Mitr Chaibancha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mitr Chaibancha
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| มิตร ชัยบัญชา | |
Mitr Chaibancha in his Air Force uniform
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| Born |
Bunting Raweesang
28 January 1934 Tha Yang District, Phetchaburi, Thailand
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| Died | 8 October 1970 (aged 36) Dongtan Beach, South Pattaya, Thailand
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| Other names | Pichet Phumhem |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1957–1970 |
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Flight Sergeant 2nd Class Pichet Chaibancha
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Thailand |
| Branch/service |  Royal Thai Air Force |
| Rank | .svg){kind=small} Flight Sergeant 2nd Class |
Mitr Chaibancha (มิตร ชัยบัญชา in Thai) was a very famous Thai film actor. He was born on January 28, 1934, in Phetchaburi, Thailand. He starred in an amazing 266 movies between 1956 and 1970!
Sadly, he passed away on October 8, 1970, at Dongtan Beach in Pattaya. This happened during the filming of his movie Insee thong (which means Golden Eagle). He was doing a stunt with a helicopter for the very last scene when he fell.
In the 1960s, Mitr was at the peak of his career. He and actress Petchara Chaowarat made many hit films together that filled movie theaters. The Thai film industry made about 75 to 100 movies each year back then. Mitr starred in almost half of them!
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Mitr's Early Life and Start in Acting
Mitr was born with the name Bunting. His parents separated when he was a baby. His mother moved to Bangkok to work and find a better life. When he was eight, Mitr moved to Bangkok to live with his mother and her new husband. He took his stepfather's last name, Phumhem.
He also started training in Thai boxing. He became the lightweight boxing champion for his school in 1949 and 1951. He even won three lightweight titles! After finishing high school, he studied at Pranakhon College. Later, he joined the Royal Thai Air Force aviation school and became a pilot. He then worked as a flight instructor.
In 1956, some friends showed his picture to a journalist. This led to Mitr starring in his first movie, Chart Sua (Tiger Instinct). That's when he changed his name from Pichet Pumhem to Mitr Chaibancha. He became very popular after starring in Chao Nakleng (Gangster Lord). In that movie, he played a character named Rom Ritthikrai from the Insee Daeng (Red Eagle) book series.
Mitr married Jaruwan in 1959. They had a son named Yuthana, or Ton, in 1961. However, their marriage later ended.
Becoming a Movie Star
In 1961, Mitr starred in Banthuk Rak Pimchawee (Love Diary of Pimchawee). This was his first movie with Petchara Chaowarat. They became one of the most famous acting duos in Thai movie history! Mitr and Petchara made about 165 films together.
One of their most famous movies was Monrak luk thung (Magical Love of the Countryside) from 1970. It was a musical romantic comedy that celebrated life in the Thai countryside.
Mitr was an incredibly busy actor. He was always moving from one movie set to another. Sometimes, he would only sleep for two or three hours a night!
Another well-known movie he made was Pet Tad Pet (Operation Bangkok). This film was shot in both Bangkok and Hong Kong. It featured famous villains like Kecha Plianvitheee and Luecha Naruenart. It also starred Regina Piping, who was a top actress from Hong Kong at the time.
Monrak luk thung was one of Mitr's last films. It played in Bangkok cinemas for six months in 1970 and earned a lot of money. Its popularity grew even more because of its best-selling soundtrack and Mitr's accidental death while filming Insee Thong.
His Final Film and Tragic Accident
Insee Thong was the first movie that Mitr produced himself. It brought back his popular character, Insee Daeng (Red Eagle). This masked crime-fighter was the secret identity of detective Rom Rittikrai.
On the very last day of filming, the script said that Mitr, after defeating the bad guys, would fly off into the sunset in a helicopter. As the camera was recording, Mitr jumped to grab a rope ladder hanging from the helicopter. He only managed to reach the lowest step. The helicopter pilot didn't know this and flew higher and higher. Mitr finally lost his grip and fell to the ground.
The accident was filmed and was actually left in the movie when it first came out in theaters. However, the scene of his fall has since been removed from DVD versions of the film. Now, in the DVD version, Mitr just flies off into the distance, and text appears on screen honoring the star.
Mitr's death was officially called a tragic accident. For safety, that final scene should have been filmed in two parts. The first part would show Mitr grabbing the ladder and flying off at a low height. Then, a stunt double would perform the second part at a higher height.
Remembering Mitr Chaibancha
On the day of Mitr's funeral, the streets leading to the Buddhist temple were completely full. Tens of thousands of people tried to attend his cremation ceremony. A DVD of Insee Thong released in 2005 in Thailand includes footage of the cremation. Mitr's body was held up so that the huge crowd could see him one last time. He was survived by his former wife and his son.
There is a special memorial shrine for Mitr in Jomtien. It's on a small street off Jomtien Road. The shrine is open every day from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Inside this spirit house is a statue of Mitr holding a pistol. This reminds people of his many roles as an action movie star. The walls are covered with photographs and other items that remember him. People who visit the shrine often shake Kau Cim sticks to get a fortune. If their wishes come true, they return and leave a small offering at the shrine.
Movies Mitr Chaibancha Starred In
- Operation Bangkok (Pet Tad Pet) (1966)
- Top Secret (1967)
- Monrak luk thung (Magical Love of the Countryside) (1970)
- Insee thong (Golden Eagle) (1970)
- The Tiger and the Dragon (1971)
