Meier Tzelniker (1 January 1894 – 8 October 1980) was a Yiddish-speaking

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

born in

Hotin County Hotin County was a county (ținut is Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, județ after) in the Principality of Moldavia (1359–1812), the Bessarabia Governorate, Governorate of Bessarabia (1812–1917), the Moldavian Democratic Republic (1917–19 ...

, Romania. He appeared mainly in

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

theatre, but was sometimes a character actor in English-language plays and films, such as ''

It Always Rains On Sunday ''It Always Rains on Sunday'' is a 1947 British film adaptation of Arthur La Bern's novel by the same name, directed by Robert Hamer. The film has been compared with the poetic realism movement in the French cinema of a few years earlier by the ...

'' (1947) and ''

Expresso Bongo ''Expresso Bongo'' is a 1958 West End musical and a satire of the music industry. It was first produced on the stage at the Saville Theatre, London, on 23 April 1958. Its book was written by Wolf Mankowitz and Julian More, with music by Davi ...

'' (1959).

Biography

Meier Tzelniker was born in Hotin-Bessarabia, Romania, the son of a yeast manufacturer. Meier was a boy chorister in a synagogue when he got his first stage role in Yiddish theatre, and toured eastern Europe with a Yiddish theatre company.

Selected filmography

* ''

Mr. Emmanuel ''Mr Emmanuel'' is a 1944 British drama film directed by Harold French and starring Felix Aylmer, Greta Gynt and Walter Rilla. The film was made by Two Cities at Teddington Studios. It is based on a 1938 novel of the same title by Louis Goldin ...

'' (1944) - Mr. Silver * ''

It Always Rains on Sunday ''It Always Rains on Sunday'' is a 1947 British film adaptation of Arthur La Bern's novel by the same name, directed by Robert Hamer. The film has been compared with the poetic realism movement in the French cinema of a few years earlier by the ...

'' (1947) - Solly, his father * '' Last Holiday'' (1950) - Baltin * '' Venetian Bird'' (1952) - Mayor of Mirave * '' The Teckman Mystery'' (1954) - John Rice * ''

Make Me an Offer ''Make Me an Offer'' is a 1954 Eastmancolor British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Peter Finch, Adrienne Corri, Rosalie Crutchley and Finlay Currie. It is based on the 1952 novel of the same title by Wolf Mankowitz. It wa ...

'' (1954) - Wendl * ''

The Woman for Joe ''The Woman for Joe'' is a 1955 British drama film directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Diane Cilento, George Baker, Jimmy Karoubi and David Kossoff. The screenplay concerns the owner of a circus sideshow and his prize attraction (a m ...

'' (1955) - Sol Goldstein * ''

The Extra Day ''The Extra Day'' is a 1956 British comedy-drama film directed by William Fairchild and starring Richard Basehart, Simone Simon and George Baker. Plot After the final scene of a film is lost by the driver taking it to the printing lab, the ca ...

'' (1956) - Lou Skeat * ''

Stars in Your Eyes ''Stars in Your Eyes'' is a 1956 British musical film directed by Maurice Elvey. Plot As the world of vaudeville gradually loses its attraction, more and more entertainers are losing their jobs. In hopes of fixing their financial problems, a gro ...

'' (1956) - Maxie Jago * '' The Long Haul'' (1957) - Nat Fine * '' A Night to Remember'' (1958) - Mr. Isador Straus * ''

'' (1959) - Mayer * ''

Jungle Street ''Jungle Street'' is a 1961 black and white British crime drama directed by Charles Saunders and starring David McCallum, Kenneth Cope, and Jill Ireland, about a young man who attempts to escape his working-class background and win the girl ...

'' (1960) - Mr. Rose * '' Let's Get Married'' (1960) - Schutzberger * ''

A Circle of Deception ''Circle of Deception'' is a 1960 CinemaScope British war film directed by Jack Lee and starring Bradford Dillman, Suzy Parker and Harry Andrews. Plot A Canadian officer is sent on a secret and dangerous mission during World War II. His sup ...

'' (1960) - Barman * '' His and Hers'' (1961) - Felix McGregor * ''

The 25th Hour ''The 25th Hour'' is the 2001 debut novel by David Benioff. A film adaptation, for which Benioff wrote the screenplay, was directed by Spike Lee and released in 2002. Background The idea for the book came when Benioff returned home to New York ...

'' (1967) - Abramovici * ''

The Sorcerers ''The Sorcerers'' is a 1967 British science fiction/horror film directed by Michael Reeves, starring Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacey, Ian Ogilvy, and Susan George. The original story and screenplay was conceived and written by John Burke. ...

'' (1967) - The Jewish Baker * ''

The Killing of Sister George ''The Killing of Sister George'' is a 1964 play by Frank Marcus that was later adapted into a The Killing of Sister George (film), 1968 film directed by Robert Aldrich. Stage version Sister George is a beloved character in the popular radio ser ...

'' (1968) - Mr. Katz

References

External links

* 1894 births 1980 deaths British male film actors British male stage actors Jewish British male actors 20th-century British male actors Yiddish theatre performers {{UK-stage-actor-stub