Ellis Roderick Dungan (May 11, 1909 – December 1, 2001) was an American film director, who was well known for working in Indian films, predominantly in

Tamil cinema Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywo ...

, from 1936 to 1950. He was an alumnus of the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

and moved to India in 1935. During his film career in South India, Dungan directed the debut films of several popular Tamil film actors, such as

M. G. Ramachandran Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...

in '' Sathi Leelavathi'',The Hindu article on Americans in Tamil cinema
/ref> T. S. Balaiya, Kali N. Ratnam and

N. S. Krishnan Nagercoil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan, popularly known as Kalaivanar () and also as NSK, was an Indian actor-comedian, theatre artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry – in the 1940s and 1950s. He is conside ...

Biography

Early life

An Irish-American, Dungan was born in Barton, Ohio. on May 11, 1909. He attended St. Clairsville High School in St. Clairsville, where he played quarterback on the school football team. He bought his first box camera to take pictures for the school yearbook, for which he was editor-in-chief. He later enrolled at the

in 1932 in the newly established Cinematography & Motion Picture Production Department.

Career

Ellis Dungan SD Santhanalakshmi MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar Ambikavathy 1937

In 1935, he came to India with his college mate Michael Ormalev at the invitation of another USC student - Manik Lal Tandon of

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

. Tandon's family was then planning to enter the film industry. When those plans did not take off, Tandon invited them to

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

where he was directing the Tamil film ''

Nandanar Nandanar (also spelt as Nantanar), also known as Tirunalaippovar (Thirunaallaippovaar (The one who will go tomorrow)) and Tiru Nalai Povar Nayanar,Other names include: Nandan (Nanda, Nantan), Tirunalaipovanar, Nalaippovar, Nalaippovan was a ...

''. There Tandon introduced them to A. N. Marudhachalam Chettiar, a film producer who was making the film '' Sathi Leelavathi'' and recommended Dungan be hired to direct the film as he himself was busy directing ''Nandanar''. Thus Dungan made his directing debut with ''Sathi Leelavathi'' which was also the first film of future-

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu The chief minister of Tamil Nadu is the head of government, chief executive of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the Governors of states of India, governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, bu ...

. During 1936-50, Dungan made a number of Tamil films and one Hindi film - ''Meera'' (1947). Dungan had no knowledge of Indian languages, a problem which never affected his career as a director of films in Indian languages, especially Tamil. He introduced many new techniques to Indian cinema despite the technical limitations of that period. Many of his movies were based on the mythical characters of the

Hindu religion Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...

and he had to shoot them in Hindu temples where non-Hindus were not allowed in those days. Dungan filmed his movies in the temples by passing himself off as a

Kashmiri Kashmiri may refer to: * People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir * Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley * Kashmiri language, their language People with the name * Kashmiri Saikia Baruah ...

pundit. Dungan is credited with introducing modern make-up, the mobile camera and cabaret dance numbers to Tamil Cinema and moving it away from the influence of stage plays. For his introduction of intimate love scenes in ''

Ponmudi Ponmudi (the Golden Peak) also known as Kashmir of Kerala is a hill station in the Peringamala gramapanchayath of Trivandrum District of Kerala in India. It is located 22km west of Vithura town, 53 km north-east of Trivandrum City, ...

'' (1950), Dungan was criticized by the press for introducing "vulgar" scenes and for "corrupting the population with American ways".Blast From the Past - Ponmudi 1950, The Hindu, 4 October 2008
/ref> His last Tamil film was ''

Manthiri Kumari ''Manthiri Kumari'' () is a 1950 Indian Tamil-language historical fiction film directed by Ellis R. Dungan and starring M. G. Ramachandran, M. N. Nambiar. Plot The King of Mullai Nadu is dominated by his Raja guru (head priest) ( M. N. Nam ...

'' in 1950. He returned to America and settled in

Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending ...

in 1958. There he started his company - "Ellis Dungan productions" and for the next thirty years made documentary movies for the Hollywood producer Duke Goldstone.

Death

Dungan died in Wheeling on December 1, 2001 at the age of 92.

Legacy

Dungan is credited with having revolutionized Indian cinema and introduced western innovations. In 2013, American film maker Karan Bali made a one-hour documentary on Dungan titled '' An American in Madras'' by consulting West Virginia State Archives and interviewing people who had known Dungan.

Filmography

Tamil

* ''

Bhakta Nandanar ''Bhakta Nandanar'' () is a 1935 Tamil-language film directed by Manik Lal Tandon. It marked the cinematic debut of the carnatic singer and stage artist K. B. Sundarambal. She was paid a then unprecedented 100,000 (equivalent of 60 million (2013 ...

'' (1935) (uncredited) * '' Sathi Leelavathi'' (1936) * '' Seemanthini'' (1936) * '' Iru Sahodarargal'' (1936) * '' Ambikapathy'' (1937) * '' Surya Puthri'' (1941) * '' Sakuntalai'' (1940) * ''

Kalamegam ''Kalamegam'' is a 1940 Tamil-language film directed by Ellis R. Dungan and starring nadaswaram player T. N. Rajarathnam Pillai. This was the second film as script writer for the Tamil rationalist poet Bharathidasan. This was the only film in w ...

'' (1940) * '' Daasi Penn'' (1943) * ''Valmiki'' (1945) * ''Returning Soldier'' (1945) * ''

Meera Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...

'' (1945) * ''

'' (1950) * ''

'' (1950)

Hindi

* ''Meera'' (1947)

English

* ''

The Jungle ''The Jungle'' is a 1906 novel by the American journalist and novelist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair's primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to advance socialism in the United States. However, most readers we ...

'' (1952) * '' Smilin' Ed's Gang'' (1951–1954) (TV show) * '' Andy's Gang'' (1955–1960) (TV show) * ''

Harry Black and the Tiger ''Harry Black'' (later titled ''Harry Black and the Tiger'') is a 1958 British film adaptation of the novel '' Harry Black'' by David Walker, released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Stewart Granger, Barbara Rush, Anthony Steel, and I. ...

'' (1958) * '' Wheeling 1959: Wheels to Progress'' (1959) * '' The Big Hunt'' (1959) * '' Tarzan Goes to India'' (1962) (as second unit producer) * '' For Liberty and Union'' (1977) *
Fox - Architect of the United States First Navy
' (1987)

Bibliography

* ''A Guide to Adventure - An Autobiography'' (with Barbara Diane Smik), Pittsburg: Dorrance Publishing Co. (2002)

References

External links

*
Entry in the Wheeling Hall of Fame

NYT blog post on Ellis R. Dungan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dungan, Ellis R. 1909 births 2001 deaths Tamil film directors USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni American people of Irish descent Hindi-language film directors Film directors from Ohio Film directors from West Virginia People from Wheeling, West Virginia