‘Even if doing movies was no longer big business compared to what it was twenty years ago, Mother Lily still kept at it.’
Regal matriarch Lily Yu Monteverde is fondly called Mother Lily by the stars, directors, and production people who worked with her through the years.
There was a time when Regal Entertainment was the premier movie outfit in the country.
Some of the most popular stars came from Regal, and came to be known as Regal Babies.
If you are a newcomer worth your salt, then you know that a surefire road to success is to become a Regal Baby.
Regal Entertainment gave rise to many popular stars who continue to shine today. Mother Lily, a big fan of movies, sought to discover newcomers who would become the new stars of tomorrow. She relied on instinct, gut feel. Somehow, even if she had just met a prospective star for the first time, her instincts would tell her if the newcomer had it. And soon enough, a new Regal Baby would be born.
It was in Regal Films where Maricel Soriano, Snooky Serna, and Dina Bonnevie made their breakthrough film “Underage.” But before that, Dina already made her launching flick “Katorse,” where she wore the famed magic “kamison” which brought luck to whoever wore it. Her other early significant movie was the camp classic “Temptation Island.”
It was also in Regal where future matinee idols Gabby Concepcion, William Martinez, and later his brother Albert Martinez started their careers, along with the late Alfie Anido. They became popular for the numerous teenage movies they did under the company, directed by the likes of box-office directors Luciano Carlos and Joey Gosiengfiao.
But Regal was not solely the domain of teen stars. The most popular stars of the ’80s were at one time or another Regal Babies – from the “King of Philippine movies” Fernando Poe, Jr. and the “King of Comedy” Dolphy; to superstar Nora Aunor, and Vilma Santos, to action stars like Lito Lapid; and comedians Tito, Vic, and Joey and Roderick Paulate.
It was also in Regal where FPJ teamed up with Maricel Soriano in the mammoth hit “Batang Quiapo,” and Kris Aquino made her debut as a film star via the hit “Pido Dida” with her screen partner, the late Rene Requiestas.
Regal has in its stable the most established leading men, from Christopher de Leon, Richard Gomez, and Aga Muhlach; to current actors like Dennis Trillo, Tom Rodriguez, Derek Ramsay, and now Joshua Garcia.
Regal Entertainment also gave rise to popular loveteams – Maricel—William, Gabby—Snooky, Snooky—Albert to Janice de Belen—Aga Muhlach, among others. Of course, there is the durable tandem of Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon, who starred in Regal’s critically acclaimed films such as “Relasyon” and “Broken Marriage.” During that time, Mother Lily also branched out into television production through Mother Studio.
Mother Lily also had a knack for casting seasoned actors with younger stars, so we saw the likes of Susan Roces and Eddie Gutierrez co-starring with Maricel and Snooky. Or famed drama actress Charito Solis sharing the screen with acting finds Cherie Gil, Gina Alajar, and Rio Locsin.
Among the younger stars, those who worked with Regal included AngelLocsin and Richard Gutierrez. And who could forget the Guwapings – Jomari Yllana, Mark Anthony Fernandez, and Eric Fructuoso – who were among the most popular stars of their generation? Regal also launched the film career of then child star Aiza Seguerra.
Regal Films was instrumental in reviving the popular tandem of Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III which gave rise to box-office movies such as “Bilangin ang mga Bituin sa Langit,” “Can’t Stop Loving You,” and “Till We Meet Again.”
It was also Mother Lily and Regal that gave us the “Shake, Rattle and Roll” franchise, a much-awaited fare at the annual Metro Manila Film Festival. Then there is, of course, the “Mano Po” series which gave acting awards to its stars Ara Mina, Kris Aquino, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Vilma Santos, and Sharon Cuneta, who finally did her first movie under Regal.
It was also Mother Lily who started the trend of doing low-budget but well-crafted films, the forerunners of what we now call “indie” movies. These movies – dubbed “pito-pito” (because they were finished in around seven days, but were of high quality) – were done by award-winning directors, like Jeffrey Jeturian and Lav Diaz, and were critically acclaimed and ahead of their time.
Mother Lily showed so much love and devotion to local movies. Even if doing movies was no longer big business compared to what it was twenty years ago, Mother Lily still kept at it. She never lost hope in making movies and discovering and developing stars.
Even if she had to depend heavily on television networks for talents, Mother Lily had a recent batch of Regal Babies finish a basic acting course. She continued to produce, even it meant entering into co-production ventures. She loved producing movies and continued to do so for the filmmakers and the production people and the stars who rely on the business for their sustenance.
After our loving tribute to Mother Lily in our book, “Sisikat Din Ako, Your Guide in Making a Mark in Show Business” from Anvil Publishing, we now witness the passing of an era. FDCP Chair Jose Javier Reyes said it well, “Her family grieves. An industry mourns. Hers is a legacy that cannot be ignored or forgotten because if it were not for Lily Monteverde, if it were not for this Mother, the shape of Philippine cinema would not have been what it is today.”
Thank you and Godspeed Mother Lily!
