Johnny Litton: Johnny Be Good

By Maan D’Asis Pamaran

The irreverent and irrepressible Johnny Litton seriously advocates a return to more genteel times.

Oh yes, it’s Johnny!

Mr. Litton was in his element during the PeopleAsia shoot, cracking his quips and one-liners like the pro that he is. This is the trademark that has made him one of high society’s top hosts; where he could establish rapport with his audience, as what his former co-host Maurice Arcache would say, “without batting an eyelash.”

At the interview, however, he settled down to a more serious topic, where he yearned for the heyday of mavens such as Chito Madrigal Collantes, Imelda Cojuangco, Chona Kasten and Conching Sunico; when people practiced civility and proper etiquette. “I miss those days,” he said wistfully, sharing memories of grand events like the Top of The Hilton, where the graceful models at the luncheon fashion show were the daughters of the higher echelon of society. “I don’t see this type of elegance too often nowadays. There is still elegance, but it is about time we go back to basics. This means breeding and proper etiquette.”

As somebody immersed in high society and with the observations gathered in his line of hosting, Johnny lamented the common behavior that he observes in events these days. “I see it happening too often now. People do not reply to invitations. They may say yes and do not show up. Some are not confirmed and show up, sometimes with two friends in tow. This would put pressure on the host who will have to find seating for the two extra people,” he shook his head.

Another pet peeve is grandstanding. “I would be there in front at the Manila’s Best Dressed event, for example, giving my monologue about the Philippine Cancer Society and there comes this lady, fashionably late, moving from table to table, kissing everybody. It happens so much that I pause the program and call her antics to the attention of everybody in the room by saying ‘Ladies and gentlemen, let us take a few minutes to pause while the kissing session is going on’.”

He also explains the propriety of observing the dress code, where attending a black-tie event does not mean coming in jeans and rubber shoes or a long-gown event and appearing in a miniskirt. They do it to purposely catch attention, he says. “Look at the Kennedys, they are a well-known family but they dress very simply. That is because people know who they are. They don’t dress to catch attention. That for me is not just class, it is style.”

Speaking of style, he noted that he’s quite updated with trends. “I am very comfortable with women and I love hearing them talk about their Chanels and their Hermès. I can even talk to them about underwear brands, where I can suggest one that is better than the most popular one because of the fabric that they use.”

He is very familiar with fabrics, of course, as he was once general manager of Litton Mills. In fact, it is his connection with the textile industry that led him to a career in front of the cameras. “Believe it or not, I was very shy. It took a good friend in the person of Elvira Manahan of Two for the Road to get me to talk in front of the camera.” He recounted that Elvira came up with an idea for a TV talk show in English — unheard of in the late 1960s — and she approached Litton Mills for sponsorship support. Johnny was the account executive at the time, and as an advertiser, attended their production meetings. There were technical things about textiles that he was conscripted to discuss on camera. “We started getting fan mail, with people saying they liked our chemistry,” he says in wonderment.

By the time martial law came, he had his own show titled Good Morning, Manila with Ed Finlan. “It was a news show and I was reporting what was on the borderline of what was allowed and what was forbidden,” he grinned slyly. He was already in showbiz by that time, on board Mever Films, which distributed movies like The Sound of Music.

After that came The Late Hour with June and Johnny, which he hosted with June Keithley, and then he went into lifestyle with Oh No, It’s Johnny!

In Oh No, he teamed up with everybody’s favorite palangga, Maurice Arcache. “We gave him his own segment called Arcachat, and it was patok! (a hit!) He would talk about things like table manners, and a lot of people were not aware about things like not getting the bread of your seatmate. I think Maurice should still do something like this now. More young people today should learn from Maurice,” he declared.

Manners and good breeding start at home. So does a love for others. “People now are so obsessed with gaining more wealth. I think that should only be third. First should be family, then health, then wealth. I mean, how many cars can you ride at one time? Family should be a priority.”

His involvement with the Philippine Cancer Society’s Best Dressed fundraising event has something to do with his son EJ’s passing. “When he died of cancer, there were three ladies who came to his wake and started crying. It turned out, they were sampaguita vendors that EJ had helped send to school. They are now head nurses in Daly City.

In his son’s honor, he set up the EJ Litton Foundation, which was able to respond to the calamity in Leyte, supporting several families for eight months. “It starts at home,” he reiterated. “Children see how you treat your maids and drivers. They will copy your behavior towards your hired helpers.”

Family is his number one. “The Johnny you see on TV is only one facet of me. I like to read books, I have 15,000 at home. I like going to places where I can enjoy anonymity. Most importantly, I am a family man. I have a Johnny Litton Law where children, in-laws and grandchildren — of which I have 13 — have dinner at my house every Sunday.”

His irreverent humor, he said, he gets from visiting Congress. “There are 230 jokes sitting right there!” then he whispers into the recorder, “If you print that, tell them my name is Joanne Rae Ramirez…”

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