Salih Tozan is a theater and cinema artist who was born in Balıkesir in 1914 and died in Istanbul on February 16, 1963. Tozan, who is considered one of the first generation actors of Turkish cinema, left school at a young age and joined the theater unit of Balıkesir Community Center, where he attracted the attention of Reşat Nuri Güntekin.
In this way, Tozan, who was sent to Ankara upon the suggestion of İsmail Hakkı Baltacıoğlu, started his stage life in Raşit Rıza Samako's Theater Group in 1933; Afterwards, he took part in important companies such as Avni Dilligil, Muammer Karaca and Muhlis Sabahattin, and portrayed various characters in Istanbul City Theaters under the guidance of Mücap Ofluoğlu.
Tozan, who stepped onto the movie screen in 1950, quickly took his place among the popular characters of the black and white era. During that period, he established friendships with leading names of the literature and art world such as Orhan Kemal, Ara Güler, Samim Kocagöz, Abidin Dino, Muzaffer Buyrukçu and Hüsamettin Bozok, and these relationships nourished his understanding of art.
Just as he performed in plays such as "Devil's Car", "Criminal Law", "Cibali Police Station" and "Anna Frank's Diary" on the theater stage, he also took part in numerous productions in his film career from 1933 to 1961; These productions include works such as "Söz Bir Allah Bir", "Akasya Palas", "Çakırcalı Mehmet Efe", "Ayşecik" series and "Blood Money".
Tozan, who was active in the stage and cinema world throughout his life, died in 1963 due to cirrhosis. A cultural center named after the city where he was born was opened in Balıkesir, and this center reminds him of his artistic heritage and contributions to the region.
Salih Tozan was born in 1914 in Balıkesir, Ottoman Empire. He died on February 16, 1963.
Productions in which he took part
He took part in a total of 66 productions; 12 of the most well-known are listed.
- Black Bush (1956)
- Tarzan the Dümbüllü (1954)
- Longing (1961)
- Lovers of Pergamon (1952)
- Whore Lead (1957)
- Captain Tahsin (1950) — Ali Hoca
- Can Mustafa (1960) — Salih Uncle
- The Little Gentleman (1962)
- Sevdalı Efe (1961)
- Wild Girl (1954)
- Flying Saucers in Istanbul (1955)
- To Two Orphans (1961)
Production and imprint information was taken from TMDB.