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Showing posts from November, 2009

Setu Bandhanam (1946)

Director: R. Padmanabhan

Varudhini (1947)

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Cast: SV Ranga Rao, Dasari Tilakam, AV Subba Rao, Kanthamani, Kotiratnam Music: K. Bhujanga Rao Producers: Nagumalli Narayana Murthy, BV Ramanandam Director: BV Ramanandam Banner: Ananda Pictures Release Date: 11 January Trivia: This was debut film for SVR as an actor.

Vanarani (1946)

Cast: G. Varalakshmi, Garikapati Director: A. Surya

Mugguru Maratheelu (1946)

Cast: Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Ch. Narayana Rao, Govindarajula Subba Rao, Kasturi SivaRao, Kannamba, TG Kamala Devi, Kumari, Bezawada Rajaratnam, Music: Ogirala Ramachandra Rao Lyrics: Tapi Dharma Rao, Prayaga Narasimha Sastry Producer and Director: Ghantasala Balaramaiah Release Date: 1 June Note: The highlight of this movie is the action of P.Kannamba, who played the villain role. Standing up to the acting prowess of three heroes and showing villainy with a panache that counters three heroes is no ordinary thing, that too for an actress. But Kannamba, with an inimitable aplomb, came out with a sterling performance. I personally feel she dominated the three heroes with her performance. No other actress can do it.

Mangalasutram (1946)

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Cast: Lakshmirajyam, Prabhakar, Snehalatha Devi, Indira Devi, Tulasi, PV Subba Rao Chowdary, AR Sastry, AV Krishna Murthy Director: DS Kotnis Banner: Prabhakar Productions Trivia: Initially the makers selected the title as IDI MAA KATHA. Later they changed it as MANGALASUTRAM.

Bhakta Tulasidas (1946)

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Cast: Raghuramaiah, Vangara Subbaiah, Addanki Srirama Murthy, Rajeswari, Madhavapeddi Satyam, Bezawada Rajaratnam, Suribabu, Kakinada Rajaratnam, Saraseeruham Dialogues and Lyrics: Balijepalli Lakshmikantham Director: Lanka Satyam Banner: Sri Rajarajeswari Natya Mandali

Narada Naradi (1946)

Cast: Lakshmirajyam, Mudigonda Lingamurthy, Soudamini, Suribabu, Umamaheswara Rao Music: Susarla Dakshina Murthy Director: Dev Banner: Jaganmani Productions

Tyagayya (1946)

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Synopsis: This is a religious drama about the life of saint/poet Tyagaraju (1767-1847), creator of the Carnatic form of classical music. At the film's outset, Tyagaraju (Nagaiah) is depicted as a humble villager who devotes himself to writing songs about the god Rama while at the same time rejecting the money and prestige offered to him by the maharaja of Tanjavur (Narayana Murthy). Thaygaraja's disinterest in social and financial gain drives his brother, Japesen (Lingamurthy), into fits of jealousy, culminating in him destroying Tyagaraju's beloved icons of Rama. Cast: Chittooru Nagaiah (Tyagayya), Baby Vanaja (Krishna), Hemalatha (Kamalamba), Nyapathi Narayana Murthy (Sarabhoji), MC Raghavan (Marthanda Bhagavathar), Savita Devi (Chapalakshi), B. Jayamma (Dharmamba), K. Doraswamy (Sundaresa Mudaliar), Jayavanthi, Lakshmirajyam, Sundara Lakshmi, Mudigonda Lingamurthy (Japesam), Padmanabham, Baby T. Syamala (Radha), Vedantam Lakshmikantham (Narada), G. Visweswaramma, ...

Gruha Pravesam (1946)

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  Synopsis:  Educated and emancipated Janaki (Bhanumathi) attacks traditionalist and women-baiter Somalingam (LV Prasad) for his orthodox ways. Her stepmother Tulasamma (Hemalatha) arranges Janaki's marriage with her cousin Ramana Rao (CSR), who had an amorous relationship with Lalitha (Jr. Sriranjani), whom he promises to marry, but ditches her for Janaki. To escape from the marriage, Janaki leaves the house and takes shelter in Somalingam's bachelor quarters. His neighbour Acharya (Sivarao)'s wife (Kanakam), who has a score to settle with Somalingam, makes insinuations against the duo. Somalingam and Janaki are thrown out of the quarters. A frustrated Somalingam joins an ashram. The locals beat up Janaki and she lands in the ashram. The job of nursing her is entrusted to Somalingam. Positive vibes develop between them. Meanwhile, Ramana Rao lands there with police and takes back Janaki. But, finally all ends well, and the marriage of Somalingam and Janaki i...

Swargaseema (1945)

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Synopsis: Murthy (Nagaiah) is a publisher, married happily to Kalyani (Jayamma) and the proud father of their children. He watches a street play in his father-in-law's village, and notices the beautiful Subbalaxmi (Bhanumathi) in that troupe. He advises Subbalaxmi's father to take her to Madras where she would have the potential to become a big theatre artiste. He even refers them to a theatre company. The father-daughter duo travel to Madras, and are not left disappointed-Subbalaxmi is offered the lead role and changes her name to Sujatha. Murthy falls for Sujatha's charms and neglects his family. Kalyani fends for her children by taking up small tailoring works and leading a hard life. Slowly but surely, Murthy realizes his flaw and returns to his family. This film was reported based on Rouben Mamoulian's 1941 opus Blood and Sand starring Rita Hayworth. Cast: Chittooru Nagaiah (Murthy), Bhanumathi (Sujatha), B. Jayamma (Kalyani), Mudigonda Lingamurthy (Ganganna), K...

Maya Lokam (1945)

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Cast:   Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Kannamba, CSR Anjaneyulu, Santha Kumari, Kamala Kotnis, GV Subba Rao, Bezawada Rajarathnam, MV Rajyam Producer and Director: Gudavalli Ramabrahmam Banner: Sarathi Films Release Date: 10 October

Maya Machindra (1946)

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Cast: Jandhyala Gowrinatha Sastry, Kannamba, Malathi, Satyajit, Addanki Sri Ramamurthy, Krishna Murthy Dialogues and Lyrics: Vutukuru Satyanarayana Rao Music: Bhimavarapu Narasimha Rao Director: P. Pullaiah Release Date: 14 January

Samsara Naradi (1944)

Cast: Maddali Krishnamurthy Director: Chitrapu Narayana Murthy, Barodkar

Sri Seetharama Jananam (1944)

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Cast: Akkineni Nageswara Rao (Srirama), Vemuri Gaggaih (Ravana and Parasurama), Balijepalli Lakshmikantham (Viswamitra), BN Raju (Lakshmana), T. Venkateswarlu (Dasaratha), Parupalli Satyanarayana (Vasishta), Parupalli Subba Rao (Janaka), Lanka Satyam, Kumpatla Subba Rao, Tripurasundari (Seetha), Kamala Kotnis (Kaikeyi), Rushyendramani (Kausalya), Annapurna (Sumitra), Sowdamini, Kamakshi (Mandodari), Chandrakala (Vedavati), TG Kamala Devi, Kumari Champa, Koteswara Rao (Sukracharya) Dialogues:  Duvvuri Rami Reddy Lyrics: Balijepalli Lakshmikantham, Daita Gopalam Music: Prabhala Satyanarayana, Ogirala Ramachandra Rao Background Score: CR Subburaman Cinematography: P. Sridhar Dance: Vedantam Raghavaiah Producer and Director: Ghantasala Balaramaiah Release Date:  16 November Trivia: This was the first film for ANR as a hero.

Bheeshma (1944)

Cast: Jandhyala Gowrinatha Sastry, C. Krishnaveni, Sriranjani, Srivatsava, R. Rami Reddy Music: Saluri Rajeswara Rao Producer: Mirjapuram Raja Director: Chitrapu Narayana Murthy Banner: Sobhanachala Pictures

Tahsildar (1944)

Synopsis: This film was a satire on Indian middle-class anglophilic pretensions. Soon after a low-level tax collector (Rao) marries the beautiful but unsophisticated village girl Kamala (Bhanumathi), he forces her to take a series of classes to learn to wear Western fashion and high heeled shoes and to learn to speak English. All this climaxes in a tea party hosted by the collector that leaves Kamala dispirited and humiliated. The collector dumps Kamala in favor of the slick and modern Rajani (Kamala Kotnis), who promptly has poor Kamala evicted. Soon the dark-hearted Rajani spends all of his money, forcing him to embezzle from his company. Cast: YV Rao (Kamesam), Chadalavada Narayana Rao (Narasayya/DN Taral), BR Panthulu, P. Bhanumathi (Chittemma/Kamala), Balijepalli Lakshmikantha Kavi (Seethaiah and Panakalu), Kamala Kotnis (Rajani), MS Rama Rao (cameo), Bezawada Rajarathnam (Ramamma), Hemalatha (Parvathamma), Krishnaiah (Viswanatham) Story: YV Rao Dialogues and Lyrics: Balije...

Bhakta Kabir (1943)

Cast: CSR Anjaneyulu Director: Chitrapu Narasimha Rao

Pantulamma (1943)

Cast: Lakshmirajyam, Mudigonda Lingamurthy Lyrics: Samudrala Raghavacharya Music:  Galipenchala Narasimha Rao Director: Gudavalli Ramabrahmam Banner: Sarathi Studios

Chenchu Lakshmi (1943)

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Synopsis: Mythological continuing the often-filmed Vishnu Purana legend of Prahlada and Hiranyakashipa. After the demon Hiranyakashipa is destroyed, Vishnu's (Narayana Rao) consort Lakshmi (Kotnis) takes the earthly form of a chenchu (tribal) to soothe and entice Vishnu out of his rage. Her success, marriage and eventual recognition as the goddess forms the major part of the film. Mainly known for Subburaman's innovative score. For his debut film he drew on Latin American music for the credit sequence and to accompany a tribal dance. Nagaiah plays the tribal woman's father. Cast: Chadalawada Narayana Rao (Vishnu), Kamala Kotnis (Lakshmi), Lanka Satyam, Chittooru Nagaiah, Rushyendramani, Garudachary Lyrics: Samudrala Raghavacharya Music: C.R. Subbaraman, Saluri Rajeswara Rao Cinematography: Jiten Bannerjee Director: S. Soundara Rajan Banner: Tamilnadu Talkies Release Date: 14 January

Garuda Garvabhangam (1943)

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Cast: Vemuri Gaggaiah, Bhanumathi, Ramakrishna Sastry, Vedantam Raghavaiah, Satyam, Bharatha Sastry Story: Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi Dialogues: Samudrala Raghavacharya Music: Ogirala Ramachandra Rao Cinematography: P. Sridhar Rao Producer and Director: Ghantasala Balaramaiah Banner: Pratibha Pictures