Nope, this cosmetic brand was not inspired by Stan Lee’s
character, BLACK PANTHER, who first
appeared in comic books in 1966 as ruler of the kingdom of Wakanda. It was
subsequently made into a blockbuster superhero film in 2018, starring Chadwick
Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther.
BLACK PANTHER, 1953 Ad
The cosmetic products BLACK
PANTHER Hair Pomade predates Stan’s superhero by almost 2 decades, first appearing in post-war 1948. Heart throb Pancho Magalona was tapped to endorse the product in 1948 before he became a
Glo-Co hair tonic model too). Subsequent ads featured line drawings.
PANCHO MAGALONA for BLACK PANTHER, 1948 Ad
BLACK PANTHER was
manufactured by Lander New York, and sold in the Philippines by Peter &
Co., in Manila. The came in attractive dark cobalt blue bottles. “The
slumbering fire of BLACK PANTHER…attacks
a man’s heart…attack a woman’s heart…until they merge in a flame of ecstacy”—so
goes a line from its print ad, worthy of an Oscar. T’Challa would have
approved.
The MAGALONAS are a very popular showbiz family, thanks largely to the love team of
reel-and-real life sweethearts PANCHO MAGALONA and TITA DURAN, who captivated
Filipino movie fans with their many hit movies.
PANCHO MAGALONA, FOR GLO-CO TONIX, 1953
PANCHO MAGALONA
(Enrique Gayoso Magalona Jr., b. 22 Jan. 1923/d. Apr. 1998), was born with a
silver spoon in his mouth, the son of former senator Enrique Magalona Sr. of
Negros Occidental. His sister, Susan Magalona (who married Joaquin Elizalde)
was a legendary beauty in her time. He began his film career in 1947, when he
was cast in “Prima Donna”, backed by
a recommendation from Dna. Aurora Quezon, no less. The film was headlined by opera singer Jovita Fuentes
PANCHO MAGALONA FOR SAN MIGUEL BEER, 1957
His dashing mestizo looks sent many fans swooning, but
his star shone brighter when, the next year, he was teamed up with a former
child actress TITA DURAN. Their formidable
love team was one of the most well-loved in showbiz, beginning in 1948, with
the movie “Dahil Sa Iyo”.
PANCHO MAGALONA FOR LUCKY STRIKE CIGARETTES, 1965
The apex ofPancho’s
career wasa FAMAS Best Actor trophy for
his 1958 film, “Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig”.
He even went on to bag Hollywood roles lin the Jeff Chandler starrer “Merrills’
Marauders” and “The Hook”, with no less than Kirk Douglas. His iconic role,
however, was that of Simon, in the 1962 Jose Rizal movie,”El Filbusterismo”.
TITA DURAN FOR MENNEN BABY POWDER, 1959
Pancho’s other half, TITA
DURAN (aka Tita Durango, b. 14 Jun,1929/ d. 2 Dec. 1991) started as a child
actress,who as an 8-year old, was cast as an abandoned child in the1936 melodrama, “ Awit ng mga Ulila”. Sampaguita Pictures signed her up in 1938,
and put her in another tear-jerker film, “Inang
Mahal”. The war intervened but she returned as a young woman to her former
studio, Sampaguita Pictures, to support Carmen Rosales in “Gerilyera”, which led to light musical roles—and a durable partnership
with PANCHO MAGALONA.
TITA DURAN FOR SCOTT'S EMULSION, 1970
The tandem were acclaimed for romance-musicals like “Always, Kay Ganda Mo” (1949), “Umaga Na
Giliw,” “Kay Ganda Mo Neneng,” (1950) “Sa Isang Sulyap Mo Tita,” and “Vod-A-Vil ”(1953)
and “Sa
Isang Halik Mo, Pancho” (1954). So wildly popular was their love team that PANCHO and TITA were sought after as commercial models, evenafter they had married and had started a
family. Their children would include Francis, Susan, Vicky, Victor, Henry,
Popeye , Malot, Maricar and Martin.
WATCH FRANCIS MAGALONA
"Royal Tru Orange" TVC "Ito Ang Gusto Ko"here:
The MAGALONA legacy
was continued by son FRANCIS MAGALONA
(b. 4 Oct. 1964/6 Mar. 2009), who, as Francis M,is recognized as the best and the most
successful all-time Filipino rapper. He had monster hit songs like “Mga Kababayan Ko”, “Kaleidoscope World”,
”3 Stars and a Sun”, and “Ito ang Gusto Ko”, which became the
track of his well-remembered ROYAL
TRU-ORANGE Commercials.
WATCH FRANCIS MAGALONA RTO TVC HERE:
On March 18, 2009, FRANCIS
MAGALONA was recognized by the Philippine government with a posthumous
Presidential Medal of Merit award, "for his musical and artistic
brilliance, his deep faith in the Filipino and his sense of national pride that
continue to inspire us."
