Bhanu Yukol
Encyclopedia
General Major His Royal Highness Prince Bhanu Yukol ' onMouseout='HidePop("59372")' href="/topics/Songkhla_Province">Songkhla Province
, Thailand
, died February 5, 1995 in Bangkok
) was a Thai
film director
, producer
and screenwriter
, playwright
, composer
and author.
He was a grandson of King Chulalongkorn
, the grandfather of Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara
and an uncle of director Chatrichalerm Yukol
. His nickname was Sadet Ong Chaiyai.
and Princess Chalermkhet Mongkhol. He was a grandson of King Chulalongkorn
. 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's cavalry
division. While in the army, he studied filmmaking in his spare time.
In 1936, Prince Bhanu'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 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 the Royal Thai Air Force
. Film historians believe that the films were destroyed during the war.
.
Another film by Bhanu was based on the legend of King Naresuan the Great
.
Bhanu 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
, Ruen Phae (Raft Home), a co-production with Shaw 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".
"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 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 Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara
, the first wife of Crown Prince Maha 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 died at the age of 85 of blood poisoning
.
Songkhla Province
Songkhla is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Satun, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani and Yala. To the south it borders Kedah and Perlis of Malaysia....
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, died February 5, 1995 in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
) was a Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and author.
He was a grandson of King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
, the grandfather of Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara
Soamsavali Kitiyakara
Princess Soamsawali of Thailand , née Mom Luang Soamsawali Kitiyakara is a member of Thai Royal Family, and is the former wife of her first cousin, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. She was titled "the Princess Mother of the King's First Grandchild" after her divorce with the Crown Prince in 1991...
and an uncle of director Chatrichalerm Yukol
Chatrichalerm Yukol
His Serene Highness Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol is a Thai film director, screenwriter and film producer. A prolific director since the 1970s, among his films is the 2001 historical epic, The Legend of Suriyothai. A member of the Thai royal family, his official royal title is Mom Chao, or M.C., the...
. His nickname was Sadet Ong Chaiyai.
Early life and career
Prince Bhanu was the eldest of three children of Prince Yugala DighambaraYugala Dighambara
|align=right|HRH Prince Yugala Dighambara , Prince of Lopburi , was a son of HM King Chulalongkorn of Siam....
and Princess Chalermkhet Mongkhol. He was a grandson of King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
. 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's cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
division. While in the army, he studied filmmaking in his spare time.
In 1936, Prince Bhanu'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 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
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with its assets sold to the Royal Thai Air Force
Royal Thai Air Force
The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913, as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force had engaged in many major and minor battles. During the Vietnam war era, the air force has been developed with USAF-aid...
. Film historians believe that the films were destroyed during the war.
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 PestonjiRattana Pestonji
Rattana Pestonji was a Thai film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer and is regarded as the father of contemporary Thai film. Although his filmography was brief, his films placed Thai cinema on the world stage. He also pushed for innovations, and was one of the first Thai...
.
Another film by Bhanu was based on the legend of King Naresuan the Great
Naresuan
Somdet Phra Naresuan Maharat or Somdet Phra Sanphet II was the King of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1590 until his death in 1605. Naresuan was one of Siam's most revered monarchs as he was known for his campaigns to free Siam from Burmese rule...
.
Bhanu pushed for innovations in the Thai film industry
Cinema of Thailand
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...
, often spending his family's fortune to buy equipment for poorer directors. He encouraged the use of 35-mm film over 16-mm films
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
, which was the industry standard in Thailand.
He produced the first Thai film in CinemaScope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
, Ruen Phae (Raft Home), a co-production with Shaw Brothers Studio
Shaw Brothers Studio
The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution...
.
Bhanu also composed the score for his films. One of his songs from 1938's Tharn Fai Kao, was selected in 1979 by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
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 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 YukolChatrichalerm Yukol
His Serene Highness Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol is a Thai film director, screenwriter and film producer. A prolific director since the 1970s, among his films is the 2001 historical epic, The Legend of Suriyothai. A member of the Thai royal family, his official royal title is Mom Chao, or M.C., the...
. 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 Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara
Soamsavali Kitiyakara
Princess Soamsawali of Thailand , née Mom Luang Soamsawali Kitiyakara is a member of Thai Royal Family, and is the former wife of her first cousin, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. She was titled "the Princess Mother of the King's First Grandchild" after her divorce with the Crown Prince in 1991...
, the first wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn
Maha Vajiralongkorn
Somdet Phra Boromma-orasathirat Chao Fa Maha Vajiralongkorn Sayammakutratchakuman is the only son of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, and Queen Sirikit...
. 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 died at the age of 85 of blood poisoning
Bacteremia
Bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the blood. The blood is normally a sterile environment, so the detection of bacteria in the blood is always abnormal....
.