Andre De Toth Hungarian-American film director Date of Birth: 15.05.1912 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Entrance Into Film
3. Emigration and Hollywood Success
4. Independent Filmmaking
5. Notable Films and Accolades
6. Personal Life and Legacy

Early Life and Education

André De Toth was born on May 15th, circa 1912, in Makó, Hungary (then part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy). The exact date of his birth remains shrouded in mystery. De Toth graduated from the Royal Hungarian University in the early 1930s with a degree in law. However, his creative instincts led him to pursue writing plays, which quickly gained recognition in Budapest theaters under the patronage of renowned Hungarian playwright and novelist Ferenc Molnár.

Entrance Into Film

Through his plays, De Toth became acquainted with the world of cinema. He worked as a screenwriter, assistant director, editor, and even occasionally appeared on screen. By 1939, De Toth had directed five films before the outbreak of World War II, some of which received positive reviews from the Hungarian community in the United States.

Emigration and Hollywood Success

De Toth traveled to England, where he spent several years assisting Sir Alexander Korda, a British film director and producer who was also a Hungarian émigré. In 1942, De Toth finally arrived in Los Angeles. Based on his Hungarian films, work for Korda, and notes he had taken on American projects while in Los Angeles, De Toth managed to secure a verbal contract with the head of Columbia Pictures, which he later broke in a legal battle.

Independent Filmmaking

As De Toth preferred to work as an independent filmmaker, untethered by exclusive studio contracts (common practice in Hollywood at the time), his early films had very low budgets. He often wrote screenplays himself under pseudonyms to reduce expenses. However, John Ford, an undisputed authority on the Western genre, introduced the talented Hungarian to its nuances, and De Toth frequently directed films in this genre throughout the 1950s, infusing them with elements of film noir.

Notable Films and Accolades

In 1951, De Toth was nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Writing, Screenplay" for "The Gunfighter," co-written with William Bowers. While De Toth is primarily remembered today for directing one of the first (and commercially successful) 3D films, "House of Wax," he also helmed two of the most distinctive films in the history of film noir: "Pitfall" and "Crime Wave."

Personal Life and Legacy

De Toth's autobiography, "Fragments – Portraits from the Inside," was published in 1996. He was married seven times and had 19 children. His marriage to Hollywood star Veronica Lake (1944-1952) was particularly tumultuous due to her volatile personality and struggles with alcohol. De Toth's longest-lasting marriage was to Mary Louise Stratton (1953-1982). His final wife, Anne Green, remained by his side until his death. André De Toth passed away on October 27th, 2002, from an aneurysm. He is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, where many icons of the film industry rest.