by Joe Quirino
From Getting to Know Nora Book
This is a truism in movie circles - both here and abroad - which telescopes the values of any star, especially at the box office.
If this is the only criterion for the "greatness" of Nora Aunor, then there is no doubt that she's still number one. Her photoplay And God Smiled at Me not only won many awards in the 1972 Quezon City Film Festival, including those for best actress (Nora), best actor (Tirso Cruz III) and best picture, but was also the top grosser in that filmfest. The picture has been so successful, in fact, that it my turn out to be the top grosser of the year.
But there are other things going for this poor little rich girl from Bicolandia.
Since January of last year, she has "achieved" the following:
1. Recorded eight long-playing albums (Blue Hawaii, Mga Awiting Pilipino, Queen of Songs, Mga Awitin ng Puso, Be Gentle, Christmas Songs, Mga Awiting Pamasko and Ang Tindera). All told, she has waxed 19 LPs (228 songs), which make her Asia's recordingest star.
2. Appeared in 10 movies (Winter Holiday, Gift of Love, Blue Hawaii, Nora Mahal Kita, And God Smiled at Me, Dito sa Aking Puso, My Little Brown Girl, Carmela, Kondesang Basahan and Impossible Dream).
3. Turned movie producer. She is the president of NV Productions, which produced Carmela.
4. Three books have been published about her: Nora Aunor Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by Tony Villa, Nora Aunor Superstar by Rustum Quinton and Getting to Know Nora by Herbert Vego.
5. Bought her fourth and fifth house: in Greenhills Subdivision in San Juan, Rizal and in Loyola Subdivision in Quezon City, respectively, each of which costs no less than P600,000. Her other homes include a P200,000 house in Better Living Subdivision in Paranaque, a P500,000 residence in Capitolio, Pasig, Rizal and a P200,000 dwelling in Iriga, Camarines Sur, her hometown.
ORCHIDS AND ONIONS
Of course, 1972 has not been all orchids for Nora (also known to her fans as Guy, Oya, Orang, Peanuts, Angel and Brix). There have been onions too, which have soured somewhat the sweet smell of success. For instance, as a result of her failure to attend her own coronation rites as Queen of Philippine Movies (to Cocoy Laurel's King) last May 20 (last year), eve of her 19th birthday, the Liwayway Publications, on orders of Brig Gen Hans Menzi, publisher, has banned Nora from the pages of its periodicals such as Liwayway, Bannawag, Bisaya, Hiligaynon and Balita.
Nora and her legion of drumbeaters tried to justify her absence from that affair by saying that she had a car accident. The Liwayway people, on the other hand, said that many people had seen Nora on the day of her birthday hale and hearty. "In fact," said one report, "she was even skipping rope."