Ellis Roderick Dungan (May 11, 1909 – December 1, 2001) was an American film director, who was well known for working in Indian films, predominantly in Tamil cinema, from 1936 to 1950. He was an alumnus of the University of Southern California and moved to India in 1935. During his film career in South India, Dungan directed the debut films of several popular Tamil film actors, such as M. G. Ramachandran, T. S. Balaiah, and K. A. Thangavelu in Sathi Leelavathi (1936).

Biography

Early life An Irish-American, Dungan was born in Barton, Ohio. on May 11, 1909. He attended St. Clairsville High School in St. Clairsville, where he played quarterback on the school football team. He bought his first box camera to take pictures for the school yearbook, for which he was editor-in-chief. He later enrolled at the University of Southern California in 1932 in the newly established Cinematography & Motion Picture Production Department.

Career

In 1935, he arrived in British India with his college mate Michael Ormalev at the invitation of another USC student – Manik Lal Tandon of Bombay. Tandon's family was then planning to enter the film industry. When those plans did not take off, Tandon invited them to Calcutta where he was directing the Tamil film Nandanar. There Tandon introduced them to A. N. Marudhachalam Chettiar, a film producer who was making the film Sathi Leelavathi and recommended Dungan be hired to direct the film as he himself was busy directing Nandanar. Thus Dungan made his directing debut with Sathi Leelavathi which was also the first film of the future Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. G. Ramachandran. During 1936–50, Dungan made a number of Tamil films and one Hindi film – Meera (1947). Dungan had no knowledge of Indian languages, a problem which never affected his career as a director of films in Indian languages, especially Tamil. He introduced many new techniques to Indian cinema despite the technical limitations of that period. Many of his movies were based on the mythical characters of the Hindu religion and he had to shoot them in Hindu temples where non-Hindus were not allowed in those days. Dungan filmed his movies in the temples by passing himself off as a Kashmiri pandit. Dungan is credited with introducing modern make-up, the mobile camera and cabaret dance numbers to Tamil Cinema and moving it away from the influence of stage plays. For his introduction of intimate love scenes in Ponmudi (1950), Dungan was criticized by the press for introducing "vulgar" scenes and for "corrupting the population with American ways".

His last Tamil film was Manthiri Kumari in 1950. He returned to America and settled in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1958. There he started his company – Ellis Dungan Productions and for the next thirty years made documentary movies.

Death Dungan died in Wheeling on December 1, 2001, at the age of 92.

Legacy Dungan is credited with having revolutionized Indian cinema and introduced western innovations. In 2013, Indian film maker Karan Bali made a one-hour documentary on Dungan titled An American in Madras by consulting West Virginia State Archives and interviewing people who had known Dungan.

Filmography Year Film Credited as Notes Director Producer Cinematographer/Editor 1935 Bhakta Nandanar Uncredited 1936 Sathi Leelavathi Seemanthini Iru Sahodarargal 1937 Ambikapathy 1940 Sakuntalai Kalamegam 1941 Surya Puthri 1943 Daasi Penn 1945 Valmiki Returning Soldier Short film starring T. S. Balaiah Meera Partially reshot in Hindi (1947) 1950 Ponmudi Manthiri Kumari 1952 The Jungle 1958 Harry Black and the Tiger Technical advisor 1959 Wheels to Progress The Big Hunt Also actor 1962 Tarzan Goes to India 1965 A Work of Heart and Hand 1966 Spring Comes to Vintroux 1963 West Virginia Land for Relaxation 1969 High Speed Steel 1970 Pathways to Understanding 1971 Wild, Wonderful, West Virginia 1972 Protecting the Ballot Portrait of a University 1977 For Liberty and Union A Ride of the Future 1985 Pocahontas: A Family Portrait 1987 Josiah Fox – Architect of the United States First Navy

Television Year Title Producer Cinematographer Notes 1951–1954 Smilin' Ed's Gang 1955–1960 Andy's Gang 1 episode

Bibliography A Guide to Adventure – An Autobiography (with Barbara Diane Smik), Pittsburg: Dorrance Publishing Co. (2002)

References

External links

Entry in the Wheeling Hall of Fame NYT blog post on Ellis R. Dungan