İsmail Hakkı Dümbüllü

İsmail Hakkı Dümbüllü — Biography

Ismail Hakki Dumbullu (1897, Istanbul - 5 November 1973, Istanbul) was a master of comedy trained in the ortaoyunu and tuluat branches of traditional Turkish theatre, and one of the defining performers of Turkish popular stage comedy in the first half of the 20th century. Born in Uskudar, he joined the celebrated tuluat performer Kel Hasan Efendi at the age of sixteen to learn this improvised, spoken theatre tradition, and after his teacher's death in 1926 inherited the kavuk (the traditional headwear symbolizing the art of tuluat).

Known on stage for plays such as Gozlemeci, Kavukluya Hile, Cifte Hamamlar, Ters Biyav and Kanli Nigar, Dumbullu also turned to cinema from the late 1940s and quickly became a beloved 'folk comedian'. He appeared in films including Kizilirmak, Harman Sonu, Kilibiklar and Sihirli Define, and became most closely associated with the character of Nasreddin Hoca, a role he also played in Nasreddin Hoca ve Timurlenk.

By carrying the ortaoyunu heritage into new media such as radio and cinema, Dumbullu helped bring traditional Turkish theatre to wider audiences, and he continues to be honored through awards given in his name decades after his death.