TORBEN MAYER

December 1, 1884

Torben Meyer was born in Denmark in 1884 and did more than 70 European films before immigrating to the United States. He was generally cast as thick-accented waiters, butlers, and doctors. 

His most prominent role was in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), but he also appeared as a wealthy Dutch banker in Casablanca (1942). 

Musical fans might spot him in Music in the Air (1934), Call Me Madam (1953) starring Ethel Merman, Anything Goes (1956) NOT starring Ethel Merman, and Li’l Abner (1959). 

For horror fans, he was strangled by the monster in Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and was a gypsy in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943). 

Mayer played Albert (above right) in the Astaire and Rogers film Roberta (1935) in which Lucille Ball appeared as an uncredited fashion model. 

The following year the roles were reversed and it was Meyer who went uncredited, while Lucille Ball was billed as Gloria Wilson in The Farmer in the Dell. The film also starred Moroni Olsen, who later played the Judge on the “I Love Lucy” episode “The Courtroom” (ILL S2;E7).

In November 1953, he made his first appearance on television on the anthology series “The Cavalcade of America” acting opposite Stacy Keach and Maurice Marsac.  

Meyer played the unnamed Swiss bandleader who rescues the gang from the avalanche in “Lucy and the Swiss Alps” (ILL S5;E21) first aired in March 1956. 

His final screen role was on TV’s “I Dream of Jeannie” in December 1966.   

Meyer died in 1975 at the age of 90.

During his long career he appeared in 255 films and television shows!