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| Alexander Korda
1893 - 1956 |
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. The director and producer Alexander Korda was born as Sandor Laszlo Kellner in Pusztaturpaszto. He began his professional life as a journalist before he entered the film business in 1912 where he first wrote some intertitles. Only two years later he became established as a movie director in Hungary and he shot movies like "A bescapott" (14), "Lyon Lea" (15), "Mesék az irogépröl" (16), "Ciklamen" (16), "A Nagymama" (16), "Magia" (17), "Golyakalifa" (17), "Yamata" (19) and "Ave Caesar!" (19). In those years he founded his company "Corvin". When there were some huge political revolution in Hungary Alexander Korda was arrested for a brief time. After his release he left Austria where he continued his film career as a director successfully. He shot the movies "Prinz und Bettelknabe" (20), "Herren der Meere" (22), "Samson und Delila" (22), "Jedermanns Frau" (24), "Tragödie im Hause Habsburg" (24), "Madame wünscht keine Kinder" (26) and "Eine Dubarry von heute" (27). Also in those years he began his activity as a producer for "Das unbekannte Morgen" (23) and "Tragödie im Hause Habsburg" (24). But his heyday came some years later with his emigration to England where he became one of the most important filmproducers of the British cinema. But first he was engaged to Hollywood and Alexander Korda directed several successful silent movies in the USA, among them "The Stolen Bride" (27), "The Privat Life of Helen of Troy" (27) and "Love and the Devil" (29) as well as his first talkies "Lilies of the Field" (30) and "Women Everywhere" (30). When he returned to Europe he first went to France where he directed "Rive gauche" (31) and "Marius" (31) before he went to England. There he soon became established again as a director and he realised movies like "The Private Life of Henry VIII" (33), "The Rise of Catherine the Great" (34), "The Private Life of Don Juan" (34), "Rembrandt" (36) and "The Lion Has Wings" (39). But his activity as a producer in Great Britain was even more important. He supported many young talents who became stars in later years. To his produced movies in England till 1940 belong "That Night in London" (32), "Men of Tomorrow" (32), "The Girl from Maxim's" (33), "The Private Life of Henry VIII" (33), The Rise of Catherine the Great" (34), "The Private Life of Don Juan" (34), "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (34), "Forget Me Not" (36), "Rembrandt" (36), "The Conquest" (36), "Fire Over England" (37), "Elephant Boy "(37), "The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel" (37), "I, Claudius" (37), "The Divorse of Lady X" (38), "Over the Moon" (39), "The Four Feathers" (39) and "The Spy in Black" (39). When World War II reached England he emigrated to the USA where he worked till the end of the war. There he comleted the movie "The Thief of Bagdad" (40) which he began in England as a producer and director, it followed other movies as a producer with "Old Bill and Son" (41), "Lydia" (41) and "Jungle Book" (42). After the war he returned to England where he only realised few more movies as a director with "An Ideal Husband" (47) and "Bonnie Prince Charlie" (48). As a producer he realised the productions "An Ideal Husband" (47), "Anna Karenina" (48), "The Third Man" (49), "The Wooden Horse" (50), "A Kid for Two Farthings" (55) and "Richard III" (55). Alexander Korda was among others married with the actress Maria Corda and the actress Merle Oberon. His brothers Vincent Korda as a production designer and Zoltan Korda as a director were also successful working in the film business.
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