Pah Wongso Pendekar Boediman (1941)

Pah Wongso Pendekar Boediman (Malay for Pah Wongso the Righteous Warrior) is a 1941 detective film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). The first production by Star Film, it was produced by Jo Eng Sek and featured camerawork by Cho' Chin Hsin. Starring L. V. Wijnhamer, Jr., Elly Joenara, and Mohamad Arief, it followed the social worker Pah Wongso as he investigated a murder to clear his protégé's name.

The first film of its genre to be produced in the Indies, Pah Wongso Pendekar Boediman was made to capitalize on the popularity of Wijnhamer and Hollywood characters such as Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto. Released in April 1941 to popular acclaim, it had a mixed critical reception; the reviewer Saeroen suggested that its success was entirely because of its star's renown. A sequel to this film, which is possibly lost, Pah Wongso Tersangka, was released later that year.

Synopsis

Pah Wongso is a nut seller, social worker, and schoolmaster who lives in Batavia and takes care of the local poor. One day, his young protégé Wisnoe saves the life of a young woman named Siti when she is almost hit by a carriage. In thanks, her father Haji Abdullah gives Wisnoe a job at his rice mill. Wisnoe's zeal and diligence quickly make him stand out from his fellow employees, and he begins to woo Siti, who returns his affections.

Actors