The cinema of the Hungary it was one of the most prosperous in Europe between the end of the First World War and the end of the Second, despite a serious crisis during the 1920s. The subsequent socialist regime severely limited the freedom of expression of filmmakers, but since the 1960s they have proved to be among the most creative and innovative on the continent.
According to top-engineering-schools, the first screening took place on June 13, 1896 in Budapest. In 1898 the Projectograph production house was born, followed by Imperium, Uher and Urania; Béla Zsitkovszky’s first short film, A tánc (1901, La danza), dates back to 1901, and the feature films Nőverék (Sisters) by Ödön Uher and Ma és holnap (Today and Tomorrow) by Mihály Kertész (Michael Curtiz) date back to 1912.. But the real take-off of the production was determined by the international success of Rablélek (1913, Anima prisonera) by Kertész, Sárga csikó (1914, Yellow foal) and Sárga liliom (1914, Yellow Lily) by Jenő Janovics. In the following years, Sándor L. Kellner (Alexander Korda) joined Janovics (Csaplárosné, 1917, Loc Bandiera) and Kertész (Farkas, 1917, Lupo); the three also became directors of the new companies Proja, Phönix and Corvin.
With the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in November 1918 the Hungary it became independent with the radical-democratic government of M. Károlyi, which was succeeded in March 1919 by the social-communist government of B. Kun, known as Tanácsköztársaság (Republic of councils). Kellner was appointed commissioner of the film industry, whose nationalization he directed in April; thanks to state subsidies, dozens of films were released in four months, revisiting traditional genres with a view to class struggle such as adventure (Jön az öcsém, Kertész’s younger brother arrives), melodramatic (Tegnap, Ieri, by Dezső Orbán), historian (Ave, Caesar !, by Kellner). In August the Republic of Councils was crushed by the intervention of the Romanian and Czech-Slovak troops, and the authoritarian government of N. Horty. Many filmmakers emigrated: among others, the directors Kellner and Kertész, the playwrights and screenwriters László Vajda, Lajos Bíró and Béla Balázs, the actors Mihály Várkonyi (Victor Varconi, the first real Hungarian star), Pál Lukács (Paul Blaskó (Bela Lugosi), László Löwenstein (Peter Lorre).
This haemorrhage, combined with the establishment of a rigid censorship, caused a serious production crisis and the closure of many studios, so much so that the two major directors of the period, Pál Fejös (Paul Fejos: újraélok, 1921, Redivivi) and Béla Balogh (Fehér galambok fekete városban, 1922, White doves in the black city), had to emigrate in 1923 due to lack of professional opportunities. After the advent of sound (with Hyppolit a lakáj, 1931, Hyppolit the valet, by István Székely), the overcoming of the crisis was due to the initiative of the government: the Filmfőigazgatóság (Directorate General of the film) was created, which implemented a protectionist with taxes on foreign films and the obligation of 20% programming for Hungarian films, and to encourage co-productions, he bought and reopened the great Hunnia Film Stúdió (formerly belonging to Corvin), later renting it to French or German companies. In the ten years that followed, production grew considerably, while many films were shot in double versions, such as Tavaszi zápor / Marie, légende hongroise (1932; Maria, Hungarian legend) by Fejös, who had temporarily returned to his homeland. In particular, sentimental comedies were successfully distributed throughout Europe, well crafted by skilled craftsmen such as Béla Gaál (Meseautó, 1934, Miss 10,000), Székely (Nászút féláron, 1936, Let’s not talk about love), László Kalmár (Szüts Mara házassár, 1938, The Marriage of Mara), Endre Tóth (André De Toth: Toprini nász, 1939, Balalaika). In the ten years that followed, production grew considerably, while many films were shot in double versions, such as Tavaszi zápor / Marie, légende hongroise (1932; Maria, Hungarian legend) by Fejös, who had temporarily returned to his homeland. In particular, sentimental comedies were successfully distributed throughout Europe, well crafted by skilled craftsmen such as Béla Gaál (Meseautó, 1934, Miss 10,000), Székely (Nászút féláron, 1936, Let’s not talk about love), László Kalmár (Szüts Mara házassár, 1938, The Marriage of Mara), Endre Tóth (André De Toth: Toprini nász, 1939, Balalaika). In the ten years that followed, production grew considerably, while many films were shot in double versions, such as Tavaszi zápor / Marie, légende hongroise (1932; Maria, Hungarian legend) by Fejös, who had temporarily returned to his homeland. In particular, sentimental comedies were successfully distributed throughout Europe, well crafted by skilled craftsmen such as Béla Gaál (Meseautó, 1934, Miss 10,000), Székely (Nászút féláron, 1936, Let’s not talk about love), László Kalmár (Szüts Mara házassár, 1938, The Marriage of Mara), Endre Tóth (André De Toth: Toprini nász, 1939, Balalaika).
