Sabu

Actor

About

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Also Known As

Sabu Dastagir

Birth Place

India

Born

January 27, 1924

Died

December 02, 1963

Cause of Death

Heart Attack

Biography

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Former stable boy who achieved international fame after being cast by Robert Flaherty as the delightfully engaging "Elephant Boy" (1937). He subsequently appeared in several Alexander Korda productions and a number of US films through the mid-1960s. Boyishly handsome, with an outgoing personality and natural talent as an actor, Sabu did well in England in "Drums" (1938) and especially th...

Filmography

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A Tiger Walks (1964)

Sabu and the Magic Ring (1957)

Jungle Hell (1955)

Buongiorno Elefante! (1952)

Photos & Videos

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Black Narcissus -- (Movie Clip) Kanchi

Drum, The (a.k.a. Drums) -- (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Sick Of This Darn Beard

Family & Companions

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Bibi Ferreira

Wife

Actor. Married in 1947.

Marilyn Cooper

Wife

Married in 1949; survived him; not to be confused with Broadway performer Marilyn Cooper (born in 1935).

Biography

Former stable boy who achieved international fame after being cast by Robert Flaherty as the delightfully engaging "Elephant Boy" (1937). He subsequently appeared in several Alexander Korda productions and a number of US films through the mid-1960s. Boyishly handsome, with an outgoing personality and natural talent as an actor, Sabu did well in England in "Drums" (1938) and especially the splendid "The Thief of Bagdad" (1940). His first American films, such as an adaptation of "The Jungle Book" (1942), were also worthy, but Sabu was soon typecast in a series of outlandish, exotic jungle and desert adventures alongside Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Turhan Bey. His last really interesting film was Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger's stunning "Black Narcissus" (1947). Subsequent work was mostly in low-budget adventures right up until his premature death at 39 from a heart attack.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

A Tiger Walks (1964)

Sabu and the Magic Ring (1957)

Jungle Hell (1955)

Buongiorno Elefante! (1952)

Savage Drums (1951)

Song of India (1949)

Man-Eater of Kumaon (1948)

Black Narcissus (1947)

The Young General

The End of the River (1947)

Cobra Woman (1944)

White Savage (1943)

Arabian Nights (1942)

Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (1942)

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

The Drum (1938)

Elephant Boy (1937)

Toomai of the Elephants

Life Events

1937

Screen debut in "Elephant Boy"

1942

First American films, "Arabian Nights" and "The Jungle Book"

1964

Last film, "A Tiger Walks"

Videos

Black Narcissus -- (Movie Clip) Kanchi Outcast and bored native girl Kanchi (Jean Simmons) amuses herself with a dance until the "Little General," (Sabu), also taken in by the convent, intrudes, in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's Black Narcissus, 1947.

Drum, The (a.k.a. Drums) -- (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Sick Of This Darn Beard An aide advises the governor (Francis L. Sullivan) about the under-cover work of British officer Carruthers (Roger Livesey) in the northwest of what is now Pakistan, whom we meet exchanging info in the field, in Alexander Korda’s film from the A.E.W. Mason novel, The Drum (a.k.a. Drums, 1938.

Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (1942) -- (Movie Clip) Open, All India Opening credits and first scene from the Korda Brothers' lavish 1942 Hollywood production of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, starring Sabu and Joseph Calleia.

Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (1942) -- (Movie Clip) I Am Beautiful Mowgli (Sabu) discovers that flattery will get him everywhere with the snake Kaa, invoking the code of the jungle as he seeks out the tiger Shere Khan, in the Korda Brothers' Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, 1942.

Drum, The (a.k.a. Drums) -- (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Open, North West Frontier Gaudy and mappy opening sequence followed by a big splash of on-location Northwest Frontier shots, from The Drum, 1938, (a.k.a. Drums) starring Sabu, directed by Zoltan Korda.

Drum, The (a.k.a. Drums) -- (1938) -- (Movie Clip) You Being An Ally Of Ours Unlike corps drummer Bill (Desmond Tester), northwest Indian prince Azim (Sabu) lacks the sense to be nervous around Captain Carruthers (Roger Livesey), en route to seal an alliance with his dad (Amid Taftazani), in Alexander Korda’s epic of the British Raj, The Drum (a.k.a. Drums), 1938.

Drum, The (a.k.a. Drums) -- (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Lean, Hard, Hungry, Free Men Roger Livesey and his British column from India have just arrived in the territory of Tokot, where the dreaded Prince Ghul (Raymond Massey) is plotting behind the back of his peacemaking brother, in the Korda brothers colonial epic The Drum, 1938.

Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (1942) -- (Movie Clip) He Is A Wolf! Feral Mowgli (Sabu) is captured by the villagers and, with a Buddha oddly in the background, offered to his doubting real mother Messua (Rosemary De Camp) in the Korda Brothers' production of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, 1942.

Song of India -- (Movie Clip) Not You, Dear Capture of rare jungle antelope, radio banter between expeditioners Tara (Gail Russell) and Gopal (Turhan Bey) and a most improbable wildlife montage from Columbia's Song of India, 1949.

Song of India -- (Movie Clip) The Jungle Is Angry Ramdan (Sabu) senses trouble in the jungle and rushes to the village to see the head man Namaram (Fritz Leiber), who looks to be in the wrong movie, in Columbia's Song of India, 1949.

Rampage (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Tuan Broke Promise Talib (Sabu) coordinating natives as trapper Harry (Robert Mitchum), with staffer Anna (Elsa Martinelli), oversees tiger capture, when hunter Otto (Jack Hawkins) gets carried away, irritating the chief (Stefan Schnabel), in Rampage, 1963.

Essentials Jr 2012 -- The Thief Of Bagdad (1940), Bill Hader From Bill Hader's introduction to The Thief Of Bagdad, 1940, featured on TCM's Essentials Jr., Sunday July 15th at 8pm ET.

Family

Paul Cooper Dastagir

Son

Composer, songwriter. Survived him.

Jasmine Sabu

Daughter

Animal trainer, author. Born in March 1957; survived him; died on April 15, 2001.

Companions

Bibi Ferreira

Wife

Actor. Married in 1947.

Marilyn Cooper

Wife

Married in 1949; survived him; not to be confused with Broadway performer Marilyn Cooper (born in 1935).

Bibliography

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