Editing Michael Curtiz (section)

=== 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>}}