Béla Balogh facts for kids

Béla Balogh was a famous Hungarian film director who lived from 1885 to 1945. He was one of the most important directors in the early 1900s. He made many movies, both silent films and later ones with sound. Some of his well-known films include Havi 200 fix, Ópiumkeringő, and Úrilány szobát keres.

Béla Balogh's Life and Films

Early Life and Theatre Work

Béla Balogh was born on January 1, 1885, in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. He came from a family deeply involved in theatre. His grandfather, István Balogh, was a writer for plays. His aunt and uncle were successful actors. His father, Gusztáv Balogh, was a conductor who traveled with different theatre groups.

Béla was the youngest of eleven children, but only two of his siblings survived. From a young age, he trained to be an actor. He started in his high school's drama club.

In 1904, he joined an acting group in Budapest. This was a small theatre in the People's Park. Later, he worked in the countryside, directing musical shows. He returned to Budapest in 1908. He worked in Újpest and then in Budapest from 1911. He was a stage inspector at the Budapest Opera and even managed a small movie theatre.

Starting in Film

In 1915, Béla Balogh married actress Margit Kornai. She was the mother of the famous writer Mária Szepes. After serving one year in World War I, he was discharged from the army due to health reasons.

After leaving the army, Balogh worked with his wife to create the Astra Film Factory. He became its first artistic director. In 1919, a German film company invited him to direct movies in their new studio in Pasarét. Other talented Hungarian directors, like Michael Curtiz and Alexander Korda, also received offers from other countries. However, Balogh chose to stay in Hungary. He was worried about working outside his home country and did not know other languages.

Challenges and Comeback

During a difficult time in Hungary in 1919, his films were banned. Later, the government investigated him. However, the charges were dropped after a few months.

Even though he became the main director of the Star Studio from 1920 to 1924, he faced a tough period in the 1920s. He made educational films for very little money. His wife encouraged him to travel to Berlin in 1926 to find better opportunities. He managed to get money for a film, but he became ill and returned home. To earn a living, he taught private lessons to people who wanted to make films.

For financial reasons, he moved back to Berlin with his family from 1931 to 1933. From 1935, he started directing again. This was when he made some of his most famous movies. These included Édes mostoha, A megfagyott gyermek (a sound version of his earlier silent film), and Havi 200 fix. He worked with the biggest stars of his time, such as Pál Jávor, Gyula Kabos, and Antal Páger.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1941, he started a new company called Balogh Film LLC. He produced two films during World War II. His last film was Ópiumkeringő, starring actress Katalin Karády. The war forced Balogh to close his company.

Béla Balogh became very ill. His family survived the Siege of Budapest in their summer home. Because of the war, he could not get a proper diagnosis. Béla Balogh passed away in 1945 in a hospital in Szentendre.

Throughout his career, Béla Balogh directed 50 silent films and 17 sound films. He experimented a lot with how movies were made. He was a true pioneer of Hungarian cinema. In 1960, the Balogh Béla Studio was founded and named after him. It was the main place for making Hungarian films for many years.

Selected Films by Béla Balogh

• Az obsitos (1917)
• Tilos a csók (1919)
• Under the Mountains (1920)
• Soldiers of the Emperor (1920)
• The Frozen Child (1921)
• A lélek órása (1923)
• Fehér galambok fekete városban (1923)
• Aranymadár (1924)
• The Market of Life (1928)
• Kind Stepmother (1935)
• Salary, 200 a Month (1936)
• Tomi (1936)
• Lady Seeks a Room (1937)
• Money Is Coming (1939)
• Wild Rose (1939)
• Rózsafabot (1940)
• Everybody Loves Someone Else (1940)
• Don't Ask Who I Was (1941)
• Ópiumkeringő (1943)