Editing Michael Curtiz (section)

== Legacy ==
{{quote box|align=right|width=25em|bgcolor = LightCyan|quote=Michael Curtiz is the classic example of a studio director in that he could turn his hand to almost anything. He could go from any genre to another, and somehow this Hungarian knew exactly how those genres worked. Like there was some innate storytelling skill in this man.|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 directed some of the best known films of the 20th century, achieving numerous award-winning performances from actors. Before moving to Hollywood from his native Hungary when he was 38 years of age, he had already directed 64 films in Europe. He soon helped Warner Bros. become the nation's fastest-growing studio, directing 102 films during his career in Hollywood, more than any other director.<ref name=Gerstner />{{rp|67}} [[Jack L. Warner|Jack Warner]], who first discovered Curtiz after seeing one of his epics in Europe, called him "Warner Brothers' greatest director."<ref name=John />

<!-- repeat from above He helped popularize the [[swashbuckler]] with unknown extra [[Errol Flynn]] and little-known [[Olivia de Havilland]], making them major stars in the 1930s. Overall, he made 12 films with Flynn, 8 with Humphrey Bogart, and 10 with Claude Rains. Along with Flynn, he introduced [[Doris Day]] and [[John Garfield]] to the screen, and made stars of little-known actors Bette Davis, de Haviland, and [[Ann Sheridan]].
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[[File:Bette Davis - Errol Flynn.jpg|thumb|left|Davis and Flynn in ''The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'' (1939)]]
He directed 10 actors to Oscar nominations: [[Paul Muni]], John Garfield, James Cagney, [[Walter Huston]], Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Eve Arden, and William Powell. Cagney and Crawford won their only Academy Awards under Curtiz's direction, with Cagney on TV later attributing part of his success to "the unforgettable Michael Curtiz."<ref name=John>John, Frederick. "Michael Curtiz: the Film World's Forgotten Genius", ''St. Petersburg Times'', October 24, 1979, p. 10</ref> Curtiz himself was nominated five times and won as Best Director for ''Casablanca''.

He earned a reputation as a harsh taskmaster to his actors, as he micromanaged every detail on the set. With his background as director since 1912, his experience and dedication to the art made him a perfectionist. He had an astounding mastery of technical details. [[Hal B. Wallis]], who produced a number of his major films, including ''Casablanca'', said Curtiz had always been his favorite director:
{{blockquote|He was a superb director with an amazing command of lighting, mood and action. He could handle any kind of picture: melodrama, comedy, Western, historical epic or love story.<ref name=Wallis>Wallis, Hal, and Higham, Charles. ''Starmaker: The Autobiography of Hal Wallis'',  Macmillan Publishing (1980) p. 25</ref>}}

Some, such as screenwriter [[Robert Rossen]], ask whether Curtiz has "been misjudged by cinema history," since he is not included among those often considered to be great directors, such as [[John Ford]], [[Howard Hawks]], [[Orson Welles]] and [[Alfred Hitchcock]]: "He was obviously a talent highly alert to the creative movements of his time such as [[German expressionism]], the genius of the Hollywood studio system, genres such as [[film noir]], and the possibilities offered by talented stars."<ref>Rossen, Robert; Fumento, Rocco; Williams, Tony. ''Jack London's The Sea Wolf: A Screenplay'', Southern Illinois Univ. Press (1998) p. xiv</ref>

Film historian Catherine Portuges has described Curtiz as one of the "most enigmatic of film directors, and often underrated."<ref name=Vasvari />{{rp|161}} Film theorist [[Peter Wollen]] wanted "to resurrect" Curtiz's critical reputation, observing that with his enormous experience and drive, he "could wring unexpected meanings from a script through his direction of actors and cinematographers."<ref name=Gerstner />{{rp|75}}

The [[American Film Institute]] ranked ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' #3 and ''[[Yankee Doodle Dandy]]'' #98 on [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)|its list of the greatest American movies]]. ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' and ''[[Mildred Pierce (film)|Mildred Pierce]]'' were nominated for the list.