Editing Michael Curtiz (section)

== Directing style ==
=== Preparation ===
Curtiz always invested the time necessary to prepare all aspects of a film before shooting. "As far as I am concerned," he said, "the chief work in directing a film is in preparing a story for the screen ... Nothing is as important ... A director can be likened to the field general of an army. He should know more clearly than anyone else what is coming, what to expect ... I believe this as a sound working plan."<ref name=Evening-44>Curtiz, Michael. "The Parade of Oscars", ''The Evening Review'', June 14, 1944, p. 13</ref>

By putting time into preparation, he cut down on delays after production started, which gave him the ability to put out about six films a year until the 1940s. He turned out ''[[Front Page Woman]]'' (1935) in only three weeks, despite its rapid-fire newspaper dialogue with Bette Davis,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWsPnDypwR8 ''Front Page Woman'' (1935) – trailer], Warner Archive</ref> then turned around and made ''Captain Blood'' almost entirely on the sound stage without having to leave the studio.<ref name=Pitts-2>Ross, George. "Slaying the King's English", ''The Pittsburgh Press'', August 10, 1938, p. 11</ref> (Errol Flynn's duel with Basil Rathbone was shot at Three Arch Bay in Laguna Beach.)

=== Cinematography ===
[[File:Curtiz and Dagover - 1932.jpg|thumb|Curtiz planning how best to photograph a scene with [[Lil Dagover]] in 1932]]
Sidney Rosenzweig argues that Curtiz had his own personal style, which was in place by the time of his move to America: "high crane shots to establish a story's environment; unusual camera angles and complex compositions in which characters are often framed by physical objects; much camera movement; subjective shots, in which the camera becomes the character's eye; and high contrast lighting with pools of shadows".<ref name=Rosenzweig />{{rp|6–7}} [[Aljean Harmetz]] states that, "Curtiz's vision of any movie... was almost totally a [[visual]] one".<ref name=Harmetz />{{rp|183–184}}

A few months after arriving in Hollywood as Warner Bros.' new director, Curtiz explained that he wanted to make viewers feel as though they were actually witnessing a story on screen:
{{blockquote|To accomplish this end the camera must assume many personalities. For the most part it assumes the personality of the audience. At moments when the interest is high and the illusion of the audience is greatest, the camera alternately places itself in the position of the various characters, as the dramatic burden shifts from actor to actor. This entails much movement of the camera. If it cuts off at each position so that it seems to jump from place to place, the effect is noticeable and the reception of the story is marred. In many cases, therefore, the camera must move from position to position without stopping, just as a person would.<ref>"U.S. Cameramen Take New Ways: German Idea of Shifting Plan for Narrative Power Adopted", ''The Courier-Journal'', Dec. 13, 1926, p. 2</ref>}}

In preparing scenes, Curtiz liked to compare himself to an artist, painting with characters, light, motion, and background on a canvas. However, during his career, this "individualism," says Robertson, "was hidden from public view" and undervalued because, unlike many other directors, Curtiz's films covered such a wide spectrum of different genres.<ref name=Robertson />{{rp|2}} He was therefore seen by many as a versatile master technician who worked under Warner Bros.' direction, rather than as an auteur with a unique and recognizable style.<ref name=Robertson />{{rp|2}}

Hal B. Wallis, the producer of many of Curtiz's films,  including ''Robin Hood'', was always watchful over budgets. He wrote to Jack Warner during the shooting of that film, "In his enthusiasm to make great shots and composition and utilize the great production values in this picture, he is, of course, more likely to go overboard than anyone else ... I did not try to stop Mike yesterday when he was on the crane and making establishing shots."<ref name=Marton />{{rp|123}}

Curtiz himself rarely expressed his philosophy or filmmaking style in writing since he was always too busy making films, so  no autobiography and only a few media interviews exist.<ref name=Robertson />{{rp|3}} His brother observed that Curtiz was "shy, almost humble," in his private life, as opposed to his "take-charge" attitude at work.<ref name=John /> His brother added that "he did not want anybody to write a book about him. He refused to even talk about the idea."<ref name=John /> When Curtiz was once asked to sum up his philosophy of making movies, he said, "I put all the art into my pictures that I think the audience can stand."<ref name=John />

=== Types of stories ===
Before coming to Hollywood, Curtiz always considered the story before he began working on a film. The human-interest side of a story was key, along with having the plot develop as the film progressed. He explains:
{{blockquote|First I look for "human interest" when a story is given me. If that interest is predominant over the action then I believe the story is good. Always it is my desire to tell that story as if the camera were a person relating the incidents of a happening.<ref name=LAT-1927>''Los Angeles Times'', Oct. 30, 1927, p. 41</ref>}}

{{quote box|align=left|width=25em|bgcolor = MistyRose|quote=I hate to see young directors throwing stories back at the studio. They should never throw a single one back because they do not think it is a good story. They should accept them gratefully ... That is the way they will learn.|source=– Michael Curtiz<ref name=Journal />}}
His attitude did not change when he joined a large studio, despite being given large spectacles to direct. As late as the 1940s, he still preferred "homey pictures." He said it was "because I want to deal with human and fundamental problems of real people. That is the basis of all good drama. It is true even in a spectacle, where you must never forget the underlying humanity and identity of your characters no matter how splendid the setting or situations are."<ref name=Pitts>"Curtiz No 'Mr. Malaprop'; Studio Legend Exploded: Famous Director's English is Found to Be Better Than Chroniclers; Likes Simple Stories", ''Pittsburgh Press'', August 23, 1942, p. 21</ref> However, he also felt that even with the same story, any five different directors would produce five distinctive versions. "No two would be alike," he said, as each director's "work is reflection of himself."<ref name=Evening-44 />

Film historian [[Peter Wollen]] says that throughout Curtiz's career, his films portrayed characters who had to "deal with injustice, oppression, entrapment, displacement, and exile."<ref name=Leonard />{{rp|85}} He cites examples of Curtiz films to support that: ''20,000 Years in Sing Sing'' (1932) dealt with the theme of social alienation, while ''Captain Blood'', ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'', and ''The Sea Hawk'' all concerned a tyrant monarch who was threatening the freedom of ordinary Englishmen.<ref name=Leonard />{{rp|90}} Wollen states:

{{blockquote|The case for Curtiz as an auteur rests on his incredible ability to find the right style for the right picture. If he shows a thematic consistency across several genres, it is in his consistent preference for stressing the struggles of the rebel and the downtrodden against the entrenched and powerful.<ref name=Gerstner />{{rp|74}}}}

=== Personal habits ===
[[File:Curtiz and Will Rogers Jr.jpg|thumb|left|Curtiz with Will Rogers, Jr., in 1952]]
Curtiz was always extremely active: he worked very long days, took part in several sports in his spare time, and was often found to sleep under a cold shower.<ref name=Harmetz />{{rp|188}} He skipped lunches since they interfered with his work and he felt they often made him tired. He was therefore dismissive of actors who ate lunch, believing that "lunch bums" had no energy for work in the afternoons.<ref name=Harmetz />{{rp|188}}

Wallis said he was "a demon for work."<ref name=Wallis /> He arose each morning at 5 am and typically remained at the studio until 8 or 9 pm. He hated to go home at the end of the day, said Wallis. With his high energy level, he also attended to every minute detail on the set.

To broaden his life experiences in the U.S., since he seldom traveled outside of Hollywood, when he did go on location shoots 
he tended to be restless and curious about everything in the area. Producer Wallis, who was often with him, observed that he explored everything:
{{blockquote|He had a thirst for knowledge; he wanted to see the poolrooms, the flophouses, the Chinese sections, the slums{{mdash}}everything strange and exotic and seedy so that he could add to the knowledge that gave his pictures their amazing degree of realism.<ref name=Wallis />}}

He earned the nickname "Iron Mike" from his friends, since he tried to keep physically fit by playing polo when he had time, and owned a stable of horses for his recreation at home. He attributed his fitness and level of energy solely to sober living.<ref name=Pitts /> Even with his vast success and wealth over the years, he did not allow himself "to be fondled in the lap of luxury."<ref name=Pitts />

=== Working with colleagues ===
The down side of his dedication was an often callous demeanor, which many attributed to his Hungarian roots. [[Fay Wray]], who worked with Curtiz on ''[[Mystery of the Wax Museum]]'', said, "I felt that he was not flesh and bones, that he was part of the steel of the camera".<ref name=Harmetz />{{rp|126}} Curtiz was not popular with most of his colleagues, many of whom thought him arrogant.<ref name=Rosenzweig />{{rp|7}} Nor did he deny that, explaining, "When I see a lazy man or a don't care girl, it makes me tough. I am very critical of actors, but if I find a real actor, I am first to appreciate them."<ref name=Marton />{{rp|122}}<ref name=Harmetz />{{rp|124}}

{{quote box|align=left|width=25em|bgcolor = MistyRose|quote=No matter what the story is, Mr. Curtiz is never at a loss. If it's about American small-town life, he is as American as [[Sinclair Lewis]]. If it's about Paris, he's as continental as [[Maurice Chevalier]]. And if it's a mystery, he's as good a teller of mystery tales as [[S. S. Van Dine]]. But English has him stumped.|source=– Film columnist George Ross<ref name=Pitts />}}

Nevertheless, Bette Davis, who was little known in 1932, made five more films with him, although they argued consistently when filming ''[[The Cabin in the Cotton]]'' (1932), one of her earliest roles.<ref>[[Lawrence J. Quirk|Quirk, Lawrence J.]] ''Fasten Your Seat Belts: The Passionate Life of Bette Davis''. New York, NY: Penguin, 1990. {{ISBN|0-451-16950-6}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130705023757/http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/132361/Cabin-In-The-Cotton-The-Original-Trailer-.html ''Cabin in the Cotton'' (1932) – trailer], TCM</ref> He had a low opinion of actors in general, saying that acting "is fifty percent a big bag of tricks. The other fifty percent should be talent and ability, although it seldom is." Overall, he got along well enough with his stars, as shown by his ability to attract and keep some of the best actors in Hollywood. He got along very well with Claude Rains, whom he directed in ten films.<ref name=Harmetz />{{rp|190}}

{{quote box|align=right|width=25em|bgcolor = LightCyan|quote=He spoke terrible English; his English was always a joke on the set. But the dialog in his films is wonderfully given and directed.|source=– Film historian David Thomson<ref name="youtube.com">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V4Svr7S-Yo;t=1m2s David Thomson discussing Michael Curtiz], TCM Tribute to Michael Curtiz</ref>}}
Curtiz struggled with English as he was too busy filming to learn the language. He sometimes used pantomimes to show what he wanted an actor to do, which led to many amusing [[anecdote]]s about his choice of words when directing. [[David Niven]] never forgot Curtiz's saying to "bring on the empty horses" when he wanted to "bring out the horses without riders," so much so that he used it for the title of his memoir.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/Bring-Empty-Horses-David-Niven/dp/0340839953 ''Bring on the Empty Horses''], ''Amazon books''</ref> Similar stories abound: For the final scene in ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' Curtiz asked the set designer for a "poodle" on the ground so the wet steps of the actors could be seen on camera. The next day the set designer brought a little dog not realizing Curtiz meant "puddle" not "poodle".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://universityfox.com/stories/incredible-behind-scenes-facts-casablanca/|title=Incredible behind the scenes facts about Casablanca|work=University Fox |date=September 12, 2018}}</ref> But not all actors who worked under Curtiz were as amused by his [[malapropisms]]. Edward G. Robinson, whom Curtiz directed in ''The Sea Wolf'', had a different opinion about language handicaps by foreigners to Hollywood:
{{blockquote|They could fill a book. Even if I did not suspect you'd heard them all, I long ago decided that I would not bore myself or you with Curtizisms, Pasternakisms, Goldwynisms, or Gaborisms. Too many writers have made a cottage industry of reporting the misuse of the English language by Hollywood people.<ref name=Robinson>Robinson, Edward G. ''All My Yesterdays: An Autobiography'', Hawthorn Books, N.Y. (1973) p. 218</ref>}}