Inc. Studio set of a mansion Sa Tokyo Ikinasal (1948) LVN Pictures. Inc. 53 Bodabil Stage Isumpa Mo Giliw (1947) Sampaguita Pictures (opposite page) .Bodabil Stage Vod-a-Vill (1953) Sampaguita Pictures Nazi-inspired Stage Design Alpha Kappa Omega Batch ‘81 (1982) MVP Pictures Bodabil Stage with Talon Magkumpareng Putik (1950) LVN Pictures. Watching films. the sinehan may be able to signify urbanization. a context of people and other places. In both voyages. the house that is haunted. Movie houses are strategic locations. Vicinity is not a neutral arrangement. rather. was contemporaneous with waging a revolution. a village. near the church or school. And it is intriguing as well to think of how Filipinos today trek to the edge of the water to catch the latest film in the Cineplex of Shoe Mart’s Mall of Asia. the church where tragic lovers had meet. They are in the mall.LOCATION Where buildings are placed matters much. a gargantuan mall shaped like a ship ready to set sail towards the uncharted sea of capitalism. therefore. In films. film gets principal billing. they become characters in themselves and not merely part of some atmospheric effect: the lake where a murder has been committed. 54 . They are memorable because they mark occasions and bring friends together. It is relish to imagine how it must have been for Filipinos watching the first films to see the light of silver in an unassuming room along Escolta. the country’s first business district. Also. it is a neighbourhood. just a couple of days after Jose Rizal was executed in Bagumbayan. the room where memories roam. the stories sometimes are about places. a cosmopolitan lifestyle. adventure-time surely in an era of revolution and the collapse of neoliberalism. They define an environment. That the sinehan is in downtown has a lot to say about its role in the formation of mass culture. Ilocos Norte Himala (1982) Experimental Cinema of the Philippines 55 .Sand Dunes of La Paz. 56 . Inc. (opposite page) .Manila Post-Liberation Ruins Magkaibang Lahi (1947) LVN Pictures. Inc Manila at War Manila Open City (1968) Nepomoceno Productions Manila Street on the Eve of War Ulila ng Bataan (1952) Sampaguita Pictures Post-Liberation Streetscape Victory Joe (1946) LVN Pictures. Inc. 57 War-torn Edifices of Manila Victory Joe (1946) LVN Pictures. 58 . Riverine Landscape Magkaribal (1979) Regal Films Fishing Village. Makati) Genghis Khan (1950) MC Productions (opposite page) .Ilocos petrified landscape Andalucia (1976) Lea Productions Manila Breakwaters Babae sa Breakwater (2004) Entertainment Warehouse Inc. Laguna de Bay Nunal sa Tubig (1976) Seven Stars Productions 59 Mongolian Landscape (Adobe Stone Quarry in Guadalupe. Inc Rizal Monument Big Shot (1956) LVN Pictures.Stone Church in Bohol Dagohoy (1953) LVN Pictures. Inc Shooting a costume epic at Intramuros Gate (opposite page) 60 . 61 . 62 . Inc 63 Taal Lake viewed from Tagaytay Violeta (1947) LVN Pictures. Inc Baguio City Landscape (Burnham Park) Bagong Manunubos (1947) LVN Pictures. Inc (opposite page) .Hinulugang Taktak Falls Himala ng Birhen sa Antipolo (1947) LVN Pictures. 64 . (opposite page) . Intramuros Anak Dalita (1956) LVN Pictures.Quiapo Underpass Geron Busabos: Ang Batang Quiapo (1964) Emar Pictures Ongpin Street Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975) Cinema Artists Smokey Mountain Dumpsite. Tondo Jaguar (1979) Bancom Audiovision Rooftop in Manila Manila by Night aka City after Dark (1980) Regal Films 65 Ruins of San Francisco Church. Inc. 66 . Public Bath Bara-Kalye Boys (1971) Urban Slum Eddie Long Legs (1964) Vera-Perez Pictures Lahar-buried Living Room Lahar. (opposite page) . Inc. Paraisong Abo (1996) Star Cinema Productions Urban Slum Mga Tigre sa Looban (1968) Virgo Film Productions 67 College of Fine Arts at the Main Library University of the Philippines. Diliman Babaeng Hampas Lupa (1952) LVN Pictures. Bahay Kubo Vicinity Basahang Ginto (1952) Sampaguita Pictures Urban Slum Dayukdok (1961) Sampaguita Pictures Manila Dumpsite Kahit Ako’y Lupa (1984) Amazaldy Films Slum Insiang (1976) Cine Manila Corporation 68 . Inc.Slum Vicinity Jack and Jill (1954) Sampaguita Sidewalk dwelling Maldita (1953) Sampaguita Pictures Post-war Slum Community Malvarosa (1958) LVN Pictures. Remote Village Misteryo sa Tuwa (1984) Experimental Cinema of the Philippines 69 . Suburban Street of Manila Tumbalik na Daigdig (1953) LVN Pictures. Inc Scavenger Pushcart Mga Batang Yagit (1984) Viva Films 70 . Inc Tutuban Train Garage Stowaway (1966) Emar Pictures Barrio Street Batalyon XIII (1949) LVN Pictures. M. Communications Slum Laundry and Bath Live Show (2000) Available Light Production Sulu Coastline (Subic Bay) Badjao (1957) LVN Pictures.A. Inc Cultural Center of the Philippine Fountain Stardoom (1971) Lea Productions 71 .Riverscape The Boatman (1984) A. Street of Colonial Manila Jose Rizal (1998) GMA Films 72 Finance Building. Inc. Ilocos Sur Padre Burgos (1949) Premiere Production Intramuros Ruins Gitano (1949) LVN Pictures. Maria Church. Luneta Ye Ye Generation! (1969) Vera-Perez Pictures (opposite page) .Hinterland Virgin Forest (1985) Regal Films Belfry of Sta. 73 . from orientalist and Indo-Islamic to the South Seas . The principal elevation of cinema building achieved architectural flair and fantastic ornamentation articulated at the immediate front. like the films that unreel inside their sanctum. akin to colonial churches. call attention to themselves. 74 . As a result. Architecturally in the beginning the sinehan was merely a box with a decorated façade. the better for them to weave magic. so designed to lure audiences inside a contrastingly dark and sparsely ornamented main viewing hall. the movies are moments of fascination: the idea of the silver screen or the concept of larger than life is an instance of this enigma of the unknown but never by the unknowing. painted by popular artists before they were replaced by digital designers who print on tarpaulin. Theater owners realized that whimsical architecture sold tickets and gave a unique theater identity. And it is usually the star. the actress who suffers or the action hero who routs life’s myriad scoundrels. about its very ability to enchant. who draws the crowd. It is the star who heralds the movie through billboards. architects and stylists of movie houses turned to picture books of exotic cultures and archeological sources for themes and motifs. The star system of Hollywood is a powerful and pervasive influence on Philippine cinema and this logic of practice has been question and analyzed. How does film perform its tricks? How are its acts contrived? Movie houses.ENCHANTMENT With the sense of wonder and belief. creating a cornucopia of stylized decorative element emanating from an array of inspirations. In the late twenties. there have been films talking about cinema itself. which the exotic motifs of Art Deco readily offered. 75 Sultan’s Court Aladin (1946) LVN Pictures, Inc. Palace Steps (Finance Building, Luneta) Prinsipe Amante sa Rubitanya (1951) LVN Pictures, Inc. Well Binatang Taring (1947) LVN Pictures, Inc. Moro-moro Stage Ibigin mo Ako Lalaking Matapang (1949) LVN Pictures, Inc. (opposite page) 76 77 78 . Ilocos Sur Sawa sa Lumang Simborio (1952) Premiere Productions and Manuel Vistan Jr. Pampanga Sisa (1951) Premiere Productions 79 Interior of the Belltower of Church Santa Maria.Bahay na Bato in Bacolor. Production Interior of 1950s Residence Hatinggabi an episode in Apat na Kasaysayang Ginto (1956) Premier/Sampaguita Pictures (opposite page) . House in Malate.Hacendero’s Residence (Neocastillan House in New Manila) Giliw Ko (1939) LVN Pictures. Inc. Intimate Space Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak (1967) Nepomuceno Productions Tennis Court Basahang Ginto (1952) Sampaguita Pictures Interior. Manila Relasyon (1982) Regal Films 80 Muslim Wedding Ritual Zamboanga aka Fury in Paradise (1937) Filippine Films (opposite page) . 81 . Pampanga Serbis (2008) Centerstage Productions (opposite page) .Silong Alyas Baby Tsina (1984) Viva Films Manila by Night aka City after Dark (1980) Regal Films 82 Makeshift Bedroom. Family Theater Angeles City. 83 . Cinema is watched by a collective audience and it also devours the world as it conjures a semblance of an expanse.DWELLERS Cinema is a collaborative medium. Images of movie houses reveal workers in the industry. the horizon where past and future converse. they also lay bare the masses who flock to movies. micropolitical expressions of everyday life. the surge of bodies. coddled by elusive spaces and nearly invisible aspirations. the panoramic landscape. In the same vein. It may be worth noting that National Artist Juan Nakpil and Pablo Antonio began their careers by designing cinema palaces. the public that is the essence of cinema as a democratic art. and so is architecture.” 84 . it may also zero in on the intimate. from stars to ticket sellers. Cast and crew conspire to make both. the swarm it spawns. On the other hand. the act of sexualities in dark corners. a testament to the importance of the movie house in the history of Philippine culture: it was the bearer of the latest palabas as well as the “next attraction. it is to the credit of cinema to document the scale of a population. or crimes done in the most unusual precincts. Cinema is there to catch the furtive. the struggle to eke out a living in a brutal metropolis. .85 Two-story Clapboarded House Tanikalang Papel (1947) LVN Pictures. Inc. 86 . Exterior of LVN Studio Sarungbanggi (1947) LVN Pictures. Inc. Inc. (opposite page) . 87 Living Room Set Shooting of Silent Movie in the1920s Studio set of a Moorish Palace Ibong Adarna (1941) LVN Pictures. 88 . Church Plaza Complex Aguila (1980) Bancom Audiovision Nagcarlan Cemetery. Inc. 89 Re-creation of Camp O’ Donnell Capas (1949) LVN Pictures. Living room with modern rattan furniture Combo Festival (1958) LVN Pictures. Inc. Laguna Ganito Kami Noon Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976) Hemisphere Suburban House Kwintas ng Pasakit (1953) LVN Pictures. Inc. (opposite page) . (opposite page) 90 . LVN Pictures) Dalisay Theater. Manila Fort Santiago Gate Rodrigo de Villa (1952) LVN Pictures. Manila Premier of Ikaw Kasi (1955.Premier of Krisalis (1957. LVN Pictures) Dalisay Theater. Inc. 91 . Ilocos Norte Himala (1982) Experimental Cinema of the Philippines (opposite page) . Inc. Inc.Fishing Village. Studio set Miss Philippines (1947) LVN Pictures. Inc. 92 Sand Dunes of La Paz. Laguna de Bay Nunal sa Tubig (1976) Seven Stars Productions Studio set Magkaibang Lahi (1947) LVN Pictures. Intramuros Ruins Tagumpay (1946) LVN Pictures. 93 DEVICE The materials of movie houses create a façade of the latest, index to the progress that cinema as a potent medium projects. If film was able to allude to a technology that defined the twentieth century, inscribed on the surface of the sinehan are the details of allure and development: reinforced concrete, neon lights, art deco reliefs in the thirties, airconditioning, and the state-of-the-art amenities that come with the movie-going experience these days, film-palace pleasures that make us feel at home, pampered by reclining seats, sensuround, and other luxuries. If the history of film is a history of technology, then the history of electricity is entwined with the history of the moving image. To be likewise viewed on the screen are mutating materials of the space and built forms, from nipa houses speaking of tropical idylls to sprawling slums intimating interminable poverty. The rift between rich and poor takes us to mansions and hovels. Aspirations to wealth lead us to condominiums and mass housing. Apartment complexes and hamlets in the countryside remind us of communities as we the public or audience behold its spectacles. But more fundamental in the ties between the screen and the production of space is the reflexive analysis of the tension between figure and ground in terms of framing, montage, movement, and narrative displacement. This self-consciousness of presence in place is vital because it indicates the conditions of contingency as people inhabit, home in, settle. 94 95 Bahay Kubo Basta Ikaw (1957) LVN Pictures Inc. 96 . (opposite page) .Sala Sakay (1993) Alpha Omega Zeta Entertainment Inc. Plaza Simon Bastardo (1970) Emar Pictures Belltower of Church Santa Maria. Production Paoay Church Andalucia (1976) Lea Productions 97 Bulacan Presidencia Heneral Gregorio del Pilar (1949) LVN Pictures. Ilocos Sur Sawa sa Lumang Simborio (1952) Premiere Productions and Manuel Vistan Jr. Inc. Inc. Nagcarlan cemetery Simon Bastardo (1970) Emar Pictures 98 . Mindoro Occidental Parola (1949) LVN Pictures.Dungeon. Intramuros Intramuros aka Walls of Hell (1964) Filipinas Productions and Hemisphere Pictures Colonial Bridge Santiago! (1970) Lea Productions Cabra Lighthouse. Inc.Baroque Church of Ilocos Andalucia (1976) Lea Productions 99 Church Plaza Walang Sugat (1957) LVN Pictures. . Ancestral House Ina. Bulacan Itim (1976) Cinema Artist 100 . Kapatid. Anak (1979) Regal Films Bedroom of de Leon house at San Miguel. Inc. Old mansion in Bacolod Oro Plata Mata (1982) Experimental Cinema of the Philippines Altar in a Bahay na Bato Ina Ka ng Anak Mo (1979) Movie Masters Bodega Angelica (1961) Sampaguita Pictures 101 .Japanese Military Office Casa Grande (1958) LVN Pictures. Isa (1975) Cine Manila Corporation Bedroom Casa Grande (1958) LVN Pictures. Inc.Bahay na Bato Sipag ay Yaman (1949) LVN Pictures. Dalawa. Inc. 102 . Staircase of a Bahay na Bato Bukas Madilim Bukas an episode in Tatlo. Inc. Japanese Military Quarters Tagumpay (1946) LVN Pictures. Garbage bin Gilda (1956) Sampaguita Pictures 103 Postwar shanty Gorio at Tekla (1953) Sampaguita Pictures . Dalawa. Soldier an episode in Tatlo. Bedroom Roberta (1951) Sampaguita Pictures 104 Slum dwelling Hello. Isa (1975) Cine Manila Corporation (opposite page) .Sawali House Higit sa Lahat (1955) LVN Pictures. Inc. 105 . House of John Purontong Da Best of John & Marsha (1984) RVQ Productions Informal dwelling Ang Babae sa Bububgang Lata (1998) Good Harvest Productions Window Babae sa Bintana (1998) Regal Films Bahay Kubo Window Victory Joe (1946) LVN Pictures. (opposite page) . 106 Baguio Log Cabin Sumpaan (1949) LVN Pictures. Inc. Inc. 107 . Lower class house Ito Ba ang Ating Mga Anak? (1982) Regal Films Kitchen with Batalan Ang Langit sa Lupa (1967) Nepomuceno Productions House of John Purontong John & Marsha sa Probinsiya (1985) RVQ Productions Middle class residence Kisapmata (1981) Bancom Audiovision 108 . Inc. Dining Area of an urban shanty Bunsong Kerubin (1987) Regal Films 109 .Informal Settlement Jaguar (1979) Bancom Audiovision Squatter settlement Mga Batang Yagit (1984) Viva Films Exterior of lower class house My Little Kuwan (1958) LVN Pictures. Mid-century Bungalow Romansa sa Nayon (1952) LVN Pictures. Inc. Inc. Lanai Basahang Ginto (1952) Sampaguita Pictures Neocastillan Mansion in Broadway. Inc.House Garden Hampas ng Langit (1948) LVN Pictures. Quezon City (owned by LVN matriarch Doña Sisang) Romansa (1947) LVN Pictures. 110 . 111 . Inc. Inc.Bahay Kubo Lupang Pangako (1949) LVN Pictures. Inc. Interior of a Nipa Hut Los Petalos de Lao Tze an episode in The Dragon’s Net (1919) Universal Film Manufacturing Company Interior of Bahay Kubo Mahal Mo Ba Ako? (1950) LVN Pictures. Stairs leading to a balcony Botika sa Baryo (1960) LVN Pictures. Inc.Ifugao Village Ifugao (1953) Cirio H. (counterclockwise) 112 . Santiago Ulog Waywaya (1982) Four N Films Muslim House Sa Pusod ng Dagat an episode in Medalyong Perlas (1956) LVN Pictures. Shoe store Chaperon (1956) LVN Pictures. Inc. Sari-sari store Eskandalosa (1954) Ace York Bakery Babaeng Hampas Lupa (1953) LVN Pictures. Inc.Provincial sari-sari store Sarungbanggi (1947) LVN Pictures. 113 . Inc. Living room of a mansion Siete Dolores (1968) Virgo Film Productions Swimming Pool Tapis mo Inday (1951) LVN Pictures, Inc. Grand staircase Tanikalang Dugo (1973) Lea Productions Mid-century Living Room Ulilang Bituin (1956) LVN Pictures, Inc. 114 Neocastillan House (Miranila, owned by Dean Conrado Benitez) Satur (1951) LVN Pictures, Inc. (opposite page) 115 Rural Village Tuko sa Madre Kakao (1959) LVN Pictures, Inc. Mad scientist’s laboratory Dr. X (1950) LVN Pictures, Inc. Interior of Bilibid Prison Bilibid Boys (1981) Regal Films Correctional Building Kanto Girl (1956) Sampaguita Pictures 116 Quiapo Acessoria Scorpio Nights (1985) Regal Films Village Chapel Silip aka Daughters of Eve (1985) Viking Films International Library Scorpio Nights 2 (1999) Viva Films Family Theater Angeles City. Pampanga Serbis (2008) Centerstage Productions 117 . Inc.Bedroom Dingding Lang ang Pagitan (1985) Ruben Abalos Quiapo acessoria Macho Dancer (1988) Viva Films Nightclub Stage Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1985) Malaya Films Nightclub Alyas Baby Tsina (1984) Viva Films 118 Night Club (Jai-alai Building) Yolanda (1951) LVN Pictures. (opposite page) . 119 . 120 . Inc. Interior of a Makati Office Working Girls (1984) Viva Films Condominium Balcony Working Girls (1984) Viva Films 121 Manila skyline Kapitan Kidlat (1954) LVN Pictures. Living room Hiram na Kasintahan (1954) LVN Pictures.Office Building Edong Mapangarap (1950) LVN Pictures. (opposite page) . Inc. Inc. Diliman) Charito. Inc. Inc. Melchor Hall Steps (University of the Philippines. Diliman) Dalagang Taring (1955) LVN Pictures. Inc. Diliman) Charito. I Love You (1956) LVN Pictures. 122 College of Liberal Arts (Palma Hall) University of the Philippines. I Love You (1956) LVN Pictures. (opposite page) . Inc. Inc. Diliman) Dalagang Taring (1955) LVN Pictures. Palma Hall Steps (University of the Philippines.Oblation Plaza (University of the Philippines. Diliman Tiya Loleng (1952) LVN Pictures. Sunken Garden (University of the Philippines. 123 . Oxford: Blackwell. Santiago A. 2008. no. Tuklas Sining: Essays on the Philippine Arts. Eisenstein. “Projection of Poverty: Cinematic Representation of Architecture of Marginality (Second Part)” Bluprint Vol. 1977. London: Academy Editions. 2003. London: British Film Institute Publishing. 35 (1): 143-73. Readings in Philippine Cinema.” Scroope: Cambridge Architecture Journal. 1. Vol. Doña Sisang and Filipino Movies. Lico. Architecture and Disjunction. Architecture + Film II. Film Architecture: Set Designs from “Metropolis” to “Blade Runner. Juhani. Pilar. Learning from Hollywood: Architecture and Film. ed. “Site-Seeing: Architecture and the Moving Image. ed. Philippines: Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. The Production of Space. Multimedia.” New York: Prestel. 1997. “Turnng the Self: City Space and SF Horror Movies.13: 59-72 ___________. 2001. 1991. and Practice. The Poetics of Space. Tiongson. 2000. Lefebvre. 1994. “Screening Space: Architecture. 2002. Albrecht. 2001. Rafael Ma. Schaal. “Lived space in architecture and cinema.” Assemblage. AD No 64. “Tickets to Deco Fantasy” Bluprint Vol. ed. 1989. Helsinki: Rakennustieto. 2003. 1999. 10: 111-31. ___________.” Michigan Quarterly Review. Dietrich. The Architecture of Image: Existential Space in Cinema. 19 (4): 9-24. “Requiem to the Maidens of Bellevue” Bluprint Vol. “Projection of Poverty: Cinematic Representation of Architecture of Marginality (First Part) Bluprint Vol. New York: Continuum. Pallasmaa. trans. 124 . Winter. Nicanor G. A-33. 2000. 2006. 4. 1986. 5. Sergei M. Monina 1977. Gaston Bachelard. 1997. AD No 70. New York : Harper & Row. Fear. 6.IV. London: Edition Axel Menges. Giuliana. Designing dreams : Modern Architecture in the Movies. ___________. Guerrero. Donald. Henri. Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines. Architecture + Film. 1991. Inc. ed. Toy. 1983. Cinema and Architecture: Melies. William. and the Motion Picture Screen. Nezar. by Donald NicholsonSmith. Bernard. From Stage to Screen was the Only Step” Archipelago. Manila. Bob. Cinematic Urbanism : A History of the Modern from Reel to Real. Hans Dieter. London: Routledge. Penz. October. Mallet-Stevens. ___________. Neumann. “The Early Movies. London : Academy Editions. ___________. Criticism. Philippines: VeraReyes.BIBLIOGRAPHY Aitken S. 2003. 1996. 4. Bruno.” Lost in Space : Geographies of Science Fiction / edited by Rob Kitchin and James Kneale.” Wide Angle: A Film Quarterly of Theory. Technology. Gerard. 1996. Boston: Beacon Press. “Cinema + Architecture = Cinetectonics: Exploring the Encounters of Architecture and Film” Bluprint Vol. Maggie. Tschumi. AlSayyad. Cambridge: The MIT Press. no. Paul. 1996. “Montage and Architecture. Mercado. Francois & Maureen Thomas eds. 1962. Inc. Edson Cabalfin Prof. Luis Dean Danilo Silvestre Prof. Gerard Rey A. Melanie Casul Arch. Galingan Secretary Philippine Association of Landscape Architects 125 Tristan G. Jovellana Assistant Secretary Philippine Institute of Interior Designers Arch. Fernandez Southern Luzon Arch.Ma. Turalba Arch. Yap ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Prof. Defeo Arch. Nicolo del Castillo Prof. Prosperidad C. Hermoso United Architects of the Philippines Arch.F. Lico Vice . Ildefonso F. Eloy Cercado National Museum of the Philippines Museum of Filipino Architecture MOFA Digital Image Databank University of the Philippines Library LVN Pictures. Cornejo Council of Deans and Heads of Architecture Schools in the Philippines (CODHASP) . Lena Lubi Ms. Chua Chiaco Professional Regulations Commission Arch. Torres Western Mindanao Arch Rino Domingo A. Uy Central and Eastern Visayas Arch. Henry L. Jean I.EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. Pianne Lim Mr. 2007-2010 National Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts Arch. Ma. Teddy Co Ms. Wilfredo Sy Western Visayas Arch. Marlo J. Greta Belo Ms. Ruben D. Regal Films ABS-CBN Film Archives Mowelfund Film Institute Philippine Information Agency UP Film Institute Movie and Television Review and Classification Board United Architects of the Philippines Cultural Center of the Philippines UP Office for Initiatives in Culture and Arts University of the Philippines Theater Charter Chemicals and Coatings. Zenaida D. Incorporated Head Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP) Dr. Paulo Alcazaren Mr. Karen Flores Ms. Inc Premier Productions. Angeline T. Yaranon Northern Luzon Arch. Cristina V. Mylen G. Cesar Hernando Ms. Robert Benedict C. Inc.Head Central Luzon Arch. Sampaguita Pictures. Basco Southern Mindanao Arch. Lizeta L. 126 .