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#AP-26 - Sabu Autographed 5” x 7” Photograph - $140.00 Born January 24, 1924, in Karapur, Mysore, India, Sabu was 12 years old and cleaning out the stables of a wealthy Indian maharajah when he was spotted by director Robert J. Flaherty, who was in India looking for a lead for his film “Elephant Boy” (1937). “Thief of Bagdad” in 1942 was followed by another success in 1944 when he played the part of Mowgli in “Jungle Book”. My father, J. McMillan Johnson (see “imdb.com”), was the Art Director, and obtained this autographed photo at that time. The autograph reads “Sincerely, Sabu” in green fountain pen. Sabu was the first Indian actor to make it big in Hollywood. However, he was largely restricted to stereotypical roles of Indians. He became an American citizen on January 4, 1944, after which he served in the US Army Air Force during World War II as a tail gunner. According to his widow, actress Marilyn Cooper, Sabu had a complete physical just a few days before his death, at which time his doctor told him, "If all my patients were as healthy as you, I'd be out of business." Thus, his sudden death of a heart attack at the age of 39 came as even more of a shock than it would have been otherwise. He died December 2, 1963 in Chatsworth, California. His last film, Disney's “A Tiger Walks” (1964), was released posthumously, to good reviews. In the late 1940s and 1950s, he was among the richest stars in Hollywood. In an era in which white actors often played Asian characters, he was respected not only for his physique but also for his natural acting abilities. He was a friend to many Hollywood actors including James Stewart and Ronald Reagan. Most reference books list his full name as Sabu Dastigir, but research by journalist Philip Liebfried suggests that was his brother's name, and that Sabu's full name was, in fact, Selar Shaik Sabu. The condition is VeryGood+, with a pinhole in the top margin, and 3 more in the bottom center margin. These pinholes do not affect the image area, and should easily be covered by the normal inset of any frame one might choose. There is a soft sepia tone to the photo. In every other respect this photo and the signature are crisp, clean and bright!