The Malaysian/Singapore Connection

The Garrick Theatre in Singapore, home of Filipino films in the early 50s

The Singapore/Malaysian Connection (slowly being constructed)

A list of Filipino films and filmmakers associated with Singapore and Malaya/Malaysia. Films marked with an * are already in digital form in the Bamboo Gods Collection

1948 - Sword Of The Avenger screens in Malaya

1952 - Filipino films begin screening in Malaya, mostly distributed by Lim Eng Kwan's South-East Asia Film Company, who also distributed Hindi and Egyptian films throughout the Malay Federation. Their years-long string of releases - what the newspapers dubbed "The Filipino 'Invasion'" screening mostly at the Garrick Theatre on Geylang Rd in Singapore - started with a English-subtitled Og (22nd June) and Lebran's English-language version of Nothing But Women (19th July). All subsequent releases are dubbed into Malay: Prinsipe Amante (September), Los Tres Muskiteros (released as "The Three Musketeers", 3rd October), and Sultan Palasig (7th December). Shaw Brothers responded with a release of Waling-Waling (7th September). 

1953 - South-East Asia Film Co releases Darna (3rd January), Aladin (15th February), Tungku Amante (8th March), Malaya (26th March), Principeng Hindi Tumatawa (14th June), as well as an April re-release of Og dubbed into Malay.

1954 - South East Asia Film Co distributes Darna At Ang Babaeng Lawin (2th January), Juan Tamad (20th March), Florante At Laura (21st July), Nuno Sa Punso (released as "Kapitan Hikmat", 1st November) and Servan Petani (December). 

1955 - South-East Asia Film Co releases Ukala (January) and a proper release of the "First Filipino-Malay Film Production", Perfidia (22nd September). 

1955 - Elephant Girl/Gadis Liar (dir. Eddie Infante) Produced by the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions, premiered 28th August

1956 - South-East Asia Film Co releases Dyesebel (March)

1956 - Filipino films screen at the Majestic Theatre in Penang

*1957 - Kembali Sa-Orang/"One Came Back" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions)

*1957 - Badjao (Singapore/Filipino co-production filmed in the Philippines; dir. Lamberto V. Avellana)

*1957 - Taufan/“Typhoon” (dir. Teodorico C. Santos; released 31st December)

1957 - South-East Asia Film Co releases a subtitled Guerrero at the Garrick on 25th December.

*1958 - Anak Pontianak/"Child Of Pontianak" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions; released 10th February) 

*1958 - Azimat: The Seal Of Solomon/"Talisman"/Tatak Ni Solomon: Seal Of Solomon (dir. Rolf Bayer for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions) Filmed in Singapore late 1957; premiered 31st May 1958.

*1958 - Sergeant Hussain (dir. Lamberto V. Avellana for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions; a charity gala premiere was held in Kuala Lumpur on 20th August, with a regular season from 31st August) 

*1958 - Mata Hari/"The Rape Of Malaya" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions; released 30th November)

*1959 - Saudagar Minyak Urat/"Love Crazy" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions; released 1st March)

*1959 - Samseng/"Gangster" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions; released 7th May)

1959 - Black Gold (dir. Rolf Bayer; produced by Shaw Brothers for the Chinese market, filmed in Singapore and Malaya in May/June 1958)

1959 - In December, actress-producer Maria Menado announces a lavish new film Siti Zubaidah, to be directed by Ramon A. Estella and filmed in Singapore, Malaya, Indonesia and India; sadly the project is never realized.

1963 - Raja Bersiong/"King Of Dracula" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for Cathay-Keris and Maria Menado Productions; released 30th March)

*1963 - Darah-Ku/"My Blood" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for Cathay-Keris and Maria Menado Productions; released 24th August)

*1963 - Bunga Tanjong/"Cape Of Flowers" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for Cathay-Keris and Maria Menado Productions; released 4th December)

1964 - Pontianak Kembali/"The Pontianak Returns" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for Cathay-Keris and Maria Menado Productions, released 3rd January)

1964 - Melanchong Ka-Tokyo/"Holiday In Tokyo" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions, released 23rd May)

*1964 - Dupa Chendana/"The Enchanted Island" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions, released 30th August)

*1965 - Pusaka Pontianak/"The Accursed Heritage" (dir. Ramon A. Estella for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions, released 30th April)

*1965 - Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore (Shaw Brothers musical comedy partially shot in Singapore and the Philippines)

1975 - Interpol Malaysia Five (Jun Aristorenas and Sarimah) Filmed entirely in Malaysia in early 1974.

*1977 - The Bionic Boy (produced by Bobby A. Suarez)

*1978 - They Call Her Cleopatra Wong (dir. Bobby A. Suarez)

*1978 - Dynamite Johnson (dir. Bobby A. Suarez) 

1978 - Code-Name: The Destroyers and Queen Cobra, two of Bobby A. Suarez's unfinished projects, partly filmed in Malaysia with Marrie Lee 

Sunny Lee's association with Davian International

c.1996 - Phillip Ko's co-productions with Malaysia's HVD Entertainment: Bad Blood (1996), Desperate Hours (1997), Nightmare Honeymoon (1998), The Resort Murders (1998), and Murder On The Menu (1998)