CAST OF CHARACTERS
VILMA SANTOS...............................................as Chato
ROLLY QUIZON.................................................as Jessie
ROSEMARIE GIL................................................as Virgie Nite
LEOPOLDO SALCEDO......................................as Mang Roque
ROLDAN AQUINO.............................................as Ander
JOONEE GAMBOA.............................................as Louie
Directed by: CELSO AD CASTILLO Screenplay: MAURO GUIA SAMONTE Cinematography: BEN LOBO Music: GEORGE CANSECO
Produced by: ROMY CHING / IAN FILM PRODUCTIONS INC.
THE TIME is the fifties. The country is past it's reconstruction period from the devastation of war. From among the various entertainment forms exported into the country through the onslaught of the indegenous Filipino values by American culture, burleque surfaces to be the most acceptable millieu for the masses. Deprive of economic means, they are utterly incapable of patronizing the products of the so-called legitimate stage, which in Philippines setting means the presentations in such outlets as the Philippine Auditorium. But like every other Filipino seeking diversion from the gloom of the wartime destruction, they must be entertained.
Hence the phenomenal success of burleque. The traditional moralist are necessarily alarmed. They start agitating against lewd shows.
On the other hand, the period witnesses a political contest typical of old politics, An aspirant for the mayorship of the city capitalizes the issue, forcing the incumbent to accomodate the demand of the moralist to institute closure proceedings for the burlesque theaters.
It is against this background that the otherwise personal drama of a simple girl who rises to become a sensational burlesque queen becomes the tragedy of burlesque itself.
Chato, the simple girl, earns a living by serving as a utility girl for a burlesque star, Virgie Nite. She is supporting a paralytic father.
Virgie in turn is supporting a parasitic lover, Ander. When Ander leaves Virgie for another girl, she becomes so frustrated that she drinks herself out on the night of her scheduled performance.
Just as every stage hand in the Inday Theater is frantic to bring Virgie back to her senses, a girl appears on stage performing a typical dance: Chato Obviously, Chato has been learning the trade from Virgie. She pitches in for the drunk queen if only to appease the furious crowd. But the crowd love her act, and Chato becomes an instant sensation.
Mang Roque, Chato's father, learns about the incident and declares that he will sell his soul to the devil but never the body of his daughter.
Chato, however, is exceedingly enthused by her initial acceptance by the theater audience. Always conscious of the economic hardship of her life and dreaming little dreams for her invalid father, she defies his admonitions. She presents herself to Louie Fernando, the theater manager, and he christens her Tzarina, the Young Goddess.
And so Chato is drawn finally into the mainstream of burleque.
Meanwhile, Chato's lovelife progresses. She carries on a young romance with Jessie, typical of a rebellious youth, ignores his parents and elopes with Chato. The elopement takes place after Mang Roque, finally burdened by his inutility,commits suicide.
The elopement leads into a brief happy life for the couple. But Jessie proves to be weakling. When Chato's savings are exhausted, he shows reluctance in standing up to his responsibility as a family man. And when his mother, who traces the couple, makes him choose between Chato and the parents, he chooses the parents, running away from his responsibility.
At this point, the court suit against the theater has progresses. Louie is desperate for an action now that it is evident that the theater is losing the case. He thinks of a grand show as a way of proving to all and sundry that burlesque is clean, is art.
Chato returns to the theater at this precise point. With all the frustrations behind her, she succumbs to Louie's invocation of the arts in order to make her dance again.
Indeed Chato dances again. But she is a few months on the family way. When she makes the grand performance, it becomes also her last.
At about the same time, the court hands down it's decision ordering the closure of Inday Theater.
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