Soekarno was born in
Kutoarjo,
Central Java, on 7 May 1920. The son of a noble
priyayi family, he had access to a high level of education, completing his
MULO studies before learning
bookkeeping. His first job was as the bookkeeper for a cinema. In 1941, as the domestic film industry was seeking young, educated actors to improve the public perception of cinema, Soekarno was approached by
Union Films and cast in their production
Soeara Berbisa, a film which told of two men who compete for a woman's love before discovering that they are brothers. He appeared in another film, for Union later that year, when he played a young assistant pharmacist in the company's romance
Mega Mendoeng (1942). In March 1942, following the
Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Union was closed, and Soekarno, though working on an adaptation of the legend Damarwulan, was let go. '' (1942) Soekarno migrated to theatre, spending most of the occupation with the amateur theatre troupe Maya (under
Usmar Ismail), though he did act in a single short propaganda film:
Di Menara (1943). Following the surrender of Japan in August 1945, the Dutch colonial forces, supported by the
Allies, returned to the Indonesian archipelago. In the ensuing
Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949), Soekarno was active with
Fred Young's
Bintang Soerabaja professional theatre troupe. In 1948, towards the end of the revolution, Soekarno returned to film, taking a role in the South Pacific Film Corporation (SPFC) production
Anggrek Bulan. On this film, he again worked with Ismail, who was serving as assistant director. Soekarno took another two roles in SPFC films in 1949, in
Harta Karun and
Tjitra. When the company was merged with
Berita Film Indonesia to form Perusahaan Film Negara (PFN; the State Film Company), Soekarno migrated to Young's Bintang Surabaja and appeared in a number of their films, including
Bintang Surabaja 1951 (1950),
Djembatan Merah (1950), and
Selamat Berdjuang, Masku! (1951). As the 1950s progressed, Soekarno worked for a number of companies, including
Djamaluddin Malik's Persari (
Rodrigo de Villa, 1952) and PFN (
Penjelundup, 1952). He also made his directorial debut in
Rentjong dan Surat (1953). Soekarno's greatest popularity, however, was attained through his work with Ismail's
Perfini studio, for whom he first appeared in 1953's
Kafedo and
Krisis. He gained the greatest popular recognition for his role in the latter film, a comedy about the conflicts between different families occupying the same house, and appeared in its sequel
Lagi-Lagi Krisis two years later. Shortly afterwards, Soekarno changed his name to Rendra Karno, heeding a recent demand from President
Sukarno that all European and feudal names (such as the title
Raden) be abandoned. (centre) in front of
Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, in 1956 As a member of the (Persatuan Artis Film Indonesia, or PARFI), Rendra Karno was also involved in efforts to protect the struggling domestic film industry against imported films from
Malaysia,
India, and the
United States. On 12 March 1956, Rendra Karno went to
Merdeka Palace,
Jakarta, together with nine other actors and actresses to read a list of demands to President Sukarno. These included a reconsideration of existing import laws, the establishment of a film library, and increased involvement of Indonesia in international film festivals. These demands, however, were not met. Rendra Karno remained active with Perfini into the 1960s, appearing in such productions as
Tiga Dara (1956),
Tjambuk Api (1958),
Pedjuang (1960), and
Bajangan di Waktu Fadjar (1962). For this last film, a collaboration between Perfini and Merdeka Film of Malaysia, he received best supporting actor at the 1963 Asian Film Festival in Tokyo. In 1965, after appearing in Tjendrawasih Films'
Takkan Lari Gunung Dikedjar, he took a five-year sabbatical. In 1971 Rendra Karno returned to the Indonesian film industry, appearing in and serving as assistant director for
Hutan Tantangan. Over the next decade, he appeared in a further eight films, including
Putri Solo (1974) and
Para Perintis Kemerdekaan (1981); Karno also worked as a crew member for several productions. Rendra Karno died in Jakarta on 27 November 1985. ==Filmography==