Steve Sekely (February 25, 1899– March 9, 1979) was a Hungarian film director. Born István Székely, he was known by several names, based on his changing professional and immigration status, including Stefan Szekely. He directed films in Hungarian, German, and English.

Biography

He worked as a newspaper journalist in Germany, before returning to Hungary in the early 1930s. He directed one of the most famous classic Hungarian films, the frequently revived comedy ''

Hyppolit, a lakáj ''Hyppolit, the Butler'' ( hu, Hyppolit, a lakáj) is a 1931 black-and-white Hungarian film comedy of manners about an upwardly mobile family hiring a butler who previously worked for aristocratic families. It was the second full sound film pro ...

'' (1931). That film was remade in 2000 and the original was later digitally restored and released on DVD. Sekely left pre-war Hungary, fleeing growing

fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...

and laws restricting rights and professional opportunities for Jews. He worked in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

for much of his subsequent career, directing mostly

B movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

and early episodic TV, although he directed his best-known English language film, the cult

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

thriller ''

The Day of the Triffids ''The Day of the Triffids'' is a 1951 post-apocalyptic novel by the English science fiction author John Wyndham. After most people in the world are blinded by an apparent meteor shower, an aggressive species of plant starts killing people. Al ...

'' in the UK and returned to Hungary to direct his final film, ''The Girl Who Liked Purple Flowers,'' which was released in 1973.

Partial filmography

* ''

Next, Please! ''Next, Please!'' (german: Der Nächste, bitte!) is a 1930 German comedy film directed by Erich Schönfelder and starring Charles Puffy, Adele Sandrock, and Albert Paulig. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Gustav A. Knauer an ...

'' (1930) Germany * ''

The Great Longing ''The Great Longing'' (german: Die große Sehnsucht) is a 1930 German comedy film directed by Steve Sekely in his directorial debut and starring Camilla Horn, Theodor Loos, and Harry Frank. It was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin. The film's ...

'' (1930) Germany * ''

Hyppolit, the Butler ''Hyppolit, the Butler'' ( hu, Hyppolit, a lakáj) is a 1931 black-and-white Hungarian film comedy of manners about an upwardly mobile family hiring a butler who previously worked for aristocratic families. It was the second full sound film pro ...

'' (1931) Hungary * ''

Flying Gold ''Flying Gold'' (Hungarian: ''Repülő arany'') is a 1932 Cinema of Hungary, Hungarian crime film directed by Steve Sekely and starring Steven Geray, Gyula Kabos and Lajos Gárday. A shipment of gold being flown from Paris to Budapest is robbed i ...

'' (1932) Hungary * ''

A Tremendously Rich Man ''A Tremendously Rich Man'' (German: ''Ein steinreicher Mann'') is a 1932 German comedy film directed by Steve Sekely and starring Curt Bois, Dolly Haas and Adele Sandrock. It premiered on 13 February 1932. The film was a co-production between ...

'' (1932) Germany * ''

Scandal in Budapest ''Scandal in Budapest'' (german: Skandal in Budapest) is a 1933 German-Hungarian comedy film, filmed in Hungary in the German language and directed by Géza von Bolváry and Steve Sekely, Istvan Szekely and starring Franciska Gaal, Werner Pledath ...

'' (1933) * ''

The Rakoczi March ''The Rakoczi March'' (german: Rakoczy-Marsch) is a 1933 drama film directed by Gustav Fröhlich and Steve Sekely and starring Fröhlich, Leopold Kramer and Camilla Horn. It was a co-production between Austria, Germany and Hungary.Dassano ...

'' (1933) Austria/Germany/Hungary * ''

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

'' (1934) Hungary * '' Romance of Ida'' (1934) Hungary * '' Ball at the Savoy'' (1935) Austria/Hungary *''

Half-Rate Honeymoon ''Half-Rate Honeymoon'' (Hungarian: ''Nászút féláron'') is a 1936 Cinema of Hungary, Hungarian romance film directed by Steve Sekely and starring Irén Ágay, Pál Jávor (actor), Pál Jávor and Gyula Kabos. A Hungarian couple take advantage o ...

'' (1936) Hungary * ''

Cafe Moscow ''Cafe Moscow'' (Hungarian:''Café Moszkva'') is a 1936 Hungarian adventure film directed by Steve Sekely and starring Anna Tõkés, Gyula Csortos and Ferenc Kiss (actor), Ferenc Kiss. Art direction was by József Pán. It is also known by the al ...

'' (1936) Hungary *'' Number 111'' (1938) Hungary * ''Miracle on Main Street'' (1939) first US film * ''Behind Prison Walls'' (1943) US * ''

Revenge of the Zombies ''Revenge of the Zombies'' is a 1943 horror film directed by Steve Sekely, starring John Carradine and Gale Storm. Dr. Max Heinrich von Altermann (John Carradine), is a mad scientist working to create a race of living dead warriors for the Third ...

'' (1943) US * '' Women in Bondage'' (1943) US * ''

Lady in the Death House ''Lady in the Death House'' is a 1944 American film directed by Steve Sekely and starring Jean Parker and Lionel Atwill. Plot Mary Kirk Logan is led from her cell to the electric chair, to be "killed by the hand of the man I love." A psychol ...

'' (1944) US * '' Waterfront'' (1944) US * '' My Buddy'' (1944) US * ''

Lake Placid Serenade ''Lake Placid Serenade'' is a 1944 American musical romance film directed by Steve Sekely and starring Vera Ralston, Eugene Pallette and Barbara Jo Allen.Martin p.103 Following the German invasion of Czechoslovakia a Czech ice-skating champion goe ...

'' (1944) US * ''

The Fabulous Suzanne ''The Fabulous Suzanne'' is a 1946 American romantic comedy film directed by Steve Sekely and starring Barbara Britton, Rudy Vallee and Otto Kruger. A waitress inherits a fortune from one of her customers. Plot The young and beautiful Suzanne ...

'' (1946) US * '' Blonde Savage'' (1947) US * ''

Hollow Triumph ''Hollow Triumph'' (working title ''The Man Who Murdered Himself'', reissued in the United States as ''The Scar'') is a 1948 American film noir crime film directed by Steve Sekely starring Paul Henreid, Joan Bennett and Leslie Brooks. It was rel ...

'' (1948) US * ''

Amazon Quest ''Amazon Quest'' is a 1949 American adventure film directed by Steve Sekely and written by Al Martin. The film stars Tom Neal, Carole Mathews, Carole Donne, Don Zelaya, Ralph Graves, Joseph Crehan, Jack George, Joseph Granby, Edward Clark and Jul ...

'' (1949) US * ''

Stronghold A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

'' (1951) US * ''

The Empress of China ''The Empress of China'' () is a 2014 Chinese television series based on events in 7th and 8th-century Tang dynasty, starring producer Fan Bingbing as the titular character Wu Zetian—the only female emperor (empress regnant) in Chinese histo ...

'' (1953) West Germany * ''The Missing Scientists'' (1955) UK * ''Cartouche'' (1955) Italy/France * ''

Desert Desperadoes ''Desert Desperadoes'' ( it, La peccatrice del deserto) is a 1959 American/Italian Biblical drama film directed by Steve Sekely from an original screenplay by Victor Stoloff and Robert Hill. Co-produced by the Italian company Venturini Express a ...

'' (1959) Italy * ''

'' (1962) UK * ''

Kenner Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy company founded in 1946. Throughout its history, the Kenner brand produced several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures like the original series of ' ...

'' (1969) US * ''The Girl Who Liked Purple Flowers'' (1973) Hungary

Notes

External links

* 1899 births 1979 deaths Film people from Budapest People from the Kingdom of Hungary Hungarian Jews Hungarian film directors German-language film directors Hungarian emigrants to the United States {{Hungary-film-director-stub