Zombies, Giant Frogs & Hunchbacks: The Pinoy ‘Supergirl’

supergirl pinoy filipino rare

Living in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, always brings plenty of surprises, and so it was one evening in early November 2016, I received the following text message:

“Hi everyone! 7pm tomorrow I am introducing a secret Makati screening of the super-rare, super-strange 1973 Pinoy SUPERGIRL! Interested? txt me for details!”

Andrew Leavold photobombs Paul and friend.

Andrew Leavold photobombs Paul and friend.

The number identified the sender as a certain Andrew Leavold, the Australian filmmaker behind the Filipino cinema documentaries The Search for Weng Weng, and The Last Pinoy Action King. I’d first met Leavold in the basement of an old vintage store which housed his impressive VHS collection, on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, where he screened an early edit of The Search for Weng Weng in 2013. We’d stayed in contact since then, and after I was relocated to Manila with my work in November 2015, it seemed inevitable that our paths would one day cross on Filipino soil.

Leavold was in Manila to begin filming his third documentary on Filipino cinema, one which, almost by default, promises to be entertaining. The focus will be on the bomba films of the 70’s that were made during the Marcos era, and for those wondering, bomba is the Spanish word for ‘bomb’, which in the context of the genre was short for ‘sex bomb’. While over in Japan the Nikkatsu studio was churning out its own brand of bomba with its Roman Porno movies, the Philippines was happily doing its own thing, in a genre made in an era which has made them largely forgotten to modern day Filipino audiences.

Viva La Bomba!

Viva La Bomba!

Bomba movies aren’t the only forgotten Filipino cinema though, as during the 70’s the country also had its own unique style of superhero movie. Today we may have the Marvel Studios releasing a never ending steam of superhero flicks, and Warner Brothers doing the same for DC, but back in the 70’s it was a different story. At the time, it seemed to be Turkey that had the monopoly on making Marvel Comics adaptations. For those that don’t believe me, simply research the movie 3 Dev Adam, and prepare to be amazed at a tale which has Captain America teaming up with masked Mexican wrestler El Santo, to stop evil super villain Spider-Man from terrorizing the streets of Istanbul.

"Shazam Boom" Newspaper Advertisement

“Shazam Boom” Newspaper Advertisement

This movie exists, and even better, is still available for viewing. The same sadly can’t be said for Filipino cinema of the same era. Be it for reasons such as the productions were never intended to be more than temporary entertainment, poor storage conditions, or destroyed during the Marcos era, sadly many Filipino movies from the 70’s are lost to the sands of time. It’s a shame, as the country had its own line of DC movies. There was a Pinoy Superman, with 1973’s Zoom, Zoom, Superman!, and a Pinoy Batman that featured in Fight Batman Fight! from the same year. Throw in the likes of Batwoman and Robin from 1972, Fantastika vs. Wonderwoman from 1976, and even Shazam got his own movie in 1974 with Shazam Boom. Do we really need a Hollywood Justice League movie!?

The one movie which was largely responsible for kicking off this wave of Filipino DC superhero movies wasn’t any of the above though, it was a movie called Supergirl from 1973. Like all of the mentioned movies, Supergirl was also accepted as being lost, the only remnants of it ever existing the original posters that were used to promote it at the time, and those who have memories of it showing on Filipino TV during the 80’s.

"Supergirl" Newspaper Advertisement

“Supergirl” Newspaper Advertisement

Every genre has its own holy grails – for kung fu fans it’s the version of Bruce Lee’s The Big Boss which has the infamous saw in the head scene. For Japanese chambara flicks it’s the rumoured alternate ending of Zatoich Meets the One Armed Swordsman, in which Jimmy Wang Yu walks away the victor. For Leavold, it was the Filipino version of Supergirl.

Proving that not all holy grails are out of reach, Leavold did finally track down a copy of Supergirl on a beat up 16mm reel, and like any true film fan (kung fu community please take note), he was eager to share it with those who enjoy the more bizarre corners of world cinema as much as he does. If the screening was a secret, then the location was even more so. Screening at the Archivo Gallery in Makati, the location of said gallery was hidden away via a small door leading to a set of stairs, at the end of an alleyway between a pair of warehouse complexes. The gallery itself initially seemed like an odd choice to show a pulpy 1973 black and white superhero movie, however a brief glimpse into the kitchen area, in which the staff were busy preparing finger food, revealed its true nature. Adorned on the walls of the compact working space were several original posters of vintage bomba movies, from Silip (readily available on a feature packed DVD from Mondo Macabro) to Scorpio Nights.

Andrew Leavold giving some commentary before rolling Supergirl.

Andrew Leavold giving some commentary before rolling Supergirl.

Suddenly everything fell into place, and Leavold revealed that the curator of the gallery has a huge collection of vintage bomba material, prime fodder for his new documentary. Before the movie starts Leavold provides one of his typically enthusiastic introductions to what we’re about to watch. Yes the picture and sound quality is beat up, yes there’s no English subtitles, and yes this isn’t your typical Saturday night movie in this post-millennial era. But it IS the Filipino Supergirl, so quite frankly, who cares about any of that. Leavold’s energy is contagious, and with an audience stocked up on several cans of already consumed wine and Red Horse beer, the ever so slight level on intoxication provided the perfect mind-set for a trip into the forgotten depths of Pinoy superhero cinema.

The film credit sequence for 1978's Superman cost millions of dollars to make. 1974's Supergirl's credits were done for a couple of pesos and some balut.

The credits sequence for 1978’s Superman cost millions of dollars to produce. Supergirl’s credits were done for a couple of pesos and some balut.

It’s safe to say that Supergirl did indeed live up to Leavold’s hype. Released more than 10 years before Hollywood would concoct its own version of Supergirl, with the 1984 Helen Slater starring oddity, the Filipino version very much brings its own flavour to the characters mythos. A pair of sisters and a brother live in a humble abode out in a countryside barrio, subjected to constant pillaging and harassment from a group of local bandits, and during one of their raids the sister who can see is knocked unconscious. It’s while she’s unconscious, that she’s visited by a 30 foot tall Virgin Mary, who gives her a ring that, when she kisses it, turns her into Supergirl. Yes, Supergirl is a Catholic, powered by the mother of Jesus no less. Who knew?

A Pinky film (not to be confused with a Pink film).

A Pinky film (not to be confused with a Pink film).

These Filipino Catholic influences permeate throughout the production, so those hoping to see a re-envisioning of Krypton, or how the threat of Kryptonite is dealt with, are most definitely in the wrong place. Supergirl herself is played by local star Pinky Montilla (billed in the credits as just Pinky). I’ll be honest and say, having no knowledge of Pinoy stars from this era, that I was expecting the blind sister to become Supergirl. The actress who plays the blind sister is quite slender and slim, while Pinky is carrying a little baby fat, so good on the Philippines for not adhering to body stereotypes of what a superhero should look like, even if it’s not as applicable now as it was then.

"The funk of forty thousand years..."

The funk of forty thousand years.

Pinky appeared to have the superhero market covered, as she also played the role of Batgirl in Fight Batman Fight! made the same year, and would go on to play Fantastika in 1976’s Fantasitka vs. Wonderwoman. After a decade of working in the film industry, she retired in 1980 and is believed to have immigrated to the U.S. It’s difficult to ascertain if Pinky is actually a good actress or not, as she (amusingly) plays her role deadpan from start to finish, and frequently seems baffled at her ability to turn into Supergirl, while never questioning her ability to do so. Unlike the Supergirl from the comics, the only power she inherits is that of flying, and for a 1973 production the flying effects are surprisingly well done. Refreshingly, in an age of mass CGI pixel destruction, this means that whenever she’s faced with bad guys, her form of attack is the straightforward approach of using her fists and feet to send them into oblivion, which she does with gusto.

King Kong who?

King Kong who?

Her rival comes in the form of an evil sorceress played by Odette Khan. What’s striking about this fact is that the 1984 Hollywood adaptation would use the exact same type of villainess, in the form of Faye Dunaway’s occult practicing witch. Is it possible that screenwriter David Odell had somehow seen the Filipino version of Supergirl, before scripting the American take on the character? Of course its speculation, and all indicators would point to it being highly unlikely, not least because if it ever did get shown Stateside, I’m sure DC would be all over it for infringing copyright laws. However it is a remarkable similarity, and definitely raised a few eyebrows for those familiar with both movies.

Pink's Supergirl predates Helen Slater's

Pinky’s Supergirl predates Helen Slater’s by over 10 years.

Khan’s character is delightfully over the top, and as an actress she’s still active in the local film industry today, with Supergirl being one of her first major roles. She keeps a bulging eyed hunchback as a servant, whom she periodically whips as a display of authority, and her mission is to create a serum that will bring her daughters dead husband back to life. Said husband is kept in an open casket in the basement, watched over by the hunchback and daughter, hoping that he’ll be able to be brought back to life soon. Suddenly Faye Dunaway’s standard plans at world domination seem dull in comparison to such a wacky premise.

"Creatures crawl in search of blood... to terrorize y'awl's neighbourhood..."

“Creatures crawl in search of blood… to terrorize y’awl’s neighbourhood…”

Khan’s plans eventually do succeed, but not before she attempts to bring a dead frog back to life, which results in it not only returning to the world of the living, but also expanding to become a Kaiju sized monstrosity, with a deadly tongue to boot. With no Godzilla around to stop the gigantic frog’s deadly rampage through the barrio, it’s up to Supergirl to give it a combo of left and right hooks to the face, and save the village from total destruction. The frog is far from the finale though, with Supergirl also having to deal with the harmless zombie version of Khan’s son-in-law, who comes back to life when none of them are watching, wanders off, and becomes attached to Pinky instead of his widow. What other superhero movie throws in a love triangle between the superhero, the villainess’s daughter, and her dead husband who has come back to life!?

It's adobo. It's a lumpa. It's Supergirl!

It’s adobo. It’s a lumpa. It’s Supergirl!

Ultimately, Khan’s serum ends up reviving all of the dead townsfolk from the local cemetery, leading to an onslaught of the undead that she has control of, and it’s up to Supergirl to save the day. As if ending a superhero movie with a finale that pits the hero versus a horde of the undead is not entertaining enough, her method for dealing with them is about as Filipino as it gets. Luring them to the local church, she grabs one poor zombie and drags him in like a child who doesn’t want to visit the dentist, forcing his hand to make the sign of the cross on his forehead, at which point he falls down dead (again). The others aren’t so lucky, and end up with a variety of kicks and punches to the face instead, but it’s the principle that matters.

Truth, Justice, and the Filipina Way...

Truth, Justice, and the Filipina Way…

The penultimate showdown sees Pinky’s Supergirl facing off against Khan’s whip wielding sorceress, who can now evoke fireballs from the lash of the whip. Naturally, the fight ends up on the rooftop of the church, giving Supergirl a distinct advantage considering we know the origin of her powers. Will the horde of zombies return to their graves? Who’s going to get rid of the giant frog corpse? Will the love triangle with the undead husband be resolved? All of this and more is at stake, and despite the goofiness of it all, by the end you actually find yourself caring.

Hadouken!

Hadouken!

While Supergirl is far from being high art, neither are the current spate of Hollywood superhero movies, however what it certainly has is a lot of heart. It’s a fantastic find for Pinoy cinema, and the unearthing of a movie long considered lost can’t help but make you wonder how many of the other lost movies are out there somewhere. Maybe sitting on an ancient VHS having been recorded off the TV many years ago, or in some dusty old cinema back room on a reel. The discovery of Supergirl at least gives us a glimmer of hope, that maybe one day we’ll also be able to enjoy the delights of Fight Batman Fight! and Zoom, Zoom, Superman!

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with Supergirl.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with Supergirl.

If anyone can find them, most likely it’s going to be Leavold, with his unflinching dedication to ensuring the memory of Filipino cinema long forgotten is brought back for a modern audience. As the countries cinema continues to improve, thanks to the likes of directors like Erik Matti and Pedring Lopez, here’s hoping there are more opportunities to go digging into the past, and if one thing is for sure, whatever’s unearthed is never anything less than entertaining.



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32 Responses to Zombies, Giant Frogs & Hunchbacks: The Pinoy ‘Supergirl’

  1. Tars Tarkas says:

    Awesome! I’m glad this one was found, and that gives some hope for some more miracle discoveries. I’ll still hope against hope the Batwoman films will turn up, but there are plenty of these old movies I wouldn’t mind seeing instead of just admiring their posters!

  2. Mark Czuba says:

    Would love to own this on dvd.

  3. rgv says:

    Naaliw ako sa pictures at sa captions. Mahusay ang review. Never heard ko ang movie na to, baka hindi pa ako tao.

    Ang galing mo PB!!!

  4. Kung Fu Bob says:

    Thanks for sharing the experience of this unique screening with us. As it’s doubtful most of us will ever get to view the ultra-rare film ourselves, we had the chance to “watch it” via your amusing description.

    Also- shout-out to the super funny captions and great header too. Everyone should read this article!

  5. Ryan R Rosario says:

    I am so amazed with finally discovering this blog… It’s been years and years that I have been searching for this movie and I was given hope to either watch or own a copy of the first Supergirl (hahaha).

    Any other screening of Supergirl perhaps?

    A big Thanks!

    • Paul Bramhall says:

      Hi Ryan, glad you enjoyed the feature! Regarding other screenings, it would be best to contact Andrew Leavold to answer that question. You can find him on Facebook, or alternatively drop him an e-mail on andrewleavold@gmail.com.

  6. brdiy says:

    How I wish this could be made available for public viewing. In DVD format, even.

  7. Florenda yraola says:

    I want to wacth again this movie i missed this. A love this horror movie

  8. Mike Vila says:

    sana meron ulet nito. I was searching for this… wow.

  9. Trek Wiseman says:

    I actually saw this film as several reruns on TV back when I was 7-8 years old. I miss it because I remember the zombies giving me nightmares. I wonder if there’s any online streaming service featuring this film? Please help us track it down and post your discovery here, thank you!

  10. nica says:

    Saw this on channel 11 a while ago! It was amusing and at first I thought I won’t be able to bare finish it but my dad and I got so into the film. Odette Khan looked familiar then my mom mentioned her name (my parents also love movies even from waaaay back their time). I also thought the lead actress doesn’t look like the “lead actress” at first but found her charming later on in the film. I’m glad I found this article and learned about the other films in this era. Hopefully we’ll get to chance upon another film like this again on TV. 🙂

  11. Aries Buenviaje says:

    Would love to watch this again
    Brings back memories of my childhood
    Can it be made available on dvd?
    Thanks

  12. Joseph Sapitula says:

    I’ve seen this movie couple of times during the early 70’s on tv. I am wondering why it was lost…..? The film was a bit odd, but still entertaining…

  13. Raya says:

    This movie was constantly on TV in the afternoons during Martial Law. Unfortunately, i can’t remember which channel but they were only 5 at the time anyway. I used to watch it as a kid, after I came home from school. I also watched the pinoy Batman movie which alternatied with Supergirl and a few other older Sampaguita movies. I might be wrong but I’m sure it was on for months repeatedly, conceivably even for years. Wouldn’t these movies be in an archive in one of those TV channels’ vaults?

  14. Ricky says:

    Napanood ko ito noon sana magkaroon ulit kahit sa youtube

  15. arhiel says:

    I’ve watched this movie and i really enjoyed the story it de

  16. Yvette says:

    This is the one Pinoy movie that I will never forget as long as I live. I have watched this countless times when I was just a kid back in the 80s. It gave me nightmares, yeah, but it’s totally worth the palpitations lol. I would love to see this again before I die.

  17. Alex says:

    I wonder if he got also Elektrika Kasi Eh … should i ask him on email :v ?

  18. Ronald Diana says:

    Hi
    Very nice blog …. I’m just wondering if u can help me coz I’ve been looking and longing to have a copy of Supergirl (1973) staring Pinky Montilla….. please please please hope u can help me out

  19. mickey says:

    i love this film together with Elektrika, Darna and the Giants and Darna and the Planet Women

    please tell us where can we buy a copy of this film

  20. Jack says:

    Great article! But how could Supergirl “kick off” the wave of superhero films in 1973 if Batwoman and Robin came out the year before?

  21. Raymond says:

    Thank you very much for this article and the nicely written review of the movie.

    I was actually searching in the internet for this (chubby) Pinky, but I forgot her surname. I knew that the more popular Pinky was Pinky de Leon, a sister of the multi-awarded Christopher de Leon.

    Luckily, even though I typed Pinky de Leon, I saw in the “images search” a picture of this chubby Pinky.

    I do remember in 1973, even though I was only 5 or 6 years old then, seeing a large billboard advertising this “Supergirl” movie. My parents did not take us to the movies often, maybe just once or twice a year, so I missed this movie while it was being shown in the theaters. Moreover, I think the age requirement at that time was at least 7 years old to be admitted in movie theaters.

    A few years later, I saw this same movie in one of the TV channels in the mid or late 70s that were showing Filipino movies that had already been shown in theaters a few years back.

    I do remember the zombies, and the giant frog, Odette Khan and her daughter. I forgot some of the scenes, but your article made me recall them, including the dead son-in-law. The pictures also made me recall the fight scene at the top of the church, and how the zombies were led to the church, and how Supergirl made one zombie make the sign of the cross. Now, I even recall Ike Lozada (the fat man) being killed by the zombies.

    It is like a time machine taking me back to my childhood.

    Thank you very much!!!

  22. florenda yraola says:

    I like this movie and till now I searching this. And now I found it but how can I watch this movie again.

    • Rumor has it the copy remains under lock and key in Makati’s Archivo Gallery. I recently spoke to the organiser of the screening, Andrew Leavold, and even he confirmed the only access given to it was for that one night in 2016!

      • Stu Hiatt says:

        That’s a shame. I wished they’d change their mind and get this released to DVD or Blu-ray. One can hope, anyway.

  23. The full movie was uploaded to YouTube 6 hours ago, grab it while you can!

    https://youtu.be/ugCYZjcvh6E

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