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George Krugers

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A man in a white shirt looking forward
Krugers in 1928

Georgio Eduardo Alberto Krugers(24 November 1890 – 10 August 1964; also written asKruger)[1][2][3]was a cameraman and film director active in theDutch East Indies(modern Indonesia) during the early 20th century. He is recorded as having worked in film since the mid-1920s, and in 1927 he made his directorial debut,Eulis Atjih.He joinedhajjpilgrims in 1928 and screened a resulting documentary,The Great Mecca Feast,in the Netherlands. His 1930 filmKarnadi Anemer Bangkongis thought to be the firsttalkiein the cinema of the Indies, but was a commercial failure as the majoritySundaneseaudience considered it insulting. After making two works forTan's Filmin the early 1930s, Krugers moved to Hong Kong and then the Netherlands.

Silent film

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Poster forEulis Atjih,Krugers's directorial debut

Krugers was born inBanda Neiraon 24 November 1890. Showing an interest in technology from a young age, he migrated toSurabaya,where he spent time as a water engineer. He left for Bandung in 1925,[4]where he led the laboratory at N.V. Java Film.[5]He may have been one of its founders, together with the Dutchman L. Heuveldorp.[6]The company exclusively produced documentaries until 1926,[5]when Heuveldorp directedthe colony's first feature film,Loetoeng Kasaroeng.Krugers served as a cameraman for the film, which was based on aSundanesefolktale, also processing the film in his laboratory inBandung.[7]

The following year, Krugers directed his own film,[8]titledEulis Atjih,which followed the beautiful Eulis Atjih as she falls into poverty after being left by her husband.[9]International release emphasised theethnographicaspects of the film. The film was a commercial failure,[10]but Krugers told his backers that the film had recouped its expenses.[11]Later that year Krugers left Java Film to form his own company, Krugers Filmbedrijf (Krugers Film Company),[5]

By 1928 he was reportedly working on film adaptations of the folktalesRoro MendutandProno Tjitro,although it is not known if he finished them.[11]He did, however, complete a documentary entitledThe Great Mecca Feast,which followedhajjpilgrims from the Indies during their trip toMecca.The film premiered inLeiden,the Netherlands, on 8 November 1928. This premiere was attended by numerous Dutch socialites, includingPrincess Juliana,and given an introduction by Dutch OrientalistChristiaan Snouck Hurgronje.[12]

Talkies

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The firsttalkiesshown in the Indies,Fox Movietone Follies of 1929andThe Rainbow Man(both 1929), came from the United States and were screened in late 1929.[5][13]This encouraged Krugers to makeKarnadi Anemer Bangkong(Karnadi the Frog Contractor), an adaptation of the book by Yuhana, in 1930.[10]The comedy, made with asingle systemcamera that Krugers had obtained with the help of hisSociety of Motion Picture and Television Engineersmembership, is generally thought the first locally producedtalkiereleased in the country,[14]but had poor technical quality.[15]It was a critical failure, as the majority Sundanese audience felt that they were being insulted; contemporary director Joshua Wong suggested that this poor reception was partly owing to the main character eating a frog, something which is forbidden for Muslims.[10]

Following this failure, Krugers made the documentaryAtma De Vischer(1931), which followed QueenWilhelminaand PrinceHendrikon a trip throughthe Hague,[10]before being signed toTan's Film.[16]With Tan's, Krugers made two films. First he was asked to handle cinematography onBachtiar Effendi's 1932talkieNjai Dasima,[17]an adaptation of G. Francis' 1896 novelTjerita Njai Dasima(Story of Njai Dasima).[18]He then directed and producedHuwen op Bevel(Forced to Marry;1931), which was advertised as featuring songs and comedy. The film was a commercial failure, leading to all rights being acquired by Tan's.[17]He is recorded as planning a further two films,De Nona(Of Ladies) andRaonah,but neither was made.[10]

During 1934 and early 1935, all feature films released in theDutch East Indieshad been produced byThe Teng Chun.[19]This situation was created by theGreat Depression,which had led to the Dutch East Indies government collecting higher taxes, advertisers asking for more money, and cinemas selling tickets at lower prices; this ensured that there was a very lowprofit marginfor local films. During this period cinemas in the country mainly showedHollywoodproductions.[20]Krugers left the Indies in 1936 and moved to Hong Kong.[21]He later returned to the Netherlands, where he died in 1964.[22]

Filmography

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Year Film Role(s)
1926 Loetoeng Kasaroeng
(The Mystical Monkey) 		Cinematographer
1927 Eulis Atjih Director
1928 Het Groote Mekka-Feest
(The Great Mecca Feast) 		Director
1930 Karnadi Anemer Bangkong
(Karnadi the Frog Contractor) 		Director and producer
1931 Atma de Vischer Producer, sound director, and cinematographer
1931 Huwen op Bevel
(Forced to Marry) 		Director, producer, sound director, and cinematographer
1932 Njai Dasima Sound director and cinematographer

References

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Footnotes

  1. ^Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad 1927, Bioscoopnieuws.
  2. ^Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad 1933, Krügers.
  3. ^Etmans 1998,p. 574.
  4. ^Woodrich 2018.
  5. ^abcdFilmindonesia.or.id, G. Krugers.
  6. ^Susanto 2003,p. 240.
  7. ^Biran 2009,pp. 60–61.
  8. ^Biran 2009,p. 97.
  9. ^Filmindonesia.or.id, Eulis Atjih.
  10. ^abcdeBiran 2009,p. 76.
  11. ^abBiran 2009,p. 75.
  12. ^Nederland 24, Nederlandse Mekka-gangers.
  13. ^Biran 2009,pp. 131–132.
  14. ^Biran 2009,p. 137.
  15. ^Susanto 2003,p. 241.
  16. ^Biran 2009,p. 98.
  17. ^abBiran 2009,p. 139.
  18. ^Biran 2009,pp. 99–100.
  19. ^Biran 2009,pp. 380–381.
  20. ^Biran 2009,p. 145.
  21. ^Biran 2009,p. 143.
  22. ^Luitgard Mols & Arnoud Vrolijk:Western Arabia in the Leiden Collections. Traces of a colourful past.Leiden, Leiden University Press, 2016.ISBN978 90 8728 259 2.About Krugers: 'The First Documentary Film on the Hajj' (pag. 77)

Bibliography

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