Mitr Chaibancha
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2021) |
Mitr Chaibancha | |
---|---|
มิตร ชัยบัญชา | |
Phetchaburi, Thailand | |
Died | 8 October 1970 Dongtan Beach, South Pattaya, Thailand | (aged 36)
Other names | Pichet Phumhem |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1957–1970 |
Flight Sergeant 2nd Class Pichet Chaibancha | |
---|---|
Military service | |
Allegiance | Thailand[1][2] |
Branch/service | Royal Thai Air Force |
Rank | Flight Sergeant 2nd Class |
Mitr Chaibancha (
At the height of his career in the 1960s, Mitr, along with Petchara Chaowarat, made a string of hit films that packed cinemas. Of the 75 to 100 films produced each year by the Thai film industry during this period, Mitr starred in nearly half of them.
Early life
Mitr was born into poverty, named Bunting ("abandoned by destiny"), which was the name given to him by a monk. His parents separated when he was an infant. His father was a non-commissioned police officer. His mother came to
In 1956 some friends showed his photograph to journalist Kingkaew Kaewprasert, who introduced him to Surat Pukkawet, the editor of a movie magazine. Before long Mitra starred in his first film, Chart Sua (Tiger Instinct). It was then he decided to change his name from Pichet Pumhem to Mitr Chaibancha. He caught the attention of movie fans after starring in Chao Nakleng (Gangster Lord), using the character name Rom Ritthikrai from author Sake Dusit's Insee Daeng (Red Eagle) series of novels.
He married his wife, Jaruwan, in 1959. In 1961 a son, Yuthana, or Ton, was born. However, the marriage ended in a divorce.
Height of fame
In 1961 Mitr starred in Banthuk Rak Pimchawee (Love Diary of Pimchawee), his first film with Petchara Chaowarat. This was the beginning of the most celebrated hero-heroine partnerships in Thai cinematic history. The Mitr-Petchara duo made about 165 films together.
One of the pair's most famous films was 1970's
Mitr was an extremely busy actor and was always on the move, going from set to set and sleeping as little as a two or three hours per night.
Another of his best-known movies, Pet Tad Pet (Operation Bangkok), was shot in both Bangkok and Hong Kong, and featured Kecha Plianvitheee and Luecha Naruenart as the villains, as well as Hong Kong's then top actress, Regina Piping.
Monrak luk thung was one of Mitr's last films. It played in Bangkok cinemas for a solid six months in 1970 and took in 6 million
His last film
On the last day of shooting, the script called for Mitr, having vanquished the villains, to fly off into the sunset in a helicopter. As the camera rolled, Mitr leapt from the ground to grab a rope ladder hanging from the aircraft, only managing to reach the lowest rung. Unaware of this, the helicopter pilot flew higher and higher, and Mitr finally lost his grip and fell to the ground. The accident was all caught on film and was actually left in the final theatrical release. The fatal fall has since been removed from DVD versions of the film, with Mitr simply flying off into the distance and some onscreen text paying tribute to the star.
It was another death that would make 1970 a difficult year for the Thai film industry, as months earlier pioneering director Rattana Pestonji collapsed while giving a speech urging government officials to support the domestic film industry. He died several hours later.
Mitr’s death was ruled as a tragic accident. For safety, there should have been two shots for the final scene. The first would have been of Mitr grabbing the ladder and flying off at low altitude. Then, a
Funeral and memorial shrine
On the day of his funeral, the streets leading to the
A memorial shrine to Mitr is situated on a small street in
Partial filmography
- Operation Bangkok (Pet Tad Pet) (1966)
- Top Secret (1967)
- Monrak luk thung(Magical Love of the Countryside) (1970)
- Insee thong(Golden Eagle) (1970)
- The Tiger and the Dragon (1971)
References
- ^ "รำลึกครบรอบเสียชีวิต 48 ปี "มิตร ชัยบัญชา"". MSN. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018.
- ^ "พิเชษฐ์ พุ่มเหม - thairath.co.th". Archived from the original on 15 March 2017.
- ^ "The man, myth and legend". www.bangkokpost.com.
- ^ "Mitr Chaibancha". www.thaiworldview.com.
- Tupchai, Suchada (2005) Adoring fans remember famous Thai film star Mitr Chiabancha, Pattaya Mail. Retrieved 23 December 2005.
- Rithdee, Kong (2005) Fallen idols[permanent dead link], Bangkok Post. Retrieved 23 December 2005.
- Fleshman, Erich (2005) A Brief History of Thai Cinema, Notes from Hollywood. Retrieved 23 December 2005.
- Saenkhum, Tanita (2003) Remembering Mitr, The Nation. Retrieved 23 December 2005.
- The Cremation of Mitr Chaibancha, special features, Insee thong DVD, 2005.
External links
- Mitr Chaibancha at IMDb
- Mitr Chaibancha at the Thai Film Database
- Review of Insee thong at Rotten Tomatoes