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{{Short description|Indian actor (1924–1963)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sabu Dastagir
| image = Sabu actor.jpg
| caption = Dastagir in the trailer for ''[[Cobra Woman]]'' (1944)
| birth_name = Selar Sabu
| birth_date = {{birth date|1924|1|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Mysore|Karapur, Mysore]],<br/> [[Kingdom of Mysore]],<br/> [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1963|12|2|1924|1|27|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Chatsworth, Los Angeles]], California, United States
| other_names = Sabu
| years_active = 1937–1963
| occupation = Actor
| spouse = {{marriage|Marilyn Cooper |1948}}
| children = 2, including [[Paul Sabu]]
}}

'''Sabu Dastagir''' (born '''Selar Sabu'''; 27 January 1924 – 2 December 1963) was an Indian actor who later gained United States citizenship. Throughout his career he was credited under the name '''Sabu''' and is primarily known for his work in [[1940s in film|films during the 1930s–1940s]] in Britain and the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-17/mysore/38614690_1_elephant-boy-jungle-book-venice-film-festival|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203023733/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-17/mysore/38614690_1_elephant-boy-jungle-book-venice-film-festival|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-12-03|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|title=Meet Sabu, Mysore's elephant boy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-18/bangalore/31360927_1_mysore-elephant-boy-film-critic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420040241/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-18/bangalore/31360927_1_mysore-elephant-boy-film-critic|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-04-20|work=[[The Times of India]]|title=Remembering Sabu, the mahout from Mysore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0754942/bio|title=Sabu|website=IMDb}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/459165/ |title=BFI Screenonline: Sabu (1924-1963) Biography |work=[[Screenonline]]}}</ref> He was inducted into the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 1960.

==Early life==
Born in 1924 in [[Mysore|Karapur, Mysore]], [[Kingdom of Mysore]], then a [[Princely state|Princely State]] of [[British Raj|British India]],<ref name=Izhar>"Quit India": The Image of the Indian Patriot on Commercial British Film and Television, 1956-1985, by Dror Izhar [https://web.archive.org/web/20140202092406/http://www.c-s-p.org/Flyers/978-1-4438-3203-8-sample.pdf page 12].</ref> Sabu was the son of an Indian ''[[mahout]]'' (elephant rider). While most reference books list his full name as "Sabu Dastagir" (which was the name he used legally), research by journalist Philip Leibfried suggests that his full name was in fact Selar Sabu.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.powell-pressburger.org/Obits/Sabu/FIR.html |title= SABU |first=Philip |last=Leibfried |work=Films in Review |date=October 1989}}</ref> Sabu's brother, Shaik Dastagir (whose name Leibfried suggests was the source of confusion surrounding Sabu's full name), managed his career.<ref>{{cite book |last = Leibfried |first = Philip |author2=Willits, Malcolm |title = Alexander Korda's "The Thief of Bagdad", An Arabian Fantasy |year = 2004 |publisher = Hollywood, Calif.: Hypostyle Hall Publishers |isbn = 0-9675253-1-4}}</ref> In 1960, his brother Shaik was shot to death at his home during a botched robbery. The perpetrator, 18-year-old Jimmy E. Shields, was a former employee at the brothers' furniture store. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 1 to 10 years in prison.<ref>{{cite news |title=Judge Orders 1-10 Years For Dastagir Killer | work=Valley Times |location=[[North Hollywood, Los Angeles]] |access-date=2020-05-22 | via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/580676971/ |pages=2 | url-access=subscription |date=1960-12-10}}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Sabu Dastagir seated over the nose guns of a US Consolidated B24 Liberator bomber 1941.jpg|thumb|Sabu served in the [[United States Army Air Forces]] during [[World War II]].]]

When he was 13, Sabu was discovered by documentary filmmaker [[Robert Flaherty]], who cast him in the role of an elephant driver in the 1937 British film ''[[Elephant Boy (film)|Elephant Boy]]''. This was adapted from "[[Toomai of the Elephants]]", a story by [[Rudyard Kipling]]. In 1938 producer [[Alexander Korda]] commissioned [[A E W Mason|A. E. W. Mason]] to write ''[[The Drum (1938 film)|The Drum]]'' as a starring 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 (1940 film)|The Thief of Bagdad]]''. Director [[Michael Powell]] said that Sabu had a "wonderful grace" about him.<ref name="DVD">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Black-Narcissus-The-Criterion-Collection/dp/B00004XQN4|title=Black Narcissus (The Criterion Collection) (2001) DVD commentary|publisher=Criterion|access-date=27 October 2013}}</ref> In 1942, Sabu played another role based on a Kipling story, namely [[Mowgli]] in [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s ''[[Jungle Book (1942 film)|Jungle Book]]'' directed by [[Zoltan Korda]], which was shot entirely in California.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034928/locations|title=The Jungle Book (1942) - IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> He starred alongside [[Maria Montez]] and [[Jon Hall (actor)|Jon Hall]] in three films for [[Universal Pictures]]: ''[[Arabian Nights (1942 film)|Arabian Nights]]'' (1942), ''[[White Savage]]'' (1943) and ''[[Cobra Woman]]'' (1944).

After becoming an American citizen in 1944, Sabu joined the [[United States Army Air Forces]] and served as a [[tail gunner]] and ball-turret gunner on [[B-24 Liberator]]s. He flew several dozen missions with the [[370th Flight Test Squadron|370th Bombardment Squadron]] of the [[30th Operations Group|307th Bomb Group]] in the [[Pacific War|Pacific]], and was awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (U.S.)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] for his valor and bravery.<ref name="time">"[https://web.archive.org/web/20111114173420/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,797343-2,00.html People:Reservations]". ''[[TIME]]'', 19 March 1945.</ref> His career declined after [[World War II]] as he was unable to secure equivalent roles in Hollywood that British films had offered. He occasionally did gain significant parts, such as his supporting role in the British film ''[[Black Narcissus]]'' (1947). Through most of the 1950s he starred in largely unsuccessful European films. In 1952, he starred in the [[Harringay Arena#Circuses|Harringay Circus]] with an elephant act.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sabu |first=Philip |last=Leibfried |work=[[National Board of Review#Films in Review|Films in Review]] |date=October 1989}}</ref>

He was considered for the role of Birju in [[Mehboob Khan]]'s 1957 film ''[[Mother India]]'' which would have marked his debut in Hindi films but he was denied a work permit and the role ended up going to [[Sunil Dutt]]. Sabu never got to appear in a film made in his native country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/cinema/the-elephant-boy-from-mysore-who-became-an-international-superstar|title=The Elephant Boy From Mysore who Became an International Superstar|website=The Wire}}</ref> In 1963, he made a comeback to Hollywood with a supporting role in ''[[Rampage (1963 film)|Rampage]]'' opposite [[Robert Mitchum]]. He played another supporting role alongside [[Brian Keith]] in the Disney film ''[[A Tiger Walks]]''. This would turn out to be his final role as he died three months before the film was released.

== Personal life ==
On 19 October 1948, Sabu married little-known actress Marilyn Cooper (whose only film part, as Princess Tara in ''[[Song of India (film)|Song of India]]'' in 1949, was not credited), with whom he had two children. Their marriage lasted until his death.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} Their son [[Paul Sabu]] established the rock band Sabu in the 1980s. Their daughter Jasmine Sabu was an animal trainer for the motion picture industry. She died in 2001.

Sabu was the subject of a [[paternity (law)|paternity]] suit. A dancer with whom he had appeared in ''Black Narcissus'', Brenda Marian Julier, alleged that he was the father of her daughter Michaela, born in 1948. At the time of the trial, in October 1950, Julier had married Frank Ernst.<ref>{{cite news |author= |date=1950-10-11|work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=Los Angeles, California |pages=Part II, page 7 |no-pp=y|title=Jurors Compare Child With Picture of Sabu |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/385380082/ |url-access=subscription|access-date=2020-03-17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The jury found in favor of Sabu by a vote of 9 to 3.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Verdict of Jury Clears Sabu in Paternity Suit |date=1950-10-19|work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=Los Angeles, California |pages=Part II, page 1 |no-pp=y|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/385599296/ |url-access=subscription|access-date=2020-03-17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> However, in March 1952, an appeals court reversed the verdict and ordered a new trial.<ref>{{cite court |litigants=Dastagir v. Dastagir |vol=241 |reporter=P.2d |opinion=809 |court=[[California Courts of Appeal|Cal. Ct. App.]] |date=1952-03-19 |access-date=2020-03-17 |url=https://casetext.com/case/dastagir-v-dastagir |via=Casetext}}</ref> It found that the trial judge's jury instructions were erroneous and prejudicial, and that Sabu's attorney had effectively put Julier on trial.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Decision Reopens Case against Sabu |date=1952-03-21 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=Los Angeles, California |pages=Part I, page 17 |no-pp=y|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/380996225/ |url-access=subscription|access-date=2020-03-17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The day the 2nd trial was scheduled to begin, in July 1953, Sabu settled the case without admitting paternity. He agreed to defray Julier's costs, set up a trust fund, and pay monthly support until the child reached 21. At that time, Ernst stated his intent to adopt the girl.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Sabu Denies Paternity but Agrees to Aid Child |date=1953-07-16 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=Los Angeles, California |pages=Part I, page 15 |no-pp=y|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386306655/ |url-access=subscription|access-date=2020-03-17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

In November 1950, a fire destroyed the 2nd storey of his Los Angeles home. Arthur E. Wall and Andre Perez were arrested for arson shortly afterward; Perez pleaded guilty in July 1951. He revealed that he was asked to set the fire by Wall, Sabu's friend, who told him the actor needed the insurance money. Sabu's insurer, [[Northwestern Mutual]], had originally paid out his claim, but sued him in November 1952 after learning about the arson.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Actor Sabu Sued for Recovery of Fire Insurance |date=1952-11-19 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=Los Angeles, California |pages=Part I, page 2 |no-pp=y|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386260873/ |url-access=subscription|access-date=2020-03-17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

==Death==
On 2 December 1963, Sabu died suddenly in [[Chatsworth, Los Angeles|Chatsworth, California]], of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]], a month before his 40th birthday.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-sabu-19631203-story.html|title=From the Archives: Sabu Dies of Heart Attack|date=3 December 1963|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> He is interred at the [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery]]. His wife said in a television interview that two days before his death, during a routine medical check, his doctor told him: "If all my patients were as healthy as you, I would be out of a job".

==Filmography==
[[File:Sabu Buongiorno elefante.jpg|thumbnail|270px|Sabu in ''[[Hello Elephant]]'' (1952)]]
{| class=wikitable width=43%
! width=3%|Year !! width=20%|Title !! width=20%|Role !! width=20%|Notes
|-
| 1937 || ''[[Elephant Boy (film)|Elephant Boy]]'' || Toomai ||
|-
| 1938 || ''[[The Drum (1938 film)|The Drum]]'' || Prince Azim ||
|-
| 1940 || ''[[The Thief of Bagdad (1940 film)|The Thief of Bagdad]]'' || Abu ||
|-
| rowspan=2|1942 || ''[[Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book|Jungle Book]]'' || [[Mowgli]] ||
|-
| ''[[Arabian Nights (1942 film)|Arabian Nights]]'' || Ali Ben Ali ||
|-
| 1943 || ''[[White Savage]]'' || Orano ||
|-
| 1944 || ''[[Cobra Woman]]'' || Kado ||
|-
| 1946 || ''[[Tangier (1946 film)|Tangier]]'' || Pepe ||
|-
| rowspan=2|1947 || ''[[Black Narcissus]]'' || The Young General ||
|-
| ''[[The End of the River]]'' || Manoel ||
|-
| 1948 || ''[[Man-Eater of Kumaon]]'' || Narain ||
|-
| 1949 || ''[[Song of India (film)|Song of India]]'' || Ramdar ||
|-
| 1951 || ''[[Savage Drums]]'' || Tipo Tairu ||
|-
| rowspan=2|1952 || ''[[Hello Elephant]]'' || Sultan of Nagore ||
|-
| ''Bagdad'' || ||
|-
| 1954 || ''[[The Treasure of Bengal]]'' || Ainur ||
|-
| rowspan=3|1956 || ''[[Jaguar (1956 film)|Jaguar]]'' || Juano ||
|-
| ''[[Jungle Hell]]'' || rowspan=3|Sabu the Jungle Boy ||
|-
| ''The Black Panther'' || Short
|-
| 1957 || ''[[Sabu and the Magic Ring]]'' ||
|-
| 1960 || ''[[Mistress of the World]]'' || Dr. Lin-Chor ||
|-
| 1963 || ''[[Rampage (1963 film)|Rampage]]'' || Talib ||
|-
| 1964 || ''[[A Tiger Walks]]'' || Ram Singh || (final film role)
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* Leibfried, Philip. ''Star of India: The Life and Films of Sabu''. Oklahoma; BearManor Media, 2010.
* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 125-126.
* Dye, David. ''Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, p. 207-208.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sabu (actor)}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{AFI person|3976-Sabu}}
* {{BFI person|4ce2b9f63c42b}}
* {{Screenonline person|459165}}
* {{TCMDb person}}
* {{AllMovie person|62514}}
* {{TV Guide person|193060}}
* [https://www.virtual-history.com/movie/person/5456/sabu Sabu] at Virtual History
* [http://www.powell-pressburger.org/Obits/Sabu/FIR.html Powell and Pressburger Pages article]
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2081-eclipse-series-30-sabu Criterion Collection Essay]
* {{discogs artist|Sabu Dastagir}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dastagir, Sabu}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:1963 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:American male actors of Indian descent]]
[[Category:People with acquired American citizenship]]
[[Category:British male film actors]]
[[Category:Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:British Muslims]]
[[Category:American Muslims]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)]]
[[Category:Male actors from Mysore]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Indian male child actors]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers]]
[[Category:20th-century British male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]

Sabu (actor) - Revision history

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