Paul Lukas: Movies & Box Office

Paul Lukas was a renowned Hungarian actor born as Pál Lukács on 26 May 1894. He made his stage debut in Budapest in 1916, and began his journey in film in 1917. Initially, Lukas began his career by playing suave and sophisticated womanizers, but soon found himself being typecast as a villain. Despite this, he had a prosperous career spanning Hungary, Germany and, Austria where he had the opportunity to work with the prestigious Max Reinhardt. He moved to Hollywood in 1927 and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1937. Lukas starred in a versatile range of films throughout the 1930s, such as Rockabye, Grumpy, and Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes. His most significant film success came with Watch on the Rhine (1943), where he portrayed an anti-Nazi character, a role that granted him an Academy Award. Lukas had an active career past the 1930s, starring in Disney's film adaptation of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and others through the 1960s. Eventually, he transitioned from Hollywood to the stage and television. One notable role was the one of Cosmo Constantine in the original Broadway edition of Irving Berlin's Call Me Madam opposite Ethel Merman. This marked the only singing part in his career, making Lukas a multi-talented artist. He died in Tangier, Morocco, on 15 August 1971. Posthumously, Lukas was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.