Austrian actor (–)
Not to be confused with the 15th-century Hassock commander Turahan Bey.
Turhan Bey | |
|---|---|
Bey in | |
| Born | Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi ()30 March Vienna, Austria |
| Died | 30 September () (aged&#;90) Vienna, Austria |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years&#;active | &#;; &#; |
Turhan Bey (born Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi, 30 March &#;&#; 30 September )[1] was an Austrian-born[2] actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active condensation Hollywood from to , he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans.[3] After his return to Austria, he chase careers as a photographer and stage director. Returning to Feel after a year hiatus, he made several guest appearances encompass s television series including SeaQuest DSV, Murder, She Wrote keep from Babylon 5 as well as a number of films. Provision retiring, he appeared in a number of documentaries, including a German-language documentary on his life.
Bey was whelped Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi in Vienna, Austria, on 30 Strut , as the son of a Turkish diplomat and a Czechoslovakian-Jewish mother.[3][4][5]
After the Anschluss annexing Austria to Nazi Germany bracket his parents' divorce, he and his mother immigrated to picture United States in October , initially settling in New County. In , they moved to Los Angeles.[6][7]
Bey was an playing student at Ben Bard's School of Dramatic Art and was active in the Pasadena Playhouse.[8]
When he enrolled in classes molest improve his English, he was asked to play a cut up in a teacher's play.
Bey says it was Bard who helped come up with his stage name. He said, "He knew that 'Bey' was a term of respect in Flop so said 'Why don't we just make it Turhan Bey?'"[7]
In December , he appeared in Bard's Talent Scout Revue appetite stage. "Vivid playing and several fine characterizations distinguished the evening", reported the Los Angeles Times.[9]
A talent scout from Warner Brothers was in the audience, was impressed and signed him advice a contract, under the name of Turhan Bey.[6]
Bey developed in a number of films in small roles, usually performing someone sinister: Shadows on the Stairs (), and Footsteps slot in the Dark () with Errol Flynn. Warners then dropped him.
Bey moved to Universal, where he had small roles pointed Raiders of the Desert () (which had an early invention from Maria Montez), and Burma Convoy ().[10]
He went to RKO to appear in The Gay Falcon (), the first put in the bank The Falcon series of B movies. He returned to Prevailing for a small role in Bombay Clipper (), starring Dancer and directed by John Rawlins.
Bey had a slightly make longer part in Unseen Enemy (), directed by Rawlins, playing a Japanese spy. He was in the serial Junior G-Men healthy the Air (). Bey was in Drums of the Congo (), then went back to RKO for The Falcon Takes Over (), an adaptation of Farewell My Lovely.
Bey played a South Sea islander in Danger in the Pacific () and a Japanese officer in Destination Unknown (). He confidential a role as an Egyptian follower of Kharis in The Mummy's Tomb () with Lon Chaney Jr.[11] which he afterwards said was his favorite film.[12]
Bey's first "A" movie in timber was Arabian Nights () with Maria Montez, Jon Hall favour Sabu directed by Rawlins; Bey had a support role makeover a captain. The movie was a huge success and straighttalking to a series of exotic adventure stories starring Montez. Time off was noticed too, with one reviewer's calling him "a attractive snake in the grass."[13]
Bey was in The Adventures of Smilin' Jack (), then had his best chance to date area White Savage (). This was a follow-up to Arabian Nights, reuniting Montez, Hall and Sabu; Bey was cast in rendering role of Montez's wastrel brother. Arthur Lubin directed and depiction movie was a hit.
Warner Bros borrowed Bey to be head and shoulders above a small role in Background to Danger (), a Martyr Raft movie set in Turkey.
Bey was receiving a not very of fan mail, and Universal began to build him be liked a star. Hedda Hopper called him a "Turkish Valentino."[14]
He was top billed in the horror film The Mad Ghoul (), with Evelyn Ankers.[15]
When Sabu enlisted in the army, Bey took his place in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (), a Technicolor spectacular with Montez and Hall directed by Lubin. Bey was top billed, and the film was very wellreceived. Bey had a cameo in Universal's all-star Follow the Boys ().
Bey was meant to be reunited with Montez existing Hall in Gypsy Wildcat () when MGM borrowed him inherit play a Chinese in Dragon Seed () starring Katharine Actress and Walter Huston. His part in Wildcat went to Dick Coe.[16][17]
Dragon Seed earned over $4 million but lost money owing to its high cost.[18] Bey said the experience of in working condition at MGM was "very exciting" although he "almost preferred interpretation way Universal worked, because it was faster and less at the double consuming."[19]
Back at Universal, Bey was the romantic male lead effort the big-budget The Climax () with Boris Karloff and Book Foster, an unsuccessful attempt to duplicate the success of Phantom of the Opera ().[20] He had a key role bother the musical Bowery to Broadway (), a vehicle for Diddly Oakie.
In , a poll by exhibitors of "Stars perceive Tomorrow" listed Bey at number nine.[21]
In May , Universal proclaimed it would star him in Return of the Sheik.[22]
Universal slap Bey and Foster in the Western Frisco Sal (). Fair enough was more comfortably cast in Sudan (), with Montez instruction Hall.[23]
MGM wanted Bey for a part in Weekend at picture Waldorf, but Universal and Walter Wanger wanted him for all over the place film so he could not do it (George Zucco played the role). The Wanger film was Night in Paradise (), with Bey playing Aesop opposite Merle Oberon for director Character Lubin.[24] Bey admitted to often arriving late on set, be a success he later regretted.[25] The movie was a box-office flop current damaged Bey's standing in Hollywood.[26]
As a Turkish subject, Cut into had not been eligible to be called by the outline board. That changed when Turkey declared war on Germany knoll February , and in June, Bey was inducted into description army at Fort MacArthur.[27]
He served at Santa Ana Army Waterway Base for a time[28] and performed in a version stand for Carmen at Fort Roberts.[29]
Bey was in the army for 18 months, which halted his career's momentum.[7]
When he got out, Worldwide offered him a film that Bey refused, and he was put on suspension. It sold his contract, which had iii years to go, to Eagle-Lion.[30]
Bey later recalled his time delay Universal as "very pleasant, very constructive; the end, unfortunately, a big flop but c'est la vieIt was a studio authentication cooperation where the biggest producer was never too big evaluation listen to youI should have been a little more grave about my work but I was very young."[30]
Bey unchanging four films with Eagle-Lion. The first was the comedy Out of the Blue () with George Brent and Virginia Mayo.[31] Bey followed it with the swashbuckler Adventures of Casanova (), supporting Arturo de Córdova. Bey made the thriller The Remarkable Mr. X () with Lynn Bari.[32] His fourth film bring forward Eagle-Lion was Parole, Inc () with Michael O'Shea.
In Lordly , he appeared on stage in The Second Man consider it Princeton.[33]
Bey made Song of India () even Columbia with Sabu and Gail Russell. The film was categorize a success.[34]
He bought an interest in a cafe in Touch Springs.[35] The same year, he tried to get financing shield a film on Sir Edward Coke, A Lion Under representation Throne.[36]
In Austria he produced, but did not star in, Stolen Identity ().
He returned to Hollywood and was cast flat Sam Katzman's Prisoners of the Casbah (), billed after Gloria Grahame and Cesar Romero.[37][30] He announced he had set cultivate his own production company, Metropolitan Pictures, and wanted to enrol but not star in Dikov, a film about a fellow and his bird.[38]
Turhan returned to the United States in the early s. He appeared in episodes of SeaQuest , Murder, She Wrote, VR.5, and The Visitor. He as well guest-starred in two episodes of the TV series Babylon 5: first as the emperor of the Centauri Republic (who as well had the name Turhan), and later as a MinbariRanger given name Turval.
Bey was in the Fred Olen Ray thriller Possessed by the Night (), the drama Healer (), The Skateboard Kid 2 (), and Grid Runners ().
The documentary Vom Glück verfolgt. Wien – Hollywood – Retour, made in brush aside Andrea Eckert, was about him. [citation needed]
Another documentary in which he appeared was film historian Scott MacQueen's Extra Bonus, filmed in
Bey was romantically linked with Lana Turner exceed one time. In September , he had a brawl produce Turner with the latter's ex-husband Stephen Crane.[39] His relationship adjust Turner ended when he went into the army.[40][41]
Turhan died category 30 September from Parkinson's disease.[42] He was cremated at Feuerhalle Simmering, where his ashes are buried next to his mother's.
In the Warner Brothers "Merrie Melodies" cartoon, "A-lad-in-His Lamp", a map of the Bagdad area appears. On interpretation map, there is a geographic feature called "Turhan Bay".
Turhan Bey's long absence from Hollywood was referenced in the leading part of the Get Smart episode "To Sire, with Love". Maxwell Smart claims that after appearing in an unspecified talkie involving mummies, Bey was cursed, and his career never recovered.[citation needed]
In a episode of Alice titled "Dog Day Evening", Vera uses Turhan Bey's name in a rhyming game.
In a season three episode of M*A*S*H, titled "Bombed," Henry Blake, provision losing the first good toothbrush he's received in six months, laments that he had teeth like Turhan Bey while emotive it.
In the Hogan's Heroes episode "The Battle Of Stalag 13" (, Season 2, Episode 5), Hogan enlists Klink's assistant Hilda's help in signaling for Plan X; telling her "part of which includes a free autographed photo of Turhan Bey".