Editing Alexander Korda (section)

===Films in Hungary===
After the death of his father, Korda began writing film reviews to support his family. He also changed the family name, deriving the new name Korda from the Latin phrase "[[sursum corda]]" ("lift up your hearts").<ref>{{Citation|last=Darien Library|title=Meet the Author: Michael Korda|date=2013-03-22|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flauPvKeBks |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/flauPvKeBks| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|access-date=2016-04-16}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Having been excused from military service in the Austro-Hungarian Army in the First World War, because he was [[Myopia|short-sighted]], Korda became an important figure in the Hungarian film industry, initially through his magazines ''Pesti Mozi'', ''Mozihét'' and ''Világ''. This led to invitations to write screenplays. His first script was for ''[[Watchhouse in the Carpathians]]'' (1914), which he also helped to direct.<ref>Kulik, p. 13</ref> He also made a film with [[Gyula Zilahy]], ''[[The Duped Journalist]]'' (1914), and directed ''[[Tutyu and Totyo]]'' (1915), ''[[The Officer's Swordknot]]'' (1915) and ''[[Lyon Lea]]'' (1915).<ref>Kulik, p. 14</ref>

In 1916, Korda established his own production company, [[Corvin Film]]. Its first film was ''[[White Nights (1916 film)|White Nights]]'' (1916), which was a big success. Korda went on to build Corvin into one of the largest film companies in Hungary with such productions as ''[[The Grandmother (1916 film)|The Grandmother]]'' (1916), ''[[Tales of the Typewriter]]'' (1916), ''[[The Man with Two Hearts]]'' (1916), ''[[The One Million Pound Note]]'' (1916), ''[[Cyclamen (film)|Cyclamen]]'' (1916), ''[[Struggling Hearts]]'' (1916), ''[[The Laughing Saskia]]'' (1916), ''[[Miska the Magnate]]'' (1916), ''[[St. Peter's Umbrella (1917 film)|St. Peter's Umbrella]]'' (1917), ''[[The Stork Caliph]]'' (1917) (from the novel by [[Mihály Babits]]), and ''[[Magic (1917 film)|Magic]]'' (1917). Korda later regarded ''[[Harrison and Barrison]]'' (1917) as his best film. He also made ''[[Faun (film)|Faun]]'' (1918), ''[[Man of Gold (film)|Man of Gold]]'' (1918), and ''[[Mary Ann (film)|Mary Ann]]'' (1918).

Under the shortlived [[Hungarian Soviet Republic]] Korda made ''[[Ave Caesar!]]'' (1919), ''[[White Rose (1919 film)|White Rose]]'' (1919), ''[[Yamata]]'' (1919) and ''[[Neither at Home or Abroad]]'' (1919). His final Hungarian film was ''[[Number 111 (1919 film)|Number 111]]'' (1919).

In October 1919 Korda was arrested during the [[White Terror (Hungary)|White Terror]] that followed the overthrow of the Communist government, but was soon released. He then left Hungary for Austria. He never returned to his country of birth.<ref>Kulik, pp. 26–27</ref>