Turhan Bey (born Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi, 30 March 1922 – 30 September 2012) was an Austrian-born actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active in Hollywood from 1941 to 1953, he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans. After his return to Austria, he pursued careers as a photographer and stage director. Returning to Hollywood after a 40-year hiatus, he made several guest appearances in 1990s television series including SeaQuest DSV, Murder, She Wrote and Babylon 5 as well as a number of films. After retiring, he appeared in a number of documentaries, including a German-language documentary on his life.
Bey was born Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi in Vienna, Austria, on 30 March 1922, as the son of Turhan Bey, a Turkish diplomat, and Irma Meyer, a Czech-Jewish woman.
After the Anschluss annexing Austria to Nazi Germany and his parents' divorce, he and his mother immigrated to the United States in October 1938, initially settling in New Hampshire. In 1939, they moved to Los Angeles.
Bey was an acting student at Ben Bard's School of Dramatic Art and was active in the Pasadena Playhouse.
When he enrolled in classes to improve his English, he was asked to play a role 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 Turkey so said 'Why don't we just make it Turhan Bey?'"
In December 1939, he appeared in Bard's Talent Scout Revue on stage. "Vivid playing and several fine characterizations distinguished the evening", reported the Los Angeles Times.
A talent scout from Warner Brothers was in the audience, was impressed and signed him to a contract, under the name of Turhan Bey.
Bey appeared in a number of films in small roles, usually playing someone sinister: Shadows on the Stairs (1941), and Footsteps in the Dark (1941) with Errol Flynn. Warners then dropped him.
Bey moved to Universal, where he had small roles in Raiders of the Desert (1941) (which had an early appearance from Maria Montez), and Burma Convoy (1941).
He went to RKO to appear in The Gay Falcon (1941), the first in The Falcon series of B movies. He returned to Universal for a small role in Bombay Clipper (1942), starring Montez and directed by John Rawlins.
Bey had a slightly bigger part in Unseen Enemy (1942), directed by Rawlins, playing a Japanese spy. He was in the serial Junior G-Men of the Air (1942). Bey was in Drums of the Congo (1942), then went back to RKO for The Falcon Takes Over (1942), an adaptation of Farewell My Lovely.
Bey played a South Sea islander in Danger in the Pacific (1942) and a Japanese officer in Destination Unknown (1942). He had a role as an Egyptian follower of Kharis in The Mummy's Tomb (1942) with Lon Chaney Jr. which he later said was his favorite film.
Bey's first "A" movie in color was Arabian Nights (1942) with Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Sabu directed by Rawlins; Bey had a support role as a captain. The movie was a huge success and led to a series of exotic adventure stories starring Montez. Bey was noticed too, with one reviewer's calling him "a handsome snake in the grass."
Bey was in The Adventures of Smilin' Jack (1942), then had his best chance to date with White Savage (1943). This was a follow-up to Arabian Nights, reuniting Montez, Hall and Sabu; Bey was cast in the role of Montez's wastrel brother. Arthur Lubin directed and the movie was a hit.
Warner Bros borrowed Bey to play a small role in Background to Danger (1943), a George Raft movie set in Turkey.
Bey was receiving a lot of fan mail, and Universal began to build him into a star. Hedda Hopper called him a "Turkish Valentino."
He was top billed in the horror film The Mad Ghoul (1943), with Evelyn Ankers.