"ratna moetoe manikam" was directed by sutan usman karim, under the pseudonym suska. he had worked as an editor for the padang-based daily "persamaan", and had directed "panggilan darah" (1941) for oriental film before joining the teng chun's new java industrial film (jif). the's company produced the film "ratna moetoe manikam". inspired by the success of "the thief of bagdad" (1940), suska realised that a modernised version of a classic story could be successful. he therefore adapted the plot for "ratna moetoe manikam" from a stage drama entitled "djoela djoeli bintang tiga", a staple of "stamboel" stage performances.