Laksamana Do Re Mi

Last updated

Laksamana Do Re Mi
Directed by P. Ramlee
Written byP. Ramlee
Screenplay byP. Ramlee
Starring
Edited byJohari Ibrahim
Production
company
Merdeka Film Productions
Distributed by Shaw Organisation
Release date
  • 12 May 1973 (1973-05-12)(Malaysia)
Running time
112 minutes
CountriesMalaysia
Singapore
LanguageMalay

Laksamana Do Re Mi (English: The Admirals Do, Re, and Mi) is a 1972 Malay-language black-and-white adventure fantasy comedy film directed by P. Ramlee. Shot in black and white, it is the third and final installment in the Do Re Mi series of comedy films, and features the trio of actors P. Ramlee, A. R. Tompel and Ibrahim Din reprising their roles as Do, Re and Mi respectively. The story is loosely based on one of stories in One Thousand and One Nights , "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar", and features the trio becoming admirals and using magic to save a faraway kingdom from ruin. This film is notable as being the last film P. Ramlee and Ar Tompel before their death in 1973. [1]

Contents

Plot

The poor trio of best friends Do, Re and Mi live in a simple treehouse in the forest, where they work together collecting, cutting and selling firewood at the local marketplace. After they were driven out from their treehouse by the land owner they walked in the forest then in the night they hear a voice calling for help in the forest. Although they are scared that it is a spirit trying to trick them, they follow the voice and discover that it is coming from a bamboo tree. The bamboo tree is wounded, and asks them to pull out the spear that is stuck in it. They comply, and the bamboo transforms into a fairy princess, who explains that she is the Tuan Puteri Buluh Betong (Giant Bamboo Princess). When Do asks her whether she is related to Anak Buloh Betong (a character of S. Kadarisman film Anak Buloh Betong), she explains that he is her father. She thanks them and gives them each a magical item. Do receives a magic carpet that can fly, Re receives a telescope that can see anything the viewer asks of it, and Mi receives a harmonica that can give them any wishes they want.

The trio decide to use their items to find their fortune. Re uses the telescope to find that the Sultan of their kingdom is looking for brave men to become his Admirals. The trio attend the competition that is being held to find the bravest and strongest men. Mi uses his harmonica to give the trio superhuman strength, and they win the competition easily. The Sultan, impressed by their feats, makes them his Admirals.

As part of an assignment, the Admirals are sent to an ally neighbouring kingdom, Pasir Dua Butir (lit. 2 Grains of Sand) that is under attack by Fasola, a former Minister of Defense turned traitor after his proposal to the sultan's princess, Princess Puncak Mahligai was rejected. In an act of retaliation, he and his army sack the entire kingdom, rape young girls, butcher loyal civilians and going as far as raze the palace to ground, an act that is considered brainless. He also hold the princess captive in his hiding place. After seeing his princess' distress through Re's telescope, the sultan then promises to marry his princess to anyone who slays Fasola. The excited Do, Re and Mi then sets out on their rescue missions.

Do, Re and Mi defeat whole of Fasola's army, some of it by using Mi's wish-granting harmonica with comical result (make them dancing, for instance). They then confront Fasola. After being insulted by Do, in a fit of rage he defeats them single-handedly with little effort. He and Do then have a sword fight. When it seems that Do gets the upper hand by stabbing Fasola, it is revealed that Fasola is magically impervious to any attack. By using Re's telescope to seek Fasola's weakness, it is revealed that Fasola can only be killed by stabbing a sharp bamboo to his sole. Mi then uses his harmonica to provide them with a sharp bamboo. Seeing the sharp bamboo in Do's hand, Fasola is frightened and he even begs Do to spare his life but Do nonetheless kill him and thus ends the traitor's life.

They free the Princess, whom all three fall in love with. When Do, Re and Mi fight over her, the Princess declares that she will marry all three of them, which three of them agreed, although stunned at first. (The princess reason that if men are able to practice polygamy, why don't women as well?) Do, Re and Mi return to their sultan in triumph. The sultan, like the trio, also falls in love with the princess. When the sultan finds out their odd situations, he then remind them the tale of the legendary Malay Admiral, Hang Tuah who presents Tun Teja, the princess of Pahang to his sultan as sign of his undivided loyalty, despite Hang Tuah and Tun Teja deeply love each other. Then, why don't the Admirals Do, Re and Mi emulate him? The princess, impressed by the sultan's wisdom, agreed. The sultan then announce his wedding to the princess and the entire court give their full approval. Of course, the three Admirals disappointed but the sultan offers to reward them with three palace handmaidens as their wives, whom the sultan claimed are very beautiful. However, it turns out the handmaidens are ugly, old hags. The sultan jokingly tells them the three Admirals are their future husbands! The handmaidens are thrilled and start chasing the Admirals, while the entire court laugh. The Admirals, don't wish to end up marrying old hags, flee with their magic carpets and sending them itchy all over their bodies with Mi's harmonica. Do, Re and Mi laugh at the helpless hags and then flies to an unknown destination.

Tuan Puteri Buloh Betong

According to the princess, Anak Buloh Betong, a demon child that is sired by an evil spirit and was conceived in a Dendrocalamus asper is her father. Anak Buloh Betong was found by the royal family when he is still an infant and is later adopted by them. The child grows up into an evil and unruly prince. When he realizes his true parentage after his outraged foster father, the sultan strikes him and then calls him a child of the forest demon due to his behaviour. He then departs to the bamboo clumps where he was born and met his demonic biological father, and gains his supernatural powers, making him invincible. However he can only be defeated and slain by Panglima Lintah, his sworn enemy. The prince then usurps his foster father's throne and rules with iron fists. At the end of the film, Panglima Lintah burns his bamboo clumps, the source of his powers and his only mean to heal himself, and later kills him.

At some point, it is possible that he sires the princess with an unknown partner, since Princess Buloh Betong confirms that the prince is her father when Do asks her whether she is somehow related to the Anak Buloh Betong, a character in S Kadarisman's movie, in which he is portrayed. The princess doesn't seem to be offended with Do's question, since Anak Buloh Betong is evil. It is unknown whether Anak Buloh Betong is aware that he has a daughter.

The princess then tell Do that she will return to the heavenly realm to heal her injury, meaning that at one point she moves there. It is unknown who imprisons her, and the reasons for it. A likely suspect is her grandfather, the evil spirit who fathers Anak Buloh Betong. In the film, the evil spirit is able to turn his own son into a bamboo stalk, so it must be him that does the same to the princess and then imprisons her.

Cast

Soundtrack

One of the songs used in Laksamana Do Re Mi, in the scene where Do, Re, and Mi are riding on a flying carpet, was based on the Japanese wartime song Aikoku Kōshinkyoku.

Related Research Articles

The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hang Tuah</span> Legendary 15th-century figure from Malacca

Hang Tuah, according to the semi-historical Malay Annals, was a warrior and Laksamana who lived in Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah in the 15th century. However, there is limited historical evidence for his existence. He was supposedly a great laksamana, or admiral, a diplomat and a silat master. Hang Tuah is the most illustrious warrior figure in Malay literature. He is however, a somewhat controversial figure and there is much in dispute about the factual basis of Hang Tuah's story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah, Crown Princess of Brunei</span> Consort of the Crown Prince of Brunei (born 1987)

Sarah binti Salleh Ab. Rahaman is the wife of the Crown Prince of Brunei, Al-Muhtadee Billah and born as the daughter of a distant member of the royal family. While attending a pre-university course at 17, she married the Crown Prince. The couple have four children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. Ramlee</span> Malaysian singer, scriptwriter, actor, songwriter, and film director (1929–1973)

Tan Sri Datuk Amar Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh, better known by his stage name P. Ramlee, was a Malaysian actor, filmmaker, musician, and composer famous in modern-day Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Southern Thailand. Born in Penang, Malaya, he is regarded as a prominent icon in their shared region.

<i>Puteri Gunung Ledang</i> (film) 2004 film

Puteri Gunung Ledang is a 2004 Malaysian Malay-language epic period fantasy romance film directed by Saw Teong Hin. The film is based on the Malay legend of the Gunung Ledang princess, who is said to have lived on top of Gunung Ledang, and a Malaccan sultan's effort to court her. The film stars Tiara Jacquelina, M. Nasir and Adlin Aman Ramlie.

<i>Puteri Gunung Ledang</i> (musical) Musical

Puteri Gunung Ledang is a Malaysian musical directed by Zahim Albakri, co-directed by Adlin Aman Ramlie, book by Adlin Aman Ramlie, Saw Teong Hin and Zahim Al-Bakri and music composed by Dick Lee. The musical is based on the 2004 Puteri Gunung Ledang film. The original production was staged at the Istana Budaya in February 2006, this was followed by two more productions and an upcoming third in February 2009. Tiara Jacquelina and Stephen Rahman-Hughes starred as Gusti Putri and Hang Tuah in all the productions to date. Other members of the production team are music director Roslan Aziz, choreographer Pat Ibrahim and production designer Raja Malek. The musical was staged in poetic Malay and Javanese-accented Malay, but English subtitles were provided.

Personal names in Malaysia vary greatly according to ethno-cultural group. Personal names are, to a certain degree, regulated by the national registration department, especially since the introduction of the National Registration Identity Card (NRIC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Saleha of Brunei</span> Queen of Brunei since 1967

Pengiran Anak Saleha is a member of the royal family as the wife of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. She is the daughter of Pengiran Anak Mohamed Alam and Pengiran Anak Besar. After her husband was crowned as the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei, she succeeded her mother-in-law, Pengiran Anak Damit, as Raja Isteri. She is the mother of Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah.

<i>Puteri Gunong Ledang</i> (film) 1961 Singaporean film

Puteri Gunong Ledang is a 1961 Singaporean Malay-language black-and-white period romantic drama film directed by S. Roomai Noor and based on the Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang. The film introduces actress Elaine Edley in her first film role.

<i>Seniman Bujang Lapok</i> 1961 film by P. Ramlee

Seniman Bujang Lapok is a 1961 Singaporean Malay-language black-and-white comedy film directed by P. Ramlee. It is the fourth instalment in the Bujang Lapok series of films, but the last to feature P. Ramlee, S. Shamsuddin and Aziz Sattar as the main trio of actors. However, it is not a direct sequel to the previous "Bujang Lapok" films, as there are no references to the events of the previous films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah</span> Bruneian princess (born 1976)

Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah is the fourth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Saleha. She presently serves as the Department of the Environment, Parks and Recreation's Senior Environment Officer and Chief of the Planning and Management Division. This organization is part of the Ministry of Development.

<i>Nujum Pa Belalang</i> 1959 Singaporean film

Nujum Pak Belalang is a 1959 Singaporean Malay-language black-and-white comedy film directed by and starring P. Ramlee. The film is styled as a fairytale and is loosely based on a Malay folk tale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saloma</span> Singaporean-Malaysian singer and actress (1935–1983)

Salmah binti Ismail, better known by her stage name Saloma, was a Singaporean-Malaysian singer, film actress, trendsetter and a fashion icon of Banjar and Bawean descent who became well known in the late 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramlee Awang Murshid</span>

Ramlee Awang Murshid is a Malaysian novelist of Bruneian Malay descent.

<i>Hang Tuah</i> (film) 1956 Singaporean film

Hang Tuah is a 1956 Singaporean Malay-language historical drama film directed by Phani Majumdar. It is the first Malay film to be fully shot in Eastman colour film. It was released in Singapore by Shaw Organisation on 28 January 1956. The film was based on the legendary Admiral Hang Tuah of Malacca and his 4 sworn brothers; Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu. This film received the award for 'Best Musical Score' at the 3rd Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong in 1956 and an official screening at 7th Berlin International Film Festival in 1957, where it was nominated for the Golden Bear.

Do Re Mi is a 1966 Malaysian Malay-language black-and-white satirical comedy film directed by and starring P. Ramlee. The concept was partly based on the idea of The Three Stooges with Ramlee playing the character Do. Its success led to two sequels, Nasib Do Re Mi and Laksamana Do Re Mi (1972), Ramlee's last film before his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sultanate of Sarawak</span> Minor Malay kingdom

The Sultanate of Sarawak was a Malay kingdom, located in present-day Kuching Division, Sarawak. The kingdom was founded in 1599, after the conquest of the preceding Santubong Kingdom and the later Sultanate of Brunei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folklore of Malaysia</span> Local tales and legends from Malaysia

Malaysian folklore is the folk culture of Malaysia and other indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago as expressed in its oral traditions, written manuscripts and local wisdoms. Malaysian folklores were traditionally transmitted orally in the absence of writing systems. Oral tradition thrived among the Malays, but continues to survive among Orang Asli and numerous Bornean ethnic groups in Sarawak and Sabah. Nevertheless, Malaysian folklores are closely connected with classical Malay folklore of the region. Even though, Malay folklore tends to have a regional background, with the passing of time, and through the influence of the modern media, large parts of regional Malay folklore have become interwoven with the wider popular Malaysian folklore.

Abdul Rahim Abu better known by her stage name A. Rahim, was a Malaysian actor and director. Starting his entertainment career on the big screen during the golden age of Malay cinema, he was known for his antagonistic roles in films produced by Malay Film Productions, earning him the nickname 'Rahim Debuk'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Ruzaini</span> Bruneian prince (born 1983)

Pengiran Anak Muhammad Ruzaini is a member of the royal family of Brunei as the husband of Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, the fourth daughter of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

References

  1. Kai Khiun Liew, Stephen Teo - Singapore Cinema: New Perspectives - Page 16 1317407482 2016 "sequels, Nasib Do Re Mi (The Fate of Do Re Mi, 1966) and Laksamana Do Re Mi (Admirals Do Re Mi, 1972), which was P. Ramlee's last film"