Katalin Karády

Born: 1910-12-08

Katalin Karády (December 8, 1910, Budapest - February 8, 1990, New York) was a Hungarian actress and singer. A leading actress in Hungarian movies made between 1939–1945, she is best known outside Hungary as an awardee of the Righteous among the Nations honorific for rescuing a number of Hungarian Jews. She started acting in 1936, taking classes from Ernő Tarnay, and Artúr Bárdos. After gaining the attention of journalist Zoltán Egyed in a bar in Buda (who also proposed the name Karády) she was introduced to Ilona Aczél, a former actress, in whose acting school she learned the basics of the profession in the following three years, including singing. Karády's first performance was at the end of the 30s, in the Joób Dániel theatre. Between 1931 and 1941, she appeared in the Pesti and Vígszínház theatre in various roles. Her first movie role, Halálos Tavasz (Deadly Spring) gave her instant fame as a diva and sex-symbol, supported by her unusual, humming voice, and "femme fatale" character. In the next nine years, she appeared in 20 movies. Zoltán Egyed became her manager, and successfully created a Hollywood-like image around her, as a result, thousands of fans tried to mimic her clothing, hairstyle and behavior throughout the country. Karády's personal life was a constant topic of gossip, conflicting rumors came and gone about she being a man-eater, or lesbian. The theories were stirred up even more as she had intimate relationship with Regent Miklós Horthy's chief of secret service, István Ujszászy, who also proposed her, and bought her a villa. The 2001 film Hamvadó Cigarettavég by Péter Bacsó is dedicated to her memory. In 2004, for her courageous acts during World War II, she received the posthumous Righteous medal from the Yad Vashem Institute. Description above from the Wikipedia article Katalin Karády, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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Temptation

as uncredited
Released: 1941-03-01

Dr. Kétzy, judicial council chairman, convicts the three participants of a bank-robbery. Also...

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Deadly Spring

as Ralben Edit
Released: 1939-12-21

The subject of this film is Dr. Ivan Egry, a young man, who becomes infatuated with Edit Ralben,...

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The Challenge

as Mariya
Released: 1942-11-09

The successful factory owner Sasho Kamenov marries Maria. Sasho wants to surprise Maria with a...

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Sirius

as uncredited
Released: 1942-01-10

Based on the Hungarian writer Ferenc Herczeg's novel written in 1894, this film takes the...

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Queen Elizabeth

as uncredited
Released: 1940-12-27

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Hot Fields

as uncredited
Released: 1948-08-23

Avary, himself a hustler, is jealous of his beautiful wife. He eavesdrops to catch Vilma, his...

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Machita

as Machita
Released: 1944-04-05

A female spy goes to Budapest to steal the plans of an anti-aircraft gun.

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Hazajáró lélek

as Mária
Released: 1940-10-28

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Opium Waltz

as uncredited
Released: 1943-06-17

Five friends, a piano-player, an actor, a critic, a doctor and a banker meet again for a...

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Egy tál lencse

as Horváth Margit
Released: 1941-03-05

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Something Is in the Water

as uncredited
Released: 1944-01-26

A mysterious woman brings disaster to a small country town.

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Halálos csók

as Balásfy Ágnes / Balásfy Eszter
Released: 1942-10-15

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Taming the Shrew

as Benedek Pálma
Released: 1943-01-01

Pálma, the spoilt daughter of the rich manufacturer, is a true monster in the house. The house...

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Egy szív megáll

as Anna
Released: 1942-12-22

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Külvárosi őrszoba

as Harmonikás Gizi
Released: 1942-07-26

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Deception

as uncredited
Released: 1942-01-01

Feri, a young director general in Sopron, and Ilona, his secretary, are in love with each other....

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