Michael Curtiz (1886–1962) was a Hungarian-born American film director whose career spanned from 1912 to 1961. During this period, he directed 178 films. He began his cinematic career in Hungary, then moved to Austria, and, finally, to the United States. As his biographer, Alan K. Rode, notes, "A cinematic pioneer, Curtiz made a seamless transition from hand-cranking cameras in silent films to directing the first sound feature where the characters spoke their parts. He led the way in two- and three-color Technicolor, directed the first motion-picture produced in VistaVision, and worked extensively in CinemaScope." Rode also notes that "he helmed rousing adventures, westerns, musicals, war movies, romances, historical dramas, horror films, tearjerkers, melodramas, comedies, spectacles, and film noirs".
Born in Budapest, Curtiz graduated from Hungary's Royal Academy of Theatre and Art in 1906. After six years as a stage actor and director, he joined the nascent Hungarian film industry. His first film credit was the 1912 drama, Maés Holnap ("Today and Tomorrow"). In 1913, after directing several films, Curtiz traveled to Denmark to hone his skills as an apprentice for director August Blom. Returning to Hungary, he became a freelance director for several film companies. In 1919, Curtiz emigrated to Vienna and became one of Austria's top film directors. His first film there was Die Dame Mit Dem Schwarzen Handschuh ("The Lady with the Black Gloves", 1919), starring his wife, Lucy Doraine. Among his subsequent Austrian films were the two-part epic Sodom and Gomorrah (1922), and Die Sklavenkönigin ("The Slave Queen", 1924). The latter film was released in the United Kingdom as The Moon of Israel. Harry Warner, one of the founders of Warner Bros., instructed his brother, Jack, to view the film. After doing so, they were impressed enough to offer Curtiz a contract to direct in the United States.
In 1926, Curtiz began his American career with The Third Degree, starring Dolores Costello. He followed this with several more films starring her, including the part-talking biblical epic Noah's Ark (1928). In 1932 and 1933, respectively, Curtiz directed the two-color Technicolor horror films Doctor X and Mystery of the Wax Museum, both starring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray. In 1935, Curtiz directed the swashbuckling adventure Captain Blood, which made major stars of Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. He followed this with several more adventure films starring them, including The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and Dodge City (1939), and Flynn in The Sea Hawk (1940). During this period, Curtiz also made the gangster films Kid Galahad (1937), starring Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart , Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) with James Cagney and Bogart, and the dramatic film Four Daughters (1938), which brought stardom to John Garfield. In 1941, Curtiz directed Robinson and Garfield in The Sea Wolf. During the war years (1941–1945), Curtiz directed James Cagney and Joan Crawford into Academy Award-winning performances with Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and Mildred Pierce (1945). respectively. Between these, Curtiz directed his magnum opus Casablanca (1942), with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Curtiz's only Academy Award for Best Director.
In the post-war years, Curtiz directed Life with Father (1947), an adaptation of a popular Broadway play and the film noir The Unsuspected (1948), his first film by his own production company. For his company, he also produced and directed Romance on the High Seas (1948), a musical which marked the film debut of Doris Day. Curtiz eventually disbanded his company and remained a contract director with Warner Bros. until 1954. Among his later films under his Warners contract was another film noir, The Breaking Point, starring John Garfield. After leaving Warner Bros., Curtiz directed White Christmas (1954) for Paramount Pictures, the first film in VistaVision and the highest-grossing film of his career. Also for Paramount, Curtiz directed the Elvis Presley vehicle, King Creole (1958). In 1961, he directed his final film, The Comancheros with John Wayne.
For his contribution to cinema, Curtiz was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the 1998 and 2007 listings of the American Film Institute's Greatest American Films, Casablanca ranked in second and third place respectively while Yankee Doodle Dandy ranked 100 on the first list and 98 on the second. / As of 2025, five films directed by Curtiz have been added to the National Film Registry: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and Angels with Dirty Faces.
Filmography The filmography of Michael Curtiz is derived from the one presented in the biography by Alan K. Rode.
Hungarian films: 1912–1913 Michael Curtiz was born Mano Kaminer in Budapest in 1886. In 1906, he graduated from Hungary's Royal Academy of Theatre and Art. Under the stage name of Mihály Kertész, he established himself as a stage actor, performing in classical and modern theatrical dramas. Eventually, he turned to director as well. In 1912, Kertész entered Hungary's motion picture industry, as an actor and director for the Projectograph Film Company. His first film for them was also the company's initial feature. All of Curtiz's films from this period are lost.
+ Hungarian films: 1912–1913YearTitleFunctionNotesRef.OriginalEnglish translationDirectorOther1912 Ma és holnap "Today and Tomorrow" Projectograph Production; Curtiz wrote the screenplay for this film, and also played a supporting role / Krausz doktor a vérpadon "Doctor Krausz on the Scaffold" Projectograph Production; a "sketch film" Gyerünk csak "Come On" Házasodik az uram "My Husband's Getting Married"
Danish film: 1913 In July 1913, Kertész left Hungary, and travelled to Denmark to train as a film director. There, he went to work for the Nordisk Film Company, as an assistant director to August Blom.
+Danish film: 1913YearTitleFunctionNotesRef.DirectorOther Atlantis Nordisk Films Kompagni Production (Denmark); directed by August Blom; Curtiz played a supporting role in the film, and was also an assistant director; prints survive /
Hungarian films: 1914–1919 After six months in Denmark, Mihály Kertész returned to Hungary. There, he returned as a film director, alternating between the Projectograph, Uher, and Kino-Riport companies. With the coming of World War I in 1914, Kertész was called up by the Austro-Hungarian army, and served as an artillery officer. After being discharged in 1915, he resumed film-making, and married actress Lucy Doraine, who would star in several of his films. In 1917, a new film company, Phönix-Film, was formed by the merger of Projectagraph and Star-Film Productions. Kertész served as their head of production until 1919. Except where noted, all of the films from this period are lost.
+Hungarian films: 1914–1919YearTitleFunctionNotesRef.OriginalEnglish translationDirectorOther Mozikirály "Movie King" Projectograph Production; features Sári Fedák; a "sketch film" Az Utolsó Bohém "" Projectograph Production; a "sketch film" Rablélek "Captive Souls" Projectograph Production; features Sári Fedák Az Aranyásó "" A "sketch film"; scenario by Ferenc Molnár; loosely based on a story by Bret Harte A Hercegnó Pongtolája "" Kino-Riport Production; "sketch film" Az Éjzaka Katona "Prisoner of the Night" Projectograph Production; Curtiz acted in this film, and wrote the screenplay, as well as directed A Szökött Katona "" Miklỏs Pảstory Production; screenplay by Miklós Pásztory A Kölcsönkért Csecsemök "" Jenő Janovics Production; based on the stage play Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo A Tolonc "" Jenő Janovics Production; with Lili Berky and Victor Varconi; prints survive Bánk Bán "Bánk the Regent" Jenő Janovics Production; based on the play by Ferenc Erkel Sarga Liliom "Yellow Lily" Directed by Fẻlix Vanyl; Curtiz played a supporting role in this film A Paradicsom "" Projectograph Production; a "sketch film" Akit Ketten Szeretnek "One Who Is Loved By Two" Projectograph Production; a "sketch film"; Curtiz starred, as well as directed Cox És Box "Cox and Box" Proja Films; directed by Márton Garas; Curtiz played a supporting role in this film A Bánat Assonya "Melancholy Lady" Screenplay by Curtiz Makkhetes "Seven of Spades" Kino-Riport Production A Karthausi "" Star-Film Production A Doktor Úr "Mr. Doctor" Kino-Riport Production; based on a play by Ferenc Molnár Az Ezüst Kecske "" Kino-Riport Production; based on a novel by Sándor Bródy A Farkas "" Kino-Riport Production; with Victor Varconi and Lucy Doraine; screenplay by Curtiz and Ladislaus Vajda A Fekete Szivárvány "" Kino-Riport Production; with Vilma Medgyaszay A Magyar Föld Ereje "" A propaganda film for the Hungarian Red Cross Károly és Zita királyné koronázása Budapesten "" A depiction of the coronation of the last Habsburg monarchs; Curtiz may have directed this film, and is seen filming a parade; prints survive Halálcsengö "" Star-Film Production Zoárd Mester "Master Zoard" Phönix-Film Production; screenplay by Curtiz Tatárjárás "Tartar Invasion" Glória-Film Production; screenplay by Curtiz; a four-minute fragment survives Az Árendás Zsidó "Jean the Tenant" Phönix-Film Production A Kuruzsló "" Phönix-Film Production; based on a play by Imre Földes; remade by Curtiz as Namenlos ("Nameless", 1923) and Alias the Doctor (1933) A Senki Fia "Nobody's Son" Phönix-Film Production A Szentjóbi Erdö Titka "Secret of St. Job Forest" Phönix-Film Production; features Dezső Kertész (a.k.a. David Curtiz), the brother of Michael Curtiz Az Utolsó Hajnal "" Phönix-Film Production; based on a novel by Alfred Deutsch-German; prints survive A Föld Embere "" Phönix-Film Production; with Oscar Beregi A Vörös Sámson "" Phönix-Film Production; with Tivadar Uray A Béke Útja "Peace's Road" Phönix-Film Production; short film Tavasz A Télben "Spring in Winter" Phönix-Film Production A Csúnya Fiú "" Egy Krajcár Története "" Az Ezredes "" Phönix-Film Production; with Bela Lugosi Lulu "Lulu" 99 "99" Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi and Bela Lugosi Az Ördög "" Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi; from a story by Ferenc Molnár A Skorpió I "" Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi A Skorpió II "" Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi; a three-minute excerpt survives Júdás "" Phönix-Film Production; with Leopold Kramer Gróf Monte Cristo "" Phönix-Film Production; based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas; unfinished film Ocskay Brigadéros "" Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi; based on a story by Ferenc Herczeg; unfinished film A Napraforgós Hölgy "" Phönix-Film Production; with Lucy Doraine; unfinished film Varázskeringö "Magic Waltz" Semper Films Production; with Victor Varconi; screenplay by Curtiz Lu, A Kokott "Lu, the Coquette" Semper Films Production; screenplay by Curtiz A Víg Özvegy "" Semper Films Production; with Victor Varconi; screenplay by Curtiz; based on the operetta by Franz Lehár Alraune "Alraune" Phönix-Film Production Jön az öcsém "My Brother Is Coming" A short film with Oscar Beregi and Lucy Doraine; prints survive Liliom "Liliom" Based on the play by Ferenc Molnár; unfinished when Curtiz left Budapest for Vienna
Austrian films: 1919–1926 In 1919, a communist government was established for a brief time in Hungary. This prompted Kertész to migrate to Austria, where he began working for the Sascha-Film Company. By the end of 1920, he had established himself as the company's top director. As in Hungary, his wife, Lucy Doraine, appeared in several of his Austrian films. They divorced in 1923. Except where noted, the films from this period survive, and were made for the Sascha-Film Company.