THE KOMEDI BIOSCOOP: The Emergence of Movie-going in Colonial Indonesia, 1896-1914 DE KOMEDI BIOSCOOP: De opkomst van de filmcultuur in koloniaal Indonesië, 1896-1914 (met een samenvatting in het Nederlands) Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Utrecht op gezag van de rector magnificus, prof. dr. G.J. van der Zwaan, ingevolge het besluit van het college voor promoties in het openbaar te verdedigen op woensdag 29 april 2015 des ochtends te 10.30 uur door Dafna Ruppin geboren op 30 november 1980 te Tel Aviv, Israel i Promotor: Prof. dr. F. E. Kessler Copromoter: Dr. A. van der Velden This thesis was accomplished with financial support from the NWO program “Cultural Dynamics”. ii iii Figure I. Map of the Netherlands Indies , c. 1893, showing railway lines and steamship connections iv Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin (source: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/nederlandsch_indie_1893.jpg) v vi Contents Contents ........................................................................................................................................... vii List of figures ..................................................................................................................................... xi Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... xiii Glossary ........................................................................................................................................... xvi Notes on Language, Spelling and Currency ..................................................................................... xviii Prologue .......................................................................................................................................... xix Introduction........................................................................................................................................1 Historical Context: The Late Colonial State in Indonesia ..................................................................6 Trade Networks and Turn-of-the-Century Intermedial Entertainment Landscape .......................... 10 Indies Spectators and Spectatorial Positions: An Overview ............................................................ 17 Engaging with Modernity .............................................................................................................. 23 Current State of Research on Early Cinema in Colonial Indonesia .................................................. 30 Time Frame, Geographical Scope and Sources............................................................................... 32 Chapter Outline ............................................................................................................................ 35 1 Trials and Tribulations of Early Travelling Shows, 1896-1898 ..................................................... 37 1.1 Introduction of Animated Photography: Harley’s Kinetoscope, 1896.................................. 38 1.2 “Truly Scientific Entertainment”: Talbot’s Scenimatograph, 1896-1897.............................. 42 1.2.1 A Fiery Start ............................................................................................................... 42 1.2.2 A Triumphant Return ................................................................................................. 47 1.2.3 Competition in Surabaya ............................................................................................ 51 1.2.4 Departure from Java .................................................................................................. 53 1.3 Moving Pictures Incorporated into Other Entertainment Forms......................................... 55 1.3.1 The Ripograph or Giant Cinematograph at Harmston’s Circus .................................... 55 1.3.2 Miss Meranda’s Kinematograph and Gramophone..................................................... 60 1.3.3 Victoria Parsi Theatrical Company and the Cinematograph ........................................ 64 1.3.4 Magician Carl Hertz’s Cinematographe....................................................................... 67 1.4 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 72 2 The Dutch Come into the Picture ............................................................................................... 75 2.1 The Dutch Subsidiary of the American Biograph ................................................................ 76 2.1.1 First Steps in the Indies .............................................................................................. 76 2.1.2 Moving Images of Queen Wilhelmina ......................................................................... 80 2.1.3 Slow Decline .............................................................................................................. 83 vii 2.2 The American Biograph as Java Biorama ............................................................................ 85 2.2.1 Touring Pains on Java, 1900-1901 .............................................................................. 87 2.2.2 Touring Successes on Java: The Boer War on Screen .................................................. 89 2.2.3 The Java Biorama Outside of Java, 1902 ..................................................................... 93 2.3 The Java Cineograph Company .......................................................................................... 95 2.3.1 Cholera, Controversy, and Control of Moving Picture Shows, 1901-1903 ................... 95 2.3.2 Competition Intensifies: The Case of the Russo-Japanese War on Screen, 1904-1905 . 99 2.4 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 104 3 Komedi Bioscoop, Indische Films and the Localisation of Film Exhibition .................................. 107 3.1 Manifestations of the Indische in Local Popular Culture ................................................... 110 3.1.1 The Indische Roman and Modern Readership........................................................... 110 3.1.2 The Komedie Stamboel as Indische Theatre ............................................................. 111 3.2 Abdulally Esoofally........................................................................................................... 113 3.2.1 First Run in Sumatra: The New Bioscope, 1901 ......................................................... 114 3.2.2 On the Komedi Circuit in Java: The Royal Bioscope, 1903-1906................................. 117 3.2.3 “Komedi within Komedi”: Film Programmes and Points of Convergence with Texts in Circulation in the Indies ........................................................................................................... 124 3.2.4 An Indische Film: The Case of Nyai Dasima ............................................................... 126 3.3 The Netherlands Indies Biograph Company...................................................................... 131 3.3.1 Background: Armenians in Southeast Asia and in the Local Photography and Moving Picture Trades ......................................................................................................................... 131 3.3.2 Starting Out: Seating Practices and Struggles with Censorship, 1904-1905 ............... 134 3.3.3 Imported Scenes and Local Production: From Netherlands Indies Biograph to Johannes Biograph, 1906-1907 ............................................................................................................... 142 3.3.4 “…that is more than many sugar companies distribute to their shareholders!”: Economic Success Rouses Discontent ...................................................................................... 146 3.3.5 Local Production Fever: The Johannes-Nahapiet-Vardon Connection, 1908 .............. 148 3.3.6 The Oranjefeesten: Competition Heats Up in Surabaya, 1909 ................................... 153 3.3.7 Hard Times for Travelling Exhibitors: Cholera Outbreaks and Tighter Regulation, 1910- 1912 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 157 3.4 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 160 4 Surabaya: Queen City of Moving Picture Venues ..................................................................... 163 4.1 Canvas and Bamboo Tents at Pasar Besar ........................................................................ 169 4.2 Tax and Legislation of Public Amusements in Surabaya .................................................... 173 4.3 The Plague and the Plight of Cinema Shows, 1910-1911 .................................................. 174 viii 4.4 Building Plans in 1910s .................................................................................................... 175 4.5 Constructing Cinema Palaces: C. J. Umbgrove’s East-Java Bioscope, 1913 ........................ 178 4.6 Public Education or School for Crime: Local Censorship Initiatives, 1912 .......................... 186 4.7 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 190 5 Batavia: Capital of Chinese Cinema Venues ............................................................................