Si Ronda

Si Ronda is a 1930 silent film from the Dutch East Indies which was directed by Lie Tek Swie and starred Bachtiar Effendi. Based on contemporary Betawi oral tradition, it follows the exploits of a bandit, skilled in silat traditional Malay martial arts, known as Si Ronda. In the lenong stories from which the film was derived, Ronda was often depicted as a Robin Hood type of figure. The production, now thought lost, was one of a series of martial arts films released between 1929 and 1931. Si Ronda received little coverage in the media upon its release. A second adaptation of the tale, Si Ronda Macan Betawi, was made in 1978.

Similar stories to Si Rondas include those of Si Jampang and Si Pitung these stage plays centred on extraordinary men referred to as jago who, though living outside the law, generally fought for the common populace. Adaptations of the genre, manifested as bandit films, became popular in domestic cinema following the release of Si Tjonat by Batavia Motion Picture in 1929. This release was followed by the Wong brothers Rampok Preanger also 1929, and an adaptation of the Si Pitung stories in 1931. Not all films in this genre, which consisted of a quarter of all domestic releases for 19291931, maintained the heroic qualities of the central character the Wongs adaptation of Si Pitung, for instance, portrayed him as a simple bandit and not the Robin Hood figure of stage.Si Ronda was directed by Lie Tek Swie and produced by Tan Khoen Yauw of Tans Film. The two had previously worked together on the companys highly profitable Njai Dasima in 1929. Cinematography was handled by A. Loepias. Shot in blackandwhite, this silent film starred Bachtiar Effendi, a set decorator with Tans, in his onscreen debut playing the title role. It also featured Momo, an actor who had appeared in the film Njai Dasima. ........

Source: Wikipedia