25 Oct
The resounding triumph of commemoration of Myanmar Film Industry centenary, regardless of COVID-19 virus inspired the writer, entire Myanmar people, government, statesmen and leaders. News media of all types literacy, visual and musical song all visual and performing arts being carried out with resounding success had but more Myanmar Government, and leaders to send messages of congratulations and bestow awards and certificates of honour on arts all deserving ones.
The writer is now 91 years old. He is anyatha. Born in Mandalay. He likes all pwes. Films are no exception. Since his childhood, boyhood, adulthood till now in the evening of old ages he has been a regular pwe goer. Films or dat-shin is no exception.
When Myanmar Zat Pwe with film style of acting with bend, it was called Lu Dat-shin. In lower Myanmar, it was called Lu bioscope.
To contribute to the great event of Myanmar Film Industry, Centenary, he wrote this Article.
In upper Myanmar Anya areas, we do not call yoke-shin. We call Dat-shin. Cinema houses are called Datshin yone, not yokeshin yone. Silent films are called Athan tate sar-tan-hto.
Talkie Films are called Athan-twet or talkie. Two Dat-shin youne (Motion picture houses) in Mandalay those days were (1) Yatanabon Cinema yone and Elephant Star Athan hwet yone (Later Shwe Taik yone). They were facing Mandalay Shwe Nandaw Palace City and the mote. The writer’s house was within walking distance of them.
Two other picture houses were one in Saing-tan quarter quick close to Mandalay jetty. It could not show talkie picture due to old projector and poor electric supply. So before the picture was show public apology appeared on the screen.
“တုန်ခြင်း၊ မှုန်ခြင်းသည်းခံပါ”
Apology for shaky and dimness.
There was another motion picture house in Yathardan quarter names Myanmar Nyun Dat Shin Yone. This picture house could show talkie motion picture.
Next the writer like to tell with pride the two famous Dat-shin minthamee (film actress) Anya-desa (upper Myanmar).
(1) May Than of Yenangyaung Town, (2) May Shin of Mandalay Aungdawmu Sandar quarter. May Than was an Amenian. Her father was an geologist engineer of B.O.C Burma Oil Company. The writer often interviewed for her biography. She says, “ you know Grace was a sort of Tomboy in early years, swimming, acrobatic diving into the river and somersaulting. Also Grace sang both English Myanmar songs and Grace could mime Buddhist monk preaching Five moral Precepts ငါးပါးသီလ. When Grace became a popular film actress in Myanmar Asway A 1 Film Co. in one of the most popular picture Nee Lar Yaung နီလာရောင် the announcer advertize me.
Please come quickly and early to this picture. You’ll enjoy May Than’s stunt and diving
“စောစောလာမှ နေရာရမယ်၊ အေဝမ်း ဖလင်က မေသန်းက ကမြင်းပြမှာပါ။”
“ကမြင်း” means stunt, acrobatic Nat in naughty scene
Next famous Dhat-shin Minthamee was May Shin, a typical Anyatha Mandalay born. She lived in Aungtaw Mu Saidan quarter East Mandalay, dressed in typical Mandalay style, talking, behaved and sung songs of those days. May Shin name was Ma Nan Shin. She told me when I interviewed her as follow:
“I was the youngest daughter. Born on Saturday. So my name was Ma Nan Shin. I’m pure Anya Thu Mandalay Thu. But I attended western school methodist missionary school in our neighbourhood, facing Mandalay Palace City on the moat. I joined Christian religion hymm and X’mas songs. There I began to learn the 7 tone scale of do-re-me-far-so-lar-de very similar to our Burman 7 tones.
When I was selected by Myanmar Asway A1 Film and my name was changed May Shin. A1 Film actresses were prefixed with May. May Than, May Nu, May Thit, May Nyunt, May Chit, May Thin Kyan, I am OK with English songs or English tuned Myanmar songs. My Burmese songs are taught by Sayargyi U Ba Nyunt of British Burma taught “My first Dat-shin Minthamee was in the silent-Film Mein Ya Thee မိန်ရာသီ with Ba Myint. It is the Myanmar version of English Film “April Love”. Our Mein Ya Thee song was a hit gramophone record.
“When Talkies အသံထွက် appeared I appeared in “Hmyan Nat Maung, မျှားနတ်မောင် (Cupid)with AI Maung Tin Maung. I was Ma Ma Htu. A1 Tin Maung was Apar. Ma Ma Htu, Apar became everyone’s favourite.
Daw Shin another role was in Saung with Pyi Hla Pe. Yay Ngan Prince U Shin Gyi Nat story. My theme songs in that film were hits. In post war time, another hit was Chain Tan Byi with A-1 Tin Maung.
Another hit is Chit-A-Hmya cspftrQ in post-war time. I am Saturday born. My horoscope says I’ll be always a single.
Pyo May Shin, Not Old May Shin
She asked me to see her gold medal Wunna Kyaw Htin in the Image of Mandalay Maha Muni Statue.
Dear Readers, the writer was glad to boast that he was a film star in London. The Oriental Casting Agency of Burma Restaurant owner Daw Mya Sein recruited me in the film “Yesterday’s Enemy” because the writer looked like Japanese and would yell Japanese abusive words. The writer was a Japanese soldier Wakazumi. The writer had acted like a Fascist Japanese soldier bathing naked in public. For that act his daily wage was doubled.
Daw Mya recruited Anglo Myanmar girl Win Min Than to co-star with Gregory Peck in the film “Purple Plain.”
Now, Win Min Than was Buddhist Nun at the nunnery she set up in Australia where she taught Buddhist meditation.
Another role was in a TV story in which the writer was a pimp in Soho. Readers don’t think real only acting The writer from a real pimp whom the writer often met at the Pub. In this article the writer as Wakazumi, a Japanese soldier is presented. Bathing naked and Pimp snaps.
The writer next role was in “The World of Suzie Wong.”
He was to act like Italian Film Star Marlun Brando. Besides, the writer could sing some Italian hit songs like Volare, Come Prima, Jamaica Farewell. Unfortunately, the writer had to return home by S.S Norwich of B.B. Line.
Though in the evening of his life 92 years, he would like to act . The writer pays tribute to all those connected with Myanmar Film Industry, especially to Academy Kyaw Hein died in Australia recently.
Maha Saddhamma Jotika Dhaja Sithu Dr Khin Maung Nyunt
