An Homage to Sabu

Selar Shaik Sabu (often mistakenly called Sabu Dastagir) was born in 1924 in Karapur, Mysore, Kingdom of Mysore, then a Princely State of British India, Sabu was the son of an Indian mahout (elephant driver) and was discovered by documentary film-maker Robert Flaherty who cast him in the role of an elephant driver in the 1937 British film Elephant Boy, based on Toomai of the Elephants, a story by Rudyard Kipling.

Sabu is perhaps best known for his role as Abu in the 1940 British film The Thief of Bagdad. In 1942 he once again played a role based on a Kipling story, namely Mowgli in Jungle Book directed by Zoltán Korda. After World War II, unable to secure the equivalent roles in Hollywood that British films had offered him, his career went into decline with rare gleams of glory, such as his supporting role in the classic British film Black Narcissus (1947).

Family: Married 1) Bibi Ferreira, 1947 (divorced); 2) Marilyn Cooper, 1949; two children.

Died: Chatsworth, California, 2 December 1963 of heart attack.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Sabu
• Dastagir
• Elephant
• Boy
• Jungle
• Book
• Thief
• of
• Bagdad
• Baghdad
• Selar
• Shaik

[treintjefop]

I want to find the movie where he was the elephant boy!

[jonrendell]

@treintjefop It's available on VHS, check ebay.

[MikeHudson65]

Great compilation video. Where can I get the music from?

[jonrendell]

Hi Mike, the music is "Jungle Madness" by Martin Denny. I got this version from a compilation album: Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 1: Mondo Exotica (They are going cheap used on Amazon for about $3 each.

[stunner2022]

My grandma used to be acquainted with him! Her brother worked on a few of his films and they became quite good friends and thus my grandma and him met on a few occasions. She would always tell me the story with a proud grin on her face.

Sadly she died in 2005 and all her siblings are long gone so I can't find out anything more about it. :(

[jonrendell]

I can just imagine her grin when speaking of him. Thanks for the post.

[trancis36]

Gorgeousness Gracious !

[shoeyshoes]

Sabu was a true hero to all of us when I was a kid on Saturday afternoons! He was truly mystical and very soothing. Damn, I miss those days!

Thanks

[pocketamonstah]

Am I the only one who thinks he looks like Tony Jaa?

[traynor2rt]

My first crush! Beautiful man x

[Avatarlover85]

@gtrplyr4ever There weren't too many Indians in Hollywood in the 1940's, but the only one with a biography book I can think of is 1930's movie star Merle Oberon, who went to great lengths to conceal her Indian heritage. It's called Princess Merle by Charles Higham.

[ustadpedro100]

A very healthy man, according to his wife, died at the age of 39 of heart attack.

His name Selar Shaik Sabu. I wonder where Dastegir came from because its an unusual name for a boy from South India.

[SteveCrook127]

He was never married to Bibi Ferreira. They starred together, as husband and wife, in The End of the River (1947) and some people mistakenly thought they were married in real life

[Ishmael932]

Sabu was also a decorated war hero who enlisted in the Air Corps as soon as he gained US citizenship in 1943 and flew 42 combat missions as a B-24 ball turret gunner with the 307th Bomber Group in the Southwest Pacific, Indo-China and China during World War 2. He was awarded the the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters(indicates 5 seperate awards of the same medal), the American Campaign Medal and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.

[molarmama5]

@anonchan317

Totally agree and he had a way of lighting up the entire screen with his smile! RIP Selar Sabu, we thank you.

[melora72]

He had perfect teeth! I saw Thief of Bagdad today. He was so adorable when he smiled.

[anonchan317]

he was exceptionally beautiful

[bokojoo]

many sabu's continue to live in rural south india