The mysterious Miss Suwanna

Like other early Thai films, the legendary Shadow of Siam has largely been forgotten. But one film that we do know something about is the controversial and mysterious Miss Suwanna of Siam, written and directed by Henry McRae.

Henry Rome claimed to have helped McRae with the script and gave him his infamous boater hat after losing a game of poker in a Bangkok opium den.

Sadly, the film itself has been lost.

Here’s a jolly good piece by Alchetron on this intriguing film and the amazing story behind it:

Miss Suwanna of Siam (Thai: Nang Sao Suwan), was a 1923 romance film set in Thailand (then Siam) and starring Thai actors. It was one of first feature films to be made in Thailand, and was the first Hollywood co-production in Thailand.

The film is a romance about a young woman named Suwanna who is the object of affection for many men. In her search for true love, she has many adventures and mishaps, including overcoming her father's disapproval, before finally finding her soulmate. It was one of first feature films to be made in Thailand, and was the first Hollywood co-production in Thailand.

Cast

Sa-ngiam Navisthira (Later Anindhita Akhubutra) as Suwanna

Khun Ram Pharotsat (Yom Mongkhonnat) as Klahan

Luang Pharotkamkoson (Mongkhon Sumonnat) as Kongkaew

Suwanna of Siam was an 8-reel silent film. It premiered on June 22, 1923 at the Nakhon Si Thammarat Theatre, and then opened the next day at the Phatthanakon Cinematograph, the Hong Kong Cinema Hall and the Victoria Theater.

Production started in 1922, but before he could begin filming, MacRae had to first ask permission of the Siamese Royal Court.

"I felt that His Majesty, King Rama VI, would be interested in moving pictures," McRae wrote in The Film Year Book (1924). "And after considerable maneuvering I finally secured an audience which resulted in securing the entire [Royal Entertainment] company's assistance together with the free use of the Kings 52 automobiles, His Majesty's 600 race horses, the free use of the navy, the Royal Palaces, the railways, the rice mills, thousands of miles of rice fields, coconut groves, klongs and elephants, and white elephants at that."

Ultimately, the Siamese government "allowed the making of this film in order to show the world the positive image of Siam at the time. Therefore, many incidents in the film featured the modern elements in Thai society such as travelling by express train or mail plane."

Controversy and disappearance

When MacRae finished the film, gave a copy to the Royal State Railway, per his agreement with Prince Kumbaengbejr. The railway agency had a public relations division that oversaw film production as a means to promote tourism in the kingdom (which is much the same way the modern-day Tourism Authority of Thailand operates in its promotional activities regarding film productions and the Bangkok International Film Festival). MacRae also turned over a copy to King Vajiravudh. It was shown in Bangkok for three days but soon after it was lost.

Film historians have searched, but the negatives of the film have not been found anywhere, nor is there evidence the film was even shown in the United States upon MacRaes return. One reason it may have been lost is due to a controversial scene in the film, in which MacRae filmed an execution of a prisoner, which led to criticism in the local media.

"I would like to blame the local officer who did not save the honor of the country by forbidding them to do so. The execution will represent the barbarism of Siam," a columnist said in the newspaper, Sambhand Thai.

The movie was subject to censorship, and it is believed that the execution scenes were cut.