The grave of Lajos Biro, Hampstead Cemetery, London

Lajos Bíró (; born Lajos Blau; 22 August 1880 – 9 September 1948) was a Hungarian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter who wrote many films from the early 1920s through the late 1940s.

Life

He was born in Nagyvárad,

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Oradea,

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

) and eventually moved to the United Kingdom where he worked as a scenario chief for

London Film Productions London Films Productions is a British film and television production company founded in 1932 by Alexander Korda and from 1936 based at Denham Film Studios in Buckinghamshire, near London. The company's productions included ''The Private Life o ...

run by

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Arthur Wimperis Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more ...

. He died in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

on 9 September 1948 of a heart attack. He is buried in the northern section of

Hampstead Cemetery Hampstead Cemetery is a historic cemetery in West Hampstead, London, located at the upper extremity of the NW6 district. Despite the name, the cemetery is three-quarters of a mile from Hampstead Village, and bears a different postcode. It is jo ...

in north London. In 1929, he was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Original Writing for '' The Last Command'', but lost to Ben Hecht for ''

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...

'', the only other nomination in this category.

Novels

*''A Serpolette'' (The Serpolette, 1914) *''A bazini zsidók'' (The Jews of Bazin; 1921).

Plays

* ''Szinmü négy felvon (Hotel Imperial)'' (1917) * ''Gods and Kings'', six one-act plays (English translation 1945)Saturday Review of Literature – Volume 28, Part 2 – Page 92 1945 – The New Yorker GODS AND KINGS by Lajos Biro "Six witty and sportive one-act plays, all of which are among the best issued in recent years." —Herald Tribune Books "Unified by wit, skill, and a querying philosophical irony. All the plays ..

Partial filmography

*''

The Prince and the Pauper ''The Prince and the Pauper'' is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. Set in 1547 ...

'' (1920) *''

A Vanished World ''A Vanished World'' (German: ''Eine versunkene Welt'') is a 1922 Austrian silent adventure film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Alberto Capozzi, Victor Varconi, María Corda and Olga Lewinsky. It was based on the novel ''Serpoletto'' ...

'' (1922) * ''

The House of Molitor ''The House of Molitor'' (German: ''Das Haus Molitor'') is a 1922 Austrian silent film directed by Hans Karl Breslauer and starring Alfred Abel, Anny Miletty and Magda Unger.Büttner & Dewald p.495 Cast * Alfred Abel as Molitor * Anny Miletty ...

'' (1922) *''

Tragedy in the House of Habsburg ''Tragedy in the House of Habsburg'' (german: Tragödie im Hause Habsburg) is a 1924 German silent historical film directed by Alexander Korda and starring María Corda, Kálmán Zátony and Emil Fenyvessy. The film recounts the events of the ...

'' (1924) *'' Forbidden Paradise'' (1924) (play) *''

Eve's Secret ''Eve's Secret'' is a 1925 American silent romantic comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and released by Paramount Pictures. It is based on a Broadway play, ''Moon-Flower'', by Zoë Akins, adapted from a Hungarian play by Lajos Bíró. ...

'' (1925) * '' A Modern Dubarry'' (1927) * ''

The Heart Thief ''The Heart Thief'' is a 1927 American silent romantic drama film directed by Nils Olaf Chrisander and starring Joseph Schildkraut, Lya De Putti, and Robert Edeson.Bock & Bergfelder, p. 83 Cast * Joseph Schildkraut as Paul Kurt * Lya De Pu ...

'' (1927) * ''

Hotel Imperial The Hotel Imperial, also known as The Imperial, is a five-star luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria. It is located on the Vienna Ring Road (''Ringstraße'') at Kärntner Ring 16, in the Innere Stadt district. Description The Hotel Imperial's faça ...

'' (1927) (play) *''

The Way of All Flesh ''The Way of All Flesh'' (sometimes called ''Ernest Pontifex, or the Way of All Flesh'') is a semi-autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. Written between 1873 and 1884, it traces four generations of the ...

'' (1927) *'' The Last Command'' (1928) (story) *'' Yellow Lily'' (1928) *'' Night Watch'' (1928) *'' The Haunted House'' (1928) *''

Women Everywhere ''Women Everywhere'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical adventure film directed by Alexander Korda and starring J. Harold Murray, Fifi D'Orsay, and George Grossmith, Jr. It is set amongst the French Foreign Legion in North Africa. The fi ...

'' (1930) *'' Michael and Mary'' (1931) *'' Service for Ladies'' (1932) *'' The Golden Anchor'' (1932) * '' The Faithful Heart'' (1932) *''

Strange Evidence ''Strange Evidence'' (also known as ''Dance of the Witches'', and ''Wife in Pawn'') is a 1933 British crime film directed by Robert Milton, produced by Alexander Korda and written by Lajos Bíró and Miles Malleson. Starring Leslie Banks, Geo ...

'' (1933) *''

The Private Life of Henry VIII ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' is a 1933 British film directed and co-produced by Alexander Korda and starring Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Merle Oberon and Elsa Lanchester. It was written by Lajos Bíró and Arthur Wimperis for London F ...

'' (1933) *'' Catherine the Great'' (1934) (play) *''

The Private Life of Don Juan ''The Private Life of Don Juan'' is a 1934 British comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Douglas Fairbanks, Merle Oberon and Benita Hume. At the age of 51, it was the final role of Fairbanks, who died five years later. Th ...

'' (1934) *''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...

'' (1934) *''

Sanders of the River ''Sanders of the River'' is a 1935 British film directed by the Hungarian-British director, Zoltán Korda, based on the stories of Edgar Wallace. It is set in Colonial Nigeria. The lead Nigerian characters were played by African Americans Paul R ...

'' (1935) *''

The Ghost Goes West ''The Ghost Goes West'' is a 1935 British romantic comedy/fantasy film starring Robert Donat, Jean Parker, and Eugene Pallette, and directed by René Clair, his first English-language film. The film shows an Old World ghost dealing with American ...

'' (1935) *'' Rembrandt'' (1936) *''

The Man Who Could Work Miracles ''The Man Who Could Work Miracles'' is a 1937 London Films British fantasy-comedy film directed by Lothar Mendes and produced by Alexander Korda. The film stars Roland Young with a cast of supporting players including Sir Ralph Richardson. ...

'' (1936) *'' Dark Journey'' (1937) *''

Knight Without Armour ''Knight Without Armour'' (styled as ''Knight Without Armor'' in some releases) is a 1937 British historical drama film starring Marlene Dietrich and Robert Donat. It was directed by Jacques Feyder and produced by Alexander Korda from a screenp ...

'' (1937) *''

The Divorce of Lady X ''The Divorce of Lady X'' is a 1938 British Technicolor romantic comedy film produced by London Films; it stars Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and Binnie Barnes. It was directed by Tim Whelan and produced by Alexander Kord ...

'' (1938) *'' The Drum'' (1938) *''

The Four Feathers ''The Four Feathers'' is a 1902 adventure novel by British writer A. E. W. Mason that has inspired many films of the same title. In December 1901, ''Cornhill Magazine'' announced the title as one of two new serial stories to be published in th ...

'' (1939) *'' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1940) *''

Five Graves to Cairo ''Five Graves to Cairo'' is a 1943 war film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Franchot Tone and Anne Baxter. Set in World War II, it is one of a number of films based on Lajos Bíró's 1917 play ''Hotel Imperial: Színmű négy felvonásba ...

'' (1943) (play) *'' A Royal Scandal'' (1945) (play) *'' An Ideal Husband'' (1947)

Notes

References

External links

* * * * 1880 births 1948 deaths Hungarian male novelists People from Oradea Austro-Hungarian writers 20th-century Hungarian novelists 20th-century Hungarian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Hungarian male writers Hungarian male dramatists and playwrights Male screenwriters 20th-century Hungarian screenwriters {{screen-writer-stub