Refik Kemal Arduman

Refik Kemal Arduman — Biography

Refik Kemal Arduman (20 June 1901, Istanbul – 11 July 1981, Istanbul) was a Turkish theatre and film actor, director and screenwriter. After graduating from Galatasaray High School, he went to Germany to study engineering, where he was drawn to cinema while working as an extra at the Ufa film studios. Returning home, he appeared on the operetta stage from 1922 and took roles in various films beginning that same year. In 1926 he joined the Istanbul City Theatre as one of its founding players, and in 1958 he became the first artist to retire from that institution.

Alongside acting, Arduman also tried his hand at directing, sitting in the director's chair for the 1945 film Köroğlu, and made a single attempt at producing. He continued acting in films until 1975, appearing in works such as Ateşten Gömlek, Akdeniz Korsanları, Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa and Allaha Ismarladık. He is also remembered as the person who introduced names like Turgut Özatay, Ediz Hun and Nevin Akkaya to Turkish cinema.