By Joseph Pimentel
MAY 30, 2008
Asianjournal.com
A FilAm Hollywood Luminary
LOS ANGELES—Benjamin Resella is a World “They weren’t used to the heat,” he recalled.
War II hero and a Hollywood pioneer. At 91 Resella himself eventually collapsed.
Resella has lived a life few could have ever “Sunstroke,” he said. “The sole of my foot
imagined. was swollen with water. The flesh of my foot
Resella is an anomaly. While most 91-year- was sliding against the leather sole of my
olds sit in their homes enjoying the twilight shoe.”
of their career, Resella is still working. In his He said that luckily, the Japanese did not
home at the Motion Pictures and Television see him collapse because a group of Filipinos
Fund Retirement Community in Woodland carried him out or else he would have been
Hills (an exclusive enclave for retired struck with a bayonet by the Japanese soldiers.
Hollywood luminaries), he is taking time off “I thought I was going to die there,” he added.
from retirement to write a screenplay. The After being treated at a hospital in San
movie is about the Chinese pirate Limahong, Fernando, Pampanga, Resella was sent to
who invaded the Philippines in the 1500s. He is Camp O’Donnell internment camp. He served
not doing this for pleasure or to be productive as assistant to the Provost Marshall, Rodolfo
in his long days. He wants this produced and Palma—the husband of Cecilia Muñoz-Palma,
filmed. the first woman appointed to the Supreme
Resella said it is his wide imagination that Court of the Philippines. His job at the camp
has kept him going all these years. of movie productions—developing film, was to count the dead.
“I have a lot of imagination. Imagination sound, production, editing, cameraman and “Almost every night...more than 100
is useless if you cannot put it on something. directing. [people] were buried,” he said. “The sad part is
What’s the use of imagination in your brain? It’s Resella concentrated mostly on that those who would do the burying would be
not doing anything in there. You have to put photographic special effects and set design— buried themselves three days [after] because
[your imagination] on a sculpture, a drawing things his grandfather taught him. Once he of malaria or dysentery. It was a tragedy.”
or paintings, or whatever, you have to put it learned the ropes, he began working as an Hollywood
down so people can see it,” said Resella. Art Director for Sampaguita Pictures. His A few years after the war, Resella and his
And it is his imagination that has gotten him most popular film at that time was Florante family migrated to the US. He started his
to where he is. Working at a time when there at Laura. career in scenic design at the San Francisco
were limited opportunities for minorities, “In the Philippines, I was a pioneer of Opera House. A producer noticed his talent
Resella is one of the very few Filipinos who have modern set design,” he said. “I discarded the and convinced him to move to Hollywood.
made great contributions to the Hollywood old ways and made it appear more with a There, he worked on more than 50 films and
movie industry. He worked as an art director, Hollywood style.” television series. He said his favorite film is
production designer, and scenic supervisor at Resella was on his way to a promising career Hello Dolly. He has also worked on movies like
20th Century Fox for more than 30 years. He in Philippine films when World War II erupted. Space Balls, King Kong, Logan’s Run, Gremlins,
helped design sets for the movies Hello Dolly, He immediately enlisted in the Philippine Ghostbusters, Indian in the Cupboard, and
Silver Streak, Home Alone, Air Force One and army. Dragnet.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture. “I joined the army because the Abelardo Resella managed to hold his own and solidify
Resella was not just a behind-the-scenes family had no contributions to the war,” said his artistic mark. “When you are good at your
production designer. He worked closely with Resella. “I thought that someone [in the work they can’t intimidate you,” he said. “They
Oscar winning directors like Robert Wise on family] has to give a contribution to the war. don’t dare question my work. Since I was very
the details of the set design. Sifting through Of course, my parents were mad when they good at my work, if they started questioning
his photo album revealed a photo of Resella found out. But my grandfather was very proud me I would have a ready answer for them.”
on the General Hospital set, another one with of me.” During the ’80s, then Philippine First
Fox CEO Robert Stanfill, and a picture of Ben In the army, he worked alongside Captain Lady Imelda Marcos presented Resella with
with Wise and actor William Shatner. Miguel Romualdez and future University of a plaque for contributions in art. In 1988,
Early beginnings the Philippines Law School Dean Rodolfo President Ronald Reagan awarded Resella
Ben Resella is a descendant of the famous Palma. “Our company was always in the front the WWII Victory Medal, the Asiatic Pacific
Abelardo family in the Philippines. His line,” he said. Campaign Medal, the American Defense
cousin was Nicanor Abelardo, the legendary When Resella was captured, he along with Medal, Philippine Defense Ribbon and the
composer. His grandfather was a famous his company had to endure the Bataan Death Presidential Unit Emblem Ribbon.
painter, Juan Henson Abelardo. March. He remembers the long march. The In a way, Resella’s story mirrors a Hollywood
Under the guidance of his grandfather, Japanese hit him with long bamboo rods fairy tale. He grew up privileged, endured the
Resella started his movie career at the age of when he could not keep pace. He recalls horrors of WWII, and became one of the first
15. He cleaned tanks at the Manila Talkatone the sweltering heat and watching American Filipinos to make notable contributions in
before learning about the other facets soldiers around him collapse, dehydrated. Hollywood. (AJ)
Page 
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47