Embun is a 1952 film directed by D. Djajakusuma for Perfini in his directorial debut.
Misbach Yusa Biran was an Indonesian writer, director and columnist who pioneered the Indonesian film archives.
Kartinah is a now-lost 1940 romance film from the Dutch East Indies that was written and directed by Andjar Asmara. The film, Andjar's directorial debut, follows a nurse and her superior as they fall in love in the Air Raid Preparation team. Produced by The Teng Chun's New Java Industrial Film, Kartinah was heavily subsidised by the country's government and through product placement. Although it was a critical failure, the new actors signed with the studio for Kartinah gave New Java Industrial Film increased production capabilities.
Melati van Agam is a 1931 romance film directed by Lie Tek Swie and produced by Tan's Film. Starring A. Rachman, Neng Titi, Oemar, and Bachtiar Effendi, the two-part film follows the young lovers Norma and Idrus. The film, which may be lost, was reportedly a commercial success, but critical reviews were less favourable.
Raden Ariffien, often credited as Rd Ariffien, was an Indonesian film director. Initially a nationalist figure, he entered the film industry in 1940 after a period in theatre and radio. During his 25-year career, he was involved in some 36 films in various positions. He later became head editor of the film magazine Varia.
Tjitra is a 1949 Indonesian film directed by Usmar Ismail for the Dutch-owned production house South Pacific. Starring Raden Sukarno, Nila Djuwita, and Raden Ismail, it follows a man named Harsono who takes a woman's virginity then flees to the city, where he is caught up in a murder case. Ismail's directorial debut, Tjitra was made while its director was still a member of the Indonesian Army. He later disavowed the film, as he felt he had had too little creative input.
Gadis Desa is a 1949 comedy from what is now Indonesia written and directed by Andjar Asmara. Starring Basuki Djaelani, Ratna Ruthinah, Ali Joego, and Djauhari Effendi, it follows the romantic hijinks of a village girl who is taken to be a rich man's second wife. The film, produced by a Dutch-run company, is recognised as the first in which future "father of Indonesian film" Usmar Ismail was involved.
Darah dan Doa is a 1950 Indonesian war film directed and produced by Usmar Ismail, telling the story of the Siliwangi Division and its leader Captain Sudarto on a march to West Java. Following Ismail's Dutch-produced Tjitra (1949), Darah dan Doa is often cited as the first 'Indonesian' film, and the film's first day of shooting – 30 March – is celebrated in Indonesia as National Film Day.
Mega Mendoeng is a black-and-white drama film from the Dutch East Indies directed by Boen Kin Nam and produced by Ang Hock Liem for Union Films. Starring Rd Soekarno, Oedjang, Boen Sofiati, and Soehaena, it follows two young lovers who are separated by lies but ultimately reunite at the village of Mega Mendoeng in Bogor. This film, Union's seventh and final production, was shot concurrently with Soeara Berbisa and completed over a period of three months. It was released in early 1942 and screened as late as July of that year, but may now be lost.
Air Mata Mengalir di Tjitarum is a 1948 film from what is now Indonesia, written and directed by Roestam Sutan Palindih for the Tan & Wong Bros Film Company.
Rara Patma Dewi Tjitrohadiseikusumo, best known under her stage name Chitra Dewi, was an Indonesian film actress and director. She was noted for her roles in Usmar Ismail's films of the 1950s, appearing in films such as Tamu Agung, Tiga Dara, and Pedjuang, although she remained active in cinema until 1993 and won a Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 1979 Indonesian Film Festival for Gara-gara Isteri Muda. Dewi also had a brief stint film directing in 1971, making her one of only four Indonesian women to direct a film before 1998.
Rempo Urip was an Indonesian film director. He began his career in the theatre, serving as an extra and footballer for the Dardanella theatre company beginning in 1934. After six years and three troupes, Urip entered the film industry, working as a distributor for Oriental Film and assistant director for Java Industrial Film. He returned to the theatre during the Japanese occupation (1942–1945) and national revolution (1945–1949). In 1951 he joined Djamaluddin Malik's Persari as a director, completing thirteen films for the company before it closed in 1958. He continued as a freelance director until 1977.
Saputangan is a 1949 romance film from what is now Indonesia. Directed by Fred Young and starring Chatir Harro, Noorsini, and Astaman, it follows a young doctor who, after his fiancée is blinded in an automobile accident, becomes an optometrist and restores her sight.
Marlia Hardi was an Indonesian film actress active from 1951 to 1983. Born in the Central Javan city of Magelang, she took to the stage in the 1940s before moving to Jakarta in 1949. Two years later she made her feature film debut in Untuk Sang Merah Putih. Over the next two decades she appeared in over seventy films, became recognized for her depictions of mothers, and received the Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress. Despite her productiveness, however, she sank into debt and committed suicide at the age of fifty-seven.
Raden Soekarno, better known as Rendra Karno, was an Indonesian actor. Born in Kutoarjo, Central Java, Soekarno entered the film industry in 1941, making his debut appearance in Union Films' Soeara Berbisa. Over the next forty years he appeared in more than fifty films. He was also involved in the theatre during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies and the Indonesian National Revolution. For his role in 1962's Bajangan di Waktu Fadjar, he was named best supporting actor at the 1963 Asian Film Festival in Tokyo.
Netty Herawaty was an Indonesian actress who made more than fifty films between 1949 and 1986.
Darussalam was an Indonesian actor who appeared in more than seventy films in his forty-year career. Born in Bengkulu, he studied to be nurse before migrating to theatre during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, marrying Netty Herawaty while with the troupe Irama Masa. The couple spent the remainder of the occupation and the ensuing revolution touring the archipelago with a number of troupes. In 1949, Darussalam and Herawaty made their feature film debut in Fred Young's Saputangan, appearing in seven further Young productions before migrating to Djamaluddin Malik's Persari. During their eight years with the company, Darussalam and Herawaty travelled to the Philippines and Singapore and found popularity among audiences, though Darussalam remained in his wife's shadow.
Sedap Malam is a 1951 film directed by Ratna Asmara and produced by Djamaluddin Malik for Persari. Starring Sukarsih and M. Pandji Anom, it follows a woman who descends into prostitution after her husband marries another woman. It was both Persari's first production and the first film directed by a woman in Indonesian history.
Tiga Dara is a 1956 Indonesian musical comedy film starring Chitra Dewi, Mieke Wijaya, and Indriati Iskak. Directed by Usmar Ismail for Perfini, the film follows three sisters who live with their father and grandmother. When the eldest sister, Nunung, shows no interest in marrying, her family tries unsuccessfully to find a husband for her. Nunung initially rejects the advances of a young man named Toto, who instead dates her younger sister. However, when he becomes jealous and travels from Jakarta to Bandung to profess his love, she agrees to marry him.
Abdul Hamid Arief was an Indonesian actor who appeared in more than 120 films. Born in Batavia, Dutch East Indies, he started his acting career in theatre before migrating to film with 1948's Anggrek Bulan. His first starring role, and the one from which he first gained recognition, was as the title character in Pangeran Hamid. Over subsequent decades he was a productive film actor, often appearing in four or five films a year. He also acted in various television series.
