Prince Bhanubandhu Yugala ( th, พระเจ้าวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าภาณุพันธุ์ยุคล; , born 27 November 1910 in
Songkhla Province,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, died 5 February 1995 in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...
)
["Prince Bhanu enjoyed a long, varied career", ''The Nation'', Focus, Section C, Saturday, February 11, 1995 (print edition from Nation archives).] was a Thai
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...
,
producer and
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
T ...
,
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
,
composer and author.
He was a grandson of King
Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...
, the maternal grandfather of Princess
Soamsawali Kitiyakara and an uncle of director
Chatrichalerm Yukol
Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol ( th, หม่อมเจ้าชาตรีเฉลิม ยุคล; ; born November 29, 1942), or usually known by his nickname Mui ( th, มุ้ย), is a Thai film director, screenwriter film producer and ...
. His nickname was ''Sadet Ong Chaiyai''.
Biography
Early life and career
Prince Bhanubandhu was the eldest of three children of Prince
Yugala Dighambara and Princess Chalermkhet Mongkhol. He was a grandson of King
Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...
. He was educated in Thailand at Thepsirin School, and then in France. He also lived abroad in his youth in England and the United States. In his 20s, he returned to Thailand and enlisted in the
Royal Thai Army
The Royal Thai Army or RTA ( th, กองทัพบกไทย; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
History
Origin
The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's so ...
's
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...
division. While in the army, he studied filmmaking in his spare time.
In 1936, Prince Bhanubandhu's youngest brother, Prince Anusorn Mongkolkarn, founded the Lavoe Motion Pictures, and produced its first film, ''Naam Yok Ok'' (''The Thorn in Your Side''). Prince Bhanubandhu founded his own company, the Thai Film Company, in 1938, first producing the film, ''Tharn Fai Kao'' (''The Old Flame''). Four other films followed: ''Wan Phen'', ''Mae Sue Sao'' (''Girl Matchmaker''), ''Pid Thong Lang Phru'' and ''Look Thung'' (''The Folks''). The company was disbanded during
World War II, with its assets sold to the
Royal Thai Air Force
"Royal Thai Air Force March"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day)
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles ...
. Film historians believe that the films were destroyed during the war.
["The Prince of Celluloid", ''The Nation'', Focus, Section C, Saturday, February 11, 1995 (print edition from Nation archives).]
Post-war years
After the war ended, Bhanubandhu formed a new production company, Assawin Pictures. Among his works were ''Phantay Norasingh'' (''Oarsman Norasingh''), which was based on a play he wrote in 1942. For the film version, he hired a then-budding cinematographer,
Rattana Pestonji.
Another film by Bhanubandhu was based on the legend of
King Naresuan the Great.
Bhanubandhu pushed for innovations in the
Thai film industry,
often spending his family's fortune to buy equipment for poorer directors. He encouraged the use of
35-mm film over
16-mm films, which was the industry standard in Thailand.
He produced the first Thai film in
CinemaScope
CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
, ''Ruen Phae'' (''Raft Home''), a co-production with
Shaw Brothers Studio
Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011.
In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...
.
Bhanubandhu also composed the score for his films. One of his songs from 1938's ''Tharn Fai Kao'', was selected in 1979 by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as a "Song of Asia".
"It was a sort of hobby that was professional," the prince said about his work in an interview with ''Di-Chan'' magazine. "I could do it much better than a professional. I did the job all by myself, from composing the story, writing the script and shooting the film, to editing it all. It was tiring work, but I am the sort of person who is determined to do a thing until it is completed and at its best."
Family
Prince Bhanubandhu was the eldest of three brothers. His younger brother was Prince Chalermbala Dighambara, while his youngest brother was Prince Anusorn Mongkolkarn, the father of director
Chatrichalerm Yukol
Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol ( th, หม่อมเจ้าชาตรีเฉลิม ยุคล; ; born November 29, 1942), or usually known by his nickname Mui ( th, มุ้ย), is a Thai film director, screenwriter film producer and ...
. Prince Bhanubandhu was married three times and had seven children. In his first marriage to
Mom Luang
The precedence of Thai royalty follows a system of ranks known as ''thanandon'' ( th, ฐานันดร), which are accompanied by royal titles.
The Sovereign
There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on ...
Soiraya, he fathered
Mom Chao
The precedence of Thai royalty follows a system of ranks known as ''thanandon'' ( th, ฐานันดร), which are accompanied by royal titles.
The Sovereign
There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on ...
Bhandhusawali Kitiyakara, the mother of Her Royal Highness Princess
Soamsawali Kitiyakara, the first wife of Crown Prince
Maha Vajiralongkorn
Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...
. Other children were M.C. Thitibhan Yukol, M.C. Rangsinopphadol. Bhanubandhu then married Mom Boonlom, producing M.C. Bhuribhan Yukol. His third marriage to Mom Chailai (who was twenty when they married in 1976, he sixty-six) produced M.C. Peemai and M.C. Ying Yukol.
Prince Bhanubandhu died at the age of 85 of
blood poisoning
Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...
.
Honours
Foreign honours
* : Knight of de
Royal Order of the Seraphim
The Royal Order of the Seraphim ( sv, Kungliga Serafimerorden; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the P ...
(15/01/1965).
*
Empire of Iran
The Pahlavi dynasty ( fa, دودمان پهلوی) was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who ...
: Commemorative Medal of the
2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (14/10/1971).
* : Honorary Grand Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted o ...
(01/02/1973).
*
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
: King Birendra Coronation Medal (24/02/1975).
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of the Liberator General San Martín
The Order of the Liberator General San Martín ( es, Orden del Libertador General San Martín) is the highest decoration in Argentina. It is awarded to foreign politicians or military, deemed worthy of the highest recognition from Argentina. It is ...
* : Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers
Ancestry
References
External links
Royal House of Yugala
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhanubandhu Yugala
Thai male Phra Ong Chao
Thai film directors
20th-century Chakri dynasty
Yukol family
Yugala, Bhanubandhu
Yugala, Bhanubandhu
Honorary Grand Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia