Information programs 2010
Three Korda and Kertész films, made in Vienna
A number of large scale spectacular silent movies were
made in Austria after WWI by the participation of Hungarian
fi lmmakers. Alexander Korda, after he migrated from
Budapest, got an off er in 1922 from Vita Film to direct a
Biblical themed Samson and Delilah (Samson und Delila,
100 min.). Korda wanted to make a picture in league with
the great Hollywood and Italian epic historical movies and
desired to achieve international success aided by the universality
of the silent fi lms (only the insert cards had to be
translated to each language). The fi lm was a considerable
box offi ce success. It was shown in many countries from
South America to Africa and even in Australia. Its stars
were Maria Korda (Korda's fi rst wife), Franz Heterich and
the later Oscar winning Hungarian actor, Paul Lukas (Pál
Lukács). Almost all production departments has a Hungarian
participant: one of the screenwriters was László
Vajda, one of the cinematographers was Miklós Farkas,
and the visual designer was Sándor Ferenczy.
The 1925 fi lm The Doll from
Paris (Das Spielzeug von Paris,
100 min.) was based on Margery
Lawrence's novel. Starring
by Lili Damita, whom,
having seen this performance
of hers, Samuel Goldwyn invited
to Hollywood. Sascha
Film, the production company
of Alexander Kolowrat, who
was the pioneer of the Austrian
fi lm after the success
of this picture off ered many
other fi lms to Mihály Kertész
(Michael Curtiz) to direct.
The Young Medarus (Der
junge Medardus, 84 min.) is
based on Arthur Schnitzler's play about Napoleon's times,
the screenplay was written by László Vajda. It is the most
successful fi lm from the ones made in collaboration between
Kolowrat and Michael Curtiz. Apart from Agnes
Esterhazy who in Kolozsvár was the star of Jenő Janovics,
there were many other Hungarian actors in the cast, such
as Victor Varconi (Várkonyi Mihály), also from Kolozsvár,
Gyula (Julius) Szőreghy and Mari Hegyesi, among others.
Before the screening of the movies fi lm historian Günter
Krenn of the Austrian Film Archive will give an introduction
speech. This program has been realized with the support
of Austrian Cultural Forum of Budapest. The program
is subject to change.
