The battle at the tills between Sister Stella L. and Bukas Luluhod Ang Mga Tala was actually a turning point for both Santos' and Cuneta's careers. It heralded the arrival of Sharon as a superstar in her own right (the press gave her her own monicker, Megastar), proved to everyone that she can draw in the movie-going crowds with or without the help of a leading man (notably her team-up with Gabby Concepcion), and eclipsed not only Vilma's career but also Nora Aunor's as well (her films released during that same year,such as Bulaklak Ng City Jail and 'Merika, bombed at the tills, same with Santos' Alyas Baby Tsina).
But as a footnote, time has been kind to Santos' and Aunor's movie legacies (Sister Stella L. and Himala, to cite just a few examples, are widely acknowledged masterpieces of Philippine cinema). Cuneta,on the other hand, has to wait til Laurice Guillen's Tayong Dalawa and Olivia Lamasan's Madrasta, to gain positive notice from film critics. True, these were good films, but certainly not in the caliber of Santos' and Aunor's best works.