Michael Curtiz

Michael Kurtiz is one of those directors who’s films have had a huge impact on my life growing up. Yesterday I watched Yankee Doodle Dandy with my family to celebrate the 4th of July. I was curious who directed the film, so I looked it up on IMDb. I found a treasure trove of classic films that I grew up with and am still discovering today. Here’s what I found, in chronological order:

1. Captain Blood (1935)
2. The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)
3. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
4. The Sea Hawk (1940)
5. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
6. Casablanca (1942)
7. Jim Thorpe: All American (1951)
8. White Christmas (1954)
9. We’re No Angels (1955)
10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960)
11. The Comancheros (1961)

My three favorites would be The Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, and Jim Thorpe: All American. Kurtiz apparently liked working with actors James Cagney, and especially Errol Flynn.

Born in Budapest, Michael Kurtiz has directed over 170 films, most of which were made in the United States. He won an academy award in 1944 for directing Casablanca.

Which of his films do you like the most, and what other films of his do I have to see?