Julius Kabos Movies

The title of this Hungarian comedy translates as I've Made a Love Match. Lily (Mitzi Erdelyi) and Peter (Imre Raday) are married outside of their own country, and thus are required to return home to validate the union. Alas, the marriage is almost over before it begins due to the well-meaning interference of Peter's business partner Barna (Julius Kobos), who in trying to secure a huge dowry for his friend succeeds only in driving a wedge between Peter and Lily's father (Julius Csortos). Only the birth of the couple's baby brings them back together for a happy ending. Less than one month after its Hungarian premiere, Szerelembol Nosultem opened in New York under the title I Married For Love. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Also known as The Crucial Moment, A Donto Pillanat was one of three 1937 films helmed by prolific Hungarian director Laszlo Vajda. Klari Tolnay and Antal Pager star as Eva and Gabor (!), the leading players of a second-rate touring theatrical troupe. Forever on the fringes of the big time, the couple continues to aspire to stardom on the Budapest stage. Gabor is given the opportunity to replace the leading man in a long-running stage hit, but a series of unexpected complications nearly scotch his big break before it happens. At long last, our hero proves to be a huge success with the cosmopolitan theatergoers, whereupon Eva willingly gives up her own acting career to devote herself full-time to her husband. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The "szenzacio," or "sensation," of the title refers to the editorial policy of a Budapest newspaper. Hoping to increase circulation, the editor insists that his reporters concentrate on three sensational stories. One of these concerns a mine cave-in; the second involves a runaway husband who joins a circus knife-throwing act; and the third centers on a small-town festival honoring the birthday of Franz Liszt (who makes a surprise appearance, in flashback form). As the reporters go about their business, the causes and consequences of the three news items are explored in dramatic and sometimes comic detail. Stefen Szekely and Ladislau Vajda, two of Hungary's foremost directors, combined their talents for Szenzacio. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Margit Dayka stars as Rozsi, an orphan girl who discovers upon reaching adulthood that she may be of Jewish parentage. The laws being what they were in Hungary in the 1930s, Rozsi's boyfriend Andris (Paul Javor) is worried that he won't be permitted to marry her. Deserted by Adnris, Rozsi resigns herself to her fate, befriending a kindly innkeeper who arranges for her adoption into a wealthy Jewish family. Finally, Andris determines that he's going to marry the girl, no matter what her religion -- but is saved from ostracism when he finds out that Rozsi isn't Jewish after all. The chances of this picture ever being revived are slim to none; even though the plotline promotes tolerance rather than racial divisiveness, it still intimates that there's something a bit wrong about not being 100 percent Christian. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Billed as "A Budapest Fairy Tale," Pesti Mese is the story of an ugly-duckling gamine named Pigtail (Ida Turay) and her best friend, errand boy Kubik (Antal Pager). An apprentice at the millinery shop of Mme. Annie (Annie Dobos), Pigtails is victimized by Annie's no-good brother Feri (Istvan Bekassy), who in addition to his other character flaws is robbing his sister blind. When Pigtail inherits $500,000, Feri schemes to marry the girl and steal her legacy. Figuring out that something's amiss, Kubik gallantly steps in and stops the wedding, claiming Pigtail for himself even though he knows nothing about her financial windfall. As always, Hungarian character comedian Julius Kabos effortlessly steals the picture. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Returning from South America to Hungary, nouveau-riche millionaire Menyheart Gruber (Julius Kobos) finds himself besieged by greedy relatives, compelling him to pretend to be broke. Meanwhile, impoverished gentleman farmer Gabor Koltay (Gabor Rajnay) rents a huge chateau, pretending to be wealthy. Koltay's son Balint (Imre Raday) falls in love with Gruber's daughter Mary (Klari Tolnay), while their respective fathers persist in continuing their silly charades. The laughs come in abundance when both Gruber and Koltay are forced to "come clean." Kolcsonkert Kastely (Borrowed Chateau) is based on a stage play by Julius Pekar. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Released in English-speaking regions as Affair of Honor, this Hungarian comedy details the tribulations of elderly bookkeeper Julius Kabos. Getting involved in an argument with the boss's nephew, Kabos ends up getting his face slapped. Asserting himself for the first time in his life, he demands satisfaction by challenging the nephew to a duel -- only to realize he's too old and too broke for such a drastic measure. Things straighten themselves out when the nephew, actually a likeable chap, apologizes to Kabos within earshot of the other employees, including the old man's erstwhile sweetheart, plump secretary Ella Gombaszogi. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ak Okos Mama (Wise Mamma) was adapted from a Hungarian stage play by Bela Szenes. Emmy Kosary plays the title character, a former actress who has retired to raise a family. She "returns" to acting to solve the matrimonial travails of her two daughters, adopting a series of guises and disguises to set things right. As a bonus, she manages to land a husband for her youngest, unmarried daughter. Critics in 1934 felt that Emmy Kosary wasn't quite as effective as the stage version's Sari Fedak. This sounds a bit like a "claque" at work, though it's hard to tell from the vantage point of six decades. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ez a Villa Elado (Villa For Sale) was another feather in the cap of talented Hungarian screenwriter Laszlo Vadnai, who'd previously scored a major success with Fairy Tale Auto. This time around, hero and heroine nearly come to blows when both wish to purchase the same villa. The protagonists work out an amusing arrangement, which of course eventually blossoms into romance. The film was supposed to have been a vehicle for popular comic actor Julius Gozon, who is surprisingly humorous here. Though drubbed by the critics, Ez a Villa Elado was a hit with Hungarian movie fans. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Set in pre-war Hungary, Igloi Diakok (Students of Iglo) is a lightweight musical of the "Student Prince" school. The scene is the tiny college town of Iglo, where three young male students are madly in love with Eve (Mariette Gervay), daughter of the professor with whom they are boarding. Neglecting their studies, our three heroes spend their waking hours wooing and serenading the heroine. One of the three is finally expelled, whereupon he leaves Iglo, vowing never to return. Several years pass: As a result of the treaty of Versailles, Iglo is annexed to Czechoslovakia. The expelled student, now a Czech war hero, triumphantly marches back into town, where Eve is still waiting for him after all this time. An enormous box-office hit, Igloi Diakok was intended to launch the film career of 17-year-old Mariette Gervay, who immediately after completing this film was signed by MGM and whisked off to Hollywood -- and utter obscurity. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi