Ernest Vajda (born Ernő Vajda; 27 May 1886 in

Komárno Komárno (, , ), colloquially also called ''Révkomárom'', ''Öregkomárom'', ''Észak-Komárom'' in Hungarian language, Hungarian, is a town in Slovakia at the confluence of the Danube and the Váh rivers. Historically it was formed by the "old ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, today

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

– 3 April 1954 in

Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. History The area was inhabited for around 8,000 years by Native Americans in the United States, ...

) was a Hungarian actor, playwright, and novelist, but is more famous today for his

screenplay A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...

s. He co-wrote the screenplay for the film '' Smilin' Through'' (

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

), based on the hit play by

Jane Cowl Jane Cowl (December 14, 1883 – June 22, 1950) was an American film and Theatre, stage actress and playwright who was, in the words of author Anthony Slide, "notorious for playing tear jerkers, lachrymose parts". Actress Jane Russell was named ...

and Jane Murfin. Vajda also wrote the screenplay for the first film version of Rudolph Besier's '' The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' (

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

Partial filmography

* ''

The Unknown Tomorrow ''The Unknown Tomorrow'' (German: ''Das unbekannte Morgen'') is a 1923 German silent drama film directed by Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)The Crown of Lies'' (1926) * '' You Never Know Women'' (1926) original story * '' Service for Ladies'' (1927) original story "The Head Waiter" * '' The Woman on Trial'' (1927) * '' Manhattan Cocktail'' (1928) original story * '' A Night of Mystery'' (1928) * ''

Manhattan Cowboy ''Manhattan Cowboy'' is a 1928 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by J.P. McGowan and starring Bob Custer, Lafe McKee and Mary Mayberry.McGowan p.169 Cast * Bob Custer as Jack Steel * Lafe McKee as John Steel ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Love Parade ''The Love Parade'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code musical comedy film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, involving the marital difficulties of Queen Louise of Sylvania (MacDonal ...

'' (1929) * ''

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...

'' (1930) * '' The Smiling Lieutenant'' (1931) * '' The Guardsman'' (1931) * '' Tonight or Never'' (1931) * '' Service for Ladies'' (

) original story "The Head Waiter" * '' Payment Deferred'' (1932) * '' Monsieur Albert'' (1932) original story "The Head Waiter" * '' Broken Lullaby'' (1932) * '' Reunion in Vienna (1933) * '' The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' (1934) * ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' ( ) is an operetta by the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The Libretto, librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's ...

'' (1934) * '' A Woman Rebels'' (1936) * ''

The Great Garrick ''The Great Garrick'' is a 1937 American historical comedy film directed by James Whale and starring Brian Aherne, Olivia de Havilland, and Edward Everett Horton. The film also features Lionel Atwill, Luis Alberni, Melville Cooper, and fu ...

'' (1937) * ''

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...

'' (1938) * '' Dramatic School'' (1938) * '' He Stayed for Breakfast'' (1940) * '' Smilin' Through'' (1941) * '' Stars and Stripes Forever'' (1952)

External links

Ernest Vajda at the Film Reference
*
''New York Times'' bio
1886 births 1954 deaths Hungarian male screenwriters 20th-century Hungarian screenwriters Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States {{Hungary-writer-stub