Meier Tzelniker (1 January 1894 – 8 October 1980) was a Yiddish-speaking actor born in Hotin County, Romania. He appeared mainly in Yiddish theatre, but was sometimes a character actor in English-language plays and films, such as It Always Rains On Sunday (1947) and Expresso Bongo (1959).
Biography
Meier Tzelniker was born in Hotin-Bessarabia, Romania, the son of a yeast manufacturer. Meier was a boy chorister in a synagogue when he got his first stage role in Yiddish theatre, and toured eastern Europe with a Yiddish theatre company.
Selected filmography
- Mr. Emmanuel (1944) - Mr. Silver
- It Always Rains on Sunday (1947) - Solly, his father
- Last Holiday (1950) - Baltin
- Venetian Bird (1952) - Mayor of Mirave
- The Teckman Mystery (1954) - John Rice
- Make Me an Offer (1954) - Wendl
- The Woman for Joe (1955) - Sol Goldstein
- The Extra Day (1956) - Lou Skeat
- Stars in Your Eyes (1956) - Maxie Jago
- The Long Haul (1957) - Nat Fine
- A Night to Remember (1958) - Mr. Isador Straus
- Expresso Bongo (1959) - Mayer
- Jungle Street (1960) - Mr. Rose
- Let's Get Married (1960) - Schutzberger
- A Circle of Deception (1960) - Barman
- His and Hers (1961) - Felix McGregor
- The 25th Hour (1967) - Abramovici
- The Sorcerers (1967) - The Jewish Baker
- The Killing of Sister George (1968) - Mr. Katz