Studio Jalan Ampas tertulis sebagai legenda keagungan filem Melayu. Zaman emas yang melahirkan seniman besar Seniman Agung Tan Sri P Ramlee serta ramai lagi seniman dan seniwati yang mengelopakkan nama.
Studio Jalan Ampas dalam nostalgia dan kenangan kita bersama. Di situ pada satu ketika segala impian anak muda untuk menjadi ternama dan berjaya berapung dalam harapan dan mimpi masing-masing. Di situ mangkuk rezeki golongan seniman dan seniwati yang memperagakan bakat seni dan keupayaan diri dalam dunia lakon, nyanyi, tari, muzik, kamera dan sebagainya. Denyut baru dalam industri perfileman negara berputar bersama putaran filem yang dihasilkan.
Tetapi memandang kembali ke dalam akar sejarah terasa bahawa Studio Jalan Ampas mengimbau bahagia dan derita bersama. Kepayahan dan kesukaran untuk bergelar seniman dan rempuhan hidup dunia baru perfileman membawa harap, nostalgia. airmata, keharuan dan gembira.
Berjalan kembali menyusur Studio Jalan Ampas. Ada nostalgia, ada luka bersama...
The Golden Age of Malay Cinema
"Actually this business has a lot of fun, a lot of excitement, All depends on whether your judgement is right or judgement is wrong. If judgement is right, you make the money. Judgement is wrong, you lose all the money"
- Tan Sri Runme Shaw, Pioneers of Singapore, Oral History
After the war, film production picked up again, not only all over Asia but also in Singapore where both Chinese and Malay films were made. In 1947, 'Seruan Medeka', an effort by Film Melayu Art Productions, proved to be mildly successful. This prompted the Shaws to reopen their pre-war studio at No.8, Jalan Ampas (above) to produce Malay movies. Under the banner of 'Malay Film Production Limited' (MFP), the Shaws aimed to dominate the Malay film market with quality productions. This move ushered in the period known as 'The Golden Age of Malay Cinema' during which over 300 films were produced.
At first, the Shaws used Chinese directors to make Malay movies. They were replaced by Indians because Malays tended to prefer Indian directorial style. Malays also favoured Indian films because they could relate to both plot and culture. The 'Bollywood' song and dance style in Malay movies were enjoyed not only by Malays but also many Singaporean Chinese. Shaws' stable of Indian directors for the next two decades read like a who's-who of Malay cinema - B.S. Rajhans, S.Ramanathan, L. Krishnan, KRS Shastry, Phani Majumdar, Kidar Sharma, Dhiresh Ghosh, K.M. Basker and B.N. Rao.
In 1947, MFP's first film 'Singapura Di-Waktu Malam' starring Siput Sarawak proved an instant success. It was directed by the same man who made Singapore's first feature hit in 1933 - B.S. Rajhans.
B.S. Rajhans quickly followed his success with a string of hits over the next four years. They included Chempaka (1947), Pisau Berachun (1948) and Cinta (1948). In Cinta, he gave the part of the villain to a young unknown whom he discovered at a music festival in Bukit Mertajam. This 19-year old playback singer who provided the vocals for the lead actor Roomai Noor was to become a legend in his own time. He was P. Ramlee.
The Legendary Tan Sri P.Ramlee (1929-1973)
In his early years at Jalan Ampas, P.Ramlee was enthusiastic about mastering all aspects of film production. No task proved too menial for him, and he worked even as clapper boy and assistant cameraman. From the start, his remarkable talents were recognised by the Shaws.
In 1950, P.Ramlee graduated from playing 'villians' to 'hero' and became the first actor to sing in his own voice in the movie 'Bakti'. In this film, he acted opposite the beautiful Kasma Booty (right) and proved beyond doubt that he had all the qualities of a star who could not only act but sing.
By 1953, MFP faced competition from the newly formed Cathay-Keris, a studio formed by cinema owner Ho Ah Loke and Cathay Organisation's chairman Dato Loke Wan Tho. They offered lucrative financial contracts to attract experienced film crew and stars to their new studio on the East Coast. 'Buloh Perindu' (1953) was a Malay film made by them in colour.
In order to stay ahead, the Shaws made the 26-year-old P. Ramlee into director fresh from his hit starrer 'Hang Tuah' in 1955. By that time, P.Ramlee was already an accomplished songwriter and actor, but he was keen to prove that Malay directors were as capable as Indians in making high quality films.
The result was 'Penarik Beca' (right), an award-winning film which catapulted the Malay film industry to an international level. It won Best Picture and Best Song in a readers' poll of the prestigious "Utusan Filem and Sport" magazine.
For the next 20 years, the multi-talented Tan Sri P.Ramlee was to win multiple international awards (including film festivals in Hong Kong and Japan) for work which spanned over 70 films and 200 songs.
His films encompassed different genres, the reason for winning fans of all races and generations. Any P.Ramlee film was guaranteed to fill seats and he became king of the Malay box office. In 1963, Singapore became part of Malaysia. That same year, P.Ramlee made his last film at Jalan Ampas - Tiga Abdul (right) - and then he went to Merdeka studios in KL.
shaw online
Setiap kali hari raya, Pak Ajis terkenang Jalan Ampas
Oleh SITI KAMILAH MUSTAPHA
SETIAP kali membuat persiapan Aidilfitri, pelakon dan pelawak veteran, Datuk Abdul Azez Aziz Satta atau dikenali sebagai Aziz Satar pastinya terkenangkan kisah 35 tahun dahulu ketika dia tinggal di Jalan Ampas, Singapura.
Mana tidaknya pada 15 September 1967, ketika semua bintang-bintang terkenal filem Melayu termasuk dirinya sendiri yang bernaung di bawah studio perfileman yang dikenali sebagai Studio Malay Filem Production (MFP) di Jalan Ampas, Singapura atau nama pendeknya, Studio Jalan Ampas terpaksa berdepan kenyataan bahawa studio tersebut terpaksa dirobohkan.
Mereka yang digelar bintang Hollywood Filem Melayu itu sebenarnya juga menetap di Studio Jalan Ampas tersebut.
Menurut rekod, Studio Jalan Ampas milik Shaw Brothers telah beroperasi selama 19 tahun sebelum ditutup pada 1967. Mengikut sejarah, ia dibangunkan dua beradik, Runme dan Run Run Shaw di kawasan seluas 40,000 meter persegi.
Studio itulah yang melahirkan bintang ternama seperti seniman agung, Tan Sri P. Ramlee dan rakan seangkatannya termasuk Aziz Satar sendiri, S. Shamsuddin, AR. Tompel, Datuk Sarimah, Tan Sri Jins Shamsuddin, Datuk Ahmad Mahmud, Datuk Jamil Sulong serta ramai lagi.
Ketika era itu, Jalan Ampas turut digelarkan sebagai ‘Hollywood Filem Melayu’ ketika zaman kegemilangan filem Melayu pada era 1950-an dan awal 1960-an. Difahamkan alasan studio itu ditutup kerana tidak ada lagi sambutan terhadap filem Melayu di Singapura, selain kekurangan bakat baharu.
Apa yang membuatkan figura yang lebih mesra dipanggil Pak Ajis ini menanggung emosi kesedihan yang amat sangat adalah kerana penutupan Studio Jalan Ampas bermula sehari sebelum sambutan Aidilfitri pada tahun tersebut.
“Pada tarikh itu, yang mana esoknya semua umat Islam akan menyambut hari raya tetapi saya dan rakan-rakan pelakon Studio Jalan Ampas terpaksa berdepan dengan kenyataan bahawa tempat tinggal kami itu terpaksa dirobohkan,” ujarnya ketika ditemui pada majlis berbuka puasa di Saloma Bistro, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur baru-baru ini.
Menurut Pak Ajis, suasana ketika itu terlalu sepi dan sedih apabila tempat tinggal semua pelakon di situ sudah tiada dan tiada tempat untuk mereka menyambut hari raya.
“Semua biskut raya dan baju raya bertaburan. Semua orang menangis walaupun esok hari raya. Justeru, setiap kali menyambut hari raya walaupun kejadian itu sudah berlalu 35 tahun, ia tetap dalam ingatan saya,” luahnya berbaur kesedihan yang mendalam.
Pak Ajis yang kini terpaksa berehat daripada berlakon selama dua bulan atas nasihat doktor selepas sebelum ini dimasukkan ke Hospital Ampang, Selangor selama 12 hari berharap akan kembali memeriahkan arena seni selepas tempoh berehatnya itu berakhir.
Tambahnya, kenangan di Studio Jalan Ampas tidak akan dapat dilupakan sampai bila-bila termasuk kejadian studio itu ditutup buat selama-lamanya.
“Bayangkan ketika itu suasana seolah-olah satu kampung dilanda banjir, habis jadi gelandangan, sedih betul kalau saya ingat balik,” ujarnya.
Dalam pada itu, menyentuh mengenai persiapan hari raya pada tahun ini pula, ungkap Pak Ajis, ia akan disambut secara sederhana sahaja dan makanan wajib yang mesti ada di pagi raya adalah lontong.
“Saya suka lontong sebab dalam satu hidangan itu sudah ada macam-macam lauk termasuk rendang, itu adalah makanan wajib saya sekeluarga,” ujarnya yang akan menyambut hari raya di rumahnya di Ampang, Selangor.
kosmo online
Bujang Lapok gambaran sebenar Jalan Ampas
BARANGKALI ada dalam kalangan kita menganggap segala apa yang dipertontonkan dalam filem Seniman Bujang Lapok hanyalah sebahagian daripada interpretasi seni atau sekadar fiksyen tanpa ada kena mengena dengan dunia nyata.
Namun menurut Datuk Aziz Sattar, segala apa yang dipertontonkan P. Ramlee selaku teraju utama di dalam filem berkenaan sebenarnya amat berkait rapat dengan kehidupan warga Studio Jalan Ampas.
Sebagai contoh katanya, bintang legenda itu cuba memaparkan sikap sebenar pekerja-pekerja di Jalan Ampas melalui filem berkenaan.
"Paling dikenang tentunya adegan 'Bai jaga' yang tidak sudah-sudah memerli orang. Sebenarnya sikap beliau memang begitu sampai kadang-kadang kita pun geram. Tapi apa yang dicakap semuanya betul. Sebab itu kita tak boleh marah.
"Kadang-kadang orang datang, walaupun berpakaian cantik tapi tidak beradab. Datang saja terus tanya 'P. Ramlee ada?'. Jika begitu, biasanya 'Bai Jaga' yang nama sebenarnya Pretam Singh itu akan terus bangun tanpa melayan pertanyaan itu.
"Tapi kalau yang datang itu berbudi bahasa, orang itu akan dilayan bersungguh-sungguh. Gambaran lain, adalah dalam adegan sebelum itu di mana A. Rahim tiba-tiba mendengus dan menendang kerusi. Memang itulah sikapnya yang selalu secara tiba-tiba saja 'kepala angin'," katanya.
Dalam pada ceria bercerita mengenai memori indahnya bersama kawan-kawan di Studio Jalan Ampas, nada Aziz bagaimanapun tiba-tiba berubah apabila ditanya mengenai keadaan ketika studio itu hampir ditutup.
"Saya sudah mengetahuinya lebih awal apabila seorang rakan meminta saya bersedia kerana katanya studio itu akan ditutup dalam tempoh enam bulan lagi. Apabila saya beritahu kawan-kawan lain, mereka tidak percaya tetapi saya tetap mengambil langkah berhati-hati dengan mula membayar hutang sedikit demi sedikit kepada lima kedai kopi yang berada di sekitar studio tersebut.
"Akhirnya perkara itu menjadi kenyataan. Dalam tempoh dua minggu sebelum studio itu ditutup, kami dimaklumkan tentang perkara tersebut oleh pengurus, Kwek Chip Jian. Keadaan menjadi suram dengan masing-masing bimbang mengenai masa depan sehingga sukar untuk kami melelapkan mata pada waktu malam," katanya.
Apabila tiba harinya, bermula pada pukul dua petang, para petugas di Studio Jalan Ampas daripada krew produksi sehinggalah kepada pelakon-pelakon terkenal mula mengambil gratuiti dan sebulan wang gaji sebelum pintu studio berkenaan tertutup rapat buat selama-lamanya.
"Keadaan ketika itu sukar digambarkan. Ada yang menangis, ada pula yang berpelukan. Paling kasihan melihat mereka yang banyak berhutang," katanya.
Dugaan dihadapi tidak terhenti di situ. Keesokan harinya iaitu pada Hari Raya Aidilfitri yang pertama, Jalan Boon Teck yang menjadi tempat tinggal artis dan krew studio berkenaan banjir.
"Habis segala ketupat dan kuih raya hanyut. Apabila banjir surut, kami beramai-ramai membersihkan rumah dalam keadaan bersedih. Memang saya tidak akan lupakan peristiwa itu," ujarnya.
Bagi menyara hidup kata Aziz, kebanyakan artis mula menjalankan perniagaan secara kecil-kecilan atau kembali kepada pekerjaan lama mereka sebelum bergelar pelakon.
"Salleh Kamil bawa teksi, Kemat Hassan bekerja sebagai pemandu, Shariff Dol menjaga gudang bersama ayahnya sementara Omar Suwita membuka kedai gunting rambut," ujarnya
utusan online
Nostalgia Studio Jalan Ampas
23 Ogos 2011
Oleh Hanisah Selamat Cetak Emel Kawan
SUDAH menjadi tradisi Ramadan sejak tujuh tahun lalu, sekali lagi Saloma Theatre Restaurant menjadi gelanggang perhimpunan seniman dan seniwati lagenda yang banyak berjasa kepada industri perfileman Melayu sekali gus mengenang kembali era kegemilangan lalu.
Berkonsepkan Nostalgia Studio Jalan Ampas, lebih 30 bintang veteran termasuk yang didatangkan khas dari Singapura diraikan dalam majlis berbuka puasa yang turut dimeriahkan kehadiran ramai artis muda.
Pencetus acara penuh bermakna merangkap pemilik premis terbabit, Tan Sri Syed Yusof Tun Syed Nasir berkata, penganjuran majlis berkenaan direalisasikan sebagai penghargaan terhadap insan yang menabur jasa dalam membangunkan industri seni tanah air.
“Saban tahun kami berbesar hati apabila melihat wajah-wajah ceria bintang lagenda yang dipertemukan dengan teman seperjuangan apatah lagi ramai tidak tinggal di Kuala Lumpur dan majlis seumpama ini yang dapat menyemarakkan semula nostalgia lalu seterusnya mengukuhkan lagi ikatan persahabatan.
“Inilah antara usaha yang mampu kami lakukan untuk mereka. Ketika mereka masih sihatlah kita hargai sumbangan yang diberikan. Kegembiraan mereka dapat berkumpul semula dengan rakan lama sudah cukup bererti buat kami,” katanya selepas sesi penyerahan hamper serta duit raya yang mencecah RM20,000.
Hadir sama Pengerusi Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Dr Victor Wee yang turut menyampaikan duit raya serta hamper kepada barisan seniman dan seniwati yang menjadi tetamu istimewa.
Antaranya Neng Yatimah, Zaiton, Kasim Masdor, Kuswadinata, Latifah Omar, Zaini Satar, Datuk Sarimah Ahmad, Mariam Ahmad, Karim Latiff, S Mariam, Mimi Loma, Salmah Ahmad, Datin Umi Kalsom, Datuk Aziz Satar, Ruminah Sidek , Datuk Maria Menado, Mariani, Sofea Ibrahim dan Momo Latif.
Tidak ketinggalan Senator Tan Sri Jins Shamsuddin, Datuk Mustapha Maarof, Datuk Yusni Hamid, Datuk Yusof Haslam, Datuk Jeffryu Din, Aspalela Abdullah, Mat Sentul, Hail Amir, Uji Rashid, Norlia Ghani, Sofea Ibrahim serta Abbas Bakar.
Penyanyi muda juga memberikan penghargaan terhadap seniman dan seniwati menerusi segmen persembahan bersama medley istimewa, Irama Empat Bintang untuk mengenang kembali dendangan malar segar yang dipopularkan Nona Asiah, P Ramlee, Ahmad Daud dan Saloma selain lagu raya.
Sudah pasti tumpuan ramai terarah kepada pentas utama menerusi gabungan suara penyanyi yang muncul secara giliran seperti Ahmad Fauzi, Nassier Wahab, Mas Omar, Salwa Abdul Rahman, Rohana Jalil, Zur Eda dan Siti Fairuz.
Melihat dari segi layanan serta atur cara majlis, sememangnya penganjur meletakkan insan yang dirai di tangga teratas apabila bukan hanya kakitangan Saloma, Syed Yusof juga sibuk bergerak dari meja ke meja berbual dan bertanya khabar.
Walau ada dikalangan mereka kurang cergas berbanding dulu semetelah usia yang melepasi 70-an, semangat mahu berhimpun membuatkan masing-masing sukar menolak pelawaan menghadiri majlis berkenaan.
Syed Yusof berkata, setiap tahun pihaknya memang mengadakan perancangan rapi bagi memastikan tiada yang tertinggal dalam senarai malah pengangkutan serta penginapan juga disediakan untuk mereka yang jauh khususnya dari Singapura dan Johor.
“Kebiasaannya mereka berada di ibu negara sehari lebih awal supaya dapat berehat di bilik penginapan di Hotel Concorde. Kita mahu memastikan mereka selesa sepanjang berada di Kuala Lumpur.
“Bukan hanya hadir untuk majlis ini, mereka juga tidak lupa mengunjungi pusara beberapa sahabat lama yang lebih dulu menyahut panggilan Ilahi termasuk Allahyarham Tan Sri P Ramlee dan Puan Sri Saloma,” katanya lagi.
Pertemuan eratkan hubungan
Sementara itu, seniwati Zaiton yang didatangkan dari Singapura bersyukur diberikan kesihatan yang baik untuknya sekali lagi berpeluang berkumpul dalam majlis yang disifatkan mampu mengeratkan ukhwah.
“Dalam setahun saya kerap berkunjung ke sini kerana selain menghadiri majlis seumpama ini, saya turut melawat anak sulung yang tinggal di sini. Cuma majlis ini paling besar kerana begitu ramai rakan lama yang hadir. Seronok sebab dapat berkongsi banyak cerita.
“Sebenarnya saya sungguh terharu kerana masih banyak pihak yang mengingati seniman dan seniwati seperti kami dan tiada yang mampu saya ucapkan selain terima kasih yang tidak terhingga,” katanya yang sudah mencecah 73 tahun itu.
Kata pelakon yang kali terakhir muncul di layar perak menerusi filem Raja Bersiong itu, hari raya ketika zaman kegemilangan Studio Jalan Ampas di Singapura membuatkannya terkenang memori mengunjungi rumah terbuka rakan yang tinggal di rumah pekerja.
“Saya tinggal di luar, tetapi ketika Syawal kami masih dapat pelepasan cuti. Biasanya kalau ada kesempatan saya masih akan mengunjungi rakan lain di kuaters. Mereka yang tinggal di situ meriah kerana setiap keluarga membawa juadah istimewa masing-masing.
“Bagi saya sendiri, hingga kini saya kenangan masa lalu masih tersimpan kemas di ingatan. Kenangan berpuasa dan menyambut lebaran tetap akan saya kenang sampai bila-bila,” katanya lagi.
Bagi Kuswadinata yang mesra disapa Pak Kus, 73, sejak tujuh tahun lalu dirinya tidak pernah tertinggal satu pun majlis yang dianjurkan Saloma kerana beranggapan ia acara yang menghimpunkan ramai anak seni daripada semua zaman.
“Kita boleh nampak artis lama dari zaman P Ramlee hingga pelakon muda yang baru bertapak. Sebagai orang lama saya melihat semua transisi ini dari segala sudut yang menampakkan semangat seluruh warga seni.
“Apabila ada pihak berbesar hati anjurkan majlis yang begitu bererti ini, sudah pasti kami menerima undangan hadir ke majlis ini dengan hati terbuka. Inilah antara acara yang menemukan kami dengan sahabat lama dan baru,” katanya yang tinggal di ibu negara sejak 15 tahun lalu.
Sebagai antara pelakon terakhir yang meninggalkan kuaters berhampiran Studio Jalan Ampas, sememangnya Pak Kus masih mengenang kegemilangan lokasi bersejarah buat industri kerana ia adalah gelanggang terawal kegemilangan filem Melayu.
berita harian
Where legends of the silver screen had once set foot on: No. 8 Jalan Ampas
It may not be a surprise to some that the legendary Malaysian actor, singer, songwriter and director, P. Ramlee had actually plied his trade and made his mark on the silver screen from a studio that was located in Singapore, the Shaw Brothers’ Malay Film Productions (MFP). However, it may surprise some that a few of the buildings that were associated with the studio still stand, albeit somewhat obscurely and forgotten and dwarfed by the many commercial and residential developments that now surround its compound at No. 8 Jalan Ampas, off Balestier Road in Singapore.
Lying somewhat hidden amongst commercial and residential properties is the former Shaw Brothers' Studio at Jalan Ampas.
It was back in the late 1940s, the 1950s and the early 1960s, that the studios at No. 8 had its best days, rising to become the most successful Malay film production house of the time. It was also during that time when as a young and aspiring actor at the studios, P. Ramlee, not only made his mark as an actor and a singer and songwriter, but also very quickly as an award winning movie producer and director. P. Ramlee was responsible for over 70 films and 200 songs before his departure for the Merdeka Studios in Kuala Lumpur in 1963. P. Ramlee was of course, well known to me in my childhood, having been given many doses of his exploits in black and white whilst seated next to my maternal grandmother in front of the Setron console television.
A nondescript gate leads to hallowed grounds on which the legendary P. Ramlee had once ruled the studios.
Somehow 1963 had been a very eventful year in Singapore, not just because of P. Ramlee moving to Kuala Lumpur, but it was more importantly, the year in which Malaysia was formed, made by the merger of Singapore and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak into what had been the Federation of Malayan States. More significantly for the MFP though, it was a year which saw the introduction of television in Singapore, and while it certainly benefited my grandmother who was able to obtain the diet she craved of P. Ramlee and Pontianak movies in the comfort and safety of the living room of our flat, it also led to competition for the Malay speaking audience for the film making industry in Singapore, which besides Shaw Brothers, also featured another prominent film studio, Cathay Keris. Ultimately, this, together with a ban imposed on Malaysian productions by Soekarno’s Indonesia during the Konfrontasi (Confrontation), led to a falling demand and the eventual demise of the hitherto very successful Malay film making industry. The MFP, unable to sustain itself in this climate, eventually closed its doors in 1967.
A peek through the gates into a world that might have once been where dreams were made ...
While many of the events had either been before my time, or had passed me by in the bliss of my childhood, I did have some of my own memories of the MFP after its closure. What I would remember most is the view I regularly got of it in passing-by, from the back seat of my father’s car on the many occasions through the late 1960s and during the 1970s that I passed it on my visits to my paternal grandfather (who lived in the area). I had by that time been very aware of the MFP’s role in providing my maternal grandmother with the endless hours of entertainment which probably kept her sane through some of the lonely moments she had living in the confines of our HDB flat. I would in passing-by often look at what I remember as a desolate looking whitewashed walled compound which had a sign that must have read “Malay Film Productions” for me to have been able to have identified it then. I had also, in passing-by, often tried to picture what it would have been like in the days when the career of the legendary P. Ramlee flourished in the studios, wishing sometimes to have an opportunity to see and explore the place, which I never did get to. In time, with the passing of my grandfather the late 1970s giving me no reason to pass by the studios, it had been somewhat forgotten by me.
The memories of the studios did come back to me only recently, when I, in recalling the comical antics of Mat Bond (which was produced by the rival Cathay Keris studios), also remembered our very own more Bond like Jefri Zain, played by Jins Shamsudin, which was made at MFP, and the MFP along with it. I had intended for some time, to take a walk of rediscovery in the area where the MFP was (I wasn’t even sure if it was still around), which I somehow never go to doing. It was by sheer coincidence, a group involved in this concept of Urban Exploration, which I was only very recently introduced to, the One° North Explorers, obtained permission to visit the former studios and were kind enough to extend an invitation to me (see One° North Explorers’ post about the exploration of the studios) – an invitation at which I was quick to jump at. It wasn’t for me, so much a walk down memory lane, as I am often inclined to do, as it was to satisfy that unfulfilled childhood desire to see and explore the hallowed grounds that my grandmother’s silver screen hero, P. Ramlee, had once trodden upon.
Where the more serious of the two local Bond like characters, not Mat Bond, but Jefri Zain, was created.
There isn’t really a lot to remind us of the past use of the abandoned buildings which stand silently and forgotten in the compound at No. 8 Jalan Ampas. For one, they are well hidden behind a nondescript gate that one might only notice because of the two misspelt signs that might convince vehicle owners not to park there. There is however, an easily missed marker that does stand just by the gates, which does tell of the forgotten past and of the fact that it wasn’t just local legends whose feet had once trodden on the grounds, but also the feet of hallowed legends of Hollywood, including John Wayne and Ava Gardner. Beyond this, there is perhaps only the faded Shaw Brothers (SB) logo at the top of one of the buildings that gives away a clue to its past.
Information on the Shaw MFP Studio on the marker at No. 8 Jalan Ampas.
I guess I would have been disappointed if I had expected to find much that would have connected the buildings with their glorious past, with most of what had equipped the rooms within the buildings disposed off in the 1970s. However, being there just for the opportunity to satisfy that desire to see and explore, I was quite happy to discover there were indeed some little reminders, this despite most of the equipment there having been moved out, and also the four decades of relative neglect. Within buildings that are still in relatively good condition, beyond the external walls that exhibit some of the ravages of weather and time, were rooms illuminated by the soft glow of light filtered through frosted and textured window panes which did hold a few things that connected the buildings with its past: contraptions that might have perhaps been old film dryers, old reels, posters and photographs that would have been used in promoting movies produced or distributed by the studios … Although that wasn’t really enough to go on to allow me to have a feel of what the buildings might had once been like when perhaps it was the Hollywood of South East Asia, it did not leave me the least disappointed, for at last, some three and a half decades since I last set my eyes on the old buildings behind the wall, I got the chance I had longed for – to have a look around the grounds where the great P. Ramlee had once trodden upon. And, for some reason beyond my comprehension, it felt as if I was home again.
The visit to the former MFP offered me a chance to see and explore the hallowed grounds that I had previously only had a peek at ...
the long and winding road
Malay Film Productions Ltd
Malay Film Productions Ltd. (atau MFP) merupakan sebuah syarikat dan studio perfileman yang terletak di Jalan Ampas, Singapura. Runme Shaw dan Run Run Shaw telah bertindak sebagai perancang utama bagi penubuhan studio ini. Syarikat ini telah menghasilkan sebanyak 159 buah filem bermula daripada penubuhannya hinggalah tahun 1967.
Runme Shaw dan Run Run Shaw telah membuat studio filem mereka sendiri pada tahun 1937. Mereka juga telah menghasilkan sebanyak empat filem berbahasa Melayu. Antara filem yang sempat dibuat sebelum peperangan bermula ialah Ibu Tiri, Mutiara, Bermadu, Tiga Kekaseh, Hanchor Hati, Terang Bulan di Malaya dan Mata Hantu.
Pembikinan filem Toping Saitan telah terganggu berikutan Perang Dunia Kedua. Studio ini telah dirampas semasa pendudukan Jepun. Selepas tamatnya Perang Dunia Kedua pada tahun 1945, mereka telah membelanjakan sebanyak $1,000,000 untuk membina semula kemudahan studio. Studio filem yang terbaru telah dinamakan sebagai Malay Film Productions. Tempatnya beralamat No. 8, Jalan Ampas, Off Balestier Road, Singapura.
Mereka telah menghasilkan filem pertama selepas perang Singapura di Waktu Malam pada tahun 1947. Filem berunsur komedi dan drama ini diarahkan oleh B. S. Rajhans dan menampilkan Siput Sarawak dan Bakhtiar Affendi sebagai pelakon utama. Filem ini telah ditayangkan di pawangam Alhambra di Singpura pada 15 November 1947.
Pada mulanya, mereka menggunakan orang Cina untuk menjadi pengarah dalam pembuatan filem-filem Melayu. Kemudian, mereka menggantikan pengarah Cina dengan pengarah India kerana gaya pengarahan dari mereka cenderung kepada orang Melayu. Orang Melayu juga menggemari filem-filem India kerana kedua-dua bangsa tersebut boleh dihubung kaitkan dengan plot serta budaya masing-masing. Selain itu, lagu Bollywood dan gaya tarian dalam filem Melayu bukan hanya dinikmati oleh orang Melayu bahkan kepada kebanyakan orang Cina dari Singapura. Mereka juga mempunyai beberapa barisan pengarah India yang kukuh untuk dua dekad seterusnya seperti yang dikenali dalam pengarahan filem Melayu antaranya B. S. Rajhans, S. Ramanathan, L. Krishnan, KRS Shastry, Phani Majmudar, Kidar Sharma, Dhiresh Ghosh, K. M. Basker dan B.N. Rao.
B. S. Rajhans telah meneruskan kejayaannya dengan filem-filem hit untuk empat tahun seterusnya. Antara filem tersebut termasuklah Chempaka (1947), Pisau Berachun (1948) dan Chinta (1948). Dalam filem Chinta, beliau telah memberikan watak penjahat kepada seorang pemuda yang tidak dikenali yang ditemui pada festival muzik di Bukit Mertajam. Seorang penyanyi latar belakang yang berusia 19 tahun ini telah menyediakan vokal untuk watak utama S. Roomai Noor yang pada akhirnya menjadi legenda pada zamannya. Pemuda tersebut adalah P. Ramlee.
Malay Film Productions Ltd. hanya bertahan untuk 20 tahun selepas penghasilan filemnya yang pertama pada tahun 1947. Faktor utama yang membawa kepada kegagalan industri filem Melayu bermula pada lewat 1960-an. Antaranya ialah kemunculan televisyen hitam dan putih sebagai hiburan alternatif. Selain itu, kemasukan filem asing yang berwarna Indonesia, Hong Kong dan Hollywood juga telah menjadi penyumbang utama kepada kejatuhan studio ini. Di samping itu, perpindahan P. Ramlee dari Jalan Ampas untuk menyertai Merdeka Film Productions telah mengurangkan peranan Singapura sebagai sebuah pusat perfileman.
Studio tersebut yang terletak di Jalan Ampas telah ditutup pada tahun 1967. Semasa zaman kegemilangannya, studio ini telah menghasilkan sebanyak 159 buah filem. Filem terakhir yang dikeluarkan oleh studio tersebut ialah Raja Bersiong yang dikeluarkan pada tahun 1968 hasil arahan Jamil Sulong.
wikipedia
Shaw the Malay film industry pioneer
Jan 9, 2014
By Yip Wai Yee
Even as the late Sir Run Run Shaw is being hailed by movie lovers for his lasting legacy to Chinese cinema, there is a less well-known contribution the film-and-TV mogul should be remembered for - his impact on the Malay film industry.
As prominent Singaporean lyricist and film researcher Yusnor Ef, 76, says: "Without Run Run Shaw, there would not be a Malay film industry here today.
"If it were not for him, we would not be able to even dream about having a Malay film industry now."
The legendary Mr Shaw, who had built an entertainment empire through the Shaw studio and later broadcaster TVB over an eight-decade career, died on Tuesday morning. He was 106.
In 1947, he set up Malay Film Productions, a studio that would go on to produce more than 150 Malay films during the post-war period.
Most prominent were the films featuring legendary actor-director P.Ramlee, who starred in 42 films and directed 16, all done at the studio located at No. 8 Jalan Ampas.
Yusnor says: "Even today, tourists from Malaysia will go to the location and take pictures of it. Even though the studio no longer exists, the building is there and they want to see for themselves the birthplace of all these wonderful films."
Local film-maker Abdul Nizam Abdul Hamid, 47, says that Mr Shaw's biggest contribution to the Malay film industry was his faith and belief in the talents of Malay entertainment icon P. Ramlee.
"He agreed to let P. Ramlee direct his first movie, Penarik Beca, in 1955 because he could see that Ramlee was more than just an actor and singer. They became quite close, Run Run would take him along to film festivals overseas and he would pretty much approve whatever projects Ramlee wanted to work on."
Some of the most beloved P. Ramlee films include Huah Tuah (1956), Musang Berjanggut (The Bearded Fox, 1959) and Madu Tiga (The Three Wives, 1964). To this day, the actor is widely considered an icon of Malay arts and entertainment.
Yusnor says: "Run Run Shaw and his brother Runme had already been doing a lot with Chinese films, producing and distributing them.
"Then, they started with Malay films because they saw potential in Malay films. Run Run Shaw saw the potential."
Malay Film Productions shut down in 1967 as Kuala Lumpur became the new Malay film hub after Shaw Organisation set up Merdeka Film Productions studio there.
P.Ramlee also relocated there and made several more films with the studio in Kuala Lumpur before it closed shop in 1977.
Recalling the old days, Yusnor says that he still considers the movies produced during that era to be the best in Malay cinema.
"Today, a lot of Malay films rely on technology and there is a lot of 'boom' here and 'boom' there. But the Shaw Brothers' Malay films were done with real heart."
Still, it is probably the classic wuxia films that are synonymous with the Shaw name. During the 1960s, the Shaw studio made more than 40 titles a year and popularised the gongfu genre in the West with movies such as Five Fingers Of Death (1972) and The One-armed Swordsman (1967), which turned Wang Yu into a superstar.
Veteran getai performer Wang Lei, 52, estimates that he had watched "nine out of 10" Shaw Brothers' wuxia films.
Rattling off a string of titles including Five Shaolin Masters (1974) and Come Drink With Me (1966), he recalls fondly: "Every time the iconic Shaw Brothers' logo and theme music came on before the movie commenced, I would grab my siblings' hands in excitement because I knew that it'd be something good.
"These movies were talked about by audiences in the West as well. It was Run Run Shaw who made international audiences sit up and notice Chinese films. He was a great, great man."
Of course, Mr Shaw's impact goes well beyond film production. He also opened theatres around town as well as amusement parks such as Kim Seng Road's Great World.
Home-grown film-maker Kelvin Tong, 40, who made a movie about the Great World Amusement Park in his nostalgic film It's A Great Great World (2011), says of the now-defunct place: "A lot of stories, memories, experiences and romances happened there. Thus, it was a great setting for a Singapore film.
"In many ways, my tribute to the Great World Amusement Park is also a valentine to the Shaws' foresight in building an amusement park to which everybody from millionaires to trishaw cyclists flocked."
Veteran actor Chen Shucheng, 64, recalls with a chuckle how he used to skip school so that he could go to the Sky Theatre at Great World to catch a film.
"My friends and I would cycle there together secretly and watch Shaw Brothers' movies. We couldn't take a bus because we wanted to save money to buy a drink later on.
"But the bad thing was that because we were sweating so much from the cycling and then sitting in freezing air- conditioning during the movie, I ended up falling very sick one time. That was when my father discovered I was playing truant. I reformed after that. You could say that the Shaw Brothers also helped to make me a better person," he says with a laugh.
Tong adds that Mr Shaw's legacy is also the fact that he has influenced moviegoers' taste in film to this day.
He says: "His earliest instinct for ghost movies, musicals and gongfu flicks can be deeply felt in present-day mainstream Singaporean, Hong Kong and Malaysian cinema.
"This, I think, is his most enduring legacy - his Midas touch informing audience's taste in cinema even today."
This story was first published in The Straits Times on Jan 9, 2014
the straits times
Seniman dan Seniwati
Studio Jalan Ampas
Seniman
Seniwati
Studio Jalan Ampas dalam nostalgia dan kenangan kita bersama. Di situ pada satu ketika segala impian anak muda untuk menjadi ternama dan berjaya berapung dalam harapan dan mimpi masing-masing. Di situ mangkuk rezeki golongan seniman dan seniwati yang memperagakan bakat seni dan keupayaan diri dalam dunia lakon, nyanyi, tari, muzik, kamera dan sebagainya. Denyut baru dalam industri perfileman negara berputar bersama putaran filem yang dihasilkan.
Tetapi memandang kembali ke dalam akar sejarah terasa bahawa Studio Jalan Ampas mengimbau bahagia dan derita bersama. Kepayahan dan kesukaran untuk bergelar seniman dan rempuhan hidup dunia baru perfileman membawa harap, nostalgia. airmata, keharuan dan gembira.
Berjalan kembali menyusur Studio Jalan Ampas. Ada nostalgia, ada luka bersama...
The Golden Age of Malay Cinema
"Actually this business has a lot of fun, a lot of excitement, All depends on whether your judgement is right or judgement is wrong. If judgement is right, you make the money. Judgement is wrong, you lose all the money"
- Tan Sri Runme Shaw, Pioneers of Singapore, Oral History
After the war, film production picked up again, not only all over Asia but also in Singapore where both Chinese and Malay films were made. In 1947, 'Seruan Medeka', an effort by Film Melayu Art Productions, proved to be mildly successful. This prompted the Shaws to reopen their pre-war studio at No.8, Jalan Ampas (above) to produce Malay movies. Under the banner of 'Malay Film Production Limited' (MFP), the Shaws aimed to dominate the Malay film market with quality productions. This move ushered in the period known as 'The Golden Age of Malay Cinema' during which over 300 films were produced.
At first, the Shaws used Chinese directors to make Malay movies. They were replaced by Indians because Malays tended to prefer Indian directorial style. Malays also favoured Indian films because they could relate to both plot and culture. The 'Bollywood' song and dance style in Malay movies were enjoyed not only by Malays but also many Singaporean Chinese. Shaws' stable of Indian directors for the next two decades read like a who's-who of Malay cinema - B.S. Rajhans, S.Ramanathan, L. Krishnan, KRS Shastry, Phani Majumdar, Kidar Sharma, Dhiresh Ghosh, K.M. Basker and B.N. Rao.
In 1947, MFP's first film 'Singapura Di-Waktu Malam' starring Siput Sarawak proved an instant success. It was directed by the same man who made Singapore's first feature hit in 1933 - B.S. Rajhans.
B.S. Rajhans quickly followed his success with a string of hits over the next four years. They included Chempaka (1947), Pisau Berachun (1948) and Cinta (1948). In Cinta, he gave the part of the villain to a young unknown whom he discovered at a music festival in Bukit Mertajam. This 19-year old playback singer who provided the vocals for the lead actor Roomai Noor was to become a legend in his own time. He was P. Ramlee.
The Legendary Tan Sri P.Ramlee (1929-1973)
In his early years at Jalan Ampas, P.Ramlee was enthusiastic about mastering all aspects of film production. No task proved too menial for him, and he worked even as clapper boy and assistant cameraman. From the start, his remarkable talents were recognised by the Shaws.
In 1950, P.Ramlee graduated from playing 'villians' to 'hero' and became the first actor to sing in his own voice in the movie 'Bakti'. In this film, he acted opposite the beautiful Kasma Booty (right) and proved beyond doubt that he had all the qualities of a star who could not only act but sing.
By 1953, MFP faced competition from the newly formed Cathay-Keris, a studio formed by cinema owner Ho Ah Loke and Cathay Organisation's chairman Dato Loke Wan Tho. They offered lucrative financial contracts to attract experienced film crew and stars to their new studio on the East Coast. 'Buloh Perindu' (1953) was a Malay film made by them in colour.
In order to stay ahead, the Shaws made the 26-year-old P. Ramlee into director fresh from his hit starrer 'Hang Tuah' in 1955. By that time, P.Ramlee was already an accomplished songwriter and actor, but he was keen to prove that Malay directors were as capable as Indians in making high quality films.
The result was 'Penarik Beca' (right), an award-winning film which catapulted the Malay film industry to an international level. It won Best Picture and Best Song in a readers' poll of the prestigious "Utusan Filem and Sport" magazine.
For the next 20 years, the multi-talented Tan Sri P.Ramlee was to win multiple international awards (including film festivals in Hong Kong and Japan) for work which spanned over 70 films and 200 songs.
His films encompassed different genres, the reason for winning fans of all races and generations. Any P.Ramlee film was guaranteed to fill seats and he became king of the Malay box office. In 1963, Singapore became part of Malaysia. That same year, P.Ramlee made his last film at Jalan Ampas - Tiga Abdul (right) - and then he went to Merdeka studios in KL.
shaw online
Setiap kali hari raya, Pak Ajis terkenang Jalan Ampas
Oleh SITI KAMILAH MUSTAPHA
PENGHORMATAN. Pak Ajis menerima cenderahati daripada pemilik Saloma Bistro, Tan Sri Syed Yusof Syed Nasir.
SETIAP kali membuat persiapan Aidilfitri, pelakon dan pelawak veteran, Datuk Abdul Azez Aziz Satta atau dikenali sebagai Aziz Satar pastinya terkenangkan kisah 35 tahun dahulu ketika dia tinggal di Jalan Ampas, Singapura.
Mana tidaknya pada 15 September 1967, ketika semua bintang-bintang terkenal filem Melayu termasuk dirinya sendiri yang bernaung di bawah studio perfileman yang dikenali sebagai Studio Malay Filem Production (MFP) di Jalan Ampas, Singapura atau nama pendeknya, Studio Jalan Ampas terpaksa berdepan kenyataan bahawa studio tersebut terpaksa dirobohkan.
Mereka yang digelar bintang Hollywood Filem Melayu itu sebenarnya juga menetap di Studio Jalan Ampas tersebut.
Menurut rekod, Studio Jalan Ampas milik Shaw Brothers telah beroperasi selama 19 tahun sebelum ditutup pada 1967. Mengikut sejarah, ia dibangunkan dua beradik, Runme dan Run Run Shaw di kawasan seluas 40,000 meter persegi.
Studio itulah yang melahirkan bintang ternama seperti seniman agung, Tan Sri P. Ramlee dan rakan seangkatannya termasuk Aziz Satar sendiri, S. Shamsuddin, AR. Tompel, Datuk Sarimah, Tan Sri Jins Shamsuddin, Datuk Ahmad Mahmud, Datuk Jamil Sulong serta ramai lagi.
Ketika era itu, Jalan Ampas turut digelarkan sebagai ‘Hollywood Filem Melayu’ ketika zaman kegemilangan filem Melayu pada era 1950-an dan awal 1960-an. Difahamkan alasan studio itu ditutup kerana tidak ada lagi sambutan terhadap filem Melayu di Singapura, selain kekurangan bakat baharu.
Apa yang membuatkan figura yang lebih mesra dipanggil Pak Ajis ini menanggung emosi kesedihan yang amat sangat adalah kerana penutupan Studio Jalan Ampas bermula sehari sebelum sambutan Aidilfitri pada tahun tersebut.
“Pada tarikh itu, yang mana esoknya semua umat Islam akan menyambut hari raya tetapi saya dan rakan-rakan pelakon Studio Jalan Ampas terpaksa berdepan dengan kenyataan bahawa tempat tinggal kami itu terpaksa dirobohkan,” ujarnya ketika ditemui pada majlis berbuka puasa di Saloma Bistro, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur baru-baru ini.
Menurut Pak Ajis, suasana ketika itu terlalu sepi dan sedih apabila tempat tinggal semua pelakon di situ sudah tiada dan tiada tempat untuk mereka menyambut hari raya.
“Semua biskut raya dan baju raya bertaburan. Semua orang menangis walaupun esok hari raya. Justeru, setiap kali menyambut hari raya walaupun kejadian itu sudah berlalu 35 tahun, ia tetap dalam ingatan saya,” luahnya berbaur kesedihan yang mendalam.
Pak Ajis yang kini terpaksa berehat daripada berlakon selama dua bulan atas nasihat doktor selepas sebelum ini dimasukkan ke Hospital Ampang, Selangor selama 12 hari berharap akan kembali memeriahkan arena seni selepas tempoh berehatnya itu berakhir.
Tambahnya, kenangan di Studio Jalan Ampas tidak akan dapat dilupakan sampai bila-bila termasuk kejadian studio itu ditutup buat selama-lamanya.
“Bayangkan ketika itu suasana seolah-olah satu kampung dilanda banjir, habis jadi gelandangan, sedih betul kalau saya ingat balik,” ujarnya.
Dalam pada itu, menyentuh mengenai persiapan hari raya pada tahun ini pula, ungkap Pak Ajis, ia akan disambut secara sederhana sahaja dan makanan wajib yang mesti ada di pagi raya adalah lontong.
“Saya suka lontong sebab dalam satu hidangan itu sudah ada macam-macam lauk termasuk rendang, itu adalah makanan wajib saya sekeluarga,” ujarnya yang akan menyambut hari raya di rumahnya di Ampang, Selangor.
kosmo online
Bujang Lapok gambaran sebenar Jalan Ampas
BARANGKALI ada dalam kalangan kita menganggap segala apa yang dipertontonkan dalam filem Seniman Bujang Lapok hanyalah sebahagian daripada interpretasi seni atau sekadar fiksyen tanpa ada kena mengena dengan dunia nyata.
Namun menurut Datuk Aziz Sattar, segala apa yang dipertontonkan P. Ramlee selaku teraju utama di dalam filem berkenaan sebenarnya amat berkait rapat dengan kehidupan warga Studio Jalan Ampas.
Sebagai contoh katanya, bintang legenda itu cuba memaparkan sikap sebenar pekerja-pekerja di Jalan Ampas melalui filem berkenaan.
"Paling dikenang tentunya adegan 'Bai jaga' yang tidak sudah-sudah memerli orang. Sebenarnya sikap beliau memang begitu sampai kadang-kadang kita pun geram. Tapi apa yang dicakap semuanya betul. Sebab itu kita tak boleh marah.
"Kadang-kadang orang datang, walaupun berpakaian cantik tapi tidak beradab. Datang saja terus tanya 'P. Ramlee ada?'. Jika begitu, biasanya 'Bai Jaga' yang nama sebenarnya Pretam Singh itu akan terus bangun tanpa melayan pertanyaan itu.
"Tapi kalau yang datang itu berbudi bahasa, orang itu akan dilayan bersungguh-sungguh. Gambaran lain, adalah dalam adegan sebelum itu di mana A. Rahim tiba-tiba mendengus dan menendang kerusi. Memang itulah sikapnya yang selalu secara tiba-tiba saja 'kepala angin'," katanya.
Dalam pada ceria bercerita mengenai memori indahnya bersama kawan-kawan di Studio Jalan Ampas, nada Aziz bagaimanapun tiba-tiba berubah apabila ditanya mengenai keadaan ketika studio itu hampir ditutup.
"Saya sudah mengetahuinya lebih awal apabila seorang rakan meminta saya bersedia kerana katanya studio itu akan ditutup dalam tempoh enam bulan lagi. Apabila saya beritahu kawan-kawan lain, mereka tidak percaya tetapi saya tetap mengambil langkah berhati-hati dengan mula membayar hutang sedikit demi sedikit kepada lima kedai kopi yang berada di sekitar studio tersebut.
"Akhirnya perkara itu menjadi kenyataan. Dalam tempoh dua minggu sebelum studio itu ditutup, kami dimaklumkan tentang perkara tersebut oleh pengurus, Kwek Chip Jian. Keadaan menjadi suram dengan masing-masing bimbang mengenai masa depan sehingga sukar untuk kami melelapkan mata pada waktu malam," katanya.
Apabila tiba harinya, bermula pada pukul dua petang, para petugas di Studio Jalan Ampas daripada krew produksi sehinggalah kepada pelakon-pelakon terkenal mula mengambil gratuiti dan sebulan wang gaji sebelum pintu studio berkenaan tertutup rapat buat selama-lamanya.
"Keadaan ketika itu sukar digambarkan. Ada yang menangis, ada pula yang berpelukan. Paling kasihan melihat mereka yang banyak berhutang," katanya.
Dugaan dihadapi tidak terhenti di situ. Keesokan harinya iaitu pada Hari Raya Aidilfitri yang pertama, Jalan Boon Teck yang menjadi tempat tinggal artis dan krew studio berkenaan banjir.
"Habis segala ketupat dan kuih raya hanyut. Apabila banjir surut, kami beramai-ramai membersihkan rumah dalam keadaan bersedih. Memang saya tidak akan lupakan peristiwa itu," ujarnya.
Bagi menyara hidup kata Aziz, kebanyakan artis mula menjalankan perniagaan secara kecil-kecilan atau kembali kepada pekerjaan lama mereka sebelum bergelar pelakon.
"Salleh Kamil bawa teksi, Kemat Hassan bekerja sebagai pemandu, Shariff Dol menjaga gudang bersama ayahnya sementara Omar Suwita membuka kedai gunting rambut," ujarnya
utusan online
studio jalan ampas
Nostalgia Studio Jalan Ampas
23 Ogos 2011
Oleh Hanisah Selamat Cetak Emel Kawan
Bintang veteran berhimpun di Saloma Bistro setiap Ramadan
SUDAH menjadi tradisi Ramadan sejak tujuh tahun lalu, sekali lagi Saloma Theatre Restaurant menjadi gelanggang perhimpunan seniman dan seniwati lagenda yang banyak berjasa kepada industri perfileman Melayu sekali gus mengenang kembali era kegemilangan lalu.
Berkonsepkan Nostalgia Studio Jalan Ampas, lebih 30 bintang veteran termasuk yang didatangkan khas dari Singapura diraikan dalam majlis berbuka puasa yang turut dimeriahkan kehadiran ramai artis muda.
Pencetus acara penuh bermakna merangkap pemilik premis terbabit, Tan Sri Syed Yusof Tun Syed Nasir berkata, penganjuran majlis berkenaan direalisasikan sebagai penghargaan terhadap insan yang menabur jasa dalam membangunkan industri seni tanah air.
“Saban tahun kami berbesar hati apabila melihat wajah-wajah ceria bintang lagenda yang dipertemukan dengan teman seperjuangan apatah lagi ramai tidak tinggal di Kuala Lumpur dan majlis seumpama ini yang dapat menyemarakkan semula nostalgia lalu seterusnya mengukuhkan lagi ikatan persahabatan.
“Inilah antara usaha yang mampu kami lakukan untuk mereka. Ketika mereka masih sihatlah kita hargai sumbangan yang diberikan. Kegembiraan mereka dapat berkumpul semula dengan rakan lama sudah cukup bererti buat kami,” katanya selepas sesi penyerahan hamper serta duit raya yang mencecah RM20,000.
Hadir sama Pengerusi Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Dr Victor Wee yang turut menyampaikan duit raya serta hamper kepada barisan seniman dan seniwati yang menjadi tetamu istimewa.
Antaranya Neng Yatimah, Zaiton, Kasim Masdor, Kuswadinata, Latifah Omar, Zaini Satar, Datuk Sarimah Ahmad, Mariam Ahmad, Karim Latiff, S Mariam, Mimi Loma, Salmah Ahmad, Datin Umi Kalsom, Datuk Aziz Satar, Ruminah Sidek , Datuk Maria Menado, Mariani, Sofea Ibrahim dan Momo Latif.
Tidak ketinggalan Senator Tan Sri Jins Shamsuddin, Datuk Mustapha Maarof, Datuk Yusni Hamid, Datuk Yusof Haslam, Datuk Jeffryu Din, Aspalela Abdullah, Mat Sentul, Hail Amir, Uji Rashid, Norlia Ghani, Sofea Ibrahim serta Abbas Bakar.
Penyanyi muda juga memberikan penghargaan terhadap seniman dan seniwati menerusi segmen persembahan bersama medley istimewa, Irama Empat Bintang untuk mengenang kembali dendangan malar segar yang dipopularkan Nona Asiah, P Ramlee, Ahmad Daud dan Saloma selain lagu raya.
Sudah pasti tumpuan ramai terarah kepada pentas utama menerusi gabungan suara penyanyi yang muncul secara giliran seperti Ahmad Fauzi, Nassier Wahab, Mas Omar, Salwa Abdul Rahman, Rohana Jalil, Zur Eda dan Siti Fairuz.
Melihat dari segi layanan serta atur cara majlis, sememangnya penganjur meletakkan insan yang dirai di tangga teratas apabila bukan hanya kakitangan Saloma, Syed Yusof juga sibuk bergerak dari meja ke meja berbual dan bertanya khabar.
Walau ada dikalangan mereka kurang cergas berbanding dulu semetelah usia yang melepasi 70-an, semangat mahu berhimpun membuatkan masing-masing sukar menolak pelawaan menghadiri majlis berkenaan.
Syed Yusof berkata, setiap tahun pihaknya memang mengadakan perancangan rapi bagi memastikan tiada yang tertinggal dalam senarai malah pengangkutan serta penginapan juga disediakan untuk mereka yang jauh khususnya dari Singapura dan Johor.
“Kebiasaannya mereka berada di ibu negara sehari lebih awal supaya dapat berehat di bilik penginapan di Hotel Concorde. Kita mahu memastikan mereka selesa sepanjang berada di Kuala Lumpur.
“Bukan hanya hadir untuk majlis ini, mereka juga tidak lupa mengunjungi pusara beberapa sahabat lama yang lebih dulu menyahut panggilan Ilahi termasuk Allahyarham Tan Sri P Ramlee dan Puan Sri Saloma,” katanya lagi.
Pertemuan eratkan hubungan
Sementara itu, seniwati Zaiton yang didatangkan dari Singapura bersyukur diberikan kesihatan yang baik untuknya sekali lagi berpeluang berkumpul dalam majlis yang disifatkan mampu mengeratkan ukhwah.
“Dalam setahun saya kerap berkunjung ke sini kerana selain menghadiri majlis seumpama ini, saya turut melawat anak sulung yang tinggal di sini. Cuma majlis ini paling besar kerana begitu ramai rakan lama yang hadir. Seronok sebab dapat berkongsi banyak cerita.
“Sebenarnya saya sungguh terharu kerana masih banyak pihak yang mengingati seniman dan seniwati seperti kami dan tiada yang mampu saya ucapkan selain terima kasih yang tidak terhingga,” katanya yang sudah mencecah 73 tahun itu.
Kata pelakon yang kali terakhir muncul di layar perak menerusi filem Raja Bersiong itu, hari raya ketika zaman kegemilangan Studio Jalan Ampas di Singapura membuatkannya terkenang memori mengunjungi rumah terbuka rakan yang tinggal di rumah pekerja.
“Saya tinggal di luar, tetapi ketika Syawal kami masih dapat pelepasan cuti. Biasanya kalau ada kesempatan saya masih akan mengunjungi rakan lain di kuaters. Mereka yang tinggal di situ meriah kerana setiap keluarga membawa juadah istimewa masing-masing.
“Bagi saya sendiri, hingga kini saya kenangan masa lalu masih tersimpan kemas di ingatan. Kenangan berpuasa dan menyambut lebaran tetap akan saya kenang sampai bila-bila,” katanya lagi.
Bagi Kuswadinata yang mesra disapa Pak Kus, 73, sejak tujuh tahun lalu dirinya tidak pernah tertinggal satu pun majlis yang dianjurkan Saloma kerana beranggapan ia acara yang menghimpunkan ramai anak seni daripada semua zaman.
“Kita boleh nampak artis lama dari zaman P Ramlee hingga pelakon muda yang baru bertapak. Sebagai orang lama saya melihat semua transisi ini dari segala sudut yang menampakkan semangat seluruh warga seni.
“Apabila ada pihak berbesar hati anjurkan majlis yang begitu bererti ini, sudah pasti kami menerima undangan hadir ke majlis ini dengan hati terbuka. Inilah antara acara yang menemukan kami dengan sahabat lama dan baru,” katanya yang tinggal di ibu negara sejak 15 tahun lalu.
Sebagai antara pelakon terakhir yang meninggalkan kuaters berhampiran Studio Jalan Ampas, sememangnya Pak Kus masih mengenang kegemilangan lokasi bersejarah buat industri kerana ia adalah gelanggang terawal kegemilangan filem Melayu.
berita harian
Where legends of the silver screen had once set foot on: No. 8 Jalan Ampas
It may not be a surprise to some that the legendary Malaysian actor, singer, songwriter and director, P. Ramlee had actually plied his trade and made his mark on the silver screen from a studio that was located in Singapore, the Shaw Brothers’ Malay Film Productions (MFP). However, it may surprise some that a few of the buildings that were associated with the studio still stand, albeit somewhat obscurely and forgotten and dwarfed by the many commercial and residential developments that now surround its compound at No. 8 Jalan Ampas, off Balestier Road in Singapore.
Lying somewhat hidden amongst commercial and residential properties is the former Shaw Brothers' Studio at Jalan Ampas.
It was back in the late 1940s, the 1950s and the early 1960s, that the studios at No. 8 had its best days, rising to become the most successful Malay film production house of the time. It was also during that time when as a young and aspiring actor at the studios, P. Ramlee, not only made his mark as an actor and a singer and songwriter, but also very quickly as an award winning movie producer and director. P. Ramlee was responsible for over 70 films and 200 songs before his departure for the Merdeka Studios in Kuala Lumpur in 1963. P. Ramlee was of course, well known to me in my childhood, having been given many doses of his exploits in black and white whilst seated next to my maternal grandmother in front of the Setron console television.
A nondescript gate leads to hallowed grounds on which the legendary P. Ramlee had once ruled the studios.
Somehow 1963 had been a very eventful year in Singapore, not just because of P. Ramlee moving to Kuala Lumpur, but it was more importantly, the year in which Malaysia was formed, made by the merger of Singapore and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak into what had been the Federation of Malayan States. More significantly for the MFP though, it was a year which saw the introduction of television in Singapore, and while it certainly benefited my grandmother who was able to obtain the diet she craved of P. Ramlee and Pontianak movies in the comfort and safety of the living room of our flat, it also led to competition for the Malay speaking audience for the film making industry in Singapore, which besides Shaw Brothers, also featured another prominent film studio, Cathay Keris. Ultimately, this, together with a ban imposed on Malaysian productions by Soekarno’s Indonesia during the Konfrontasi (Confrontation), led to a falling demand and the eventual demise of the hitherto very successful Malay film making industry. The MFP, unable to sustain itself in this climate, eventually closed its doors in 1967.
A peek through the gates into a world that might have once been where dreams were made ...
While many of the events had either been before my time, or had passed me by in the bliss of my childhood, I did have some of my own memories of the MFP after its closure. What I would remember most is the view I regularly got of it in passing-by, from the back seat of my father’s car on the many occasions through the late 1960s and during the 1970s that I passed it on my visits to my paternal grandfather (who lived in the area). I had by that time been very aware of the MFP’s role in providing my maternal grandmother with the endless hours of entertainment which probably kept her sane through some of the lonely moments she had living in the confines of our HDB flat. I would in passing-by often look at what I remember as a desolate looking whitewashed walled compound which had a sign that must have read “Malay Film Productions” for me to have been able to have identified it then. I had also, in passing-by, often tried to picture what it would have been like in the days when the career of the legendary P. Ramlee flourished in the studios, wishing sometimes to have an opportunity to see and explore the place, which I never did get to. In time, with the passing of my grandfather the late 1970s giving me no reason to pass by the studios, it had been somewhat forgotten by me.
The memories of the studios did come back to me only recently, when I, in recalling the comical antics of Mat Bond (which was produced by the rival Cathay Keris studios), also remembered our very own more Bond like Jefri Zain, played by Jins Shamsudin, which was made at MFP, and the MFP along with it. I had intended for some time, to take a walk of rediscovery in the area where the MFP was (I wasn’t even sure if it was still around), which I somehow never go to doing. It was by sheer coincidence, a group involved in this concept of Urban Exploration, which I was only very recently introduced to, the One° North Explorers, obtained permission to visit the former studios and were kind enough to extend an invitation to me (see One° North Explorers’ post about the exploration of the studios) – an invitation at which I was quick to jump at. It wasn’t for me, so much a walk down memory lane, as I am often inclined to do, as it was to satisfy that unfulfilled childhood desire to see and explore the hallowed grounds that my grandmother’s silver screen hero, P. Ramlee, had once trodden upon.
Where the more serious of the two local Bond like characters, not Mat Bond, but Jefri Zain, was created.
There isn’t really a lot to remind us of the past use of the abandoned buildings which stand silently and forgotten in the compound at No. 8 Jalan Ampas. For one, they are well hidden behind a nondescript gate that one might only notice because of the two misspelt signs that might convince vehicle owners not to park there. There is however, an easily missed marker that does stand just by the gates, which does tell of the forgotten past and of the fact that it wasn’t just local legends whose feet had once trodden on the grounds, but also the feet of hallowed legends of Hollywood, including John Wayne and Ava Gardner. Beyond this, there is perhaps only the faded Shaw Brothers (SB) logo at the top of one of the buildings that gives away a clue to its past.
Information on the Shaw MFP Studio on the marker at No. 8 Jalan Ampas.
I guess I would have been disappointed if I had expected to find much that would have connected the buildings with their glorious past, with most of what had equipped the rooms within the buildings disposed off in the 1970s. However, being there just for the opportunity to satisfy that desire to see and explore, I was quite happy to discover there were indeed some little reminders, this despite most of the equipment there having been moved out, and also the four decades of relative neglect. Within buildings that are still in relatively good condition, beyond the external walls that exhibit some of the ravages of weather and time, were rooms illuminated by the soft glow of light filtered through frosted and textured window panes which did hold a few things that connected the buildings with its past: contraptions that might have perhaps been old film dryers, old reels, posters and photographs that would have been used in promoting movies produced or distributed by the studios … Although that wasn’t really enough to go on to allow me to have a feel of what the buildings might had once been like when perhaps it was the Hollywood of South East Asia, it did not leave me the least disappointed, for at last, some three and a half decades since I last set my eyes on the old buildings behind the wall, I got the chance I had longed for – to have a look around the grounds where the great P. Ramlee had once trodden upon. And, for some reason beyond my comprehension, it felt as if I was home again.
the long and winding road
Malay Film Productions Ltd
Malay Film Productions Ltd. (atau MFP) merupakan sebuah syarikat dan studio perfileman yang terletak di Jalan Ampas, Singapura. Runme Shaw dan Run Run Shaw telah bertindak sebagai perancang utama bagi penubuhan studio ini. Syarikat ini telah menghasilkan sebanyak 159 buah filem bermula daripada penubuhannya hinggalah tahun 1967.
Runme Shaw dan Run Run Shaw telah membuat studio filem mereka sendiri pada tahun 1937. Mereka juga telah menghasilkan sebanyak empat filem berbahasa Melayu. Antara filem yang sempat dibuat sebelum peperangan bermula ialah Ibu Tiri, Mutiara, Bermadu, Tiga Kekaseh, Hanchor Hati, Terang Bulan di Malaya dan Mata Hantu.
Pembikinan filem Toping Saitan telah terganggu berikutan Perang Dunia Kedua. Studio ini telah dirampas semasa pendudukan Jepun. Selepas tamatnya Perang Dunia Kedua pada tahun 1945, mereka telah membelanjakan sebanyak $1,000,000 untuk membina semula kemudahan studio. Studio filem yang terbaru telah dinamakan sebagai Malay Film Productions. Tempatnya beralamat No. 8, Jalan Ampas, Off Balestier Road, Singapura.
Mereka telah menghasilkan filem pertama selepas perang Singapura di Waktu Malam pada tahun 1947. Filem berunsur komedi dan drama ini diarahkan oleh B. S. Rajhans dan menampilkan Siput Sarawak dan Bakhtiar Affendi sebagai pelakon utama. Filem ini telah ditayangkan di pawangam Alhambra di Singpura pada 15 November 1947.
Pada mulanya, mereka menggunakan orang Cina untuk menjadi pengarah dalam pembuatan filem-filem Melayu. Kemudian, mereka menggantikan pengarah Cina dengan pengarah India kerana gaya pengarahan dari mereka cenderung kepada orang Melayu. Orang Melayu juga menggemari filem-filem India kerana kedua-dua bangsa tersebut boleh dihubung kaitkan dengan plot serta budaya masing-masing. Selain itu, lagu Bollywood dan gaya tarian dalam filem Melayu bukan hanya dinikmati oleh orang Melayu bahkan kepada kebanyakan orang Cina dari Singapura. Mereka juga mempunyai beberapa barisan pengarah India yang kukuh untuk dua dekad seterusnya seperti yang dikenali dalam pengarahan filem Melayu antaranya B. S. Rajhans, S. Ramanathan, L. Krishnan, KRS Shastry, Phani Majmudar, Kidar Sharma, Dhiresh Ghosh, K. M. Basker dan B.N. Rao.
B. S. Rajhans telah meneruskan kejayaannya dengan filem-filem hit untuk empat tahun seterusnya. Antara filem tersebut termasuklah Chempaka (1947), Pisau Berachun (1948) dan Chinta (1948). Dalam filem Chinta, beliau telah memberikan watak penjahat kepada seorang pemuda yang tidak dikenali yang ditemui pada festival muzik di Bukit Mertajam. Seorang penyanyi latar belakang yang berusia 19 tahun ini telah menyediakan vokal untuk watak utama S. Roomai Noor yang pada akhirnya menjadi legenda pada zamannya. Pemuda tersebut adalah P. Ramlee.
Malay Film Productions Ltd. hanya bertahan untuk 20 tahun selepas penghasilan filemnya yang pertama pada tahun 1947. Faktor utama yang membawa kepada kegagalan industri filem Melayu bermula pada lewat 1960-an. Antaranya ialah kemunculan televisyen hitam dan putih sebagai hiburan alternatif. Selain itu, kemasukan filem asing yang berwarna Indonesia, Hong Kong dan Hollywood juga telah menjadi penyumbang utama kepada kejatuhan studio ini. Di samping itu, perpindahan P. Ramlee dari Jalan Ampas untuk menyertai Merdeka Film Productions telah mengurangkan peranan Singapura sebagai sebuah pusat perfileman.
Studio tersebut yang terletak di Jalan Ampas telah ditutup pada tahun 1967. Semasa zaman kegemilangannya, studio ini telah menghasilkan sebanyak 159 buah filem. Filem terakhir yang dikeluarkan oleh studio tersebut ialah Raja Bersiong yang dikeluarkan pada tahun 1968 hasil arahan Jamil Sulong.
wikipedia
Shaw the Malay film industry pioneer
Jan 9, 2014
By Yip Wai Yee
Filming in progress (above) at No. 8 Jalan Ampas where Malay Film Productions was located and the site is still an attraction for tourists today. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
Even as the late Sir Run Run Shaw is being hailed by movie lovers for his lasting legacy to Chinese cinema, there is a less well-known contribution the film-and-TV mogul should be remembered for - his impact on the Malay film industry.
As prominent Singaporean lyricist and film researcher Yusnor Ef, 76, says: "Without Run Run Shaw, there would not be a Malay film industry here today.
"If it were not for him, we would not be able to even dream about having a Malay film industry now."
The legendary Mr Shaw, who had built an entertainment empire through the Shaw studio and later broadcaster TVB over an eight-decade career, died on Tuesday morning. He was 106.
In 1947, he set up Malay Film Productions, a studio that would go on to produce more than 150 Malay films during the post-war period.
Most prominent were the films featuring legendary actor-director P.Ramlee, who starred in 42 films and directed 16, all done at the studio located at No. 8 Jalan Ampas.
Yusnor says: "Even today, tourists from Malaysia will go to the location and take pictures of it. Even though the studio no longer exists, the building is there and they want to see for themselves the birthplace of all these wonderful films."
Local film-maker Abdul Nizam Abdul Hamid, 47, says that Mr Shaw's biggest contribution to the Malay film industry was his faith and belief in the talents of Malay entertainment icon P. Ramlee.
"He agreed to let P. Ramlee direct his first movie, Penarik Beca, in 1955 because he could see that Ramlee was more than just an actor and singer. They became quite close, Run Run would take him along to film festivals overseas and he would pretty much approve whatever projects Ramlee wanted to work on."
Some of the most beloved P. Ramlee films include Huah Tuah (1956), Musang Berjanggut (The Bearded Fox, 1959) and Madu Tiga (The Three Wives, 1964). To this day, the actor is widely considered an icon of Malay arts and entertainment.
Yusnor says: "Run Run Shaw and his brother Runme had already been doing a lot with Chinese films, producing and distributing them.
"Then, they started with Malay films because they saw potential in Malay films. Run Run Shaw saw the potential."
Malay Film Productions shut down in 1967 as Kuala Lumpur became the new Malay film hub after Shaw Organisation set up Merdeka Film Productions studio there.
P.Ramlee also relocated there and made several more films with the studio in Kuala Lumpur before it closed shop in 1977.
Recalling the old days, Yusnor says that he still considers the movies produced during that era to be the best in Malay cinema.
"Today, a lot of Malay films rely on technology and there is a lot of 'boom' here and 'boom' there. But the Shaw Brothers' Malay films were done with real heart."
Still, it is probably the classic wuxia films that are synonymous with the Shaw name. During the 1960s, the Shaw studio made more than 40 titles a year and popularised the gongfu genre in the West with movies such as Five Fingers Of Death (1972) and The One-armed Swordsman (1967), which turned Wang Yu into a superstar.
Veteran getai performer Wang Lei, 52, estimates that he had watched "nine out of 10" Shaw Brothers' wuxia films.
Rattling off a string of titles including Five Shaolin Masters (1974) and Come Drink With Me (1966), he recalls fondly: "Every time the iconic Shaw Brothers' logo and theme music came on before the movie commenced, I would grab my siblings' hands in excitement because I knew that it'd be something good.
"These movies were talked about by audiences in the West as well. It was Run Run Shaw who made international audiences sit up and notice Chinese films. He was a great, great man."
Of course, Mr Shaw's impact goes well beyond film production. He also opened theatres around town as well as amusement parks such as Kim Seng Road's Great World.
Home-grown film-maker Kelvin Tong, 40, who made a movie about the Great World Amusement Park in his nostalgic film It's A Great Great World (2011), says of the now-defunct place: "A lot of stories, memories, experiences and romances happened there. Thus, it was a great setting for a Singapore film.
"In many ways, my tribute to the Great World Amusement Park is also a valentine to the Shaws' foresight in building an amusement park to which everybody from millionaires to trishaw cyclists flocked."
Veteran actor Chen Shucheng, 64, recalls with a chuckle how he used to skip school so that he could go to the Sky Theatre at Great World to catch a film.
"My friends and I would cycle there together secretly and watch Shaw Brothers' movies. We couldn't take a bus because we wanted to save money to buy a drink later on.
"But the bad thing was that because we were sweating so much from the cycling and then sitting in freezing air- conditioning during the movie, I ended up falling very sick one time. That was when my father discovered I was playing truant. I reformed after that. You could say that the Shaw Brothers also helped to make me a better person," he says with a laugh.
Tong adds that Mr Shaw's legacy is also the fact that he has influenced moviegoers' taste in film to this day.
He says: "His earliest instinct for ghost movies, musicals and gongfu flicks can be deeply felt in present-day mainstream Singaporean, Hong Kong and Malaysian cinema.
"This, I think, is his most enduring legacy - his Midas touch informing audience's taste in cinema even today."
This story was first published in The Straits Times on Jan 9, 2014
the straits times
Seniman dan Seniwati
Studio Jalan Ampas
Seniman
- A R Tompel / A R Iyer
- A Rahim
- Adi Teruna
- Ahmad C
- Ahmad CB
- Ahmad Chetti/Chetty
- Ahmad Jaafar
- Ahmad Nisfu
- Ahmad Shah ( Ho Ah Loke Film Company)
- Ahmad Shah ( United Malayan Film Company Lmtd)
- Ali Fiji
- Ali Rahman
- Allahyarham Tan Sri P.Ramlee AMN
- Aman Belon
- Aziz Satar
- Bachtiar Affendi
- Bahar Said
- Baharudin
- Daeng Haris
- Daeng Idris
- Darasalam
- M. Babjan
- Shariff Dol
- Malek Sutan Muda
- Prani Prawat
- Kemat Hassan
- M. Rafee
- Rahman
- Eloni Hayat
- R. Samiadji Widjaja
- Malik Sutan Muda
- Said Zain
- Saidi
- H M Busra
- Haji Gong Manaf
- Haji Mahadi
- Haron Omar
- Harun Elyas
- Harun Omar
- Hashim Noor
- Hassan Temberang
- H M Rohaizad
- Hussein Abu Hassan
- Ibrahim Din
- Ibrahim Hassan (Ibrahim Pendek)
- Idris Hashim
- Ismail Kassim
- Jaafar Shah
- Jaafar Wiryo
- Jah Haji Mahadi
- Jamil Sulong
- Jins Shamsuddin
- Johar
- Johnny Tan
- Adik Rahman
- Kemat Hassan
- Kuswadinata
- M Amin
- M Nor Lambak
- M Shariff
- M Suki
- M Zain / Zain Wak Labu
- Mahmud June
- Malek Sutan Muda
- Shariff Medan
- Dollah Sarawak
- Adik Jaafar
- Sri A Unety
- Adik Johan
- Amran Alimin
- Abbas Rahmat
- Supatri
- Adik Rosli
- Mat Sentul
- Idrus
- Mohd Hamid
- Mohd Nor Lambak
- Mohd Yusof Banjar
- Mohd Yusuf
- Junaidi
- Mokhtar Wijaya
- Mustapha Maarof
- Mustarjo
- Nordin Ahmad
- Nyak Osman
- Omar Rojik
- Jaafar Shah
- Omar Suwita
- Osman Ahmad
- Osman B
- Osman Gumanti
- Pancho Magalona
- Putih Lawak
- R Azmi
- Shariff Dol
- Kemat Hassan
- Ali Fiji
- Mohd Rafee
- Babjan
- Hassan Kadir
- S. Ramanathan
- Wahid Satay
- Karim Latiff
- Raden Mokhtar
- Sukarseh
- Bakarudin ( Cathay Keris Film)
- S. Sudarmaji
- Omar Hitam
- Salleh Kamil
- Omar Suwita
- Jaafar
- Muhammad Hamid
- Malik Sutan Muda
- A. Rahim
- Mustapha Maarof
- S. Kadarisman
- Mahmud June
- S Alton
- S Kadarisman
- S Naning
- S Roomai Noor
- S Rosley
- S Shamsuddin
- S Sudarmaji
- S. Hassan Sahab
- SM Malek
- Hashim Hor
- Boy Salleh
- S. Hassan Sahab
- Sahara Efendi
- Salleh Abdullah
- Kamarudin
- A Bakarruddin ( Ong Kee Kuat / Nusantara Film Company)
- Salleh Ghani
- Salleh Kamil
- Salleh Melan
- J. Husny
- Suud Jr
- Salmah Ismail / Saloma
- Seniman Ahmad Mahmud
- Seniman Aziz Sattar
- Seniman Lagenda Aziz Jaafar
- Sharif Medan
- Sharifah Hanim
- Sharrif Dol
- Sri A Unety
- Dollah Sarawak
- Suki
- Sunatri
- Cheng Li Li
- Syed Ali Mansoor Al-Attas
- Tony Castello
- Udo Omar
- Mohd Hamid
- Kemat Hassan
- Shariff Dol
- Ulong Jawa
- Wan Hazim
- Yem
- Yusof Banjar
- Yusof Suria
- Yusoff B
- Yusoff Latif
- Zubir Said
Seniwati
- Aini Hayati
- Aini Jasmin / Annie Jasmin
- Alice Ma
- Baby Hamimah
- Baby Mardiana
- Baby Supatri
- Baby Zaiton
- Baby Zarinah
- Che Tina
- Mislia
- Nursiah K
- Dayang Sofia
- Rohayu Maaji
- Prani Prawat
- Nen Junainah
- Rokiah
- Bibah
- Nyong Ismail
- Eloni Hayat
- Fatimah A
- Fazlyaton
- Habibah
- Habsah Buang
- Hamidar
- Hashimah Yon
- Hasnah Rahman
- Nursiah Yem
- Rahimah Alias
- Junaidah
- Juriah
- Kasma Booty
- Latifah Omar
- Lelawati
- Mak Dara/Dara
- Mardiana
- Maria Menado
- Mariani
- Marion Willis
- Sri A Unety
- Supatri
- Marliah
- Marliah Ahmad
- Maroeti
- Marsita
- Minah Hashim
- Minah Jun
- Mis Tijah
- Mislia
- Saamah
- Musalmah
- Neng Yatimah
- Nety Herwaty
- Noly Lim
- Nona Asiah
- Noor Azizah
- Norani Moarti
- Normadiah
- Norsiah
- Nursiah K
- Zainab
- Hashimah Yon
- Zubaidah
- Saloma
- Tita Doran
- R Suriani
- R. Juminah
- Zainon
- Salmah Ahmad
- Rosini
- Sukarseh
- Rahmah Rahmat
- Raja Hamidah
- Ratina
- Ratna Si
- Rohaya ( Keris Film)
- Rokiah Hanafi
- Rokiah Jaafar
- Rosemawati
- Roseminah
- Roseyatimah
- Rosnani Jamil
- Rusini
- Zainon Ibrahim
- Saadiah
- Saamah
- Saemah
- Sahara Efendi
- Salbiah Harun
- Salmah
- Salmah
- Salmah Ibrahim
- Salmah Ismail / Saloma
- Seniwati Mariam
- Seniwati Sarimah
- Seniwati Zaiton
- Sharifah Hanim
- Siput Sarawak
- Siti Hanim
- Siti Rohani
- Siti Tanjung Perak
- Seri Dewi
- Sri A Unety
- Sunatri
- Suriani
- Tarminah
- Habibah
- Saamah
- Habsah
- Zainon
- Fatimah Osman
- Hashimah Yon
- Umi Kalthum
- Zeera Agus
- Zuriah
