The ‘Magnificent Slob’ turned out to be a perfect gentelman.
That is how a Movie Confidential writer, Iking Garcia, described Marlon Brando, who visited Manila early 1956.
Mr. Garcia wanted to interview the elusive and moody Hollywood actor who was then billeted at the Manila Hotel. It took some doing, every person he talked to, including producer George England and scriptwriter W. Stern, said ‘Impossible. Mr. Brando has no time for an interview.’
The Movie Confidential writer said, ‘I am not asking for any privilege to meet Mr. Brando. But if I cannot see him then tell I’ll write ‘How I failed to interview Brando,’ instead.’
Mr. Garcia waited for seven hours and so finally Mr. England said, ‘I know you waited for so long. I think I should consult Mr. Brando about this.’
After a few minutes, Mr. England emerged from Brando’s Manila Hotel suite, ‘Mr. Brando will see you but alone.’
The writer recalled in the March 1956 issue of Movie Confidential, whose cover featured Brando with actress Rosa Rosal and director Bert Avellana:
“That ‘Magnificent Slob’ they call Marlon Brando is no slob. I know. I talked to him, drank scotch and soda with him, for almost an hour, at his well-guarded suite at the Manila Hotel. And far from the unsmiling Napoleon in Desiree or the tough stevedore in On the Waterfront, the Hollywood Award winner was a perfect Gentleman.”
Mr. Garcia obviously caught Brando in a good mood.
Director Avellana took some documentary shots of Brando’s visit with cameraman Mike Accion and LVN actors Rosa Rosal and Tony Santos.
In the ’50s, Brando’s memorable films included A Street Car Named Desire and Julius Caesar. He won an Oscar for On the Waterfront and much later for The Godfather, which he rejected.
Brando came to Manila to study the possibility of producing a movie.
Incidentally, while in Manila, Brando was attracted to and fell in love with a pretty lady from Lipa, Batangas: Marie Cui, a colegiala (St. Scholastica) and ballet dancer.
But then the great actor was attracted to exotic women. His first wife was Movita Castañeda, Mexican-American actress, who died at age 98 only last February this year.
Then he married another actress of Indian descent, Anna Casfi.
His third and last wife was Tarita Terlipaia, dancer from Tahiti. It was a sad and tragic family life as their daughter Cheyenne committed suicide, unable to bear the death of her boyfriend, killed by his own brother Christian Brando. It was alleged that Cheyenne was a battered girlfriend and that the young Brando came to her defense. — RKC