Torben Emil Meyer (1 December 1884 – 22 May 1975) was a Danish-American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

who appeared in more than 190 films in a 55-year career. He began his acting career in Europe before moving to the United States.

Early life

Meyer was born in Aarhus, Denmark and began his career as a stage actor.Mette Hjort, Ursula Lindqvist, ''A Companion to Nordic Cinema'', page 408, Wiley, 2016 Starting in 1912 Meyer acted in 20 European

silent movie ''Silent Movie'' is a 1976 American satirical silent comedy film co-written, directed by and starring Mel Brooks, released by 20th Century Fox in summer 1976. The ensemble cast includes Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman, Bernadette Peters, and S ...

s, culminating with ''Don Quixote'' in 1926. He emigrated to the United States in 1927.Diane Kachar, David Goudsward, ''The Fly at 50: The Creation and Legacy of a Classic Science Fiction Film'' (Kindle), BearManor Media, 2015

Hollywood acting career

Danish friends Benjamin Christensen and

Jean Hersholt Jean Pierre Carl Buron (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956), known professionally as Jean Hersholt, was a Danish-American actor. He is most famous for starring on the CBS radio series '' Dr. Christian'' from 1937–1954, which later inspired a TV se ...

may have helped Meyer obtain his first roles in Hollywood films. For decades Meyer found roles playing characters from many countries. A 1948 newspaper article stated Meyer can't complain about being typecast for he speaks German in '' Sealed Verdict'', was a 17th-century Dutch sea captain in ''

The Exile ''The eXile'' was a Moscow-based English-language biweekly free tabloid newspaper, aimed at the city's expatriate community, which combined outrageous, sometimes satirical, content with investigative reporting. In October 2006, co-editor Jake ...

'', a French professor in '' To the Victor'', and the headwaiter in ''

Variety Girl ''Variety Girl'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Mary Hatcher, Olga San Juan, DeForest Kelley, Frank Ferguson, Glenn Tryon, Nella Walker, Torben Meyer, Jack Norton, and William Demarest. ...

''.

Horror films

Meyer became a member of the "all-star peasant cast" in '' The Black Room'', and considered

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

to be a good friend. He played the Dane in '' Murders in the Rue Morgue'', and was strangled by Boris Karloff in ''

Bride of Frankenstein ''Bride of Frankenstein'' is a 1935 American Gothic science fiction horror film, and the first sequel to Universal Pictures' 1931 film ''Frankenstein''. As with the first film, ''Bride of Frankenstein'' was directed by James Whale starring ...

''. Meyer was Gaston, the night watchman, in the 1958 film '' The Fly'' The Sin of Harold Diddlebock 1

Preston Sturges films

Meyer was in numerous

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He is credited as being the first screenwriter to find success as a director. Prior to Sturges, other ...

films, and addressed him as Maitre (French for director). Meyers played Mr. Schmidt in '' Christmas in July'', Purser in '' The Lady Eve'', Doctor in both '' Sullivan's Travels'' and ''

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' is a 1944 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton, and featuring Diana Lynn, William Demarest and Porter Hall. Brian Donlevy and A ...

'', Mr. Schultz in ''

Hail the Conquering Hero ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' (1944) is a satirical comedy-drama film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines and William Demarest, and featuring Raymond Walburn, Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson, ...

'', Dr. Dahlmeyer in '' The Great Moment'', Barber in ''

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock ''The Sin of Harold Diddlebock'' is a 1947 American comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring the silent film comic icon Harold Lloyd (in his final film appearance), and featuring a supporting cast including female protagonis ...

'', and Dr. Schultz in '' The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend''.

Later roles

In 1961, when Meyer was 76 years old, he played Werner Lampe, an ex-Nazi judge on trial in ''

Judgment at Nuremberg ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' is a 1961 American epic legal drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, and written by Abby Mann. It features Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Werner Klemperer, Marlene Dietr ...

''. His last film role was in ''

A New Kind of Love ''A New Kind of Love'' is a 1963 American romantic comedy film written, directed, and produced by Melville Shavelson and starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Frank Sinatra sings "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" over the opening credi ...

'', released in 1963, and his last television role was as Pedro Sven in the 1966 ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon and starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful but guileless 2,000-year-old Jinn, genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom s ...

'' episode ''Jeannie Breaks the Bank''.

Honored by King of Denmark

In 1962

Frederik IX of Denmark Frederik IX (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg; 11 March 1899 – 14 January 1972) was King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972. Frederik was born into the House of Glücksburg during the reign of his great-grandfather King Chr ...

honored Meyer with the Knights’ Cross of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

. It was presented to him by the consul general of Denmark, Honorable A.C. Karsten.Actor Receives Knights Cross, ''Los Angeles Evening Citizen News'', May 18, 1962, page 9
/ref>

Death

On 22 May 1975 Meyer died of bronchial pneumonia in Hollywood, California. He was cremated, and his remains are vaulted in the Chapel of the Pines.Allan R. Ellenberger, ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'', page 27, McFarland Publishing, 2001

Filmography

References

External links

*
Torben Meyer
at

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...

Torben Meyer
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meyer, Torben 1884 births 1975 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Danish male film actors Danish male silent film actors 20th-century Danish male actors Deaths from bronchopneumonia Deaths from pneumonia in California 20th-century American male actors Burials at Chapel of the Pines Crematory Danish emigrants to the United States Male actors from Copenhagen