GOLDEN KARAGÖZ HONOUR AWARDS
Romantic…
When he saw the light of the day, there was the Ottoman Empire, weak and feeble. While Beşiktaş was moaning with the birth pain of a mother, streets were under the boots of French occupant soldiers. And thus, the father named his newborn son Muzaffer (Triumphant). With honour and pride… Having a keen interest in music, the father did not even ask his son what he wanted before sending him to the conservatory… And the son chose the most romantic of all the instruments: the flute and the violin. He was tirelessly getting lost among the notes. He finished his school successfully. They called for him from Ankara, namely, from the Presidential Philharmonic Orchestra… For years, he played in the presence of İsmet İnönü… Then, back to İstanbul… Now he was a music teacher. However, more often than not, people would say him he looked like an American artist. With his dressing style, his way of holding the cigarette, his romantic gaze he just looked like him, they would say. But he would just laugh away. Who was he, compared to Alan Ladd? The school he worked had a concert… At the end of the concert, before the applause ended, some cinema directors came to see him. Director Aydın Arakon among them… Year 1948, right in the coulisse he made his offer: “Would you act in my movie?” This first film of his was an horror film called “Çığlık”. The name rising in the posters: Muzaffer Tema.
Then one film followed another. The audience adored him in “Dudaktan Kalbe” (1951), adored him in “Aşk Istıraptır” (1953), adored him in “Hıçkırık” (1953)… For there were no other romantic “jön” in Turkish cinema in those days. It was as if all the writers, notably Kerime Nadir, penned the most romantic states of human kind with him in mind. Yet he did not contend himself with this. He had to go to the land of Alan Ladd. Finally, he burned all his bridges and headed out to America. There he met Alan Ladd, as well as Marilyn Monroe. And Zsa Zsa Gabor, known for her love for Atatürk. He appeared in Jean Negulesco’s love film “A Certain Smile” (1958). He was acting with Joan Fontaine and Rossano Brazzi. During the film, Fontaine would perform her best dance in his arms… Then, another film and returning to Yeşilçam streets. This was his last return. For years, he could not part company with cinema. He could not break off, nor did the producers let him go… But he was not a “jön” anymore, he was the “jön’s father”. A father, mature but still romantic…
Now, when the old days come to him, a smile appears in his face… But those romantic gazes are still in place… A round of applause for you Muzaffer Tema…
A White Dove
By definition, acting is to take part in representative artworks -mainly in cinema and theatre… However, acting would gain more importance with the emergence of cinema. Beginning to spread out in the first decades of the 20th century, cinema became more widespread than theatre, and it created its own stars. But theatres continued to raise good actors and actresses. Darülbedayi, meaning “the house of beauties”, is one of these theatres in Turkey and Nedret Güvenç is among the artists raised under this roof… Her art life started in the performance club of Bornova High School. In 1944 she began her musical training in Ankara State Conservatory, and in 1948, with the support of Avni Dilligil, she joined İzmir City Theatre. Her first play was “A Gown for His Mistress” and then came others… 1950 was the year Nedret Güvenç joined İstanbul City Theatre… She was to achieve a phenomenal acting success under this roof for over 40 years. It was in the season of 1950-1951 that Nedret Güvenç began her career in İstanbul City Theatre with Alejandro Casona’s “The Lady of the Dawn”. Looking back, she has also a record: Nobody in Turkish theatre history acted in Shakespeare’s plays as much as Nedret Güvenç did. In 1955, the old master İ. Galip Atacan remarked: “You know, while talking about the art of theatre, they say ‘the body becomes a statue in the stage, the voice becomes music, words turn into poems, movements into dance’; and Nedret is this kind of an actress. She achieves these in an absolutely natural way. And here lies the subtlety of the matter…”
Nedret Güvenç’s first cinema film was “Yüzbaşı Tahsin”. Then came “Lale Devri” (1951). It was in this film set she first met with Nazım Hikmet. Though it was not written in the credits, the scenario belonged to Nazım. Later, Nedret Güvenç was going to be one of the few who first knew about his escape. In 1950’s, she played the starring role in several films. With “Hıçkırık” (1953) and with “Beş Hasta Var” (1956) she became one of the actresses that the audience favoured most… In 1960’s, partly because of the star system, Nedret Güvenç came to be known as a character actress… For a long time, several artists such as Türkan Şoray, Sevda Ferdağ, Pervin Par, Selda Alkor were adorned with the softness, with the harmony of Nedret Güvenç’s voice in the movie screens. In 1984, Nedret Güvenç addressed the women by the words “Special for you, ladies”, from the television screen. For ten years, she gave little advices to women … This alone was a record in itself… Today Nedret Güvenç is deservedly proud, proud of opening and closing the curtain for hundreds of times, proud of hearing words “camera” and “stop” for hundreds of times, moreover, proud of being an actress who gave lessons to coming generations by committing her experiences to paper…
I am greeting “White Dove” with all my respect.
Alican Sekmeç