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Weng Weng

Ernesto dela Cruz (September 7, 1957 – August 29, 1992), known by the stage name Weng Weng, was a Filipino actor, stunt performer, and martial artist. He was a short person at 83 centimeters (2 ft 9 in) tall. Born in what is now Baclaran in Parañaque, dela Cruz studied karate. In the mid-1970s, dela Cruz played supporting roles in films, until his first starring role in Agent OO (1981). At the Manila International Film Festival, dela Cruz's starring role in the Agent OO's sequel For Your Height Only (1981) outsold every other local production on foreign sales.

Weng Weng
Born
Ernesto de la Cruz

(1957-09-07)September 7, 1957
Parañaque, Rizal, Philippines
DiedAugust 29, 1992(1992-08-29) (aged 34)
Pasay, Philippines
Occupation(s)Actor, martial artist
Years active1972–1984
Height83 cm (2 ft 9 in)

Following this, dela Cruz appeared in the D'Wild Wild Weng (1982), The Impossible Kid (1982), as Agent OO, and The Cute... The Sexy n' The Tiny alongside Berting Labra and Pia Moran. Eventually, his managers Peter and Cora Caballes changed professional paths and dela Cruz never worked again in the media industry. Dela Cruz spent the rest of his life with his family in Baclaran and died at the age of 34 in 1992.

With the passing of time, dela Cruz became a cult film icon. Online, some of his movies went viral. By the 2000s, a lot of information published about him was vague. Research about his life led to the making of two successful documentaries: Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010), and The Search for Weng Weng (2013).

Early life

Dela Cruz was born to Felicito Jose dela Cruz, an electrician (1914–1968), and Rita DeGuzman dela Cruz, a laundry woman (1919–1989), the youngest of five brothers, on September 7, 1957. As described by dela Cruz's brother Celing, dela Cruz's early life went as follows. When his mother was pregnant, she didn't know until the doctor informed her, and when she gave birth, his size was "no bigger than a small Coke bottle". His premature state forced dela Cruz's parents to place him in a shoe box under a light as a rudimentary incubator, feeding him with a dropper. With a medical condition known as primordial dwarfism,[1] it caused dela Cruz to reach the height of only 2 feet 9 inches (0.83 meters) tall. Being devout Catholics, dela Cruz's mother showed their devotion to their faith by dressing and parading a young dela Cruz as Santo Niño each year for the annual Baclaran parade. Dela Cruz became popular in the neighborhood and his mother Rita felt he should become an actor. In 1968, dela Cruz's father died after falling down a ladder at work.[2]

According to Celing, as a child dela Cruz was fascinated with action films and started to study them. Neighbours of dela Cruz began to notice him climbing on clothing lines doing acrobatics and pull-ups. Dela Cruz joined karate classes, where he learned quickly, and impressed his instructor, so much so that the instructor would perform demonstrations with dela Cruz to promote the school. During one of these demonstrations, dela Cruz was noticed by producer and actor Peter Caballes of Liliw Productions. Dela Cruz's mother, who had a hard time raising five boys, allowed him and his wife Cora to take dela Cruz under their helm for an acting career.[2]

Career

1975–1981: Early roles and breakthrough

Dela Cruz began to work almost exclusively with Liliw Productions.[2] He began with an uncredited role in Silakbo, released October 17, 1975.[3]

In 1976, dela Cruz received his first billing as Weng Weng, which would be his pseudonym for the rest of his career, when he co-starred in Silang Matatapang and Sila...Sa Bawat Bangketa.[3]

In 1978, dela Cruz shared the top billing with actor Ramon Zamora in Chopsuey Meets Big Time Papa.[4]

Comic actor Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr., better known as Dolphy, was friends with Peter Caballes, who introduced him to dela Cruz. Quizon felt he could use dela Cruz in a comedy film and hired him to act for his company RVQ Productions. Their first collaboration was The Quick Brown Fox. Dela Cruz played Quizon's sidekick.[5] The movie was released on November 6, 1980.[6]

On February 13, 1981, Stariray premiered.[7] Dela Cruz plays a supporting role, in a comedy starring Quizon.[8] On May 29, Agent 00 was released.[9] In it dela Cruz plays the lead as Agent OO.[2] On June 12, Da Best In Da West was released.[10] Starring Quizon, with dela Cruz in a minor role.[11] On July 2, the musical film Legs... Katawan... Babae! premiered.[10] Dela Cruz makes a cameo.[12] For Your Height Only was released on September 2, with dela Cruz returning as secret Agent OO.[13] At the Manila International Film Festival, the film outsold every other local productions for international distribution.[14][15][16][17]

1982–1986: action film star

On March 25, 1982, D'Wild Wild Weng was released, starring dela Cruz.[18] On July 23, The Impossible Kid premiered, with dela Cruz returning in the role of Agent OO.[19] On December 25, dela Cruz shared the top billing with Berting Labra and Pia Moran in The Cute... The Sexy n' The Tiny.[20]

During this time, dela Cruz was announced as one of the supporting actors in Tatak: Magnum (1983), but he is not in the finished film.[21]

No public appearance by dela Cruz are known after 1986.[22]

1987–1992: return to obscurity and death

Peter and Cora Caballes retired from filmmaking circa 1987, and dela Cruz returned to his hometown, under the care of his family.[22]

1993–present day: posthumous success and aftermath

After his death, Weng Weng films gained a cult status.[2] Details on dela Cruz's life were vague, while some claims have a base in reality, some of it is myth. The discoveries about him led to the release of two documentaries Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010) which focuses on Philippine's film during his active years. The second one about him, The Search for Weng Weng (2013). Both films were well received.[23][24][15][25][26][27]

Research made showed that dela Cruz's films Agent OO and The Cute... The Sexy n' The Tiny are lost.[2] The U-matic master tape of ABS-CBN Dolphy's The Quick Brown Fox disintegrated upon its last screening.[28]

Death

On August 29, 1992, Ernesto dela Cruz, age 34, died in Pasay, of a heart attack due to hypertension.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Weng Weng Lives!". Inquirer Lifestyle. January 4, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Leavold, Andrew. The Search for Weng Weng (DVD). USA: Wild Eye Releasing. 760137943594.
  3. ^ a b Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Weng Weng filmography". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 229. ISBN 9780994411235.
  4. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Weng Weng filmography". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 230. ISBN 9780994411235.
  5. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "The short, the fat and the ugly". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. pp. 98–99. ISBN 9780994411235.
  6. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Weng Weng filmography". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. pp. 230–231. ISBN 9780994411235.
  7. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Weng Weng filmography". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 231. ISBN 9780994411235.
  8. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "The short, the fat and the ugly". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. pp. 100–101. ISBN 9780994411235.
  9. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Weng Weng filmography". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 232. ISBN 9780994411235.
  10. ^ a b Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Weng Weng filmography". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 233. ISBN 9780994411235.
  11. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "The short, the fat and the ugly". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 94. ISBN 9780994411235.
  12. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Discos, westerns, and disco westerns". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. pp. 119–121. ISBN 9780994411235.
  13. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 234. ISBN 9780994411235.
  14. ^ Kehr, Dave (December 30, 2005). "Hailing the DVD Distributors: The Best Vault Raiders of 2005". The New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Minutes, 2014 | 92. "Search For Weng Weng, The". Retrieved February 22, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Team, Screen (July 29, 2014). "Today at Fantasia". Cult MTL. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  17. ^ Wilson, Jake (August 7, 2014). "In search of Weng Weng, the pint-sized James Bond of Filipino film". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  18. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Weng Weng filmography". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 237. ISBN 9780994411235.
  19. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Weng Weng filmography". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 238. ISBN 9780994411235.
  20. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "Weng Weng filmography". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 239. ISBN 9780994411235.
  21. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. pp. 181–182. ISBN 9780994411235.
  22. ^ a b Leavold, Andrew (2017). "The death of the Pinoy action king". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 199. ISBN 9780994411235.
  23. ^ Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010), retrieved March 22, 2020
  24. ^ Harvey, Dennis (February 26, 2015). "Film Review: 'The Search for Weng Weng'". Variety. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  25. ^ Amanda Waltz (August 2, 2014). "[Fantasia Review] The Search For Weng Weng". The Film Stage. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  26. ^ "The Search for Weng Weng". IFFR. August 31, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  27. ^ Adonis, Meg (November 18, 2019). "Docus on Duterte, Imelda Marcos submitted to Oscars". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  28. ^ Leavold, Andrew (2017). "The short, the fat and the ugly". The Search for Weng Weng. Australia: The LedaTape Organisation. p. 100. ISBN 9780994411235.

Works cited

  • Hartley, Mark. Machete Maidens Unleashed! (DVD). Umbrella Entertainment.
  • Leavold, Andrew. The Search for Weng Weng (DVD). Wild Eye Releasing.
  • Leavold, Andrew. The Search for Weng Weng (Book). Australia: The LedaTape Organisation, 2017. ISBN 9780994411235

External links

weng, weng, this, philippine, name, family, name, dela, cruz, ernesto, dela, cruz, september, 1957, august, 1992, known, stage, name, filipino, actor, stunt, performer, martial, artist, short, person, centimeters, tall, born, what, baclaran, parañaque, dela, c. In this Philippine name the family name is dela Cruz Ernesto dela Cruz September 7 1957 August 29 1992 known by the stage name Weng Weng was a Filipino actor stunt performer and martial artist He was a short person at 83 centimeters 2 ft 9 in tall Born in what is now Baclaran in Paranaque dela Cruz studied karate In the mid 1970s dela Cruz played supporting roles in films until his first starring role in Agent OO 1981 At the Manila International Film Festival dela Cruz s starring role in the Agent OO s sequel For Your Height Only 1981 outsold every other local production on foreign sales Weng WengBornErnesto de la Cruz 1957 09 07 September 7 1957Paranaque Rizal PhilippinesDiedAugust 29 1992 1992 08 29 aged 34 Pasay PhilippinesOccupation s Actor martial artistYears active1972 1984Height83 cm 2 ft 9 in Following this dela Cruz appeared in the D Wild Wild Weng 1982 The Impossible Kid 1982 as Agent OO and The Cute The Sexy n The Tiny alongside Berting Labra and Pia Moran Eventually his managers Peter and Cora Caballes changed professional paths and dela Cruz never worked again in the media industry Dela Cruz spent the rest of his life with his family in Baclaran and died at the age of 34 in 1992 With the passing of time dela Cruz became a cult film icon Online some of his movies went viral By the 2000s a lot of information published about him was vague Research about his life led to the making of two successful documentaries Machete Maidens Unleashed 2010 and The Search for Weng Weng 2013 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 1975 1981 Early roles and breakthrough 2 2 1982 1986 action film star 2 3 1987 1992 return to obscurity and death 2 4 1993 present day posthumous success and aftermath 3 Death 4 References 5 Works cited 6 External linksEarly life EditDela Cruz was born to Felicito Jose dela Cruz an electrician 1914 1968 and Rita DeGuzman dela Cruz a laundry woman 1919 1989 the youngest of five brothers on September 7 1957 As described by dela Cruz s brother Celing dela Cruz s early life went as follows When his mother was pregnant she didn t know until the doctor informed her and when she gave birth his size was no bigger than a small Coke bottle His premature state forced dela Cruz s parents to place him in a shoe box under a light as a rudimentary incubator feeding him with a dropper With a medical condition known as primordial dwarfism 1 it caused dela Cruz to reach the height of only 2 feet 9 inches 0 83 meters tall Being devout Catholics dela Cruz s mother showed their devotion to their faith by dressing and parading a young dela Cruz as Santo Nino each year for the annual Baclaran parade Dela Cruz became popular in the neighborhood and his mother Rita felt he should become an actor In 1968 dela Cruz s father died after falling down a ladder at work 2 According to Celing as a child dela Cruz was fascinated with action films and started to study them Neighbours of dela Cruz began to notice him climbing on clothing lines doing acrobatics and pull ups Dela Cruz joined karate classes where he learned quickly and impressed his instructor so much so that the instructor would perform demonstrations with dela Cruz to promote the school During one of these demonstrations dela Cruz was noticed by producer and actor Peter Caballes of Liliw Productions Dela Cruz s mother who had a hard time raising five boys allowed him and his wife Cora to take dela Cruz under their helm for an acting career 2 Career Edit1975 1981 Early roles and breakthrough Edit Dela Cruz began to work almost exclusively with Liliw Productions 2 He began with an uncredited role in Silakbo released October 17 1975 3 In 1976 dela Cruz received his first billing as Weng Weng which would be his pseudonym for the rest of his career when he co starred in Silang Matatapang and Sila Sa Bawat Bangketa 3 In 1978 dela Cruz shared the top billing with actor Ramon Zamora in Chopsuey Meets Big Time Papa 4 Comic actor Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr better known as Dolphy was friends with Peter Caballes who introduced him to dela Cruz Quizon felt he could use dela Cruz in a comedy film and hired him to act for his company RVQ Productions Their first collaboration was The Quick Brown Fox Dela Cruz played Quizon s sidekick 5 The movie was released on November 6 1980 6 On February 13 1981 Stariray premiered 7 Dela Cruz plays a supporting role in a comedy starring Quizon 8 On May 29 Agent 00 was released 9 In it dela Cruz plays the lead as Agent OO 2 On June 12 Da Best In Da West was released 10 Starring Quizon with dela Cruz in a minor role 11 On July 2 the musical film Legs Katawan Babae premiered 10 Dela Cruz makes a cameo 12 For Your Height Only was released on September 2 with dela Cruz returning as secret Agent OO 13 At the Manila International Film Festival the film outsold every other local productions for international distribution 14 15 16 17 1982 1986 action film star Edit On March 25 1982 D Wild Wild Weng was released starring dela Cruz 18 On July 23 The Impossible Kid premiered with dela Cruz returning in the role of Agent OO 19 On December 25 dela Cruz shared the top billing with Berting Labra and Pia Moran in The Cute The Sexy n The Tiny 20 During this time dela Cruz was announced as one of the supporting actors in Tatak Magnum 1983 but he is not in the finished film 21 No public appearance by dela Cruz are known after 1986 22 1987 1992 return to obscurity and death Edit Peter and Cora Caballes retired from filmmaking circa 1987 and dela Cruz returned to his hometown under the care of his family 22 1993 present day posthumous success and aftermath Edit After his death Weng Weng films gained a cult status 2 Details on dela Cruz s life were vague while some claims have a base in reality some of it is myth The discoveries about him led to the release of two documentaries Machete Maidens Unleashed 2010 which focuses on Philippine s film during his active years The second one about him The Search for Weng Weng 2013 Both films were well received 23 24 15 25 26 27 Research made showed that dela Cruz s films Agent OO and The Cute The Sexy n The Tiny are lost 2 The U matic master tape of ABS CBN Dolphy s The Quick Brown Fox disintegrated upon its last screening 28 Death EditOn August 29 1992 Ernesto dela Cruz age 34 died in Pasay of a heart attack due to hypertension 2 References Edit Weng Weng Lives Inquirer Lifestyle January 4 2014 Retrieved March 16 2020 a b c d e f g Leavold Andrew The Search for Weng Weng DVD USA Wild Eye Releasing 760137943594 a b Leavold Andrew 2017 Weng Weng filmography The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 229 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 Weng Weng filmography The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 230 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 The short the fat and the ugly The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation pp 98 99 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 Weng Weng filmography The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation pp 230 231 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 Weng Weng filmography The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 231 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 The short the fat and the ugly The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation pp 100 101 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 Weng Weng filmography The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 232 ISBN 9780994411235 a b Leavold Andrew 2017 Weng Weng filmography The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 233 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 The short the fat and the ugly The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 94 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 Discos westerns and disco westerns The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation pp 119 121 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 234 ISBN 9780994411235 Kehr Dave December 30 2005 Hailing the DVD Distributors The Best Vault Raiders of 2005 The New York Times Retrieved August 25 2018 a b Minutes 2014 92 Search For Weng Weng The Retrieved February 22 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Team Screen July 29 2014 Today at Fantasia Cult MTL Retrieved February 22 2020 Wilson Jake August 7 2014 In search of Weng Weng the pint sized James Bond of Filipino film The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved March 1 2020 Leavold Andrew 2017 Weng Weng filmography The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 237 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 Weng Weng filmography The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 238 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 Weng Weng filmography The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 239 ISBN 9780994411235 Leavold Andrew 2017 The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation pp 181 182 ISBN 9780994411235 a b Leavold Andrew 2017 The death of the Pinoy action king The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 199 ISBN 9780994411235 Machete Maidens Unleashed 2010 retrieved March 22 2020 Harvey Dennis February 26 2015 Film Review The Search for Weng Weng Variety Retrieved February 22 2020 Amanda Waltz August 2 2014 Fantasia Review The Search For Weng Weng The Film Stage Retrieved February 22 2020 The Search for Weng Weng IFFR August 31 2015 Retrieved February 22 2020 Adonis Meg November 18 2019 Docus on Duterte Imelda Marcos submitted to Oscars newsinfo inquirer net Retrieved March 1 2020 Leavold Andrew 2017 The short the fat and the ugly The Search for Weng Weng Australia The LedaTape Organisation p 100 ISBN 9780994411235 Works cited EditHartley Mark Machete Maidens Unleashed DVD Umbrella Entertainment Leavold Andrew The Search for Weng Weng DVD Wild Eye Releasing Leavold Andrew The Search for Weng Weng Book Australia The LedaTape Organisation 2017 ISBN 9780994411235External links EditWeng Weng at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Weng Weng amp oldid 1150589418, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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