Lou Salvador | |
|---|---|
| Born | Luis Salvador (1905-07-07)July 7, 1905 |
| Died | March 1, 1973(1973-03-01) (aged 67) |
| Other names | Chipipoy, Van Ludor |
| Occupation(s) | basketball player, film and stage producer |
| Known for | Scored 116 points in a single basketball game |
| Children | 102 (includingLou Jr.,Maria Lourdes,Phillip andRoss) |
Luis "Lou" Salvador Sr. (July 7, 1905 – March 1, 1973) was a Filipino basketball player, stage actor, and talent manager. Salvador was born inTacloban,Leyte, to aSpanish father and amestiza mother.[1]
As a player for thePhilippine national basketball team during the1923 Far Eastern Games, he scored 116 points in a single game, being one of thefew basketball players to have scored over 100 points in a single game. He later became a leading figure in Philippineshow business as a talent manager and a stage show impresario.
Several among his 102 children became notable personalities in the Philippine entertainment scene, beginning with his sonLou Salvador Jr., who was dubbed "TheJames Dean of the Philippines".[2]
Salvador first played for the Philippine men's national basketball team at the age of seventeen, at the1921 Far Eastern Games held inShanghai.[3] He also represented the Philippines in the 1923 and the1925 Far Eastern Games, where his team in both instances won the gold medal. Salvador also played collegiate basketball for theJose Rizal College Heavy Bombers, leading them to a national championship in 1924.[3]
Salvador's most notable basketball achievement came in May, 1923, during theFar Eastern Games inOsaka,Japan when he scored 116 points during a match against China.[3][4] With this feat, he became one of onlyfew basketball players to have scored over 100 points in a single game. Salvador would later attribute his achievement to excellent conditioning, recounting that for a whole year prior to that game, he had practiced daily at theYMCA compound in Manila, using a medicine ball which he would throw repeatedly to acclimatize his body.[3] He confessed to finding ease at his achievement during the game itself, owing to his daily practice routine.[3]
Beginning in 1925, Salvador would make appearances in the Manilabodabil (vaudeville) stage under thenameChipipoy, and also asVan Ludor .[1] His sister Miami was also abodabil performer.
It was afterWorld War II that Salvador attained the most influence in the Philippine entertainment scene. He became the most successful stage show impresario in the Philippines, organizingbodabil troupes that toured the country.[5] Dubbed as "The Master Showman",[3] he was credited with discovering and fostering the careers of such noted singers and comedians asChiquito,Bentot,Cachupoy,Canuplin,Pepe Pimentel,Diomedes Maturan, andEddie Peregrina.[5]
Salvador also dabbled in films and established his own production company, Master Films.[5] He was a featured cast member ofManuel Conde'sGenghis Khan (1950), which was entered into competition in theVenice Film Festival in 1952.[5] Salvador also directed the feature filmsBad Boy (1957) andBarkada (1958), which both starred his son,Lou Salvador Jr.
TheLou Salvador Sr. Memorial Award is handed out by theFilipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences in his honor.
Salvador fathered 102[6] children and reputedly had 48 women.[3]
Apart from Lou Salvador Jr., he also fathered the actorsAlona Alegre, Leroy Salvador (director, producer and politician), the eldest of the Salvador siblings, Mina Aragon,Phillip Salvador,Ross Rival, Emil Salvador, and Jumbo Salvador.[1][3] Jobelle Salvador and Deborah Sun (daughters of Leroy Salvador), Ethan Salvador (son of Emil Salvador), Joshua Aquino (son of Phillip Salvador andKris Aquino), andMaja Salvador (daughter of Ross Rival) are his grandchildren.[3] Analain Salvador and Ashton Salvador (grandchildren ofAlona Alegre) are his great grandchildren.[citation needed] Singer Juan Miguel Salvador (father of actressJanella Salvador) is the grandson of Lou Salvador's brother Pedro Salvador.