Biography

Sándor Korda, who was the brother of Zoltán and Vince Korda, also working in the film industry, was born as László Sándor Kellner into a Jewish family, the son of Henrik Kellner, a farm manager, and Ernesztina Weisz. In his childhood, Korda aspired to be a writer, and filmmaking was not even on his mind, as it had only recently been invented. He was not yet 13 when his father unexpectedly died of appendicitis. The family was left without support or income, forcing them to leave Pusztatúrpásztó. They moved to Kecskemét to live with their strict grandfather, who sometimes punished the children with a belt. Korda grew tired of this and did not hesitate to leave Kecskemét, setting off for Budapest to pursue his dreams.

Career

In his youth, he worked as a journalist, first serving as the correspondent for Független Magyarország in Paris, and later writing for film-related publications. Starting in 1914, he also worked as a film director, with his first film being A becsapott újságíró (The Deceived Journalist). In April 1917, Korda, along with Miklós Pásztory, purchased the Corvin Film Factory, and later that same year, they established the "Corvin Film Factory and Film Trade Ltd." in Pest. The reasons remain unclear, but Korda did not feel comfortable in Hollywood, prompting him to move to London in 1931 with his brothers. There, he founded the London Films studio in 1932, along with several smaller studios. His films were visually spectacular, a quality that only increased with the advent of color films. His most famous work is the 1933 film VIII. Henrik magánélete (The Private Life of Henry VIII), which became an immediate international success and was nominated for an Oscar. Following this, he directed several other successful films, including Rembrandt (1936). As a producer, he was associated with notable films such as The Jungle Book and Richard III.In 1942, Sándor Korda became the first film director to be knighted.