[Indonesian production filmed in Jakarta and the Philippines]
Director Fritz G. Schadt Story Letkol Jeanne Mandagi SH [listed in credits as “NY JN Mandagi SH] Screenplay Misbach Jusa Biran [in credits as “H Misbach Y Biran] Producer Abbas Wiranatakusuma [in credits as “Abas W. Kusumah”] Co-Producers Hidayat Saleh, Dr Achmad Danurussamsi Cameraman: Unit I Jakarta R. Husein Cameraman: Unit II, Manila Armand Dulag Music Idris Sardi Editor Rizal Amsar Sound Designer E. Sambas Production Supervisors M.H. Wahyudi, Marah Yoenoes, Soeharyono Production Manager J.A.F. Masiruw Art Director Fred Wettik Assistant Director: Manila Romeo N. Galang Stylist Sudarso Property Master Azwar Noor Manager: Unit I, Jakarta E.M. Monter Monterio Manager: Unit II, Manila Leody M. Diaz Assistant Unit Managers Bambang S. Yatno, Jose Flores, Amir Sinaga Assistant Cameraman Sofyan Harahap Lighting Agusthen Zaidt, Syahrial Sound Recordists Sutarya, Sutarno Script Supervisor Krishna W. Kusumar Assistant Editor Mulyadi Stills Albert Situmorang Publicity Manager Abdul Moeis Rachman
Cast Dicky Zulkarnaen (Kapten Edi Rosadi), Marissa Bigode, Arifin Hidayat, Meiske Sundah, Usman Effendy, Rosaline Oscar, Netty Herawati, Mansjur Sjah, ME Zainuddin, Rachmat Kartolo (Indonesian Opium Warlord), Yoseano Waas, [uncredited] Joe Sison, Rey Sagum (Henchman), Franco Guerrero (NBI Agent), Val Igelsias (NBI Agent)
KUNG FU/CRIME/THRILLER
SYNOPSIS (from Facebook): Indonesian classic movie, Red Dragon, tells about the drug eradication efforts by the police. The mid-70's became the beginning of the emergence of movies themed heroic actions of law enforcement in Indonesia.
One of the films that may still stick in the memory of classic cinema lovers of the country is the Red Dragon, which was released in 1976 and directed by Fritz G Schadt. The story of the movie is centered on the life of Edi Rosadi (Dicky Zulkarnaen), a man who works for the Republic of Indonesia Police.
One day, Captain Edi Rosadi was tasked with handling the biggest drug trafficking case in the country. In the extermination operation he led, a jackfruit managed to escape and so far its whereabouts are still unknown.
Until some time later, Captain Edi Rosadi got news that the beaver is now hiding in an area in the Philippines.
NOTES by Andrew Leavold: Naga Merah/"Red Dragon" is certainly a beast with two heads - an Indonesian and VERY Seventies crime thriller filmed in and around Jakarta until the last half-hour when Captain Edi Rosadi (thick-cut superstar Dicky Zulkarnaen) follows the trail of the drug traffickers to Manila. This final part of the film - practically a self-contained movie in itself - is where the dialogue switches to English and the local actors get to chew the local scenery. The feeling of a film-within-a-film makes sense when you consider the Filipino scenes are directed by Romeo Galang (X-44 adventure Magnum .44 [1974], The Golden Triangle [1975], and writer of Bobby Suarez's Bionic Boy and Cleopatra Wong adventures) assisted by Leody M. Diaz (director of several X-44 films and The Bionic Boy [1976]). Along with a stellar cast of local Dependables in front of and behind the cameras, you're in safe, goon-friendly hands.
Captain Edi drives from the airport past the usual markers (the "Mabuhay" sign near the terminal, Manila Bay, and the Brutalist hulk of the Cultural Center of the Philippines - "Welcome to Manilaaaaaaar!") to his hotel. In his room he is confronted by a pretty but overly-friendly Chinese girl Mai Ling, who is most probably a mole for local gangster Guerrero's narcotics ring. He then meets in the bar with local NBI contact Charito, under orders from her boss at "Manila Tours", a Mr Castro. She takes him on a performative visit and info-swapping tour around the Rizal monument - more exotica for the Indonesian audience - while being tailed by a Syndicate henchman (Rey Sagum) and his three goons.
Back at the hotel he stumbles into pretty American tourist Shirley, who Charito warns is being used as bait. But there's no stopping this budding romance; walking back arm-in-arm from a night club they're attacked by Rey Sagum and his thugs, and she is stabbed to death. Charito arrives with Mr Castro and his agents (including blink-and-you'll-miss appearances by Leody Diaz's favourite goon Franco Guerrero and Val Iglesias), who interrogate the surviving goon. Rey escapes to warn Guerrero (Joe Sison) and Indonesian connection (Rachmat Kartolo) that Rosadi and the NBI are on their way. Guerrero vows to fight to the last goon, clinging to his dream of being South-East Asia's opium kingpin while his disposable henchmen are torn to ribbons by Casto's men.
All of this is, of course, happening on a film set in the Philippines with an Indonesian production team, around the same time Bobby Suarez is realizing his own pan-Asian film empire beginning with his Filipino-Singapore-Hong Kong co-production The Bionic Boy. This makes Bobby the film industry's equivalent of Guerrero and his opium ring. And film, as we know, is as valuable as opium and twice as addictive.
INDONESIA - released in 1976
- mp4 file [in Indonesian with no subtitles]
