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Tamer Balcı

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Tamer Balcı
Born
Toma Valcis

(1917-01-01)1 January 1917
Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Died10 April 1993(1993-04-10) (aged 76)
Istanbul, Turkey
Occupation(s)Hammer thrower
Actor
Years active1951–1976

Tamer Balcı (born Toma Valcis, 1 January 1917 – 10 April 1993), also known as Toma Balcı, was a Turkish sportsman and film actor of Greek descent. Balcı is considered to be the best hammer thrower of the country from 1940 to 1955 as he set the national record 11 times and was a 15-time national champion. He was a non-starter in the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics while representing Turkey. He started his acting career in 1951 and appeared in 24 movies, including as Tarzan in Tarzan İstanbul'da (Tarzan in İstanbul) (1952).

Early life and sports career

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He was born as Toma Valcis in Istanbul, Turkey, on 1 January 1917.[1] He spent most of his life in Heybeliada and was of Greek descent. He had his early education on the island and started sports at an early age, initially as a footballer and swimmer, and later as a javelin thrower.[2] Following his secondary education, he moved to mainland Istanbul and became a member of the Galatasaray Sports Club.[3] He was conscripted into the Turkish Army for his mandatory draft in 1940. Following his return from the army, he focused on hammer throwing instead.[2]

Valcis, known by his Turkish name Tamer Balcı by now, was considered to be "the number one" in hammer throwing within Turkey of his time. From 1940 to 1951, he broke the Turkish national record 11 times in total, and won the national championship 15 times: from 1940–1953 and in 1955.[3] While participating the 1950 Turkish Athletic Championships, he reached above 50 metres (160 ft) for the first time, setting a result of 50.71 metres (166.4 ft).[4] His final personal best, also the national record at the time, was set in October 1951 and was 52.13 metres (171.0 ft).[3] He represented Turkey in hammer throwing during the 1948 Summer Olympics and 1952 Summer Olympics, though he was a non-starter on both instances.[5][6]

Acting career

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Throughout his acting career spanning from 1951 to 1976, Balcı played in 24 movies.[7] His first acting performance was with 5 Fingers (1952), where he had a minor role. His first title role came with the 1952 movie Tarzan İstanbul'da (Tarzan in Istanbul), directed by Orhan Atadeniz, where Balcı played Tarzan. More than half of the movie was made with scenes taken from Tarzan the Ape Man (1932); the rest of the movie was shot in Istanbul, mostly in the Belgrad Forest. Balcı was cast for the role due to his height and body physique.[2] In the movie, Balcı "mimmicks" former Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, the actor of Tarzan in the 1932 movie.[8]

He was the stunt performer of Errol Flynn in the 1957 movie Istanbul.[9] Balcı's final appearances were the 1976 movies Sahte Kabadayı and Hınç, starring Kemal Sunal and Cüneyt Arkın respectively, where he played the antagonist in both movies.[2]

Personal life and death

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Balcı married Maria Balcı, and the couple had a daughter in 1965.[10] Tamer Balcı died on 10 April 1993 and was buried at the Heybeliada Greek Orthodox Cemetery; his gravestone uses his original Greek birth name.[2][11]

Filmography

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Year Title Role
Refs.
1951 Ali ile Veli [2]
Cemile Sultan [7]
1952 5 Fingers Minor [2]
Çakırcalı Mehmet Efe'nin Definesi
Tarzan in Istanbul Tarzan
1953 Köroğlu-Türkan Sultan
1954 Şarlo İstanbul'da
Meyhane Köşeleri
Nasreddin Hoca ve Timurlenk
1955 They Paid With Their Blood
1957 Istanbul Stunt performer [9]
1961 Sepetçioğlu [2]
1962 Dağlar Bulutlu Efem
1964 None But the Lonely Spy
1969 Beyaz Cehennem
1970 Şampiyon
1972 Kader Yolcuları
1973 Mahpus
1975 Babacan [7]
1976 Sahte Kabadayı [2]
Hınç

References

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  1. ^ "Heybeliadalı Toma Balcı". Ada Gazetesi (in Turkish). 25 May 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Önder Özdemir (24 August 2023). "Heybeliadalı Tarzan: Toma Balcı". İST Dergi (in Turkish). Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Kuran, Aram; Hiçyılmaz, Ergun [in Turkish] (2017). Osmanlı'dan günümüze Ermeni - Rum - Musevi kulüpleri ve sporcuları (in Turkish). Ministry of Youth and Sports. p. 121. ISBN 9786056513145. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  4. ^ Subert, Zoltan (October 1950). "Excellent Distance Marks in Soviet Championships". Track and Field News. 3 (9): 2.
  5. ^ "London 1948 Athletics Hammer Throw Men Results". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Helsinki 1952 Athletics Hammer Throw Men Results". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Mesut Kara [in Turkish] (14 May 2022). "Yeşilçam'ın azınlık 'öteki'leri (3)". Evrensel (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  8. ^ Schanie, Andrew (2010). Movie Confidential. Clerisy Press. p. 119. ISBN 9781578604777.
  9. ^ a b Rüçhan Ünver (23 February 1956). "Yerli Tarzan, Toma Balcı Errol Flynn'e dublör seçildi". Milliyet (in Turkish). p. 3. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Doğum". Milliyet (in Turkish). 21 May 1965. p. 11. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Toma Balci". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 August 2024.

Further reading

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