Sandokan
Encyclopedia
Sandokan is a fictional pirate of the late 19th century, who first appeared in publication in 1883, created by Italian
author Emilio Salgari
. He is the protagonist of eleven adventure novels and is known throughout the South China Sea
as "The Tiger of Malaysia".
, which portrays their relentless struggle against the Dutch
and British
powers that seek to wipe them out. In subsequent novels they battle against James Brooke
, the Raja
of Sarawak
and also travel to India
to measure themselves against the Thugs, a notorious band of stranglers devoted to the goddess Kali
.
The titles in the series are:
The last two titles were published posthumously.
There were also several other Sandokan titles published by Italian authors Luigi Motta, Emilio Fancelli and Salgari's son Omar.
Sandokan was played by Steve Reeves
in the first and third movies, and by Ray Danton
in the second and fourth ones.
Out of scenes of the 1970s miniseries (see below) was made with cut scenes the film La tigre è ancora viva: Sandokan alla riscossa!
(1977) starring Kabir Bedi.
n actor Kabir Bedi
played the lead in Sandokan, a six-part miniseries for European television directed by Sergio Sollima. Carole André
was cast as Lady Marianna Guillonk, Philippe Leroy
played Sandokan's trusted friend and lieutenant Yanez de Gomera. The role of the main antagonist James Brooke was performed by Adolfo Celi
.
The series included the episodes:
A 2004 documentary
Sandokan's Adventure detailed the making of the series.
Sandokan the animated series was released in 1992 by BRB International, and broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 4
. This children's animated show is loosely based on Salgari's novels. In the show Sandokan (here an anthropomorphized tiger) is an usurped prince who travels the seas as a pirate seeking to reclaim his rightful throne from the Rajah of Sarawak. The first nine episodes of the series are available in three DVD
volumes in the United Kingdom
. An animated movie, The Princess and the Pirate, was released in 1995.
Another animated series was released in 1998 from a coproduction among RAI
or Mediaset
on 1993-94, Studio Sek and Mondo TV
and broadcast in Italy on Italia 1
. This series was composed into three parts: Sandokan, la tigre della Malesia (Sandokan, the Tiger of Malaysia, produced in 1998); Sandokan, la tigre ruggisce ancora (Sandokan, the Tiger roars again, 2000); Sandokan, il coraggio della tigre (Sandokan, the courage of the Tiger, 2004).
The adventures of this 26 episode cartoon series are based on the stories of the famous italian novelist Emilio Salgari (1862–1911). The story takes place in the second half of the 19th century, and is situated in the Malaysian archipelago, Borneo, and India. Co-produced with RAI Italy, and TF1 France, the series achieved a big success such that it a second series was decided to be produced on this character. An interactive computer game, a video special, a sticker album, along with other Merchandising articles such as books, toys, shirts, bags etc are now available based on the series
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
author Emilio Salgari
Emilio Salgari
Emilio Salgari was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction.For over a century, his novels were mandatory reading for generations of youth eager for exotic adventures. In Italy, his extensive body of work was more widely read than that of Dante. Today...
. He is the protagonist of eleven adventure novels and is known throughout the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
as "The Tiger of Malaysia".
Sandokan novels
Emilio Salgari wrote several novels chronicling the adventures of Sandokan and Yanez, two of his most legendary creations. The pirates are introduced in The Tigers of MompracemThe Tigers of Mompracem
The Tigers of Mompracem is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1900. It features his most famous character, Sandokan.-Plot introduction:...
, which portrays their relentless struggle against the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
powers that seek to wipe them out. In subsequent novels they battle against James Brooke
James Brooke
James, Rajah of Sarawak, KCB was the first White Rajah of Sarawak. His father, Thomas Brooke, was an English Judge Court of Appeal at Bareilly, British India; his mother, Anna Maria, born in Hertfordshire, was the illegitimate daughter of Scottish peer Colonel William Stuart, 9th Lord Blantyre,...
, the Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
of Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
and also travel to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to measure themselves against the Thugs, a notorious band of stranglers devoted to the goddess Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
.
The titles in the series are:
- The Mystery of the Black JungleThe Mystery of the Black JungleThe Mystery of the Black Jungle is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1895. It features two of his most famous characters, the hunter Tremal-Naik and his loyal servant Kammamuri. The adventure continues in The Pirates of Malaysia.-Plot summary:Few can...
(I Misteri della Jungla Nera, 1895) - The Pirates of MalaysiaThe Pirates of MalaysiaThe Pirates of Malaysia is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1896. It features his most famous character, Sandokan, and is a sequel to The Tigers of Mompracem....
(I Pirati della Malesia, 1896) - The Tigers of MompracemThe Tigers of MompracemThe Tigers of Mompracem is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1900. It features his most famous character, Sandokan.-Plot introduction:...
(Le Tigri di Mompracem, 1900) - The Two TigersThe Two TigersThe Two Tigers is the fourth adventure novel in the Sandokan series written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1904.-Plot summary:...
(Le due Tigri, 1904) - The King of the SeaThe King of the SeaThe King of the Sea is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1906. It features his most famous character, Sandokan.-Plot introduction:...
(Il Re del Mare, 1906) - Quest for a Throne (Alla conquista di un impero, 1907)
- Sandokan Fights Back (Sandokan alla riscossa, 1907)
- Return to Mompracem (La riconquista del Mompracem, 1908)
- The Brahman (Il Bramino dell'Assam, 1911)
- An Empire Crumbles (La caduta di un impero, 1911)
- Yanez' Revenge (La rivincita di Yanez, 1913)
The last two titles were published posthumously.
There were also several other Sandokan titles published by Italian authors Luigi Motta, Emilio Fancelli and Salgari's son Omar.
Films
A series of Italian made films with American leads were filmed in the 1960s and released internationally.- Sandokan the GreatSandokan the Great (film)Sandokan the Great is a 1963 adventure film directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Steve Reeves.-Cast:* Steve Reeves - Sandokan* Geneviève Grad - Mary Ann* Andrea Bosic - Yanez* Rik Battaglia - Sambigliong* Mario Valdemarin - Tenente Ross...
(Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem) (1963) - Sandokan Fights Back (Sandokan alla riscossa) (1964)
- Sandokan - The Pirate of Malaya (I pirati della Malesia) (1964)
- Sandokan Against The Leopard of Sarawak (Sandokan contro il leopardo di Sarawak) (1964)
Sandokan was played by Steve Reeves
Steve Reeves
Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...
in the first and third movies, and by Ray Danton
Ray Danton
Ray Danton , also known as Raymond Danton, was a radio, film, stage, and television actor, director, and producer whose most famous role was The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond...
in the second and fourth ones.
Out of scenes of the 1970s miniseries (see below) was made with cut scenes the film La tigre è ancora viva: Sandokan alla riscossa!
La tigre è ancora viva: Sandokan alla riscossa!
La tigre è ancora viva: Sandokan alla riscossa! is a 1977 Italian adventure film directed by Sergio Sollima and starring Kabir Bedi.-Cast:* Kabir Bedi - Sandokan* Philippe Leroy - Yanez de Gomera* Massimo Foschi - Teotokris...
(1977) starring Kabir Bedi.
TV miniseries
In 1976, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n actor Kabir Bedi
Kabir Bedi
Kabir Bedi is an Indian television and film actor. His career has spanned three continents including India, the United States and many European countries in three mediums: film, television and theatre. He is noted for his role as Emperor Shah Jahan in Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story...
played the lead in Sandokan, a six-part miniseries for European television directed by Sergio Sollima. Carole André
Carole André
Carole André is a French film actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1967 and 1991, including two films screened at the Cannes Film Festival.-Selected filmography:* Face to Face * Oh, Grandmother's Dead...
was cast as Lady Marianna Guillonk, Philippe Leroy
Philippe Leroy (actor)
Philippe Leroy, full name Philippe Leroy-Beaulieu is a French film actor. He has appeared in over 150 films since 1960. Leroy has been living mostly in Italy since the 1960s and has worked extensively in Italian cinema, as well as in his native country...
played Sandokan's trusted friend and lieutenant Yanez de Gomera. The role of the main antagonist James Brooke was performed by Adolfo Celi
Adolfo Celi
Adolfo Celi was an Italian film actor and director.-Life and career:Born in Messina, Sicily, Celi appeared in nearly 100 movies, specializing in international villains. His most famous role was as Emilio Largo in the 1965 James Bond movie Thunderball...
.
The series included the episodes:
- Hijack
- Mysterious Prince
- The Hunt for Tiger
- The Offer
- Betrayal
- The battle
A 2004 documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Sandokan's Adventure detailed the making of the series.
Animated series
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. This children's animated show is loosely based on Salgari's novels. In the show Sandokan (here an anthropomorphized tiger) is an usurped prince who travels the seas as a pirate seeking to reclaim his rightful throne from the Rajah of Sarawak. The first nine episodes of the series are available in three DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
volumes in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. An animated movie, The Princess and the Pirate, was released in 1995.
Another animated series was released in 1998 from a coproduction among RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
or Mediaset
Mediaset
Mediaset S.p.A., known as Gruppo Mediaset in Italian, is an Italian-based media company which is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country...
on 1993-94, Studio Sek and Mondo TV
Mondo TV
Mondo TV is one of the major production and distribution animation companies in Europe. Founded by Orlando Corradi in 1985 and based in Rome, Mondo TV is a public company, quoted on the STAR segment of the Italian main stock exchange, Borsa Italiana, a part of the London Stock Exchange Group since...
and broadcast in Italy on Italia 1
Italia 1
Italia 1 is an Italian commercial television channel on the Mediaset network. It is oriented especially at young people.Italia 1 was launched in January 1982 and, originally, was owned by Rusconi; after a few months, however, due to the aggressive dumping practices of Silvio Berlusconi's rival...
. This series was composed into three parts: Sandokan, la tigre della Malesia (Sandokan, the Tiger of Malaysia, produced in 1998); Sandokan, la tigre ruggisce ancora (Sandokan, the Tiger roars again, 2000); Sandokan, il coraggio della tigre (Sandokan, the courage of the Tiger, 2004).
The adventures of this 26 episode cartoon series are based on the stories of the famous italian novelist Emilio Salgari (1862–1911). The story takes place in the second half of the 19th century, and is situated in the Malaysian archipelago, Borneo, and India. Co-produced with RAI Italy, and TF1 France, the series achieved a big success such that it a second series was decided to be produced on this character. An interactive computer game, a video special, a sticker album, along with other Merchandising articles such as books, toys, shirts, bags etc are now available based on the series
External links
- BRB International
- BRB's official Sandokan site
- Images from the BRB series.
- Show open from the animated series
- Review of The Steve Reeves 1963 film.
- Read a review of the 1960s Sandokan films.
- Read the first three chapters of Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem.
- Read a review of Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem.
- Read a review at Pirates and Privateers.
- Read an article by Italy Magazine.