Endre Antal Miksa DeToth, better known as Andre de Toth (born Endre Antal Mihály Tóth; May 15, 1913 – October 27, 2002), was a Hungarian-American

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

, born and raised in

Makó Makó (, german: Makowa, yi, מאַקאָווע Makowe, ro, Macău or , sk, Makov) is a town in Csongrád County, in southeastern Hungary, from the Romanian border. It lies on the Maros River. Makó is home to 23,272 people and it has an area ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. He directed the

3D film 3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of special glasses worn by viewers. They have existed in some form since 1915, but had been largely relegated to a niche in the motion pic ...

''House of Wax'', despite being unable to see in 3D himself, having lost an eye at an early age. Upon naturalization as a United States citizen in 1945, he took Endre Antal Miksa de Toth as his legal name.

Early life

Born in 1913 as Sasvári farkasfalvi tóthfalusi Tóth Endre Antal Mihály, de Toth earned a degree in law from the Royal Hungarian Pázmány Péter Science's University in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...

in the early 1930s. He garnered acclaim for plays written as a college student, acquiring the mentorship of

Ferenc Molnár Ferenc Molnár ( , ; born Ferenc Neumann; 12 January 18781 April 1952), often anglicized as Franz Molnar, was a Hungarian-born author, stage-director, dramatist, and poet, widely regarded as Hungary’s most celebrated and controversial play ...

and becoming part of the theater scene in

Career

De Toth segued from there to the film industry and worked as a writer, assistant director, editor and sometime actor. In 1939 he directed five films just before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

began in Europe. Several of these films received significant release in the Hungarian communities in the United States. He went to England, spent several years as an assistant to fellow Hungarian émigré

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

in 1942. Based on his Hungarian films, the production work for Korda and writing he had done on American projects during earlier stints in Los Angeles, he received an oral contract as a director at

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

from which he ultimately extricated himself by litigation. He preferred working as an independent and had no "A" budgets early in his career. Thus, he had to supplement his directing income with writing assignments, often uncredited. Introduced to Westerns by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

, he worked mostly in that genre throughout the 1950s, often bringing elements of noir style into those films. In 1951, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Writing (with co-writer William Bowers) for the story filmed as ''

The Gunfighter ''The Gunfighter'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. It was written by screenwriters William Bowers and William Sellers, with an uncredited rewri ...

''. While largely remembered as the director of the earliest and most successful 3D film, '' House of Wax'', de Toth also directed the noir films '' Pitfall'' (1948) and '' Crime Wave'' (1954).Bergan, Ronald (October 31, 2002).
André de Toth
. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 2020-04-09.

Personal life

De Toth lost sight in one eye and wore a black

eyepatch An eyepatch is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, an adhesive bandage, or a plastic device which is clipped to a pair of glasses. It is often worn ...

; as a 1994 report in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' noted, this led to an almost deadly incident: During his seven marriages, de Toth became father and stepfather of 19 children, including editor Nicolas de Toth. He was married to

Veronica Lake Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (November 14, 1922 – July 7, 1973), known professionally as Veronica Lake, was an American film, stage, and television actress. Lake was best known for her femme fatale roles in film noirs with Alan Ladd ...

from 1944 until their divorce in 1952. They had a son, Andre Anthony Michael de Toth III (born October 25, 1945) and a daughter, Diana DeToth (born 1948). In 1953 he married the actress Mary Lou Holloway (née Stratton). At the time of his death in 2002, de Toth was married to his seventh wife, Ann Green.

Memoir

In 1996, he published his memoir, ''Fragments – Portraits from the Inside'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1994; ).

Death

On October 27, 2002, de Toth died from an

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...

, aged 89. He was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.

Partial filmography

* ''

Two Girls on the Street ''Two Girls on the Street'' ( Hungarian: ''Két lány az utcán'') is a 1939 Hungarian film directed by André de Toth, one of his first features, based on a play by Tamás Emöd and Rezsö Török. Plot Two young women, a musician and a bri ...

'' (1939) * '' Jungle Book'' (1942) (second unit director only) * '' Passport to Suez'' (1943) * '' None Shall Escape'' (1944) * '' Dark Waters'' (1944) * ''

Ramrod A ramrod (or scouring stick) is a metal or wooden device used with muzzleloading firearms to push the projectile up against the propellant (mainly blackpowder). The ramrod was used with weapons such as muskets and cannons and was usually held i ...

'' (1947) * ''

The Other Love ''The Other Love'' is a 1947 American film noir drama romance film directed by Andre DeToth and starring Barbara Stanwyck, David Niven, and Richard Conte. Written by Ladislas Fodor and Harry Brown based on the story "Beyond" by Erich Maria Remar ...

'' (1947) * '' Pitfall'' (1948) * '' Slattery's Hurricane'' (1949) * '' Man in the Saddle'' (1951) * ''

Carson City Carson City is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the sixth largest city in Nevada. The majority of the city's population lives in Eagle Valley, on th ...

'' (1952) * ''

Springfield Rifle The term Springfield rifle may refer to any one of several types of small arms produced by the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, for the United States armed forces. In modern usage, the term "Springfield rifle" most commonly refer ...

'' (1952) * '' Last of the Comanches'' (1953) * '' House of Wax'' (1953) * '' The Stranger Wore a Gun'' (1953) * '' Thunder Over the Plains'' (1953) * '' Crime Wave'' (1954) * ''

Tanganyika Tanganyika may refer to: Places * Tanganyika Territory (1916–1961), a former British territory which preceded the sovereign state * Tanganyika (1961–1964), a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania * Tanzania Main ...

'' (1954) * '' Riding Shotgun'' (1954) * '' The Bounty Hunter'' (1954) * '' The Indian Fighter'' (1955) * ''

Hidden Fear ''Hidden Fear'' is a 1957 American film noir crime film directed by Andre DeToth, starring John Payne. It was filmed on location in Copenhagen, Denmark. Plot Mike Brent is an American police detective. When his sister is arrested on a charge o ...

'' (1957) * '' Monkey on My Back'' (1957) * '' The Two-Headed Spy'' (1958) * '' Day of the Outlaw'' (1959) * '' Man on a String'' (1960) * ''

Morgan, the Pirate ''Morgan, the Pirate'' ( it, Morgan il pirata) is a 1960 Italian-French international co-production historical adventure film, directed by André de Toth and Primo Zeglio, and starring Steve Reeves as Sir Henry Morgan, the pirate who became the s ...

'' (Italian title: ''Morgan il pirata'') (1960) * '' The Mongols'' (Italian title: ''I mongoli'') (1961) * ''

Lawrence of Arabia Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

'' (1962) (second unit director only - uncredited) * '' Gold for the Caesars'' (Italian title: ''Oro per i Cesari'') (1963) * ''

Play Dirty ''Play Dirty'' is a 1969 British war film starring Michael Caine, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Green and Harry Andrews. It was director Andre DeToth's last film, based on a screenplay by Melvyn Bragg and Lotte Colin. The film's story is inspired by ...

'' (1968) * ''

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

'' (1978) (second unit director only - uncredited)

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:DeToth, Andre 1913 births 2002 deaths American film directors Hungarian film directors Western (genre) film directors 20th-century American memoirists Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Deaths from aneurysm English-language film directors Hungarian emigrants to the United States Hungarian nobility Horror film directors American people with disabilities