- Bhanu Yukol
General Major His Royal Highness Prince Bhanu Yukol ( _th. พระเจ้าวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าภาณุพันธุ์ยุคล, born 1910 in
Songkhla Province ,Thailand , diedFebruary 5 ,1995 inBangkok )"Prince Bhanu enjoyed a long, varied career", "The Nation", Focus, Section C, Saturday, February 11, 1995 (print edition from Nation archives).] was a Thaifilm director , producer andscreenwriter ,playwright ,composer and author.He was a grandson of King
Chulalongkorn , the grandfather of Her Royal Highness PrincessSoamsavali Kitiyakara and an uncle of directorChatrichalerm Yukol . His nickname was "Sadet Ong Chaiyai".Biography
Early life and career
Prince Bhanu was the eldest of three children of Prince
Yugala Dighambara and Princess Chalermkhet Mongkhol. He was a grandson of KingChulalongkorn . 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 theRoyal Thai Army 'scavalry division. While in the army, he studied filmmaking in his spare time.In 1936, Prince Bhanu's youngest brother, Prince Anusorn Mongkolkarn, founded the Lavo Film Company, and produced its first film, "Naam Yok Ok" ("The Thorn in Your Side"). Prince Bhanu 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 theRoyal Thai Air Force . Film historians believe that the films were destroyed during the war."Prince Bhanu enjoyed a long, varied career", "The Nation", Focus, Section C, Saturday, February 11, 1995 (print edition from Nation archives).] "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, Bhanu 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 Bhanu was based on the legend of King Naresuan the Great.
Bhanu pushed for innovations in the Thai film industry,"The Prince of Celluloid", "The Nation", Focus, Section C, Saturday, February 11, 1995 (print edition from Nation archives).] 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 , "Ruen Phae" ("Raft Home"), a co-production withShaw Brothers Studio .Bhanu also composed the score for his films. One of his songs from 1938's "Tharn Fai Kao", was selected in 1979 by
UNESCO as a "Song of Asia"."The Prince of Celluloid", "The Nation", Focus, Section C, Saturday, February 11, 1995 (print edition from Nation archives).]"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.""Prince Bhanu enjoyed a long, varied career", "The Nation", Focus, Section C, Saturday, February 11, 1995 (print edition from Nation archives).]
Family
Prince Bhanu 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 Bhanu was married three times and had seven children. In his first marriage to Mom Luang Soiraya, he fathered Mom Chao Bhandhusawali Kitiyakara, the mother of Her Royal Highness PrincessSoamsavali Kitiyakara , the first wife of Crown PrinceMaha Vajiralongkorn . Other children were M.C. Thitibhan Yukol, M.C. Rangsinopphadol. Bhanu then married Mom Boonlom, producing M.C. Bhuribhan Yukol. His third marriage to Mom Chailai produced M.C. Peemai and M.C. Ying Yukol."Prince Bhanu enjoyed a long, varied career", "The Nation", Focus, Section C, Saturday, February 11, 1995 (print edition from Nation archives).]Prince Bhanu died at the age of 85 of blood poisoning."The Prince of Celluloid", "The Nation", Focus, Section C, Saturday, February 11, 1995 (print edition from Nation archives).]
References
External links
* [http://www.soravij.com/yugala.html Royal House of Yugala]
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