Dung Thanh Lam (1942-2004) was a famous actor of Southern Vietnamese folk opera stage and cinema of Saigon.
Born as
Paul Robert Bui Van Tam in Gia Dinh (a former name for the city of Saigon) to a French father and a Vietnamese mother, he was raised in a Roman Catholic upbringing. Dung Thanh Lam attended grade school at Tabert Mossard and graduated from Tan Thanh High School in Saigon. Since his early childhood years, he had taken an interest in
cai luong, Southern Vietnamese folk opera. Taken under the wings of a husband-and-wife team of veteran
cai luong performers
Hoang Suong and
Thu Van, Dung Thanh Lam was admitted to Minh Hung Theatrical Arts Academy to study the art of Southern Vietnamese folk opera. In 1964, he officially turned professional and became a contract player for the
Thu Do Folk Opera Theater Troupe. When its two principal actors,
Ut Tra On and
Hoang Giang, decided to leave the Thu Do Troupe, it paved an opportunity for Dung Thanh Lam and fellow actor,
Tan Tai, as their replacements. Dung Thanh Lam's first folk opera play while under contract with the Thu Do Theater Troupe was
Bong Hong Sa Mac (Desert Rose), in which he played alongside such veteran performers like Tan Tai,
Minh Phung,
Kim Ngoc,
Truong Anh Loan and
Van Huong. Among his other folk opera plays while under contract with the Thu Do Theater Troupe included
Chiec Ao An Tinh, Sau Quan Ai, Hoa Dao Tren Kiem Thep and
Cay Quat Lua Hong.
After the Thu Do Theater Troupe dismantled the following year, Dung Thanh Lam was recruited into the
Kim Chuong - Thanh Huong Folk Opera Theater Troupe. There he would be teamed up with
Phuong Lien as his leading actress in such folk opera plays as
Quy Bao, Nguoi Goi Do Tren Song and
Thuong Phuong Bao Kiem.
In 1967, Dung Thanh Lam joined the prestigious
Da Ly Huong Theater Troupe which had housed two of the biggest names among
cai luong performers,
Hung Cuong and
Bach Tuyet, as the leading actor and actress. Dung Thanh Lam was then cast in the folk opera play,
Ke So Tinh, which besides Da Ly Huong Theater Troupe's leading actor and actress, Hung Cuong and Bach Tuyet, also starred legendary folk opera performer
Huu Phuoc. Dung Thanh Lam remained with Da Ly Huong Theater Troupe well into the 1970s when the name was changed to the
Hung Cuong - Bach Tuyet Theater Troupe and performed in numerous other well-received
cai luong plays such as
Anh Hung Xa Dieu, Tien Rung Bac Bien, Lenh Cua Ba, Nguoi Dung Chan Dem Mua, Van Ly Truong Thanh, Gai Diem Vo Hien and
Con Ma Nha Ho Hua.
During the 1970s, Dung Thanh Lam had also ventured into film acting. He was cast in supporting roles in such films produced in South Vietnam like
Xa Lo Khong Den (Highway Without Lights) (1973) with
Thanh Nga,
Tran Van Trach,
Tuy Hoa and
Trang Thanh Lan and
Con Ma Nha Ho Hua (1973), the film adaptation of the classic
cai luong play starring Bach Tuyet.
In 1974, Dung Thanh Lam had successfully reclaimed his French citizenship by descent and was awaiting for his right of abode in France that would finally take place three years later. He first resettled in Marseilles in 1977, but eventually made his way to the largest overseas Vietnamese community of France located in the 13th district of Paris. While living in France, Dung Thanh Lam along with other veteran
cai luong performers whom were also former Vietnamese nationals such as Huu Phuoc,
Huong Lan,
Chi Tam,
Hoang Long,
Phuong Thanh,
Kieu Le Mai,
Ha My Lien,
Thanh Duoc,
Phuong Hong Ngoc and
Phuong Mai put their efforts into reviving Southern Vietnamese folk opera with recitals of classic plays such as
Doi Mat Nguoi Xua, Di Bien Mot Minh and
Cho Tron Cuoc Tinh. However, Southern Vietnamese folk opera could not attain the same caliber as Vietnamese popular music had achieved which quickly developed into a thriving industry with overseas Vietnamese audiences. After several years of frustration, Dung Thanh Lam decided to pack up and resettle in the United States during the mid-1980s.
In 1987, Dung Thanh Lam tried his hand at a brief career as a singer of Vietnamese popular music and released a studio album entitled
Lau Dai Tinh Ai. The album contained a total of 12 tracks which included several duets recorded with
Son Ca,
Nhu Mai and
Hai Ly and also featured a pair of solo tracks recorded by Huong Lan. Although Dung Thanh Lam had received many praises for his recorded version of the
Lam Phuong-penned classic,
Giot Le Sau, which originally was made famous by singer
Che Linh back in Saigon prior to 1975, the album was met with modest reception in sales.
The following year, Dung Thanh Lam teamed with an all-star cast in a reprisal stage production of
Tam Long Cua Bien headed by Huong Lan that also featured Huu Phuoc, Thanh Duoc,
Viet Hung, Phuong Mai and
Bang Chau. The live play was part of a major overseas Vietnamese performing arts festival held at the Anaheim Convention Center on May of 1988 where they played to an audience that was 7,000 strong in attendance. The overwhelming success of live stage production of
Tam Long Cua Bien led to another reprisal of another classic
cai luong play,
Nua Doi Huong Phan. With two successful live performances at Valley High School Auditorium in Santa Ana, California and the Civic Auditorium in Oakland, California, the cast included Huong Lan, Huu Phuoc, Thanh Duoc, Phuong Mai,
Kieu Hanh,
Ha My Lien, Viet Hung, newcomer
Bich Ngoc and comedic supporting role portrayed by emcee
Viet Thao. In 1989, Dung Thanh Lam starred alongside
Mong Tuyen, Thanh Duoc and Phuong Thanh in a reprisal video adaptation of
Mua Rung, which was produced and released by
Thuy Nga Paris.
Dung Thanh Lam died on November 26, 2004 of liver failure. He never married and had lived his entire adult life as a bachelor. During the 1980s, Dung Thanh Lam had been romantically linked with
Kim Qui, a former burlesque star who had been a popular performer at cabarets back in Saigon prior to 1975.
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| Dung Thanh Lam, Christopher, Anh Vu and Manh Quynh taken in 1997 |
