NEWSFLASH

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SCREEN IDOL PANCHO MAGALONA DEAD

Quezon City, April 11, 1998 - One of the biggest names in Philippine cinema is gone. Pancho Magalona, husband of screen partner Tita Duran and father of 90s pop idol Francis Magalona, passed away at the Lung Center of the Philippines last Monday. He had been confined for a year, suffering from emphysema.

Pancho's health started to deteriorate following the death of his wife Tita in 1990. His son Francis often talked about his concern for Pancho's "loss of will to live" after Tita's passing.

Pancho and Tita were the most popular movie loveteam in the late 40s, and were the biggest money makers for Sampaguita pictures.

Pancho co-starred in some Hollywood movies shot in the Philippines, such as The Hook (with Kirk Douglas) and Merril's Marauders (with Jeff Chandler).

He won the Famas Best Actor Award in 1958 for "Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig" and is best remembered for playing the character Simon in the movie version of Jose Rizal's novel El Filibusterismo.

He left nine children.