Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film

by Alan K. Rode

The first biography of the greatest filmmaker that nobody knows.

Academy Award-winning director Michael Curtiz (1886-1962)--whose best-known films include Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mildred Pierce, and White Christmas--was in many ways the anti-auteur. During his unprecedented twenty-seven year tenure at Warner Bros., he directed swashbuckling adventures, westerns, musicals, war epics, romances, historical dramas, horror films, tearjerkers, melodramas, comedies, and film noir masterpieces. The director's staggering output of 180 films surpasses that of the legendary John Ford and exceeds the combined total of films directed by George Cukor, Victor Fleming, and Howard Hawks.

In the first biography of this colorful, instinctual artist, Alan K. Rode illuminates the life and work of one of the film industry's most complex figures. He explores the director's little-known early life and career in his native Hungary, revealing how Curtiz shaped the earliest days of silent cinema in Europe before immigrating to the United States in 1926. In Hollywood, Curtiz earned a reputation for explosive tantrums, his difficulty with English, and disregard for the well-being of others. However, few directors elicited more memorable portrayals from their casts, and ten different actors delivered Oscar-nominated performances under his direction.

In addition to his study of the director's remarkable legacy, Rode investigates Curtiz's dramatic personal life, discussing his enduring creative partnership with his wife, screenwriter Bess Meredyth, as well as his numerous affairs and children born of his extramarital relationships. This meticulously researched biography provides a nuanced understanding of one of the most talented filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age.

Genres: Biography, Film, Media Tie In, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, History

630 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Alan K. Rode’s affinity for classic cinema is part of his DNA. His mother grew up in Hollywood and was an extra in Our Gang comedy shorts and studied acting at Ben Bard Drama. His grandfather was a silent film violinist who went from bit actor to Universal Studios house composer and eventually founded Corelli-Jacobs Recording Inc. A great-uncle doubled Gary Cooper in The Virginian (1929) and fought Jack Dempsey. Yet another grandfather promoted rodeos with cowboy star Hoot Gibson at Gilmore Stadium.

Before the advent of classic films on cable, video or streaming, Alan incessantly watched and catalogued movies on television. He is the author of a pair of notable cinema biographies. Charles McGraw: Film Noir Tough Guy is a critically acclaimed saga of the rough-hewn actor’s life and times. Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film is the first comprehensive biography of the director of Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, Yankee Doodle Dandy and The Adventures of Robin Hood among other classic films. The Curtiz book has received enthusiastic reviews from the New York Review of Books (David Thomson), the Wall Street Journal (Scott Eyman), the Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan) and Leonard Maltin.

Alan has been the producer and host of the annual Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs, California since 2008. He has hosted and programmed classic cinema events for a variety of organizations including: The American Cinematheque, the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Alex Film Society and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Alan is also charter director and treasurer of the Film Noir Foundation. With FNF president Eddie Muller, Alan has spearheaded the preservation and restoration of “lost” films and co-programs and co-hosts several of the annual NOIR CITY film festivals.

With a variety of talented partners including TVP Enterprises, Ballyhoo Films, Flicker Alley, Kit Parker Films, Rivendell Films and Via Vision Imprint, Alan has produced, written and appeared in documentaries for many classic film releases on Blu ray physical media.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Alan is also the theater chair for the Hollywood Legion Theater at the historic American Legion Post 43 in Hollywood.

Alan’s video interviews with numerous Golden Age of Hollywood personages can be found on his web site and the Film Noir Foundation’s video archive. His blog ONE WAY BLOG and writing and interviews for a variety of publications (several are archived on his web site) have been supplemented by his commentaries and featurettes on numerous Blu-Ray®/DVD classic film releases. https://alankrode.com/about-alan-biog...

Reviews

[Robert Matzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's startling no biographer had taken on this subject given the number of classic pictures Curtiz directed. Rode answered many questions I've long had--beginning with the mysterious early life of Curtiz in Hungary on--and in some cases it busts some myths. More than that, it becomes a go-to companion before and after watching "Mystery of the Wax Museum," "Robin Hood," "Angels with Dirty Faces," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Life with Father," "White Christmas," and on and on. It's the common-sense, well-researched, definitive work this subject has long deserved.

[Michael Samerdyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very impressed.

On the one hand, Curtiz was such a workaholic that his biography becomes "first he made this, and then he made that one, and next he made..."

Yet despite that, this is gripping and fascinating book that reveals a lot about classic Hollywood. We see the rise and decay of Warner Brothers. (Jack Warner is the book's secret villain.) We see how Curtiz, by being so driven to make movies and able to make just about every kind of movie well, ended up drifting into a series of mediocre projects that basically wasted the last decade of his life. (Indeed, after "Mildred Pierce" is filmed, this book becomes pretty depressing.)

Alan K. Rode does a fine job. He is extremely clear-eyed on "Mission to Moscow," perhaps the most tricky film in Curtiz' filmography. His judgements on the standard Curtiz classics are quite sensible as well, and reading this will give you a list of unseen Curtiz films to track down. Essential reading for the classic Hollywood fan.

[Michael Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating for Michael Curtiz is 5 stars; my rating for this exhaustively researched biography is a 3. Curtiz directed some of the finest movies of the 30s, 40s and 50s, including most of Errol Flynn's best (Captain Blood, Robin Hood, The Seahawk, to name but a few). He made the Oscar-winning Yankee Doodle Dandy, and the immortal Casablanca. That the same man did these tremendous films and also did Mildred Pierce, White Christmas and a host of others is astonishing and worthy of a thorough treatment. Unfortunately, this bio is so dry that it misses the grandeur that Curtiz stood for on screen. Mr Rode seemed to be more focused on going through the records in the Warner Brothers accounting department than in bringing his colorful subject to glorious life. As Curtiz understood better than nearly any filmmaker of that Golden Era, it's all about storytelling. Curtiz deserved a better storyteller.

[Paul Lyons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, thoroughly researched biography of one of the greatest movie directors of all time: Michael Curtiz. From 1912 to 1961, Michael Curtiz directed over 150 films, including a number of Hollywood's greatest movies such as CASABLANCA, CAPTAIN BLOOD, THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE, MILDRED PIERCE, KING CREOLE and many more. Writer Alan K. Rode combed through a massive amount of material in order to write "Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film," and from reading the extra-large book it's clear he knew what he was talking about.

Taking on the task of chronicling the 75 years that Manó Kaminer (aka Michael Curtiz) inhabited the Earth must have been a daunting one for the author. Born in 1886 in Hungary, Curtiz gravitated toward the emerging Hungarian film industry at an early age. Starting first as an actor, then later promoted to director, Michael Curtiz worked at a breakneck pace making one film after another first in Hungary, then later Austria, until Harry Warner and the Warner brothers lured them to their Hollywood studio in 1926, and there Curtiz stayed until 1954.

Varying in detail, Alan K. Rode leaves few stones unturned in his quest to touch on (at least briefly) on every single short and every single feature and every single everything that Michael Curtiz worked on, and also included as many details as he could find on Curtiz's personal life, and family life, which is a remarkable thing considering that the director did not appear to give many interviews, and the general public has known very little about Curtiz's personal life.

As presented in "Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film," Curtiz is portrayed as a brilliant yet exactingly cruel at most times. Many of the actors who worked with Curtiz did not care for his blunt and brutal ways. People like Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Bette Davis, James Cagney, Burt Lancaster, Bradford Dilman, Cary Grant all appeared to suffer while working under Curtiz. Others, such as Doris Day, Ernest Borgnine, John Garfield, Ann Blyth, Elvis Presley either benefitted under Curtiz's direction or simply sang his praises.

Michael Curtiz seems to have been a difficult, complicated man, who stayed married to his collaborator and second wife Bess Meredyth for many years, yet was consistently unfaithful and fathered several children out of wedlock, only admitting paternity to a chosen few. He loved his horses, he loved making movies, he hated when producers, studio executives and actors got in his way and prevented Curtiz from working his masterful art.

Curtiz was a tyrant on the film set, who ruled with an iron determination and a minuscule understanding of the English language. He behaved badly at times, he made plenty of mistakes, he was not the most moral of men. Yet one can not deny that Michael Curtiz was a fantastic filmmaker of exceptional skill and experience. Thank goodness Alan K. Rode took the time and effort to present such a well-written, well-organized, radiantly researched biographical book. After reading through the (thankfully) exhaustive and comprehensive "Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film" in its entirety, and screening many of the movies mentioned in the tome one can't help but be reminded of how great Michael Curtiz was, and always will be through his prolific legacy of motion pictures.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written biography of Curtiz. Four of my favorite movies---Captain Blood, Adventures of Robin Hood, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and Casablanca---were directed by Curtiz. I was surprised to read that he directed so many others of my favorites!

I attempted to read the book "The Warner Brothers," but could not even get through the preface; it was written in such a boring fashion. This book, however, was a page-turner.

I had no idea who Curtiz was, other than a great director, and it was interesting to gain a great deal of insight into his character---which was not at all sterling! I do not have a great deal of respect for him now personally, but he directed some pretty damn good movies!

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always felt that Curtiz deserved a biography. He directed so many of the great Hollywood films from the 30s and 40s. Because so many of his films were in so many different genres, he is never been appreciated in the world of auteurs. Rose’s book does Curtiz justice. And not only does it present Curtiz in all his contradictions, it’s also an amazing look at the history of Warner Bros., the studio that Curtiz helped build and one that allowed him to do much of his best work. The book is nicely balanced between the films and Curtiz’s life; but my one complaint is Rode can’t seem to come to terms with Curtiz’s family life, a family he seems to treat as disposable extras like the ones he nearly drowns in his film, Noah’s Ark.

[Jeannie MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan K. Rode had me from the moment he called Michael Curtiz* “the Swiss Army knife of contract directors” in his superlative study of the filmmaker’s life. It’s just the perfect way to describe Curtiz, who had his fingerprints on so many legendary films released by Warner Bros. in the 1930s and ‘40s; a tyrannical workhorse who tackled every screen genre, and helped James Cagney and Joan Crawford score their one and only Oscars. If Bette Davis is known as “The Fifth Warner Brother” for her impact on the studio, Curtiz deserves to be called the Sixth.

How could Curtiz – rarely mentioned alongside “the usual suspects” like Ford, Wyler and Hitchcock – not be a household name, when his hit list includes such crowd-pleasers as Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Mildred Pierce, Life With Father, Four Daughters, White Christmas, Angels With Dirty Faces, The Sea Hawk, Captain Blood...sheesh, need I go on?

Rode’s indispensable biography, Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film, should go a long way toward righting that wrong. Armed with an engaging writing style and granular research, Rode offers a wealth of fascinating “dirt” about the tripwire-tempered Curtiz and his relationships with Warner Bros. moguls (Jack L. Warner, Hal Wallis), top stars (Cagney, Bogart, Davis, Flynn), and the sausage-making reality (and luck) that produces timeless classics.

Curtiz’s rise tracks with Hollywood’s ascension as a global entertainment phenomenon. Throughout his incredible 27-year run at Warner Bros., Curtiz never ate lunch (he considered it a waste of precious production time), nor lost his laser focus on moviemaking (often at the expense of wives and children, legit and illegit). Rode sheds light on why Curtiz was both loved (“Seven decades after her screen debut, Doris Day’s respect for the man she still calls ‘Mr. Curtiz’ remains absolute”) and loathed (Errol Flynn’s violent lunge at Curtiz “reportedly necessitated two men to pry him off”; an attack Olivia de Havilland later called “a lethal, lethal scene”).

The beauty of Rode’s work is that he brings the enthusiasm of a film fan and the writing chops of a film scholar to Curtiz’s story, which is at turns funny, revealing, compelling, and shocking. You feel for Curtiz’s perennially-cheated-on wife Bess Meredyth, who solved Curtiz’s script problems for free (but got revenge on his “serial philandering” by spending money like it was her job). You marvel at Curtiz’s production output (and his “turbo-charged libido”). Most of all, you can’t help savoring the adventures of a cinematic artist who left an indelible cultural legacy in his often explosive wake.

If you admire Curtiz’s pictures, you will love this deep dive into his career. If you share my passion for movie history, you will appreciate Rode’s impeccable research. If you crave Curtiz malapropisms – my favorite is “Always the bridesmaid, never the mother” – which became such a “thing,” his soundstages bore the sign “Curtiz Spoken Here,” dig in. And if you just want irresistible “dish” about Hollywood’s Golden Age, Rode’s bio is simply an essential addition to your library.

* For the last time, people: Curtiz is pronounced “Cur-TEZZ,” not “Cur-TEASE” as is commonly and mistakenly assumed)

[Rick Burin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fine biography of the great Warner Bros director, who made Casablanca, made stars of Doris Day and Errol Flynn, and made his underlings cry.

Curtiz's work was his life, and so beyond a fair stab at essaying his early years (typically difficult to document), his innumerable conquests (ditto) and his property purchases (tedious), Rode focuses on the films, chatting to everyone who's still around, digging out interviews with everyone else, and raiding the paper archives to reconstruct the production of his subject's numerous classic movies (as well as the not-so-good ones). If Hal Wallis and Jack Warner's innumerable missives can generally just be condensed to the words, "Please stop spending our money", there are countless irresistible nuggets.

Curtiz the director emerges as an artist, a company man and an on-set tyrant, with Rode an unusually clear-eyed chronicler, particularly good on studio-era context, and at teasing out the truth about contested stories. Did Curtiz really drown three extras during the making of Noah's Ark? Did he murder hundreds of horses while filming The Change of the Light Brigade? And did he shit on the ground in front of his cinematographer to prove a point? The answers, incidentally, are 'Yes, quite possibly', 'no', and 'yes, but he might have had dementia'.

Curtiz also tried to cast Shirley Temple as a femme fatale, one of the great cinematic 'what-if's.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Rode's efforts in writing a biography of director Michael Curtiz are appreciated as the director's life must have posed substantial research challenges. His career did not begin in the United States but in Hungary after which time he worked in Europe then in the U.S. One of his wife's adult children (I believe) who works in the film industry was very helpful in untangling his complicated family life. This is a book which would probably need a family tree included in it.

Perhaps due to the confusion some factoids have cropped up over the years mostly his dealings with actors. Mr. Rode was able to interview many actors who provided verbatim quotes, and that is appreciated.

Mr. Curtiz's relationship with Errol Flynn is addressed here and provides a theory as to why it was difficult. Late in Mr. Flynn's life the actor and director did meet with each other - I do not remember seeing that referred to in any Flynn biographies nor his own autobiography.

I read the book on my Nook e-reader; the print was crisp and clear as were the photographs.

I will not be able to rate the book with five stars, but four. It is recommended if readers would like to learn more about Mr. Curtiz and the international studio system of his time.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent biography of a well-known and prolific director from Hollywood's golden era. All I knew about Curtiz previously is that he directed some of my favorite movies, was generally not liked, and that many funny quotes were attributed to him due to his thick Hungarian accent and lack of mastery of the English language. In this well-written bio, I learned about his early years in the film business in Hungary, his long career at Warner Bros. and beyond and his less than perfect personal life. The book is filled with anecdotes from people who knew and worked with him and I was glad to learn that his work was well respected by most, he helped other European immigrants during WWII and at least some people liked him. There are many fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about his films which is supplemented with historical contest. I especially enjoyed reading about his collaboration with his wife, screenwriter Bess Meredyth. I both listened to it on audio and reread sections in the hardback edition. Narrator Grover Gardner is great and even does a Hungarian accent when reading Curtiz quotes. The print edition is chock full of photos.

[Bill Rixham · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Curtiz' movies, I looked forward to reading this and was not disappointed; his truly was a life in film. The book was highly entertaining. Curtiz directed numerous classic films from the silent era through the 1960s. He wasn't exactly the actors' favorite director (particularly Errol Flynn), but was highly successful. Classic films included Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood (forget Costner and Crowe, THIS is the definitive version,) , Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, Life with Father, White Christmas and numerous others. His resume includes every type of film. Check out Wikipedia for a list. Spielberg pales in comparison.

[John Kenrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent bio

This is the wonderful biography that this under-appreciated director has long deserved. Curtiz triumphed in so many genres - musical (Yankee Doodle Dandy), Romance (Casablanca), Noir Tear Jerker (Mildred Pierce), and even helmed the holiday classic White Christmas. More colorful than many of the characters in his films, he is rarely mentioned during discussions of great film directors. This bio is thoroughly researched, exquisitely written, and a joy to read. I learned so much here. The story of his final encounter with longtime nemesis Errol Flynn was unknown to me before and so poignant. A delight for classic film buffs.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subtitle says it all: A life in film. This book takes us from Curtiz's Hungarian roots and European filmmaking through the height of his career in Hollywood and his decline in later years. Full of behind-the-scenes information about Curtiz's films and information about his directorial style, it balances the professional and personal sides of the coin perfectly. A must-read for fans of Curtiz's work, which includes Casablanca (my favorite film of all time), Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Mildred Pierce, Dodge, City, White Christmas, and King Creole, among many others.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is gigantic, but two hundred pages are notes, bibliography, and filmography so don't worry. I got this book because I watched Casablanca and afterwards, I went through the Wikipedia of the director. The article was so wild that I I had to know more. The book gives a really good rundown of Curtiz's whole life. This man did have a crazy life. He knew what he wanted and went for it since he was a teenager. It was so interesting to read about his dual personalities. This made me want to watch so many old movies.

[Mike O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough, engrossing “warts and all” bio of one of Hollywood’s key directors, a man who had a hand in some of the gems of the Studio System’s golden age but hasn’t really had all that much written about him as some other directors off that era. No doubt Rode’s comprehensive book now makes up for that deficiency in cinema studies. If you’re at TCM fan, you will enjoy this book.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the discussions of film technique — I watched "The Breaking Point" with John Garfield and was much more aware of camera movement bc of Rode's descriptions...but I don't think I could have worked for such a bully!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

In depth look into the life and work of a director behind so many classics (Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, Adventures of Robin Hood and more). Many stories from behind the scenes and pulls no punches even though you can tell the author admires his subject. Never dry or professorial in the telling.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed, insightful biography of director Michael Curtiz and his 50-year career in Hungary, Austria and Hollywood. His output is quite impressive, with Casablanca naturally being top of the list!

[Mary Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

An in-depth look at a little known but influential Hollywood director. Strong analysis and colorful writing end up making you care about someone who wasn't really that nice.

[Samantha Glasser]

Author Alan K. Rode will be doing a book signing at Cinevent in Columbus, Ohio in October 2021.

[Johnnyc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great bio of the director of some of my favorite films including the greatest, Casablanca. While learning of the life of Michael Curtiz you get insight into all the films he directed.

[Austin Lugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe one of the most interesting men in all of cinema

[Christopher Heaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific bio that was well-written, researched & organized. No doubt that this is the definitive biography of the prolific & underrated Michael Curtiz.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid biography of a complex man. Curtiz could be a quick-tempered monster, but he also could be extremely generous with helping others. Rode balances Curtiz's personal and professional lives well. There's good detail on a lot of films without getting bogged down in minutia. Grove Gardner's narration was fun, especially when he was quoting the fractured language of Curtiz.

[Thomas Burchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Film historian Alan K. Rode’s rich and absorbing biography Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film (University Press of Kentucky), now in its second printing, does a fine job of bringing Curtiz out of the shadows. It’s a fascinating, richly detailed — and often distressing — look at a figure who, while not an auteur in the strict sense, still stands among the most talented, hard-working, and productive filmmakers ever."

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