Torben Meyer

Torben Emil Meyer (1 December 1884 – 22 May 1975) was a Danish character actor, who appeared in more than 250 film and television roles in a 55-year career. He began his acting career in Europe before moving to the United States, where he often worked with director Preston Sturges.

Early life Meyer was born in Aarhus, Denmark, the son of hotelier Holger Meyer and his wife Kirstine (née Pedersen). He lived in Paris from 1899 to 1901, where he worked as a porter. In 1902, he joined the drama school at the Dagmarteatret in Copenhagen.

Career He made his professional stage debut at the Dagmarteatret in 1905, and was a member of its repertory company for two years. In 1908, he joined the company of the Det Ny Teater, where he remained until 1923, when he left due to a disagreement with management.

Starting in 1912, Meyer acted in 20 European silent movies, culminating with Don Quixote in 1926. He emigrated to the United States in 1927.

Danish friends Benjamin Christensen and Jean Hersholt may have helped Meyer obtain his first roles in Hollywood films.

Meyer also wrote a column for the Danish newspaper Politiken.

Horror films Meyer became a member of the "all-star peasant cast" in The Black Room, and considered Boris Karloff to be a good friend. He played the Dane in Murders in the Rue Morgue, and was strangled by Boris Karloff in Bride of Frankenstein. Meyer was Gaston, the night watchman, in the 1958 film The Fly Meyers played Mr. Schmidt in Christmas in July, Purser in The Lady Eve, Doctor in both Sullivan's Travels and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, Mr. Schultz in Hail the Conquering Hero, Dr. Dahlmeyer in The Great Moment, Barber in The Sin of Harold Diddlebock, and Dr. Schultz in The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend.

Later roles In 1961, when Meyer was 76 years old, he played Werner Lampe, an ex-Nazi judge on trial in Judgment at Nuremberg. His last film role was in A New Kind of Love, released in 1963, and his last television role was as Pedro Sven in the 1966 I Dream of Jeannie episode Jeannie Breaks the Bank.

Death On 22 May 1975 Meyer died of bronchial pneumonia in Hollywood, California. He was cremated, and his remains are vaulted in the Chapel of the Pines.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1912 Manegens stjerne Dumme Peter 1913 Staalkongens Villie Kæmpedamens bortførelse Ballettens Datter Delange - Theatre Manager Atlantis Willy Snyders - artist Kärleken rår Kuno Fra fyrste til knejpevært 1914 Under Skæbnens Hjul Af elskovs naade Laege Helvedesmaskinen Lerche Den kulørte slavehandler 1915 Appetit og kærlighed Jens Held i Uheld Fritz Tummel Et huskors Lensgreve Rosenørn Revolutionsbryllup Cigaretpigen Pedro Delmart - Painter Cowboymillionæren Penge 1916 En uheldig skygge Voksdamen En nydelig onkel Lotteriseddel No. 22162 Charles - Apache Manden uden fremtid Tobby Spratt Filmens Datter Sønnen Mr. Grøn Truet lykke Simoni 1917 Manden uden Smil Pianist 1918 Hævneren Niels Prøvens Dag Mr. von Scholten 1919 Hans store Chance Arthur Bajadser Rodolfo Hvorledes jeg kom til Filmen Gordon Sidney Dømmer ikke Philip Saphir Prinsens Kærlighed En ung mans väg Agapetus von Dufva 1920 Lykkeper Walter Crone 1921 Hendes fortid Moses Volkenthal Film, flirt og forlovelse The Baron 1922 Der var engang Ceremonimesteren 1923 Madsalune Republikaneren Editor Den sidste dans Herr von Schneppen 1924 Min ven privatdetektiven Little Dorrit Hauptschließer Chivery 1925 Fra Piazza del Popolo Benedetto - Servant 1926 Maharadjahens yndlingshustru III Mohun Singh The Clown Butler Don Quixote Sancho Carrasco 1928 The Man Who Laughs The Spy Uncredited Jazz Mad Kline Noah's Ark Man on Train Uncredited The Viking Odd The Last Warning Gene 1929 Behind Closed Doors Captain von Gilden 1930 Behind the Make-Up Waiter Lummox Silly Willie Mamba German Soldier Uncredited The Bad One Just Like Heaven Pierre The Lottery Bride Miner Uncredited A Soldier's Plaything German Actor in Horse 1931 Trådlöst och kärleksfullt Just a Gigolo Waiter Uncredited Half Way to Heaven Director 1932 Broken Lullaby Waiter at Inn Uncredited Murders in the Rue Morgue The Dane What Price Hollywood? Nick - Brown Derby Headwaiter Downstairs Cafe Waiter Big City Blues Second Waiter Six Hours to Live Sturges - Butler Le bluffeur Col. Ginsberg The Animal Kingdom Meyer - Idealistic Printer Uncredited The Match King Hans, Headwaiter 1933 The Crime of the Century Eric Ericson - Butler Reunion in Vienna Headwaiter Strumpf Uncredited Ladies Must Love Beermaster Cradle Song Papa The Worst Woman in Paris? Taxi Driver 1934 Mandalay Mr. Van Brinken All Men Are Enemies Clerk Little Man, What Now? Headwaiter The World Moves On Head Butler Pursued Hansen By Your Leave Costume Company Fitter Music in the Air Pharmacist 1935 Enter Madame Carlson The Night Is Young Adjutant Uncredited The Good Fairy Head Waiter Roberta Albert Bride of Frankenstein Victim in Flashback Uncredited Mark of the Vampire Card Player Break of Hearts The Ritz Headwaiter The Girl Who Came Back Zarabella Front Page Woman Janitor Uncredited The Black Room Peter Two for Tonight Waiter Uncredited The Gay Deception Waiter Thunder in the Night Cafe Owner Charlie Chan in Shanghai French Diplomat The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo Minor Role Splendor Baron Von Hoffstatter To Beat the Band Headwaiter Uncredited East of Java Derelict A Tale of Two Cities Lackey #1 If You Could Only Cook Swedish Servant 1936 King of Burlesque Leopold the Valet It Had to Happen Sign Painter The Preview Murder Mystery Smith's Butler The Farmer in the Dell Party Guest Till We Meet Again Kraus Champagne Charlie Minor Role Uncredited Piccadilly Jim Pett's Butler Star for a Night Saddle Maker In His Steps Wedding Present Winternitz The Accusing Finger Proprietor Espionage Police Inspector The King and the Chorus Girl Eric - the Butler 1937 Thin Ice Chauffeur The Good Old Soak Headwaiter Uncredited Shall We Dance Show Producer The Emperor's Candlesticks Train Announcer She's No Lady Swedish Waiter The Prisoner of Zenda Max - Butler Wife, Doctor and Nurse Second Tailor Uncredited Madame X Peridcord Fight for Your Lady Hungarian Police Officer Prescription for Romance Hotel Desk Clerk Tovarich Servant 1938 The First Hundred Years Karl Bulldog Drummond's Peril Hoffman Uncredited Romance in the Dark Prof. Jacobsen Romance in the Dark Art Critic Uncredited The Saint in New York German Police Prefect I'll Give a Million Doorman The Great Waltz Ticket Taker at Dommayer's Topper Takes a Trip Hotel Doorman 1939 Island of Lost Men Cafe Manager Nurse Edith Cavell German Officer Everything Happens at Night Station Master 1940 Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet Kadereit The Way of All Flesh Sandor Nemzeti Four Sons Gustav The Great Dictator Bald Barbershop Customer Uncredited Christmas in July Mr. Schmidt No, No, Nanette Furtlemertle Uncredited1941 The Lady Eve Mr. Clink - Purser Sunny Jean (head waiter) Sullivan's Travels The Doctor Bedtime Story Dinglehoff Uncredited1942 The Adventures of Martin Eden Jacob Crossroads Old Man Berlin Correspondent Manager The Palm Beach Story Dr. Kluck Casablanca Dutch Banker at Cafe Table Uncredited1943 Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man Gypsy Edge of Darkness Cannery Clerk They Came to Blow Up America Graumark Hotel Desk Clerk Jack London Literary Guest The Miracle of Morgan's Creek Dr. Meyer 1944 The Purple Heart Karl Kappel Once Upon a Time Hotel Manager The Great Moment Dr. Dahlmeyer Hail the Conquering Hero Mr. Schultz Uncredited Greenwich Village Kavosky's Butler 1945 Hotel Berlin Franz, the Barber A Royal Scandal Stooge Yolanda and the Thief Town Official 1946 The Kid from Brooklyn Garden Party Guest Heartbeat Thief at Ball Monsieur Beaucaire Count Alias Mr. Twilight Starling 1947 The Mighty McGurk Second Brewer The Sin of Harold Diddlebock Barber with Mustache The Beginning or the End Milkman Uncredited Millie's Daughter Mr. Johnson Variety Girl Andre - Brown Derby Headwaiter Song of Love Stage Manager Uncredited The Exile Sea Captain 1948 To the Victor Elderly Frenchman Uncredited Letter from an Unknown Woman Carriage Driver Julia Misbehaves Commissar Sealed Verdict Courtroom interpreter Unfaithfully Yours Dr. Schultz 1949 The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend Dr. Shultz Hold That Baby! Dr. Hans Heinrich The Great Lover Ship's Captain Uncredited And Baby Makes Three Waiter 1950 The Great Rupert Mr. Petrushka - the Baker 1951 Grounds for Marriage Donovan The Company She Keeps Maitre'd in French Restaurant Uncredited That's My Boy Photographer Night into Morning Butcher Come Fill the Cup Delmar - Ives' Auto Mechanic The Blue Veil Photographer My Favorite Spy Headwaiter 1952 What Price Glory Mayor The Merry Widow Station Master 1953 Call Me Madam Rudolph The Story of Three Loves Man in Saloon Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation Doorman at Hotel Louis Houdini Headwaiter 1954 Casanova's Big Night Attendant About Mrs. Leslie Maitre D' Living It Up Chef Deep in My Heart Card Player 1955 We're No Angels Butterfly Man 1956 The Conqueror Scribe Anything Goes French Waiter Hollywood or Bust Waiter 1957 Public Pigeon No. 1 Waiter The Helen Morgan Story Manager 1958 The Fly Gaston The Matchmaker Alex, Headwaiter, Harmonica Club 1959 This Earth Is Mine Hugo Uncredited Li'l Abner Butler 1960 G.I. Blues Headwaiter 1961 Judgment at Nuremberg Werner Lampe 1963 A New Kind of Love Hotel Clerk Uncredited