Rosa del Rosario

Rosa del Rosario
Del Rosario in the 1930s
Born	Rose Stagner y Rosario (1917-12-15)December 15, 1917 Manila, Philippine Islands
Died	February 4, 2006(2006-02-04) (aged 88) Modesto, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1932–1954

Rosa del Rosario (born Rose Stagner; December 15, 1917 – February 4, 2006) was a Filipino actress whose career spanned two decades. She began her career as a teenager and became one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1930s to early 1940s, appearing in films with political and social themes depicting Filipino patriotism and liberalism. After appearing in two Hollywood productions during World War II, she returned to the Philippines and starred in the romantic action Bakya Mo Neneng (1947) opposite Leopoldo Salcedo. She then became the highest paid actress of that period following its success and was the first actress to play the Filipino comic book character Darna (1951) in live action.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}

She was born to an American father (Frank H. Stagner) and a Filipino mother from Pampanga (Aquilina del Rosario). She began studying at the age of seven and was enrolled in public schools. She attended Isabelo de los Reyes Elementary School until sixth grade. She studied at the Manila High School until tenth grade. She was an average student, although her grades fluctuated from time to time. She did odd jobs at bakeshops and sold cookies, siomai and empanada at the movie theaters, which enabled her to watch movie for free.

Her film debut was at the age of fourteen when she was cast as the daughter of Carlos Padilla Sr. and Alma Bella in the horror film Satanas (1932). She starred in her first major movie Ligaw na Bulaklak (1932) opposite Rogelio de la Rosa. She held the distinction of being the first actress to play the first Filipino superheroine on screen, Darna (1951) and Darna at ang Babaing Lawin (1952). Among her memorable movies were Doktor Kuba (1933, with Patrocinio Carvajal), Minda Mora (1929) and Zamboanga (1937) both with Fernando Poe Sr., Nang Magulo ang Maynila (1937, with Domingo Principe), Himala ng Birhen sa Antipolo (1947, with Rogelio de la Rosa), Caprichosa (1947, with José Padilla Jr.), Tandang Sora (1947, with Leopoldo Salcedo), Kumander Sundang (1949, with Efren Reyes) and Rosario Cantada (1951, with Ben Perez). She also appeared in Hollywood films such as Border Bandits (1946), Anna and the King of Siam (1946, uncredited) and American Guerilla in the Philippines (1950, uncredited).

She left the Philippines in 1956 and moved to Novato, California. She was married to John Samit and had two children named Geraldine and Terry. She was also the grandmother of two girls named Hannah and Sarah.

Del Rosario died of pancreatic cancer on February 4, 2006, in Novato, California, at the age of 88.

• Rosa del Rosario at IMDb
• Darna (1951 film) at IMDb
• Darna at ang Babaeng Lawin (1952 film) at IMDb