Three movies Rebecca Gonzales starred in the ’40s showed the star’s versatility.
In Waling-Waling (1948), she played a south-sea maiden opposite Angel Esmeralda, who played a violinist. The film was right along her alley as the star had a beautiful singing voice.
Another LVN film, El Diablo (1949), proved to be one of Rebecca’s most difficult roles. El Diablo was inspired by the legend of Faust, the 16th century magician who sold his soul to the devil. Faust also inspired the novels of Goethe Heine, Thomas Mann and Paul Valery. The legend of Faust was used in the musical works of Schumann, Berlioz, Gounod, Boito and Busoni.
Rebecca’s co-stars in El Diablo were Leopoldo Salcedo and Alfonso Carvajal. —RKC