Celalettin Yonat was born in Sivas in 1922 and was a theater and cinema actor known under the pseudonym "Arap Celal". It is known that he has belonged to a family of African origin since his childhood. Yonat, who started working immediately after primary school, gained stage experience in venues such as Community Centers with the stage groups of Burhanettin Tepsi and İsmail Dümbüllü.
He started his cinema career as an extra in 1948, and over time, he became remembered by the audience with his performances in small roles.
In 1955, Yonat killed Vural as a result of his anger when he saw his girlfriend Aysel Vural with another person, and seriously injured himself in the same incident. After this dramatic event, filmmaker Kayahan Arıkan employed Yonat as an assistant in some productions and also took part in photo-novel projects. After the September 12 Coup, when it was revealed that he was a military deserter, he was arrested and drafted into the military.
During his retirement years, he worked as a caregiver at Behçet Nacar's film-photo-novel shooting workshop in Beyoğlu. He died in Istanbul on December 29, 1993.
Yonat's cinema history is quite extensive. "Zeynebin's Love" in 1957, "Zaloğlu Rüstem" in 1966, "Misogynist", "Black David" and "Zeynebi of Seven Villages" in 1967, "Love is an Old Lie", "Köroğlu" and "Lie Years" in 1968, "Bilardo Kazım", "King of the Mountains", "Amazed" in 1970. He took part in works such as 17", "Lawless Brothers", "Siege 2", "Sacred Duty", "Death Edict", "Selahattin Eyyubi", "Wounded Ceylan" and "Living is Harder".
Between 1971 and 1974, "Tweezer Ali", "I Have My Signature on the Target", "Tarkan: Viking Blood", "Tophaneli Murat", "Ripped Niyazi", "Sezercik Yavrum Benim", "Güllü", "Kader Yolcuları", "Tarkan: Golden Medallion", "How to Get Rid of Asiye", "Kara Murat Fatih's Edict", He acted in films such as "Battal Gazi's Son", "Kara Murat Death Order" and "Idiot Millionaire".
Between 1976 and 1989, "Fearless Warrior", "Fake Bully", "Tosun Pasha", "Aslan Bacanak", "Hakanlar Collisions", "Şaban's Son Şaban", "Clumsy Şakir", "Kibar Feyzo", "Two Acrobats", "Fearless Coward", "Scorpio", "Idiot Şaban", In the films "Peace Not Left", "Üç Kağıtçı", "Doktor Civanım", "Çöl", "Gırgıriyede Çümbüş Var", "Sosyete Şaban", "Tokatçı", "Ortadirek Şaban", "Wrong Number", "Street Fighter", "Tarzan Rıfkı", "Hasret", "Stubborn", "Av" and "Afacan" took place.
Celal Yonat was born in 1922 in Sivas, Türkiye. He died on December 29, 1993.
Celalettin Yonat was born in Sivas in 1922. After primary school, he started his working life. He worked in Burhanettin Tepsi and İsmail Dümbüllü groups for a while. He entered the cinema as an extra in 1948 and was better known as Arap Celal. He mostly played minor character roles. Film producer Kayahan Arıkan showed him as his assistant in some of the films he shot.
He also acted in photo novels. After the September 12 Coup, it was discovered that he was a deserter and he was drafted into the army. In his last years, he worked as the caretaker of Behçet Nacar's apartment in Beyoğlu, where films and photo novels were shot. He died on December 29, 1993.
Productions in which he took part
He took part in a total of 164 productions; 12 of the most well-known are listed.
- Stubborn (1988) — Sarıkavak Villager
- Little Agha (1984)
- Keloglan (1971) — Slave
- Tokatçı (1984) — Peasant
- Prince Sinbad (1971)
- Kibar Feyzo (1978) — Toilet Girl
- Street Brawler (1986)
- Coyote Hunt (1977)
- Who Knows (1981)
- Female Dog (1980)
- Twisted Twisted (1979)
- I Couldn't Make It (1985)
Production and imprint information was taken from TMDB.
