Sabu Dastagir

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Sabu Dastagir (born Selar Sabu, 1924-23) was an Indian film actor who later obtained citizenship in the United States.

He was credited under the name Sabu and is best known for his role in film during the 1930s and 1940s in Britain and America.

In 1960, he was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life

Sabu was born in 1924 in Karapur, Mysore, then a princely State of British India, and he was the son of an Indian mahout. (elephant rider) Although most reference books refer to him as "Sabu Dastagir" (which was the word he used legally), academic Philip Leibfried argues that his full name was actually Selar Sabu. Shaik Dastagir (whose name Leibfried is a source of ambiguity regarding Sabu's full name) was Sabu's brother, who continued to work. Shaik's brother was shot and killed at his house during a botched robbery in 1960. Jimmy E. Shields, an 18-year-old employee of the brothers' furniture store, was the perpetrator. He was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 1 to ten years in jail.

Personal life

Sabu married Marilyn Cooper (whose only film part, as Princess Tara in Song of India in 1949, was not acknowledged), with whom he had two children. They were married before his death. In the 1980s, their son Paul Sabu formed the rock band Sabu. Jasmine Sabu was their daughter and was an animal trainer for the motion picture industry. She died in 2001.

Sabu was the object of a paternity lawsuit. Michaela, a dancer with whom he had appeared in Black Narcissus, Brenda Marian Julier, pleaded for the father of her daughter Michaela, who was born in 1948. Julier had married Frank Ernst at the time of the trial in October 1950. Sabu's jury was overwhelmingly in favour of it by a margin of 9 to 3. However, an appeals court reversed the decision and ordered a new trial in March 1952. The trial judge's jury instructions were both erroneous and prejudicial, according to Sabu's counsel, who had effectively brought Julier on trial. Sabu settled the lawsuit without acknowledging paternity, the day before the second trial was supposed to begin in July 1953. He promised to defray Julier's costs, established a trust fund, and continue to provide monthly assistance until the child's age of 21. Ernst revealed his intention to foster the child at the time.

A fire that was destroyed the 2nd storey of his Los Angeles home in November 1950 was destroyed. Arthur E. Wall and Andre Perez were arrested for arson shortly afterward; Perez pleaded guilty in July 1951. He said he was asked to start the fire by Wall, Sabu's friend, who told him that the actor needed the insurance money. Northwestern Mutual, Sabu's insurance company, had originally paid out his case but had to sue him in November 1952 after finding out about the arson.

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Career

Sabu was discovered by documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty, who played him in the role of an elephant driver in the 1937 British film Elephant Boy, who was 13 years old. This was adapted from Rudyard Kipling's book "Toomai of the Elephants." A. E. W. Mason, a 1938 producer, was hired by Alexander Korda to write The Drum as a supporting vehicle for the young actor. Sabu is perhaps best known for his role as Abu in the 1940 fantasy adventure film The Thief of Bagdad. Sabu had a "wonderful grace" about him, according to director Michael Powell. Sabu appeared in another Kipling film, namely Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book directed by Zoltan Korda, which was shot entirely in California. In three films for Universal Pictures: Arabian Nights (1942), White Savage (1943), and Cobra Woman (1944), he appeared with Maria Montez and Jon Hall.

Sabu joined the United States Army Air Forces and served as a tail gunner and ball-turret gunner on B-24 Liberators after becoming an American citizen in 1944. He served with the 370th Bombardment Squadron of the 307th Bomb Group in the Pacific, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for his vainness and bravery. His career ended after World War II as he was unable to find comparable roles in Hollywood that British films had offered. He did have some roles in the British film Black Narcissus (1947), but not in such roles. He appeared in largely unsuccessful European films in the 1950s. He appeared in the Harringay Circus as an elephant in 1952.

He was considered for the role of Birju in Mehboob Khan's 1957 film Mother India, but he was refused a work permit and the role was moved to Sunil Dutt. Sabu never had a chance to star in a film made in his home country. In 1963, he made a comeback to Hollywood with a supporting role in Rampage opposite Robert Mitchum. In the Disney film A Tiger Walks, he appeared in another supporting role alongside Brian Keith. As he died three months before the film was released, it would be his last appearance.

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