The Hungarian founders of Hollywood

Hungarians have made a huge impact on the scientific and artistic scene of the past couple centuries. Szeretlek Magyarország has collected some of the most significant entrepreneurs, directors and actors who have contributed to the development of the film industry in Hollywood.

If we started enumerating and listing all those Hungarian scientists, mathematicians, medics, artists, actors who have left a significant mark on the world, then we’d be sitting here for hours. However, let’s just focus on one profession: filmmaking.

There are numerous actors of Hungarian origins, as you can learn from our previous articles, but did you know that in some way Hungarians invented Hollywood? Yes, it’s true! This view was widely shared in the USA in the previous century. It was even claimed that the celebrity status, modern film distribution and the latest cinema networks were all invented by Hungarians.

Some even go as far as to say that the word ‘movie’ derives from the Hungarian word ‘mozi’ which means ‘cinema’ in English.

If we take a look at the facts and not just the urban legends, there are two people whose names cannot be missed: Adolph Zukor and William Fox. What’s the connection, you might ask? Well, both have Hungarian roots.

Zukor and Fox each established such film corporations that later became the United States’ biggest and most powerful companies.

Zukor founded Paramount Pictures, while Fox founded Fox (today: 20^th Centuries Fox).

Adolph Zukor, the king of Paramount Pictures

Adolph Zukor (in Hungarian Zukor Adolf) (Ricse, January 7, 1873 – Los Angeles, June 10, 1976) was a producer with Hungarian origins, also the founder of Paramount Pictures, one of the pioneers of the Hollywood film industry. Born as the son of a village grocer, Zukor left school after four years and continued as an apprentice at a grocery store.

When his parents died in 1888, the fifteen-year-old boy immigrated to the USA. He began his journey with zero knowledge of English and only 25 dollars in his pockets.

No one had his back, no one helped him, so he had to be diligent and hard-working, taking up all sorts of work he was able to do.

He worked at a furrier shop in New York and in Chicago, and after having saved enough money, he opened his own shop.

He saw his first film when he was 20, and fell in love with the genre immediately. He also had a good eye for business and saw the opportunity in it. Next year, he partnered with a nickelodeon (these were small booths, where cheap short films were screened) and started expanding his network with his partner.

However, he had to take a risk to climb higher on the ladder and have a chance against his film rivals, so in 1912 he put his money on the French film,

Les Amours de la Reine Élisabeth (Queen Elizabeth) and bought the American rights for it.

It was a successful hit, and since Zukor was its only distributor, he made a lot of money on it.

It was already in 1912 when he founded the forerunner of Paramount, Famous Players in Famous Plays Company. He hired the best actors to bring classics to the screen and shot films such as The Count of Monte Cristo (1913). By 1914, his company was able to produce a yearly 30 films, and Zukor opened the Standard cinema palace on the Broadway, New York, which hosted 3500 people.

He rented the storage of an orange farm in the outskirts of Los Angeles, called Hollywood. This is where he set up his first studio. Zukor’s company employed such brilliant actors as Douglas Fairbanks, John Barrymore (Drew Barrymore’s grandfather), Pola Negri, Gloria Swanson, Clara Bow, Adolphe Menjou, Rudolph Valentino, Gary Cooper.

Zukor was a tough businessman, crushing his rivals.

The actors had to sign exclusive contracts. Zukor realised quickly that the interest of the audience lies in the big names.

In 1916, Zukor’s company merged with Jesse L. Lasky’s, with Feature Film Company, having Zukor at its head. He managed to get Lasky’s company near bankruptcy, this is how he got the rights to this company. However, the newly merged company’s success was shattered by the Great Depression.

Still, Paramount survived even the gravest times and arose stronger than ever: in 1940 they teamed up with ABC.

Adolph Zukor won an Academy Award in 1949 for his achieved work. 17 years later, in 1966, his company was taken up by Gulf and Western Industries, placing Zukor at its head as an honorary manager.