Late singer/actress of the Indonesian stage and screen, Roekiah (aka “Miss Roekiah”).
Roekiah was born to Mohammad Ali and Ningsh--two performers--some time in 1917. Starting at the age of seven, Roekiah would start following in her parents’ footsteps. By the time she was a teenager, she was one of Indonesia’s (then known as the Dutch East Indies) most popular performers. In 1937, she made her screen debut in the film, Terang Boelan, but would appear in only a handful of films after this--for Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies led to the shutting down of most of the country’s movie studios.
Roekiah and her husband--fellow actor, Kartolo--toured Java, Indonesia’s theatrical circuit throughout the early 1940s. In February of 1945, Roekiah fell ill, but despite her illness (and a miscarriage), she and her husband were forced to continue touring. Roekiah’s condition worsened, and sadly, she passed away on September 2, 1945--leaving behind her husband and their five children. Roekiah was just 28 years old.
[Wikipedia]
