Leopoldo Salcedo: The Great Profile

Side view, either to the right or the left, was the favored photographic pose of Leopoldo Salcedo. And for good reason. His profile was perfect, earning him the tag The Great Profile. Whether onscreen or in print, Pol’s handsome features, enhanced by his dark complexion, stood out.

But of course, he was more than The Great Profile. Pol was a great actor, making more than 200 movies in a span of six decades. At his peak in the mid-‘30s, ‘40s,  ‘50s and early ‘60s, he was called the Black King. His contemporary Rogelio dela Rosa was the White King, in obvious reference to the color of their skin.

Pol, who was from Cavite, was also known as Lover Boy. According to the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, he was married five times and sired 14 children.

Leopoldo won the FAMAS awards twice, Best Actor in 1951 for Gerry de Leon’s The Moises Padilla Story and Best Supporting Actor for Eddie Romero’s Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? in 1976. The Film Academy of the Philippines honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989.

To date, Pol’s profile is said to be unmatched. — RKC