Michael Curtiz began his career as an actor and director in his native country, Hungary in 1912.  He arrive in Hollywood in 1926 and became one of Hollywood’s most prominent film director   After WWI, he continued his filmmaking career in Austria and Germany and into the early 1920s when he directed films in other countries in Europe.  He started making films for Warner Brothers.  His films during the 1930s and '40s encompassed nearly every genre imaginable.  Today a very large amount of his films are classics!  He directed his last film in 1961, a year before his death at 74.

Interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California in the Whispering Pines section.

Spouses:

Bess Meredyth, December 7, 1929 – April 10, (to his death) 1962

Lili Damita: 1925 - 1926 (divorced)

Lucy Doraine 1918 - 1923 (divorced)

He had a stepson, John Meredyth Lukas whom he adopted in 1929 when the boy was ten years old.

His two most fruitful collaborations with stars were with Errol Flynn (they did 12 films together) and Humphrey Bogart (they did 8 films together).  Was assigned to direct “The Adventures of Don Juan” (1948), in 1947; however, Errol Flynn had a falling-out with him.

Trivia:

John Meredyth Lukas said he spoke five languages, all of them badly.  His thick Hungarian accent often made it difficult for cast and crew members to understand his English.  During the filming of “Casablanca” (1942), for instance, he asked a set dresser for a "poodle" later it was discovered that, in fact, he wanted a "poodle" (puddle) of water! 

On the set of “The Cabin in the Cotton” (1932), Curtiz made a speech on how he wanted the actors to act like "woodpeckers" when the script described them as "peckerwoods.”

He could be intensely absorbed, to the point of distraction.  Once he was hurt falling out of a moving car because he wanted to write down an idea.  He was driving at the time.

As known for his trouble with the English language it is said that during filming of ”The Charge of the Light Brigade” (1936), he wanted many horses without riders in the background during the final charge.  His instructions were, "Bring on the empty horses," later the title of the autobiography of one of the stars of the film, David Niven.

Another time he was chewing out an assistant for neglecting to do a job assigned to him, and yelled, "The next time I want an idiot to do this, I'll do it myself!"

His grasp of the English language made him the subject of many long-standing Hollywood He once berated David Niven on set declaring: "You think you know f*ck everything and I know f*ck nothing.  Well let me tell you, I know f*ck all!!!" anecdotes.

Nevertheless the trivia, he was one of the great directors of Hollywood and the greatest stars of Hollywood owe him a lot!