साबू दस्तगीर

Sabu Dastagir: the first Indian in Hollywood

Sabu Dastagir (27 January 1924 – 2 December 1963) was a film actor of Indian origin—although he later took American citizenship. He was normally credited only by his first name, Sabu, and is primarily known for his work in film during the 1930s–1940s in Britain and America.

Sabu was the son of an Indian mahout (elephant driver) and was discovered by documentary film-maker Robert Flaherty who cast him in the role of an elephant driver in the 1937 British film Elephant Boy, based on Toomai of the Elephants, a story by Rudyard Kipling.

After becoming an American citizen in 1944, Sabu joined the United States Army Air Forces and served as a tail gunner and ball turret gunner on B-24 Liberators. He flew several dozen missions with the 370th Bomb Squadron of the 307th Bomb Group in the Pacific, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valor and bravery.

On 2 December 1963, Sabu suddenly died in Chatsworth, California, of a heart attack at the age of 39.


Family: Married 1) Bibi Ferreira, 1947 (divorced); 2) Marilyn Cooper, 1949; two children.



JUNGLE BOOK TRAILER 1942 SABU TECHNICOLOR