Michael Curtiz

Michael Curtiz

Highest Rated: 100% The Comancheros (1961)

Lowest Rated: 57% Noah's Ark (1928)

Birthday: Dec 24, 1888

Birthplace: Budapest, Austria-Hungary

One of the most prolific directors in the history of the cinema, Hungarian-born Michael Curtiz thrived in the studio system as the top helmsman at Warner Bros. Studio in the 1930s and 40s. Tirelessly hammering out four or five films a year, Curtiz relentlessly tackled both low-budget pictures and more prestigious Oscar-baiting fare, all the while proving amazingly adept at creating lavish results on minimal budgets in a wide variety of genres. His most famous player, Errol Flynn, appeared in 12 films for him, including swashbuckler classics like "Captain Blood" (1935) and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938). Curtiz had a knack for detecting and fostering unknown talents, including Flynn, John Garfield - whom he introduced in "Four Daughters" (1938) - and Doris Day, among others. His highly developed visual approach combined with his technical mastery could elevate the most mundane material, and three of his finest films - "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942), "Casablanca" (1942) and "Mildred Pierce" (1945) - made a virtue of melodrama and sentimentality. Though he reached the culmination of his creative powers with "The Breaking Point" (1950), Curtiz entered a financially successful period with more crowd-pleasing pictures like "White Christmas" (1954) and "King Creole" (1958). Having tapped out with "The Commancheros" (1961), Curtiz was nonetheless a tireless director who left behind a rich legacy, some of which displayed the very best Hollywood had to offer.

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Filmography

Movies

Credit
100% 75% The Comancheros Director - 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Francis of Assisi Director - 1961
No Score Yet 30% A Breath of Scandal Director - 1960
No Score Yet 39% The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Director - 1960
No Score Yet 29% The Hangman Director - 1959
No Score Yet 25% The Man in the Net Director - 1959
No Score Yet 61% The Proud Rebel Director - 1958
100% 83% King Creole Director - 1958
No Score Yet 31% The Helen Morgan Story Director - 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Vagabond King Director - 1956
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Best Things in Life Are Free Director - 1956
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Scarlet Hour Director - 1956
No Score Yet 81% We're No Angels Director - 1955
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Boy From Oklahoma Director - 1954
77% 88% White Christmas Director - 1954
No Score Yet 60% The Egyptian Director - 1954
No Score Yet 63% Trouble Along the Way Director - 1953
No Score Yet 0% The Jazz Singer Director - 1953
No Score Yet 33% The Story of Will Rogers Director - 1952
No Score Yet 55% Jim Thorpe, All American Director - 1951
67% 33% I'll See You in My Dreams Director - 1951
No Score Yet 44% Force of Arms Director - 1951
80% 71% Young Man With a Horn Director - 1950
No Score Yet 55% Bright Leaf Director - 1950
100% 86% The Breaking Point Director - 1950
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Lady Takes a Sailor Director - 1949
No Score Yet 25% It's a Great Feeling Himself (Character) - 1949
No Score Yet 39% My Dream Is Yours Director,
Producer 		- 1949
No Score Yet 73% Flamingo Road Director - 1949
88% 59% Romance on the High Seas Director - 1948
92% 78% Life With Father Director - 1947
No Score Yet 82% The Unsuspected Director - 1947
60% 42% Night and Day Director - 1946
86% 90% Mildred Pierce Director - 1945
No Score Yet 71% Roughly Speaking Director - 1945
No Score Yet 57% Passage to Marseille Director - 1944
No Score Yet 40% Janie Director - 1944
No Score Yet 21% Mission to Moscow Director - 1943
No Score Yet 49% This Is the Army Director - 1943
99% 95% Casablanca Director - 1942
90% 83% Yankee Doodle Dandy Director - 1942
100% 47% Captains of the Clouds Director - 1942
No Score Yet 52% Dive Bomber Director - 1941
100% 77% The Sea Wolf Director - 1941
93% 87% The Sea Hawk Director - 1940
No Score Yet 51% Virginia City Director - 1940
83% 51% Santa Fe Trail Director - 1940
71% 64% Elizabeth the Queen Director - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sons of Liberty Director - 1939
No Score Yet 67% Four Wives Director - 1939
100% 74% Dodge City Director - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet Daughters Courageous Director - 1939
No Score Yet 56% Four's a Crowd Director - 1938
100% 92% Angels With Dirty Faces Director - 1938
100% 89% The Adventures of Robin Hood Director - 1938
100% 78% Four Daughters Director - 1938
No Score Yet 22% Gold Is Where You Find It Director - 1938
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mountain Justice Director - 1937
No Score Yet No Score Yet Stolen Holiday Director - 1937
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Perfect Specimen Director - 1937
100% 68% Kid Galahad Director - 1937
71% 59% The Charge of the Light Brigade Director - 1936
No Score Yet 56% The Walking Dead Director - 1936
100% 89% Captain Blood Director - 1935
No Score Yet No Score Yet Little Big Shot Director - 1935
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Case of the Curious Bride Director - 1935
No Score Yet 50% Black Fury Director - 1935
80% 33% Front Page Woman Director - 1935
No Score Yet 40% Mandalay Director - 1934
No Score Yet 68% Jimmy the Gent Director - 1934
No Score Yet 40% British Agent Director - 1934
No Score Yet No Score Yet High Peril Director - 1934
No Score Yet 67% The Key Director - 1934
No Score Yet No Score Yet Man Killer Director - 1933
No Score Yet 62% 20,000 Years in Sing Sing Director - 1933
83% 66% The Kennel Murder Case Director - 1933
92% 64% Mystery of the Wax Museum Director - 1933
83% 53% Female Director - 1933
No Score Yet 80% The Keyhole Director - 1933
No Score Yet No Score Yet Goodbye Again Director - 1933
No Score Yet 67% Cabin in the Cotton Director - 1932
75% 48% Doctor X Director - 1932
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Woman From Monte Carlo Director - 1932
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alias the Doctor Director - 1932
No Score Yet 40% Strange Love of Molly Louvain Director - 1932
No Score Yet No Score Yet God's Gift to Women Director - 1931
No Score Yet 80% The Mad Genius Director - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet River's End Director - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Soldier's Plaything Director - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bright Lights Director - 1930
No Score Yet No Score Yet Under a Texas Moon Director - 1930
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Matrimonial Bed Director - 1930
No Score Yet No Score Yet Adventures in Africa Director - 1930
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mammy Director - 1930
44% No Score Yet The Madonna of Avenue A Director - 1929
57% 50% Noah's Ark Director - 1928
29% No Score Yet Tenderloin Director - 1928
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Million Bid Director - 1927
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Third Degree Director - 1926
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cab No. 13 Director - 1926
No Score Yet No Score Yet Moon of Israel Director - 1924
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Last Dawn Director - 1917
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Undesirable Director - 1915

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