Arsak Karakas

Biography

Arsak Karakas - birth name Tsavag Gezurian was born in 1898 in Sivas a district of Istanbul Turkey. He graduated from the Aramian College of Sebastia (Sevas) in 1914. He was married to Margirit Haratunian (b. 1894) and had three sons, Ararat (b.1919), Masis (b. 1922) and Arakaz (b. 1925) He was a studio photographer by trade to support his family while pursuing acting and fulfilling that dream by being cast in two Turkish language feature films. In 1916, he was cast in a comedy entitled The Marriage of Himmet Aga, the first full-length feature film made in Turkey. Directed by Fuat Uzkinay & Sigmund Weinberg, it was based on Moliere's The Forced Marriage. The second feature was entitled Kacakcila (translation: The Smugglers) directed by Muhsin Ertugrul a prominent Turkish director and starred Feriha Tevfik Neguz Turkish movie star eventually to become iconic in Turkish Cinema. She was also a former Miss Turkey. Tsavags handsome movie star looks and talent caught the attention of film executives both in Turkey and in the US, where it was offered the opportunity to travel to the US and California for an official screen test, which would have taken place at the completion of his second feature (Kacakcila). Sadly, as the fates would have it -- Tsavag was killed during the filming of a cliff side car chase when acting as his own stunt driver. This brought a lifelong dream to an abrupt end on November 11, 1929. Found in the pocket of his suit jacket at the scene of the tragedy was a note in his own handwriting that read, "Today is the happiest day of my life, as I am finally fulfilling my dream". (documented by the media at the time in Istanbul newspapers)