Emeric Pressburger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emeric Pressburger
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Pressburger in Paris
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| Born |
Imre József Pressburger
5 December 1902 |
| Died | 5 February 1988 (aged 85) Saxtead, England
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| Occupation | Screenwriter, producer, director and production house co-founder with Michael Powell |
| Spouse(s) |
Ági Donáth
(m. 1938–1941)Wendy Orme
(m. 1947–1971) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Andrew MacDonald (grandson) Kevin Macdonald (grandson) |
Emeric Pressburger (born Imre József Pressburger; 5 December 1902 – 5 February 1988) was a very talented Hungarian-British filmmaker. He was a screenwriter, film director, and producer. He is most famous for his amazing work with Michael Powell. Together, they formed a filmmaking team called the Archers.
The Archers made many classic films. Some of their best-known movies include 49th Parallel (1941), The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1947), and The Red Shoes (1948). These films are still loved today!
Contents
Early Life and Education
Emeric Pressburger was born in Miskolc, Hungary, in 1902. His family was Jewish. He was the only son, but he had an older half-sister. His father, Kálmán Pressburger, managed estates. His mother was Kätherina Wichs.
Emeric went to a boarding school in Timişoara. He was a very good student there. He was especially good at mathematics, literature, and music. After school, he studied math and engineering at universities in Prague and Stuttgart. However, he had to stop his studies when his father passed away.
Film Career Beginnings
Working in Berlin and Paris
Emeric Pressburger started his career as a journalist. He worked in Hungary and Germany. In the late 1920s, he began writing screenplays. He moved to Berlin in 1926 and worked for a big film studio called UFA.
When the Nazis came to power in Germany, Emeric had to leave. He moved to Paris, France, where he continued to work as a screenwriter. He later said that the worst and best things in his life were due to political events he couldn't control.
Many European films in the 1930s were made in different languages. Emeric worked on some of these films. In 1933, UFA fired its Jewish employees, including Emeric. He left Berlin and moved to Paris. By late 1935, he decided to move to England.
Moving to the UK
Emeric arrived in Britain in 1935. He didn't have a country he belonged to at first. In 1938, he changed his name to Emeric. In England, he found other Hungarian filmmakers who had also fled the Nazis. One of them was Alexander Korda, who owned London Films. Korda hired Emeric as a screenwriter.
Korda asked Emeric to improve the script for a film called The Spy in Black (1939). This is where he met Michael Powell, the film's director. This meeting was very important. Their partnership, known as the Archers, would create some of the best British films ever made.
Emeric Pressburger was more than just a screenwriter for Michael Powell. He often came up with the original stories for their films. He also did a lot of the work that a producer does. Emeric was also very involved in editing the films. As a musician, he helped choose the music for their movies too.
Later Work and Novels
After the mid-1950s, Powell and Pressburger started working on their own projects more often. They remained good friends, but they wanted to try different things. Emeric made two later films using the name "Richard Imrie."
Emeric also wrote two novels. His first book, Killing a Mouse on a Sunday (1961), was about the time after the Spanish Civil War. It was well-liked and translated into many languages. His second novel, The Glass Pearls (1966), was not well-received at first. However, it has since been praised as a very important book.
Personal Life and Legacy
Emeric Pressburger married Ági Donáth in 1938, but they divorced in 1941. They did not have children. He married again in 1947 to Wendy Orme. They had a daughter named Angela. This marriage also ended in divorce.
Emeric's daughter Angela had two sons who became successful filmmakers. Andrew Macdonald is a producer, known for films like Trainspotting (1996). Kevin Macdonald is an Oscar-winning director. Kevin has written a book about his grandfather and made a documentary about his life.
Emeric became a British citizen in 1946. He received special honors from the BAFTA in 1981 and the BFI in 1983.
Emeric was a quiet and private person. He loved French cuisine and music. He also had a great sense of humor. He was a big fan of the Arsenal F.C. football team. He died in 1988 at the age of 85. He is buried in a church cemetery, and his grave has a Star of David, which is a Jewish symbol.
Filmography
Emeric Pressburger worked on many films throughout his career. Here are some of them:
- UFA period (Germany)
- 1930: Die Große Sehnsucht, Farewell
- 1931: Ronny, Emil und die Detektive
- 1932: La belle aventure
- Paris period (France)
- 1933: Incognito
- 1934: Mon coeur t'appelle
- 1935: Abdul the Damned
- British period (UK)
- 1936: La Vie parisienne
- 1939: The Silent Battle
- 1941: Atlantic Ferry
- 1953: Twice Upon a Time – Emeric's only film as a solo director.
- 1965: Operation Crossbow
- 1972: The Boy Who Turned Yellow (with Michael Powell)
Actor Roles
- The Red Shoes (1948) – He had a small, uncredited role as a man waiting on a station platform.
Awards and Honors
Emeric Pressburger won and was nominated for many awards for his film work:
- 1943: Won an Oscar for 49th Parallel for Best Original Story.
- 1943: Nominated for an Oscar for 49th Parallel for Best Screenplay.
- 1943: Nominated for an Oscar for One of Our Aircraft Is Missing for Best Original Screenplay (with Michael Powell).
- 1948: Won the Danish Bodil Award for A Matter of Life and Death as Best European Film (with Michael Powell).
- 1949: Nominated for an Oscar for The Red Shoes as Best Picture (with Michael Powell).
- 1949: Nominated for an Oscar for The Red Shoes for Best Motion Picture Story.
- 1951: Won the Silver Bear for The Tales of Hoffmann as Best Musical (with Michael Powell).
- 1981: Became a Fellow of BAFTA.
- 1983: Became a Fellow of the BFI.
- 2014: An English Heritage Blue plaque was put up in London to remember Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Novels
- Killing a Mouse on Sunday (1961)
- The Glass Pearls (1966)
Images for kids
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Pressburger in Paris
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English Heritage Blue Plaque
Dorset House, Gloucester Place, NW1 5AG
See also
In Spanish: Emeric Pressburger para niños
