Dancing With The DANCING MASTER

Dancing Master

A major film producer once remarked, that for a movie to be a commercial success, all a producer has to do is to make Dolphy stand in front of a blank wall and run the camera for two hours. Jett Espiritu's Dancing Master (RVQ Productions, Inc., 1979) has many genuine laughs. Of course, he had a lot of help in Dancing Master. The film utilized the cast of the once top-rated TV sitcom John & Marsha. Dolphy in fact, plays a character named Johnny. The film improves on the Buhay Artista team of Dolphy and Panchito who manages to have his own naughty moments instead of simply playing straight man to Dolphy. True to his philosophy of riding on other money making elements, in 1978 he did Ang Tatay Kong Nanay with Niño Muhlach and Jack 'N' Jill Of The The Third Kind with Nora Aunor. Dolphy uses the Kung Fu formula which catapulted Rey Malonzo to superstar status. But whatever merit the genuine laughs have, it is negated by the toilet humor that again and again, here as in other Dolphy films, rears its ugly behind.

The film itself has inspired moments. In one sequence, Johnny and Perfecto (Panchito) are forced to play Russian roulette after the fashion of The Deer Hunter (1978) complete with bamboo cage, river and Vietnamese-sounding words. In another sequence, the film spoofs the snake technique idolized by many Kung Fu fans, Dancing Master uses a real snake. In a dream sequence, Johnny and Rhodora (Nida Blanca) appear to take their balletic pas de deux seriously, while the camera pokes fun at them. Just as in Jack 'N' Jill Of The Third Kind, the training sequence with Tsing (Tsing Tong Tsai) is hilarious, Dolphy is at his best with visual satire. As in other Dolphy films, the fight sequences are fun, primarily because they are bloodless. No one really seems to get hurt. The final fight sequence in this film however, pales in comparison with those in his earlier movies. Despite Dolphy, the cast and the inspired moments, however, the film fails because the screenplay and direction leave much to be desired. Much of the humor in the ad libs were obviously contributed by veteran comedians Dely Atay-Atayan as Rhodora's mother Señora Baleleng and Jacklyn played to comic perfection by Matimtiman Cruz. Dolphy's visual talents are not fully exploited. One routine involving an exchange of gifts was done twice, a clear sign of loss of imagination on the part of the screenwriter. The characters act without clear motivation. Dolphy can do a lot for tagalog movies in terms of craftsmanship. If he would only extend his concern to the technical aspects of filmmaking, he could easily do away with the technical sloppiness and crude scriptwriting of his films. One can see that, Dolphy really wants to moralize and uplift the sense of responsibility in his audience. If he would only try to improve their artistic taste as well, he could do Philippine cinema an incomparable service.

Written And Directed By: Jett C. Espiritu
Story: Vic Poblete
Cinematography: Manuel Bulotano
Music: D'Amarillo
Film Editor:  Efren Jarlego
Art Director: Pepe Cruz
Produced By: RVQ Productions, Inc.