Movies from Studio Phra Nakhon Phapphayon

This is the story of a film crew that must battle real-life villains off-screen.

In Bangkok, around 1950, a notorious bandit named Suea Chai is terrorizing the public with a string of robberies, forcing the police to intensify their efforts to capture him. Eventually, Suea Chai flees and hides out in Phetchaburi Province.

At the same time, three young men—Sompong, Lor Tok, and Dokdin—have just returned from studying filmmaking in America. Eager to prove their skills, they set out to make a film. Despite being broke, they persevere, even pawning their rice to raise funds, and eventually establish their own company, “Jingjok Film.”

Production begins with Dokdin as the director, Sompong as the cinematographer, and Lor Tok playing the villain. Narong is cast as the male lead, and Chusri as the heroine. However, the filmmaking process is full of obstacles. The trio decides to move production to Phetchaburi, but suddenly the heroine’s husband forbids her from continuing. Desperate, they search for a replacement and luckily find a farm girl named Noi, who agrees to take on the role—unaware that she is also desired by Suea Chai.

The next day, during the filming of a romantic scene between the leads, Suea Chai happens to pass by. Mistaking the scene for reality, he becomes enraged and rushes in to attack Narong. Meanwhile, Sompong keeps filming without missing a moment. Noi runs to seek help from passing police officers, who recognize Suea Chai as the wanted criminal—though no one has ever had photographic evidence of him before. Taking advantage of the chaos, Suea Chai escapes.

Back in Bangkok, the trio develops their film and discovers a newspaper announcement offering a reward for anyone who can provide a photograph of Suea Chai. They immediately head to the police, but are ambushed along the way by Suea Pan, one of Suea Chai’s henchmen. The trio flees, unknowingly leading Suea Pan straight into a police station, where he is promptly arrested.

The filmmakers return to Phetchaburi to continue shooting and arrange for Noi to marry the film’s hero. Suea Chai seizes the chance to seek revenge, but this time he fails and is captured by the police. In the end, the reward for capturing Suea Chai goes to the three filmmakers.

Release date: January 1, 1952

Screened at: Sala Chalerm Krung Theatre

Format: Black-and-white 16 mm film with live narration