Biography on michael curtiz

Filmography

Michael Curtiz (1886–1962) was a Hungarian-born American film jumped-up whose career spanned from 1912 to 1961. During this turn, he directed 178 films.^[1] No problem began his cinematic career temporary secretary Hungary, then moved to Oesterreich, and, finally, to the Coalesced States.

As his biographer, Alan K. Rode, notes, "A filmic pioneer, Curtiz made a unlined transition from hand-cranking cameras notch silent films to directing justness first sound feature where leadership characters spoke their parts. Explicit led the way in two- and three-color Technicolor, directed class first motion-picture produced in VistaVision, and worked extensively in CinemaScope."^[2] Rode also notes that "he helmed rousing adventures, westerns, musicals, war movies, romances, historical dramas, horror films, tearjerkers, melodramas, comedies, spectacles, and film noirs".^[3]

Born bring into being Budapest, Curtiz graduated from Hungary's Royal Academy of Theatre subject Art in 1906.^[4] After outrage years as a stage individual and director, he joined primacy nascent Hungarian film industry.^[5] Potentate first film credit was nobleness 1912 drama, Maés Holnap ("Today and Tomorrow").^[6] In 1913, abaft directing several films, Curtiz travelled to Denmark to hone sovereign skills as an apprentice portend director August Blom.

Returning scolding Hungary, he became a worker director for several film companies.^[7] In 1919, Curtiz immigrated tell between Vienna, and became one authentication Austria's top film directors. Dominion first film there was Die Dame Mit Dem Schwarzen Handschuh ("The Lady with the Murky Gloves", 1919), starring his mate, Lucy Doraine.^[8] Among his far-reaching Austrian films were the bipartite epic Sodom and Gomorrah (1922), and Die Sklavenkönigin ("The Slavegirl Queen", 1924).

The latter pick up was released in the Pooled Kingdom as The Moon familiar Israel. Harry Warner, one finance the founders of Warner Bros., instructed his brother, Jack, able view the film.

Astern doing so, they were faked enough to offer Curtiz spruce contract to direct in righteousness United States.^[9][a]

In 1926, Curtiz began his American career with The Third Degree, starring Dolores Costello. He followed this with indefinite more films starring her, containing the part-talking biblical epic Noah's Ark (1928).

In 1932 lecturer 1933, respectively, Curtiz directed description two-color Technicolor horror films Doctor X and Mystery of authority Wax Museum, both starring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray. Have as a feature 1935, Curtiz directed the baroque adventure Captain Blood, which sense major stars of Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland.

Crystal-clear followed this with several take out adventure films starring them, containing The Charge of the Hilarity Brigade (1936), The Adventures oppress Robin Hood (1938), and Dodge City (1939), and Flynn see the point of The Sea Hawk (1940). Beside this period, Curtiz also thought the gangster films, Kid Galahad (1937), starring Edward G.

Dramatist, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Player, and Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) with James Cagney swallow Bogart, and the dramatic skin Four Daughters (1938), which procumbent stardom to John Garfield.^[11] Nickname 1941, Curtiz directed Robinson gift Garfield in The Sea Wolf.^[12] During the war years (1941–1945), Curtiz directed James Cagney alight Joan Crawford into Academy In pole position performances with, respectively, Yankee Scribble Dandy (1942) and Mildred Pierce (1945).^[13] In between these, Curtiz directed his magnum opus, Casablanca (1942), with Humphrey Bogart final Ingrid Bergman, which won primacy Academy Award for Best Portrait, and Curtiz's only Academy Prize 1 for Best Director.^[14]

In the post-war years, Curtiz directed Life get the gist Father (1947), an adaptation systematic a popular Broadway play, cope with the film noir The Unsuspected (1948), his first film preschooler his own production company.^[15] Supplement his company, he also rise, and directed, Romance on dignity High Seas (1948), a melodic which marked the film premiere of Doris Day.^[16] Curtiz one day disbanded his company, and remained a contract director with Hors-d\'oeuvre Bros.

until 1954.^[17] Among consummate later films under his Warners contract was another film noir, The Breaking Point, starring Closet Garfield.^[18] After leaving Warner Bros., Curtiz directed White Christmas (1954) for Paramount Pictures, the culminating film in VistaVision and excellence highest-grossing film in his career.^[19] Also for Paramount, he doomed the Elvis Presleyvehicle, King Creole (1958).

In 1961, Curtiz compelled his final film, The Comancheros, with John Wayne.^[20]

For his attempt to cinema, Curtiz was awarded a star on the Feel Walk of Fame.^[21] In primacy 1998 and 2007 listings be advisable for the American Film Institute's Receiving American Films, Casablanca ranked, mutatis mutandis, in second and third settle, while Yankee Doodle Dandy hierarchal 100 on the first listing, and 98 on the second.^[22] As of 2018, four cinema directed by Curtiz have archaic added to the National Ep Registry: The Adventures of Thrush Hood, Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, attend to Yankee Doodle Dandy.^[23]

Filmography

The filmography short vacation Michael Curtiz is derived steer clear of the one presented in loftiness biography by Alan K.

Rode.^[24]

Hungarian films: 1912–1913

Michael Curtiz was local Mano Kaminer in Budapest redraft 1886. In 1906, he progressive from Hungary's Royal Academy mean Theatre and Art.^[4] Under glory stage name of Mihály Kertész, he established himself as capital stage actor, performing in symmetrical and modern theatrical dramas.

One of these days, he turned to director translation well.^[25] In 1912, Kertész entered Hungary's motion picture industry, translation an actor and director lay out the Projectograph Film Company. Fillet first film for them was also the company's initial feature.^[26] All of Curtiz's films escaping this period are lost.^[27]

Danish film: 1913

In July 1913, Kertész nautical port Hungary, and travelled to Danmark to train as a vinyl director.

There, he went come to work for the Nordisk Coating Company, as an assistant conductor to August Blom.^[29]

Hungarian films: 1914–1919

After six months in Denmark, Mihály Kertész returned to Hungary. Connected with, he returned as a vinyl director, alternating between the Projectograph, Uher, and Kino-Riport companies.^[7] Run off with the coming of World Combat I in 1914, Kertész was called up by the Austro-Hungarian army, and served as effect artillery officer.^[31] After being fired in 1915, he resumed film-making, and married actress Lucy Doraine, who would star in a sprinkling of his films.

In 1917, a new film company, Phönix-Film, was formed by the confederation of Projectagraph and Star-Film Productions.^[32] Kertész served as their tendency of production until 1919.^[7] Bar where noted, all of blue blood the gentry films from this period blow away lost.^[27]

Austrian films: 1919–1926

In 1919, ingenious communist government was established fulfill a brief time in Hungary.^[7] This prompted Kertész to rove to Austria, where he began working for the Sascha-Film Collection.

By the end of 1920, he had established himself because the company's top director.^[57] Chimpanzee in Hungary, his wife, Lucy Doraine, appeared in several worldly his Austrian films. They divorced in 1923.^[58] Except where esteemed, the films from this time survive, and were made be attracted to the Sascha-Film Company.^[27]

American films – the Warner Bros.

years: 1926–1953

In 1926, Mihály Kertész accepted young adult offer from Warner Bros. tip come to the United States, and direct films. He entered that June, and anglicized fulfil name to Michael Curtiz. Misstep would remain at Warners undertake 28 years. During that delay, he directed 87 films, hitched screenwriterBess Meredyth in 1929, avoid became an American citizen strike home 1936.^[70] Except where indicated, completion of Curtiz's Warner Bros.

motion pictures survive.