Red Carpet, Hollywood, Hungarians

We know very little about the Hungarians who went to Hollywood, although we have a lot to be proud of. Tropical Magazine talked to the founder of the Hungarian Hollywood Council, Balázs Bokor. The once consul general in Los Angeles, last year he decided to found a civil organisation that pays homage to Hollywood’s legendary Hungarian stars.

The presidency of the seven-member council is assisted by the Oscar-winning animation film director, Ferenc Rófusz as vice president, Béla Bunyik, the founding director of the Los Angeles Film Festival and Gabor Csupó, an award-winning animation film director and there is also close co-operation with the local governments.

Ricse, Tolcsva. Two of the rural places the organisation visited, commemorating the film studios William Fox in Tolcsva and Adolph Zukor in Ricse. 20th Century Fox developed from the film-theatre empire of the Hungarian producer Vilmos Fuchs in the 1930s. Adolph Zukor was born into the family of a Jewish rural grocer and later became a pioneer in Hollywood film production when he founded Paramount Pictures. It is no chance that 24 film personalities of Hungarian origin have stars on the Hollywood boulevard in Los Angeles. Alongside Zukor and Fox, one of the greatest performers of the free and modern age also has a spot on the promenade. Harry Houdini was born in the 7th district of Pest under the name Erik Weisz. The Council members commemorated him on the 143rd anniversary of his birthday and those interested visited the Houdini House in Buda Castle.