---
name: "Michael Curtiz"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-curtiz"
fi1m_id: "michael-curtiz"
imdb_id: "nm0002031"
tmdb_id: 4109
wikidata_id: "Q51491"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "24 December 1886"
died: "10 April 1962"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 83
average_as: "director"
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-09-25T02:37:27.527877+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Michael Curtiz

## Identity

Michael Curtiz

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-curtiz
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-curtiz
- **IMDb ID:** nm0002031
- **TMDB ID:** 4109
- **Wikidata ID:** Q51491
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Curtiz, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q51491, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002031/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4109

Director. Born 24 December 1886 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. Died 10 April 1962.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 24 December 1886, Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]
- **Died:** 10 April 1962
- **Active:** 1935–1945
- **Also known as:** Manó Kertész Kaminer, Miska, Michael Courtice, Michael Kertesz, Mihaly Kertesz, Michael Kertész, Mihály Kertész, Kertész Mihály, Manó Kaminer, 마이클 커티즈
- **Frequently works with:** [Claude Rains](https://film.one/person/claude-rains.md), [Hal B. Wallis](https://film.one/person/hal-b-wallis.md), [Julius J. Epstein](https://film.one/person/julius-j-epstein.md), [Basil Rathbone](https://film.one/person/basil-rathbone.md), [Errol Flynn](https://film.one/person/errol-flynn.md), [Humphrey Bogart](https://film.one/person/humphrey-bogart.md), [James Cagney](https://film.one/person/james-cagney.md), [Olivia de Havilland](https://film.one/person/olivia-de-havilland.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 3 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as director, over 7 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 82 (4), 1940s 85 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 86 to 81 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Romance 3, Adventure 2, Crime 2, Music 2, Action 1
- **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $22m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Curtiz, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q51491, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002031/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4109

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Casablanca*](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md) (93)
- **Tubi:** [*The Adventures of Robin Hood*](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood.md) (90)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Michael Curtiz

> Michael Curtiz could make action, romance and melodrama move without losing sight of the people involved. We rate him for that practical intelligence: in *Casablanca*, his control lets the actors make sentiment feel uncomfortably personal.

Bergman’s face in *Casablanca* (1943) makes us keep looking for what she is holding back. Arthur Edeson’s cinematography gives her glamour without smoothing away her uncertainty, and Curtiz allows it to hold our attention. We value that patience in a director whose skill at moving a story along can make his work seem simpler than it is. The lovers matter, but so do the refugees caught in the same war. The jokes give us a breather without treating anyone’s predicament as trivial.

Warner Bros. brought Curtiz to Hollywood in 1926, and his long stretch of studio work makes more sense through its variety than through a single favourite subject. *Captain Blood* (1935) established his command of swashbuckling action; *Yankee Doodle Dandy* (1942) put him to work on musical biography. *Mildred Pierce* (1945) drew on his strength with melodrama and sentiment. He became a freelance director in 1954, with the later musical *White Christmas* (1954) among his work outside Warner Bros. We would not ask all these films to resemble one another before taking their director seriously.

Curtiz’s fluid camera movements, unusual angles and shadow play are recognisable habits, even if they do not amount to the single personal signature some critics want. We find the complaint that he was primarily a capable craftsman unpersuasive. In *Casablanca*, editor Owen Marks moves between romantic distress and wartime danger without making us impatient to return to either. Curtiz keeps a crowded story comprehensible without having everyone explain themselves. That clarity takes judgement, particularly when the film needs to be funny as well as anxious.

His willingness to allow sentiment has its risks: Steiner’s score in *Casablanca* sometimes presses a feeling the actors have already made clear. Yet the use of ‘As Time Goes By’ moved us because it makes the lovers’ unhappiness feel ordinary enough to recognise. Curtiz gives that feeling time, without seeming embarrassed by its plainness. Some of the plotting is decidedly convenient, and we need not pretend otherwise to rate the film so highly. Start with *Casablanca*, even if romances usually require some persuasion.

## Biography

Michael Curtiz was a Hungarian-American film director. Born Manó Kaminer on 24 December 1886 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (now Hungary), he began his career in Hungary and worked across Europe before moving to the United States in 1926. He directed more than 100 films in Hollywood, primarily for Warner Bros. during the 1930s and 1940s.

Curtiz is known for directing *Casablanca* (1942), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director, as well as *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), *Angels with Dirty Faces* (1938), *Yankee Doodle Dandy* (1942), *Mildred Pierce* (1945) and *White Christmas* (1954). He also directed several Errol Flynn adventure films, including *Captain Blood* (1935) and *The Sea Hawk* (1940). He continued working until shortly before his death on 10 April 1962 in Hollywood, California.

*Sources: britannica.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

- *Mildred Pierce* (1945), Fi1m 83, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/mildred-pierce-1945.md)
- *Casablanca* (1943), Fi1m 93, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md)
- *Yankee Doodle Dandy* (1942), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/yankee-doodle-dandy.md)
- *Angels with Dirty Faces* (1938), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/angels-with-dirty-faces.md)
- *Four Daughters* (1938), Fi1m 75, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/four-daughters-1938.md)
- *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), Fi1m 90, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood.md)
- *Captain Blood* (1935), Fi1m 80, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/captain-blood.md)

## Complete filmography (175)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Comancheros* (1961), Director
- *Francis of Assisi* (1961), Director
- *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn* (1960), Director
- *A Breath of Scandal* (1960), Director
- *The Hangman* (1959), Director
- *The Man in the Net* (1959), Director
- *King Creole* (1958), Director
- *The Proud Rebel* (1958), Director
- *The Helen Morgan Story* (1957), Director
- *The Best Things in Life Are Free* (1956), Director
- *The Vagabond King* (1956), Director
- *The Scarlet Hour* (1956), Director, Producer
- *We're No Angels* (1955), Director
- *White Christmas* (1954), Director
- *The Egyptian* (1954), Director
- *The Boy from Oklahoma* (1954), Director
- *Trouble Along the Way* (1953), Director
- *The Jazz Singer* (1953), Director
- *The Story of Will Rogers* (1952), Director
- *I'll See You in My Dreams* (1951), Director
- *Jim Thorpe – All-American* (1951), Director
- *Force of Arms* (1951), Director
- *The Breaking Point* (1950), Director
- *Bright Leaf* (1950), Director
- *Young Man with a Horn* (1950), Director
- *The Lady Takes a Sailor* (1949), Director
- *It's a Great Feeling* (1949), as Michael Curtiz (uncredited)
- *Flamingo Road* (1949), Director, Executive Producer
- *My Dream Is Yours* (1949), Director, Executive Producer
- *Romance on the High Seas* (1948), Director
- *The Unsuspected* (1947), Director, Producer
- *Life with Father* (1947), Director
- *Night and Day* (1946), Director
- *Mildred Pierce* (1945), Director — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/mildred-pierce-1945.md)
- *Roughly Speaking* (1945), Director
- *Janie* (1944), Director
- *Passage to Marseille* (1944), Director
- *This Is the Army* (1943), Director
- *Mission to Moscow* (1943), Director
- *Casablanca* (1943), Director — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md)
- *Yankee Doodle Dandy* (1942), Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/yankee-doodle-dandy.md)
- *Captains of the Clouds* (1942), Director
- *Dive Bomber* (1941), Director
- *The Sea Wolf* (1941), Director
- *Santa Fe Trail* (1940), Director
- *The Sea Hawk* (1940), Director
- *Virginia City* (1940), Director
- *Four Wives* (1939), Director
- *The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex* (1939), Director
- *Daughters Courageous* (1939), Director
- *Sons of Liberty* (1939), Director
- *Dodge City* (1939), Director
- *Angels with Dirty Faces* (1938), Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/angels-with-dirty-faces.md)
- *Four Daughters* (1938), Director — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/four-daughters-1938.md)
- *Four's a Crowd* (1938), Director
- *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), Director — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood.md)
- *Gold Is Where You Find It* (1938), Director
- *The Perfect Specimen* (1937), Director
- *Kid Galahad* (1937), Director
- *Mountain Justice* (1937), Director
- *Marked Woman* (1937), Co-Director
- *Stolen Holiday* (1937), Director
- *Black Legion* (1937), Co-Director
- *The Charge of the Light Brigade* (1936), Director
- *The Walking Dead* (1936), Director
- *Captain Blood* (1935), Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/captain-blood.md)
- *Little Big Shot* (1935), Director
- *Bright Lights* (1935), Producer
- *Front Page Woman* (1935), Director
- *Black Fury* (1935), Director
- *The Case of the Curious Bride* (1935), Director
- *British Agent* (1934), Director
- *The Key* (1934), Director
- *Jimmy the Gent* (1934), Director
- *Mandalay* (1934), Director
- *Female* (1933), Director
- *The Kennel Murder Case* (1933), Director
- *Goodbye Again* (1933), Director
- *Private Detective 62* (1933), Director
- *The Keyhole* (1933), Director
- *Mystery of the Wax Museum* (1933), Director
- *20,000 Years in Sing Sing* (1932), Director
- *The Cabin in the Cotton* (1932), Director
- *Doctor X* (1932), Director
- *The Strange Love of Molly Louvain* (1932), Director
- *Alias the Doctor* (1932), Director
- *The Woman from Monte Carlo* (1932), Director
- *The Mad Genius* (1931), Director
- *God's Gift to Women* (1931), Director
- *Demon of the Sea* (1931), Director
- *River's End* (1930), Director
- *A Soldier's Plaything* (1930), Director
- *Bright Lights* (1930), Director
- *The Matrimonial Bed* (1930), Director
- *Under a Texas Moon* (1930), Director
- *Mammy* (1930), Director
- *Hearts in Exile* (1929), Director
- *The Gamblers* (1929), Director
- *Madonna of Avenue A* (1929), Director
- *Glad Rag Doll* (1929), Director
- *Noah's Ark* (1928), Director
- *Tenderloin* (1928), Director
- *Good Time Charley* (1927), Director
- *The Desired Woman* (1927), Director
- *A Million Bid* (1927), Director
- *The Third Degree* (1926), Director
- *The Golden Butterfly* (1926), Director
- *Cab No. 13* (1926), Director
- *Red Heels* (1925), Director
- *Moon of Israel* (1924), Director
- *Harun al Raschid* (1924), Director
- *Namenlos* (1923), Director
- *Avalanche* (1923), Director
- *Young Medardus* (1923), Director
- *Sodom and Gomorrah* (1922), Director, Writer
- *Samson und Delila* (1922), Costume Design
- *Labyrinth of Horror* (1921), Director
- *Mrs. Dane's Confession* (1921), Director
- *Dracula's Death* (1921), Writer
- *Good and Evil* (1921), Director
- *Miss Tutti Frutti* (1921), Director
- *The Scourge of God* (1920), Director, Screenplay
- *The Star of Damascus* (1920), Director, Scenario Writer
- *The Merry Widow* (1920), Director, Screenplay
- *Boccaccio* (1920), Director
- *The Lady with the Black Gloves* (1919), Director
- *Lu, the Coquette* (1919), Director, Screenplay
- *My Brother Is Coming* (1919), Director
- *The Sunflower Woman* (1918), Director
- *Magic Waltz* (1918), Director, Screenplay
- *The Scorpion* (1918), Director
- *The Judas* (1918), Director
- *The Devil* (1918), Director
- *Lulu* (1918), Director
- *99* (1918), Director
- *Jean the Tenant* (1918), Director
- *The Story Of A Kreutzer* (1918), Director
- *A csúnya fiú* (1918), Director
- *Spring in Winter* (1918), Director
- *Alraune* (1918), Director
- *A vörös Sámson* (1917), Director
- *Peace's Road* (1917), Director
- *The Man Of The Earth* (1917), Director
- *Secret of St. Job Forest* (1917), Director
- *Nobody's Son* (1917), Director
- *The Last Dawn* (1917), Director
- *Tartar Invasion* (1917), Director, Screenplay
- *The Charlatan* (1917), Director
- *The Death-Bell* (1917), Director
- *Master Zoard* (1917), Director, Screenplay
- *A magyar föld ereje* (1917), Writer, Director
- *The Black Rainbow* (1917), Director
- *The Wolf* (1917), Screenplay, Director
- *The Coronation of King Charles IV* (1916), Director
- *Mr. Doctor* (1916), Director
- *Melancholy Lady* (1916), Director, Screenplay
- *The Carthusians* (1916), Director
- *Seven of Spades* (1916), Director
- *Haza, haza öreg baka* (1916), Director
- *Akit ketten szeretnek* (1915), Director
- *Bánk bán* (1915), Director
- *A kölcsönkért csecsemök* (1915), Director
- *The Undesirable* (1915), Director
- *A paradicsom* (1915), Director
- *A hercegnö pongyolája* (1914), Director
- *Golddigger* (1914), Director
- *Rablélek* (1914), Director
- *Atlantis* (1913), Actor
- *The Last Bohemian* (1913), Director
- *Házasodik az uram* (1913), Director
- *Today and Tomorrow* (1912), as Arisztid · Director
- *General Babka*, Director
- *Liliom*, Director
- *Ein Spiel ums Leben*, Director
- *Az éjszaka rabja*, Director

## Gallery

- ![A Leányfurfang forgatásán. Balról: Kertész Mihály, Mészáros Alajos, Berky Lili, Bécsi József operatőr, Berky Kató és Ihász Aladár (1914)](https://film.one/media/person/58987/gallery-6d7015838101.jpg) A Leányfurfang forgatásán. Balról: Kertész Mihály, Mészáros Alajos, Berky Lili, Bécsi József operatőr, Berky Kató és Ihász Aladár (1914) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/A_Le%C3%A1nyfurfang_forgat%C3%A1s%C3%A1n.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Publicity photo of director Michael Curtiz](https://film.one/media/person/58987/gallery-beab9ffc86d3.jpg) Publicity photo of director Michael Curtiz — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Curtiz_1928_portrait.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Michael Curtiz](https://film.one/media/person/58987/gallery-2c8c0070e134.jpg) Michael Curtiz — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Curtiz_1928_portrait_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo of Michael Curtiz planning for photography of Lil Dagover during filming I Spy (later titled The Woman from Monte Carlo) Ernest Haller (center) was the fi (1932)](https://film.one/media/person/58987/gallery-d76f921e2428.jpg) Photo of Michael Curtiz planning for photography of Lil Dagover during filming I Spy (later titled The Woman from Monte Carlo) Ernest Haller (center) was the fi (1932) — Bert Longworth, for Warner Bros. (First National Pictures), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Curtiz_and_Dagover_-_1932.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Michael Curtiz](https://film.one/media/person/58987/gallery-046b4b311546.jpg) Michael Curtiz — Image via TMDB
- ![Candid photo of Edward G. Robinson and director Michael Curtiz discussing film Kid Galahad. (1937)](https://film.one/media/person/58987/gallery-f102623a1f5e.jpg) Candid photo of Edward G. Robinson and director Michael Curtiz discussing film Kid Galahad. (1937) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Edward_G._Robinson_and_Curtiz.jpg/1280px-Edward_G._Robinson_and_Curtiz.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 3 nominated

- 1944: Best Director (won), for *Casablanca*
- 1943: Best Director (nominated), for *Yankee Doodle Dandy*
- 1939: Best Director (nominated), for *Four Daughters*
- 1936: Best Director (nominated), for *Captain Blood*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/michael-curtiz