- Dungan had no knowledge of Indian languages, a problem which never affected his career as a director of films in Indian languages, especially Tamil.
- He introduced many new techniques to Indian cinema despite the technical limitations of that period.
- He bought his first box camera to take pictures for the school yearbook, for which he was editor-in-chief. He later enrolled at the University of Southern California in 1932 in the newly established Cinematography & Motion Picture Production Department.
- Dungan filmed his movies in the temples by passing himself off as a Kashmiri pundit.
- He was an Irish-American film director, who was well known for working in Indian films, predominantly in Tamil cinema, from 1936 to 1950.
- For his introduction of intimate love scenes in Ponmudi (1950), Dungan was criticized by the press for introducing "vulgar" scenes and for "corrupting the population with American ways".
- Many of his movies were based on the mythical characters of the Hindu religion and he had to shoot them in Hindu temples where non-Hindus were not allowed in those days.
- Ellis R. Dungan was an alumnus of the University of Southern California and moved to India in 1935.
- Dungan is credited with introducing modern make-up, the mobile camera and cabaret dance numbers to Tamil Cinema and moving it away from the influence of stage plays.
- Dungan is credited with having revolutionized Indian cinema and introduced western innovations.
- During 1936-50, Dungan made a number of Tamil films and one Hindi film - Meera (1947).
- During his film career in South India, Dungan directed the debut films of several popular Tamil film actors, such as M. G. Ramachandran in Sathi Leelavathi, T. S. Balaiya, Kali N. Ratnam and N. S. Krishnan.
- He attended St. Clairsville High School in St. Clairsville, where he played quarterback on the school football team.
- In 1935, he came to India with his college mate Michael Ormalev at the invitation of another USC student - Manik Lal Tandon of Bombay. Tandon's family was then planning to enter the film industry. When those plans did not take off, Tandon invited them to Calcutta where he was directing the Tamil film Nandanar. There Tandon introduced them to A. N. Marudhachalam Chettiar, a film producer who was making the film Sathi Leelavathi and recommended Dungan be hired to direct the film as he himself was busy directing Nandanar. Thus Dungan made his directing debut with Sathi Leelavathi which was also the first film of future-Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. G. Ramachandran.
- His last Tamil film was Manthiri Kumari in 1950. He returned to America and settled in Wheeling, West Virginia in 1958. There he started his company - "Ellis Dungan productions" and for the next thirty years made documentary movies for the Hollywood producer Duke Goldstone.
- As he did not know Tamil he insisted in involving himself heart and soul in the picture from the day he was engaged. He took active part in every session of the story discussion, film treatment, and the final screenplay of his films with his writers and assistants. He had every word translated into English and typed in double space paper sheets for his study.
- He made a string of Tamil hits without knowing a word of Tamil.
- During his 15 years in India, he had introduced many a Hollywood technique to the Tamil cinema, such as modern make-up, the mobile camera and getting actors away from bringing the stage on to the screen. But he also introduced the cabaret number, which later led to song-and-dance routines becoming essential ingredients of Indian cinema.
- M. S. Subbulakshmi starred in four of his films, Seva Sadanam, Sakunthalai, Savithri and Meera, and the two that Dungan directed turned out to be Indian film classics. MS's brilliant portrayal of Meera Bai, the Rajput queen, who renounced the world and dedicated her life to Lord Krishna, had producers queuing at her door pleading with her to act in their films. But with Meera, MS bid adieu to the screen. That a black and white film could be made "visually opulent" was entirely due to the technical brilliance of Dungan (an excellent cameraman in his own right) and his cinematographer, Jiten Banerjee. Using a mould of MS's face, they shot it from various angles over and over again, using a variety of lighting techniques. After watching these shots for hours, Dungan and Banerjee chose the best to use in the film to create what has been described as Meera's "ethereal, angelic beauty".
- In 2013, American film maker Karan Bali made a one-hour documentary on Dungan titled "An American in Madras" by consulting West Virginia State Archives and interviewing people who had known Dungan.
- His ancestors hailed from Dungansville, a village in Ireland.
- At USC ( University of Southern California ), Dungan made friends with two fellow students and the three formed a group. They made a student film called "The Oval Portrait'', with some B grade but known Hollywood stars acting free. Thus, Dungan and others came close to several Hollywood personalities. Such persons included the celebrated stars, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Alan Ladd.
- For '' Kalamegham''(1939) - nagaswaram genius T. N. Rajaratnam Pillai was the hero - he shot a sequence never done before in South Indian cinema. Kalamegham, a famous Tamil poet had the gift of his abuses and curses coming true! In anger, he curses that a village beside the sea should be destroyed in storm and floods! To shoot this exciting sequence Dungan took shots in the village and then erected large-sized miniatures on the sands of the Bay of Bengal beyond Adyar, in Chennai. In that period, areas of today, like Besant Nagar and beyond did not exist. It was all a vast open stretch of sand and sea! Operating the camera himself he shot the storm and flood scenes there, using fans and churners and the effect was electrifying.
- In a sequence, angels - white-skinned young women - sport around in a pond. They swim and then being angels, they soar out of the waters higher towards the sky dripping wet! With the limited technical facilities in Madras in 1939-1940, it was not easy to shoot such a sequence. Dungan engaged a group of fair-skinned Anglo-Indian and English women dancing at Hotel Connemara, Madras. As they complained that the water (it was a set) was too cold, Dungan ordered that hot water be filled! He had the women wet their clothes and took shots of them jumping into the pond. He reversed the shot to get the 'special effect' he wanted for the scene! Simple? At that time, it was not so.
- In his musical classic, " Meera''(1945) - Tamil and Hindi, with 'M.S.' as Meerabai the cult figure, Lord Krishna's devotee and a composer of devotional music, Dungan shot a scene which created history in South Indian film technique. The girl Meera ('Baby' Radha, MS's step-daughter) changes into the young woman, Meera (MS) and the transition was shown with a melodious song, "Nandha Balaa En Manalaa..", sung by Baby Radha and M.S. When the changeover takes place there is a 45-second fast-paced background orchestra, a musical interlude, as part of the song. Normally such background musical interludes are also recorded along with the song in a sound studio long before the film shoot commences. However, Dungan did not do so. He shot the scene first and the changeover sequence consisted of a number of shots of the statue of Lord Krishna... lighted candles with flames flickering...flowers on plates... prayer offerings...Krishna's flute in the statue...and then a cut to a close-up of M.S. singing with great feeling and emotion, ''Hey! Muraleee... Mohanaa...!'' The shots were static, and also on fast trolley in close-up - there were no 'zoom' lenses in 1944-1945! - Dungan edited them all himself, into a rapidly-cut, fast- paced sequence and then, S. V. Venkataraman, the sadly underrated but highly talented music composer, scored the background music in rhythm with the shots, in a recording theatre. The impact was ecstatic and brilliant. It was the first time such technique was used in Indian cinema. Even today this sequence evokes admiration and is breath-taking.
- Dungan loved Madras and was very fond of 'sambar-saadham', pots of coffee and ate on green banana leaves.
- In 1935, one semester short of graduation at USC, Dungan was offered a job by a fellow student from Bombay, India. A film studio was to be built and operated by that student's family and friends in Bombay. However, when Dungan arrived in India, he discovered the studio project had fallen through. Dungan then planned to stay in India only six months but became so enthralled that he remained for 15 years and became known throughout that country for directing and photographing feature films. He worked with India's greatest movie stars and created 17 films in the Tamil and Hindi languages, including 12 of feature length. He also produced and directed news films and training films for the British Indian Government during World War II.
- Ellis Dungan has lived in Wheeling since 1958 and married there in 1964.
- He knew a few Hindi words like 'Chalo,' 'Jaldi' and 'Kaam Karo', which he used liberally! If he spoke with a nasal American twang Dwarakapuri-wasis did not bother! Maybe that's how Kashmiri pundits speak Hindi, they thought perhaps.
- Dungan had an interesting experience while shooting in Dwaraka. As he was not a Hindu, he could not enter the Krishna temple. But he was the director of the film and he had to be present.
- Dungan co-produced and filmed "Liberty and Union" for the Independence Hall Foundation in Wheeling. One of his most recent projects was a documentary on his great great grandfather, Josiah Fox, designer of such famed navy ships as "Old Ironsides" (The "USS Constitution") and the "USS Constellation.
- Because of his experience in India, he came in demand in Hollywood as a cinematographer for jungle adventure stories. His major works during the '50s and '60s included "Tarzan Goes to India", starring Jock Mahoney; "Harry Black and the Tiger", with Stewart Granger; "The Big Hunt," in which Dungan played the role of Frank Buck of "Bring 'em Back Alive" fame; and "The Jungle", starring Cesar Romero and Marie Windsor.
- Always there has been the lure of India. In 1992, he returned there to a hero's welcome. Leaders of the country's film industry organized an elaborate reception and showered him with gifts. Top government officials were on hand to honor him.
- In 1960, he formed his own company, Ellis Dungan Productions, with offices in Wheeling, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He produced industrial, educational and promotional films.
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