Cornel Wilde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cornel Wilde
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Wilde in 1946
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| Born |
Kornél Lajos Weisz
October 13, 1912 Privigye, Kingdom of Hungary (now Prievidza, Slovakia)
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| Died | October 16, 1989 (aged 77) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California |
| Other names | Clark Wales, Jefferson Pascal |
| Education | Columbia University |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1935–1987 |
| Spouse(s) |
Patricia Knight
(m. 1937; div. 1951)Jean Wallace
(m. 1951; div. 1981) |
| Children | 2 |
Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a talented actor and filmmaker from Hungary and America. He started his career on Broadway in 1935. Soon after, he began appearing in movies.
By the 1940s, Cornel Wilde became a big star in Hollywood. He was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1945 movie A Song to Remember. Later, in the 1950s, he also started writing, producing, and directing films, while still acting. He even wrote songs!
Contents
Early Life
Cornel Wilde was born in 1912 in Privigye, which was then part of Hungary. Today, this place is called Prievidza and is in Slovakia. When he was seven years old, in 1920, his family moved to the United States. His name was changed to Cornelius Louis Wilde.
He was very good at languages and could copy different accents easily. This skill helped him a lot in his acting career. Cornel went to the City College of New York to study medicine. He finished his four-year course in just three years! He then earned a scholarship to Columbia University.
At Columbia, he was one of the youngest students. He was also a skilled fencer for the Columbia Lions fencing team. In 1929, he won a national fencing championship. He even qualified for the United States fencing team for the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. However, he left the team to pursue his dream of acting.
Career in Entertainment
Theatre Beginnings
After studying acting, Cornel Wilde started performing in plays in New York. His first big role on Broadway was in 1935 in a play called Moon Over Mulberry Street. He also acted in other plays like Love Is Not So Simple and Having Wonderful Time.
He was so good at fencing that he helped illustrate a fencing textbook in 1936. He even wrote a play about fencing called Touché. Later, he toured with famous actress Tallulah Bankhead in a play called Antony and Cleopatra. During this time, he married his co-star, Patricia Knight.
Acting jobs were not always steady. So, Cornel would earn extra money by performing in fencing matches. He also wrote plays, and some of them were performed by the New York Drama Guild. In 1940, he was hired by famous actor Laurence Olivier to teach fencing for his Broadway play Romeo and Juliet. Cornel also got a role in the play as Tybalt. Even though the play had a short run, his performance helped him get a movie contract in Hollywood.
Early Hollywood Films
Cornel Wilde started with small, uncredited roles in movies like Lady with Red Hair (1940). He then got a slightly bigger part in High Sierra (1941), where he shared a scene with Humphrey Bogart.
Soon, he signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. They gave him better roles, starting with The Perfect Snob (1941) and the war movie Manila Calling (1942). He played the romantic lead in Life Begins at Eight-Thirty (1942) and supported Sonja Henie in Wintertime (1943).
Becoming a Star
In 1945, Cornel Wilde got a huge opportunity. He was chosen to play the famous composer Frédéric Chopin in the movie A Song to Remember. This movie was a big success and made him a major star! He was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.
After this, he starred in more adventure films. He played Aladdin in A Thousand and One Nights and the son of Robin Hood in The Bandit of Sherwood Forest. He also starred in the very popular movie Leave Her to Heaven (1945) with Gene Tierney.
By 1946, Cornel Wilde was one of the most popular stars in the United States. He continued to make movies, including Centennial Summer (1946) and Forever Amber (1947). He also appeared with Maureen O'Hara in The Homestretch (1947) and Ginger Rogers in It Had to Be You (1947). He made a well-known film noir called Road House (1948).
Working Independently
After leaving 20th Century Fox, Cornel Wilde started working as a freelance actor. He made films like Shockproof (1949) with his wife, Patricia Knight. He also filmed Swiss Tour (1949) in Switzerland.
In 1952, he played a trapeze artist in the huge hit movie The Greatest Show on Earth. This film had many stars, and it was a big success. He continued to appear in adventure movies like California Conquest (1952) and Treasure of the Golden Condor (1952). He also starred in Saadia (1953) and Star of India (1954).
Becoming a Producer and Director
In the 1950s, Cornel Wilde and his second wife, Jean Wallace, started their own film company called Theodora. Their first movie was The Big Combo (1955), where both Cornel and Jean starred. Cornel also directed an episode of a TV show called General Electric Theatre.
He produced, directed, and starred in Storm Fear (1956). He said he directed it to save money. He also directed and starred in The Devil's Hairpin (1957), a car-racing movie, and Maracaibo (1958).
Cornel Wilde traveled to Italy to star in Constantine and the Cross (1962). In Britain, he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in Lancelot and Guinevere (1963). He then made a war movie called Beach Red (1967). He also directed the science fiction film No Blade of Grass (1970).
In 1975, he wrote, directed, and starred in Sharks' Treasure. This movie came out when shark movies were very popular, thanks to the success of Jaws. He continued acting in films like The Norseman (1978) and The Fifth Musketeer (1979).
Television Appearances
Cornel Wilde also appeared on television. He played himself in an episode of I Love Lucy in 1955 and in Father Knows Best in 1957. He also appeared in the TV show Night Gallery in 1971 and the TV movie Gargoyles in 1972.
Personal Life
In 1937, Cornel Wilde married actress Patricia Knight. They had a daughter named Wendy, born in 1943. They divorced in 1951.
Five days after his divorce, he married actress Jean Wallace. Cornel became a stepfather to Jean's two sons. Cornel and Jean had a son together, Cornel Wallace Wilde, born in 1967. Cornel and Jean starred together in several movies, including The Big Combo (1955) and Lancelot and Guinevere (1963). They divorced in 1981.
Cornel Wilde was a supporter of the Democratic Party.
Death and Legacy
Cornel Wilde passed away from leukemia on October 16, 1989, just three days after his 77th birthday. He is buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
For his important contributions to the movie industry, Cornel Wilde has a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can find it at 1635 Vine Street.
Images for kids
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Wilde in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
See also
In Spanish: Cornel Wilde para niños
