Sami Ayanoğlu

Mustafa Sami Ayanoğlu was born in Istanbul on April 21, 1913 and died in the same city on November 7, 1971. Ayanoğlu, one of the important names of the Turkish theater and cinema world, has achieved a successful career as an actor, director, screenwriter and producer.

Sami Ayanoğlu's father was Mülazim-sani Hilmi Efendi, who was trained in the Ministry of War Music Band, and his mother was Nefise Hanım. Sami was only one year old when his father was martyred in Yemen during the First World War. Ayanoğlu, who started secondary school at the age of four, later attended Eyüp Sultan Numune School.

When he was in the fourth grade, a major flood occurred in Istanbul and his houses became uninhabitable. With the help of Hilaliahmer Red Crescent, his family moved into a room in Bahrisiyah Madrassas in Fatih. During this difficult period, when his uncle brought the news that Darüşşafaka would accept students, Sami Ayanoğlu started his education there and progressed until the ninth grade without failing a class.

Ayanoğlu, who lost his mother to tuberculosis, contracted the same disease and was treated by Darüşşafaka. That's why he failed the class for a year. While he was in the hospital, he read in the newspapers that Darülbedai, today's City Theatre, had opened a school called Theater Vocational School. Sami Ayanoğlu, who applied and passed the exam, thus took his first step into theater acting and became a star in a short time.

Ayanoğlu, who married his colleague Şayeste Savaşman in the same theater, had three children named Boğadır, Solma and Bora.

Ayanoğlu, who took part in and directed many plays at the City Theaters, also stepped into the world of cinema. Apart from acting in front of the camera, he also worked as a producer and screenwriter. Sami Ayanoğlu, who founded Çığ Film, made significant contributions to Turkish cinema. In 1951, he was chosen as the Best Actor by Yıldız Magazine for his performance in the movie "Vatan ve Namık Kemal", which he directed together with Talat Arkaynak and Cahide Sonku.

Ayanoğlu took part in many films in his cinema career. Here are some of those films: "If My Wife Cheats on Me" (1933), "Aysel Bataklı Damın Kızı" (1934), "Million Hunters" (1934), "Aynaroz Kadısı" (1938), "Bir Kavuk Devrildi" (1939), "Jealous" (1942), "Dertli Pınar" (1943), "Thirteen Heroes" (1943), "Hürriyet Apartmanı" (1944), "Domaniç Yolcusu" (1946), "Conquest of Istanbul" (1951), "Yavuz Sultan Selim is Crying" (1952), "Expected Song" (1953), "Hidden Wound" (1953), "Roygun" (1953), "Battal Gazi is Coming" (1955), "White City" (1955), "Kara Bela" (1956), "Bitter Zeytin" (1961), "Barbut Süleyman" (1962), "Four Women in the Harem" (1965), "Four Crazy Bir Fools" (1965), "Battal Gazi" (1966) and many other successful productions.

Productions in which he took part

He took part in a total of 43 productions; 12 of the most well-known are listed.

• Şahane Zuğurtler (1964) — (Voice by Hüseyin Baradan)
• Black Angel (1961)
• Susuz Yaz (1963) — Osman (voice)
• Hidden Wound (1953)
• Million Hunters (1934)
• The Forgotten Secret (1946)
• Thirteen Heroes (1943)
• Aynaroz Kadı (1938) — Anatolian Kazaskeri
• The Waited Song (1953)
• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1972) — (Kayhan Yıldızoğlu Voice)
• Hürriyet Apartment (1944)
• White City (1955)

Production and imprint information was taken from TMDB.