Michael Curtiz

Michael Curtiz (1886 - 1962) was a film director, whose films include The Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, and White Christmas.

He was born in Budapest, Hungary (then Austria-Hungary) and died in Hollywood.

In 1912 he began his acting and directing career as Mihály Kertész in Hungary (43 films) and, after World War I, continued his work (another 21 titles) first in Vienna, Austria (e.g. with the monumental 1922 silent film Sodom and Gomorrha) and then in Germany.

In 1926 Curtiz emigrated to the United States. The interesting thing about his Hollywood career is that he did not specialize in any one genre. His lifelong struggle with the English language has been confirmed in numerous anecdotes.

Select Hollywood filmography

• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
• Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
• Dodge City (1939)
• The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
• The Sea Hawk (1940)
• Casablanca (1942)
• Mildred Pierce (1945)
• Night and Day (1946) (starring Cary Grant as Cole Porter)
• White Christmas (1954) (starring Bing Crosby)
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960)