# Michael Curtiz filmography

Michael Curtiz (1886–1962) was a Hungarian-born American film director whose career spanned from 1912 to 1961. During this period, he directed 178 films. He began his cinematic career in Hungary, then moved to Austria, and, finally, to the United States. As his biographer, Alan K. Rode, notes, "A cinematic pioneer, Curtiz made a seamless transition from hand-cranking cameras in silent films to directing the first sound feature where the characters spoke their parts. He led the way in two- and three-color Technicolor, directed the first motion-picture produced in VistaVision, and worked extensively in CinemaScope." Rode also notes that "he helmed rousing adventures, westerns, musicals, war movies, romances, historical dramas, horror films, tearjerkers, melodramas, comedies, spectacles, and film noirs".
Born in Budapest, Curtiz graduated from Hungary's Royal Academy of Theatre and Art in 1906. After six years as a stage actor and director, he joined the nascent Hungarian film industry. His first film credit was the 1912 drama, Maés Holnap ("Today and Tomorrow"). In 1913, after directing several films, Curtiz traveled to Denmark to hone his skills as an apprentice for director August Blom. Returning to Hungary, he became a freelance director for several film companies. In 1919, Curtiz immigrated to Vienna, and became one of Austria's top film directors. His first film there was Die Dame Mit Dem Schwarzen Handschuh ("The Lady with the Black Gloves", 1919), starring his wife, Lucy Doraine. Among his subsequent Austrian films were the two-part epic Sodom and Gomorrah (1922), and Die Sklavenkönigin ("The Slave Queen", 1924). The latter film was released in the United Kingdom as The Moon of Israel. Harry Warner, one of the founders of Warner Bros., instructed his brother, Jack, to view the film. After doing so, they were impressed enough to offer Curtiz a contract to direct in the United States.
In 1926, Curtiz began his American career with The Third Degree, starring Dolores Costello. He followed this with several more films starring her, including the part-talking biblical epic Noah's Ark (1928). In 1932 and 1933, respectively, Curtiz directed the two-color Technicolor horror films Doctor X and Mystery of the Wax Museum, both starring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray. In 1935, Curtiz directed the swashbuckling adventure Captain Blood, which made major stars of Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. He followed this with several move adventure films starring them, including The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and Dodge City (1939), and Flynn in The Sea Hawk (1940). During this period, Curtiz also made the gangster films, Kid Galahad (1937), starring Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart, and Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) with James Cagney and Bogart, and the dramatic film Four Daughters (1938), which brought stardom to John Garfield. In 1941, Curtiz directed Robinson and Garfield in The Sea Wolf. During the war years (1941–1945), Curtiz directed James Cagney and Joan Crawford into Academy Award-winning performances with, respectively, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and Mildred Pierce (1945). In between these, Curtiz directed his magnum opus, Casablanca (1942), with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Curtiz's only Academy Award for Best Director.
In the post-war years, Curtiz directed Life with Father (1947), an adaptation of a popular Broadway play, and the film noir The Unsuspected (1948), his first film by his own production company. For his company, he also produced, and directed, Romance on the High Seas (1948), a musical which marked the film debut of Doris Day. Curtiz eventually disbanded his company, and remained a contract director with Warner Bros. until 1954. Among his later films under his Warners contract was another film noir, The Breaking Point, starring John Garfield. After leaving Warner Bros., Curtiz directed White Christmas (1954) for Paramount Pictures, the first film in VistaVision and the highest-grossing film in his career. Also for Paramount, he directed the Elvis Presley vehicle, King Creole (1958). In 1961, Curtiz directed his final film, The Comancheros, with John Wayne.
For his contribution to cinema, Curtiz was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the 1998 and 2007 listings of the American Film Institute's Greatest American Films, Casablanca ranked, respectively, in second and third place, while Yankee Doodle Dandy ranked 100 on the first list, and 98 on the second. As of 2018, four films directed by Curtiz have been added to the National Film Registry: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, and Yankee Doodle Dandy.

## Filmography

The filmography of Michael Curtiz is derived from the one presented in the biography by Alan K. Rode.

### Hungarian films: 1912–1913

Michael Curtiz was born Mano Kaminer in Budapest in 1886. In 1906, he graduated from Hungary's Royal Academy of Theatre and Art. Under the stage name of Mihály Kertész, he established himself as a stage actor, performing in classical and modern theatrical dramas. Eventually, he turned to director as well. In 1912, Kertész entered Hungary's motion picture industry, as an actor and director for the Projectograph Film Company. His first film for them was also the company's initial feature. All of Curtiz's films from this period are lost.
Hungarian films: 1912–1913 :
| Year | Title | Title | Function | Function | Notes | Ref. |
| Year | Original | English translation | Director | Other | Notes | Ref. |
| 1912 | Ma és holnap | "Today and Tomorrow" | Yes | Yes | Projectograph Production; Curtiz wrote the screenplay for this film, and also played a supporting role | |
| 1913 | Krausz doktor a vérpadon | "Doctor Krausz on the Scaffold" | Yes | | Projectograph Production; a "sketch film" | |
| 1913 | Gyerünk csak | "Come On" | Yes | | Projectograph Production; a "sketch film" | |
| 1913 | Házasodik az uram | "My Husband's Getting Married" | Yes | | Projectograph Production; a "sketch film" | |

### Danish film: 1913

In July 1913, Kertész left Hungary, and travelled to Denmark to train as a film director. There, he went to work for the Nordisk Film Company, as an assistant director to August Blom.
Danish film: 1913 :
| Year | Title | Function | Function | Notes | Ref. |
| Year | Title | Director | Other | Notes | Ref. |
| 1913 | Atlantis | | Yes | Nordisk Films Kompagni Production (Denmark); directed by August Blom; Curtiz played a supporting role in the film, and was also an assistant director; prints survive | |

### Hungarian films: 1914–1919

After six months in Denmark, Mihály Kertész returned to Hungary. There, he returned as a film director, alternating between the Projectograph, Uher, and Kino-Riport companies. With the coming of World War I in 1914, Kertész was called up by the Austro-Hungarian army, and served as an artillery officer. After being discharged in 1915, he resumed film-making, and married actress Lucy Doraine, who would star in several of his films. In 1917, a new film company, Phönix-Film, was formed by the merger of Projectagraph and Star-Film Productions. Kertész served as their head of production until 1919. Except where noted, all of the films from this period are lost.
Hungarian films: 1914–1919 :
| Year | Title | Title | Function | Function | Notes | Ref. |
| Year | Original | English translation | Director | Other | Notes | Ref. |
| 1913 | Mozikirály | "Movie King" | Yes | | Projectograph Production; features Sári Fedák; a "sketch film" | |
| 1913 | Az Utolsó Bohém | "The Last Bohemian" | Yes | | Projectograph Production; a "sketch film" | |
| 1913 | Rablélek | "Captive Souls" | Yes | | Projectograph Production; features Sári Fedák | |
| 1914 | Az Aranyásó | "The Golddigger" | Yes | | A "sketch film"; scenario by Ferenc Molnár; loosely based on a story by Bret Harte | |
| 1914 | A Hercegnó Pongtolája | "The Princess in a Nightrobe" | Yes | | Kino-Riport Production; "sketch film" | |
| 1914 | Az Éjzaka Katona | "Prisoner of the Night" | Yes | Yes | Projectograph Production; Curtiz acted in this film, and wrote the screenplay, as well as directed | |
| 1914 | A Szökött Katona | "The Escaped Soldier" | Yes | | Miklỏs Pảstory Production; screenplay by Miklós Pásztory | |
| 1914 | A Kölcsönkért Csecsemök | "The Borrowed Babies" | Yes | | Jenő Janovics Production; based on the stage play Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo | |
| 1914 | A Tolonc | "The Undesirable" | Yes | | Jenő Janovics Production; with Lili Berky and Victor Varconi; prints survive | |
| 1914 | Bánk Bán | "Bánk the Regent" | Yes | | Jenő Janovics Production; based on the play by Ferenc Erkel | |
| 1914 | Sarga Liliom | "Yellow Lily" | | Yes | Directed by Fẻlix Vanyl; Curtiz played a supporting role in this film | |
| 1915 | A Paradicsom | "The Tomato" | Yes | | Projectograph Production; a "sketch film" | |
| 1915 | Akit Ketten Szeretnek | "One Who Is Loved By Two" | Yes | Yes | Projectograph Production; a "sketch film"; Curtiz starred, as well as directed | |
| 1915 | Cox És Box | "Cox and Box" | | Yes | Proja Films; directed by Márton Garas; Curtiz played a supporting role in this film | |
| 1916 | A Bánat Assonya | "Melancholy Lady" | Yes | Yes | Screenplay by Curtiz | |
| 1916 | Makkhetes | "Seven of Spades" | Yes | | Kino-Riport Production | |
| 1916 | A Karthausi | "The Carthusians" | Yes | | Star-Film Production | |
| 1916 | A Doktor Úr | "Mr. Doctor" | Yes | | Kino-Riport Production; based on a play by Ferenc Molnár | |
| 1916 | Az Ezüst Kecske | "The Medic" | Yes | | Kino-Riport Production; based on a novel by Sándor Bródy | |
| 1916 | A Farkas | "The Wolf" | Yes | Yes | Kino-Riport Production; with Victor Varconi and Lucy Doraine; screenplay by Curtiz and Ladislaus Vajda | |
| 1916 | A Fekete Szivárvány | "The Black Rainbow" | Yes | | Kino-Riport Production; with Vilma Medgyaszay | |
| 1916 | A Magyar Föld Ereje | "The Strength of the Fatherland" | Yes | | A propaganda film for the Hungarian Red Cross | |
| 1916 | Károly és Zita királyné koronázása Budapesten | "The Coronation of King Charles IV and Queen Zita in Budapest" | | Yes | A depiction of the coronation of the last Habsburg monarchs; Curtiz may have directed this film, and is seen filming a parade; prints survive | |
| 1917 | Halálcsengö | "The Death-Bell" | Yes | | Star-Film Production | |
| 1917 | Zoárd Mester | "Master Zoard" | Yes | Yes | Phönix-Film Production; screenplay by Curtiz | |
| 1917 | Tatárjárás | "Tartar Invasion" | Yes | Yes | Glória-Film Production; screenplay by Curtiz; a four-minute fragment survives | |
| 1917 | Az Árendás Zsidó | "Jean the Tenant" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production | |
| 1917 | A Kuruzsló | "The Charlatan" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; based on a play by Imre Földes; remade by Curtiz as Namenlos ("Nameless", 1923) and Alias the Doctor (1933) | |
| 1917 | A Senki Fia | "Nobody's Son" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production | |
| 1917 | A Szentjóbi Erdö Titka | "Secret of St. Job Forest" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; features Dezső Kertész (a.k.a. David Curtiz), the brother of Michael Curtiz | |
| 1917 | Az Utolsó Hajnal | "The Last Dawn" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; based on a novel by Alfred Deutsch-German; prints survive | |
| 1917 | A Föld Embere | "The Man Of The Earth" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Oscar Beregi | |
| 1917 | A Vörös Sámson | "The Red Samson" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Tivadar Uray | |
| 1917 | A Béke Útja | "Peace's Road" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; short film | |
| 1918 | Tavasz A Télben | "Spring in Winter" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production | |
| 1918 | A Csúnya Fiú | "The Ugly Boy" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production | |
| 1918 | Egy Krajcár Története | "The Story Of A Kreutzer" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production | |
| 1918 | Az Ezredes | "The Colonel" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Bela Lugosi | |
| 1918 | Lulu | "Lulu" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Bela Lugosi | |
| 1918 | 99 | "99" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi and Bela Lugosi | |
| 1918 | Az Ördög | "The Devil" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi; from a story by Ferenc Molnár | |
| 1918 | A Skorpió I | "The Scorpion, Part I" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi | |
| 1918 | A Skorpió II | "The Scorpion, Part II" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi; a three-minute excerpt survives | |
| 1918 | Júdás | "The Judas" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Leopold Kramer | |
| 1918 | Gróf Monte Cristo | "The Count Of Monte Cristo" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas; unfinished film | |
| 1918 | Ocskay Brigadéros | "The Ocksay Brigadier" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Victor Varconi; based on a story by Ferenc Herczeg; unfinished film | |
| 1918 | A Napraforgós Hölgy | "The Sunflower Woman" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production; with Lucy Doraine; unfinished film | |
| 1918 | Varázskeringö | "Magic Waltz" | Yes | Yes | Semper Films Production; with Victor Varconi; screenplay by Curtiz | |
| 1918 | Lu, A Kokott | "Lu, the Coquette" | Yes | Yes | Semper Films Production; screenplay by Curtiz | |
| 1918 | A Víg Özvegy | "The Merry Widow" | Yes | Yes | Semper Films Production; with Victor Varconi; screenplay by Curtiz; based on the operetta by Franz Lehár | |
| 1919 | Alraune | "Alraune" | Yes | | Phönix-Film Production | |
| 1919 | Jön az öcsém | "My Brother Is Coming" | Yes | | A short film with Oscar Beregi and Lucy Doraine; prints survive | |
| 1919 | Liliom | "Liliom" | Yes | | Based on the play by Ferenc Molnár; unfinished when Curtiz left Budapest for Vienna | |

### Austrian films: 1919–1926

In 1919, a communist government was established for a brief time in Hungary. This prompted Kertész to migrate to Austria, where he began working for the Sascha-Film Company. By the end of 1920, he had established himself as the company's top director. As in Hungary, his wife, Lucy Doraine, appeared in several of his Austrian films. They divorced in 1923. Except where noted, the films from this period survive, and were made for the Sascha-Film Company.
Austrian films: 1919–1926 :
| Year | Title | Title | Function | Function | Notes | Ref. |
| Year | Original | English translation | Director | Other | Notes | Ref. |
| 1919 | Die Dame Mit Dem Schwarzen Handschuh | "The Lady with the Black Gloves" | Yes | Yes | With Lucy Doraine; screenplay by Curtiz; lost | |
| 1919 | Boccaccio | "Boccaccio" | Yes | | With Paul Lukas; lost | |
| 1920 | Der Stern Von Damaskus | "The Star of Damascus" | Yes | Yes | With Lucy Doraine; screenplay by Curtiz; lost | |
| 1920 | Die Gottesgeißel | "The Scourge of God" | Yes | Yes | With Lucy Doraine; screenplay by Curtiz; sequel to The Star of Damascus; lost | |
| 1920 | Die Dame Mit Den Sonnenblumen | "The Sunflower Lady" | Yes | Yes | With Lucy Doraine; screenplay by Curtiz; lost | |
| 1920 | Mrs. Tutti Frutti | "Mrs. Tutti Frutti" | Yes | | With Lucy Doraine | |
| 1920 | Cherchez La Femme! | "Look For The Woman" | Yes | | With Lucy Doraine | |
| 1921 | Frau Dorothys Bekenntnis | "Madame Dorothy's Confession" | Yes | | With Lucy Doraine | |
| 1921 | Labyrinth Des Grauen | "Labyrinth of Horror" | Yes | | With Lucy Doraine | |
| 1921 | Drakula halála | "The Death of Dracula" | | Yes | Lapa Studios / Corvin Studios; directed Károly Lajthay; David Curtiz (brother of Michael Curtiz) has a supporting role; screenplay by Curtiz; based on the novel by Bram Stoker; lost | |
| 1922 | Sodom Und Gomorrah Part I: Die Sünde Part II: Die Strafe | "Sodom and Gomorrah" Part I:"The Sin" Part II: "The Punishment" | Yes | Yes | Screenplay by Ladislaus Vajda and Curtiz; with Lucy Doraine, Walter Slezak, and Victor Varconi; an epic film shown in two parts | |
| 1922 | Samson und Delila | "Samson and Delilah" | | Yes | Vita-Film Production; produced by Alexander Korda; with María Corda; Curtiz is credited as costume designer | |
| 1923 | Der Junge Medardus | "Young Medardus" | Yes | | with Victor Varconi; screenplay by Ladislaus Vajda | |
| 1923 | Die Lawine | "Avalanche" | Yes | | With Victor Varconi and Mary Kid; screenplay by Ladislaus Vajda | |
| 1923 | Namenlos | "Nameless" | Yes | | With Victor Varconi and Mary Kid; screenplay by Ladislaus Vajda; a remake of Curtiz's The Charlatan; filmed again by him as Alias the Doctor (1932); lost | |
| 1924 | Ein Spiel Ums Leben | "A Deadly Game" | Yes | | With Mary Kid; lost | |
| 1924 | General Babka | "General Babka" | Yes | | "No information available" | |
| 1924 | Die Sklavenkönigin | "The Slave Queen" | Yes | | A co-production of Sascha-Film (Austria) and Stoll Pictures (England); with María Corda; based on the novel by H. Rider Haggard; released in the United States as Moon of Israel | |
| 1925 | Das Spielzeug von Paris | "The Toy of Paris" | Yes | Yes | With Lili Damita; screenplay by Curtiz; based on a novel by Margery Lawrence; released in the United States as Red Heels | |
| 1926 | Fiaker Nr. 13 | "Cab No. 13" | Yes | | With Lili Damita | |
| 1926 | Der Goldene Schmetterling | "The Golden Butterfly" | Yes | | With Lili Damita and Nils Asther; released in the United States as The Road to Happiness | |

### American films – the Warner Bros. years: 1926–1953

In 1926, Mihály Kertész accepted an offer from Warner Bros. to come to the United States, and direct films. He arrived that June, and anglicized his name to Michael Curtiz. He would remain at Warners for 28 years. During that time, he directed 87 films, married screenwriter Bess Meredyth in 1929, and became an American citizen in 1936. Except where indicated, all of Curtiz's Warner Bros. films survive.
American films – the Warner Bros. years: 1926–1953 :
| Year | Title | Function | Function | Notes | Ref. |
| Year | Title | Director | Other | Notes | Ref. |
| 1926 | The Third Degree | Yes | | With Dolores Costello and Jason Robards; based on a play by Charles Klein; previously filmed in 1913 and 1919 | |
| 1927 | A Million Bid | Yes | | With Dolores Costello, Warner Oland, Malcolm McGregor | |
| 1927 | The Desired Woman | Yes | | With Irene Rich, William Russell, and William Collier Jr.; screenplay by Darryl F. Zanuck; lost film | |
| 1927 | Good Time Charley | Yes | | With Helene Costello, Warner Oland, and Clyde Cook | |
| 1928 | Tenderloin | Yes | | With Dolores Costello, Conrad Nagel, George E. Stone; story by "Melville Crossman"; part-talking; lost film | |
| 1928 | Noah's Ark | Yes | | With Dolores Costello, George O'Brien, Noah Beery, Guinn Williams, and Myrna Loy; screenplay by Darryl F. Zanuck | |
| 1929 | Glad Rag Doll | Yes | | With Dolores Costello, Ralph Graves, and Audrey Ferris; all-talking film; lost film | |
| 1929 | Madonna of Avenue A | Yes | | With Dolores Costello, Grant Withers, Douglas Gerrard; part-talking; lost film | |
| 1929 | The Gamblers | Yes | | With H. B. Warner, Lois Wilson, Jason Robards; lost film | |
| 1929 | Hearts in Exile | Yes | | With Dolores Costello, Grant Withers, James Kirkwood; all-talkie; an alternate ending was shot for the film's European release; lost film | |
| 1930 | Mammy | Yes | | With Al Jolson, Lois Moran, Louise Dresser, Lowell Sherman; based on an unproduced play by Irving Berlin and James Gleason; part-Technicolor | |
| 1930 | Under a Texas Moon | Yes | | With Frank Fay, Raquel Torres, Myrna Loy, Noah Beery; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1930 | The Matrimonial Bed | Yes | | With Frank Fay, Lilyan Tashman, James Gleason | |
| 1930 | Bright Lights | Yes | | With Dorothy Mackaill, Frank Fay, Noah Beery; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1930 | River's End | Yes | | With Charles Bickford, Evalyn Knapp, J. Farrell MacDonald; based on a novel by James Oliver Curwood | |
| 1930 | A Soldier's Plaything | Yes | | With Lotti Loder, Harry Langdon, Ben Lyon; filmed in the Vitascope wide-screen process, but released in standard 35mm | |
| 1931 | Dämon des Meers ["Demon of the Sea"] | Yes | | With Wilhelm Dieterle; a German-language version of Moby Dick, directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring John Barrymore | |
| 1931 | God's Gift to Women | Yes | | With Frank Fay, Laura La Plante, Joan Blondell | |
| 1931 | The Mad Genius | Yes | | With John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, Charles Butterworth, Boris Karloff | |
| 1932 | The Woman from Monte Carlo | Yes | | With Lil Dagover, Walter Huston, Warren William | |
| 1932 | Alias the Doctor | Yes | | With Richard Barthelmess, Marian Marsh, Norman Foster; previously filmed by Curtiz as The Charlatan (1917) and Nameless (1923) | |
| 1932 | The Strange Love of Molly Louvain | Yes | | With Ann Dvorak, Lee Tracy, Richard Cromwell | |
| 1932 | Doctor X | Yes | | With Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Lee Tracy; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1932 | The Cabin in the Cotton | Yes | | With Richard Barthelmess, Dorothy Jordan, Bette Davis; based on a novel by Harry Harrison Kroll | |
| 1932 | 20,000 Years in Sing Sing | Yes | | With Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis; based on the book by Lewis E. Lawes | |
| 1933 | Mystery of the Wax Museum | Yes | | With Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1933 | The Keyhole | Yes | | With Kay Francis, George Brent, Glenda Farrell | |
| 1933 | Private Detective 62 | Yes | | With William Powell, Margaret Lindsay, Ruth Donnelly | |
| 1933 | The Mayor of Hell | | Yes | Directed by Archie Mayo; with James Cagney, Madge Evans, Arthur Byron; Curtiz directed ten hours of retakes on this film | |
| 1933 | Goodbye Again | Yes | | With Warren William, Joan Blondell, Genevieve Tobin | |
| 1933 | The Kennel Murder Case | Yes | | With William Powell (as Philo Vance), Mary Astor, Eugene Pallette; based on the novel by S. S. Van Dine | |
| 1933 | Female | Yes | | With Ruth Chatterton, George Brent, Lois Wilson; originally begun with William Dieterle directing; William A. Wellman took over for a while when Dieterle became ill, then Curtiz took over when Wellman was assigned to directing College Coach | |
| 1934 | Mandalay | Yes | | With Kay Francis, Ricardo Cortez, Warner Oland | |
| 1934 | Jimmy the Gent | Yes | | With James Cagney, Bette Davis, Allen Jenkins | |
| 1934 | The Key | Yes | | With William Powell, Edna Best, Colin Clive | |
| 1934 | British Agent | Yes | | With Leslie Howard, Kay Francis, William Gargan; based on a book by R. H. Bruce Lockhart | |
| 1935 | Black Fury | Yes | | With Paul Muni, Karen Morley, William Gargan; based on a short story by Michael Musmanno | |
| 1935 | The Case of the Curious Bride | Yes | | With Warren William (as Perry Mason), Margaret Lindsay, Donald Woods, Claire Dodd; based on the novel by Erle Stanley Gardner; Errol Flynn has a small role in this film | |
| 1935 | Go Into Your Dance | | Yes | Directed by Archie Mayo; with Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Glenda Farrell; Curtiz directed six scenes in this film, along with some retakes | |
| 1935 | Front Page Woman | Yes | | With Bette Davis, George Brent, Roscoe Karns; based on a short story by Richard Macaulay | |
| 1935 | Little Big Shot | Yes | | With Sybil Jason, Glenda Farrell, Robert Armstrong, Edward Everett Horton | |
| 1935 | Captain Blood | Yes | | With Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Lionel Atwill, Basil Rathbone, Guy Kibbee; based on the novel Captain Blood: His Odyssey by Rafael Sabatini | |
| 1936 | The Walking Dead | Yes | | With Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez, Edmund Gwenn, Marguerite Churchill | |
| 1936 | Anthony Adverse | | Yes | Directed by Mervyn LeRoy; with Fredric March, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Woods, Claude Rains, Gale Sondergaard; based on the novel by Hervey Allen; Curtiz directed the opening sequence | |
| 1936 | The Charge of the Light Brigade | Yes | | With Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Patric Knowles; based on the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson | |
| 1937 | Black Legion | | Yes | Directed by Archie Mayo; with Humphrey Bogart, Dick Foran, Erin O'Brien-Moore; Curtiz directed some additional scenes, two months after principal production had ended | |
| 1937 | Stolen Holiday | Yes | | With Kay Francis, Claude Rains, Ian Hunter | |
| 1937 | Marked Woman | | Yes | Directed by Lloyd Bacon; with Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Lola Lane; Curtiz finished this film when Lloyd Bacon went on his honeymoon | |
| 1937 | Mountain Justice | Yes | | With Josephine Hutchinson, George Brent, Guy Kibbee; loosely based on the true story of Edith Maxwell | |
| 1937 | Kid Galahad | Yes | | With Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Wayne Morris, Harry Carey; based on a story by Francis Wallace | |
| 1937 | The Perfect Specimen | Yes | | With Errol Flynn, Joan Blondell, Hugh Herbert | |
| 1938 | Gold Is Where You Find It | Yes | | With George Brent, Olivia de Havilland, Claude Rains, Tim Holt; based on a novel by Clements Ripley; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1938 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Yes | | Co-directed with William Keighley; with Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Alan Hale, Eugene Pallette, Patric Knowles; Curtiz replaced Keighley as the film's director; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1938 | Four's a Crowd | Yes | | With Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Rosalind Russell, Patric Knowles | |
| 1938 | Four Daughters | Yes | | With Claude Rains, Jeffrey Lynn, John Garfield; based on a short story by Fannie Hurst | |
| 1938 | Angels with Dirty Faces | Yes | | With James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan | |
| 1939 | Blackwell's Island | | Yes | Directed by William McGann; with John Garfield, Rosemary Lane, Dick Purcell; Curtiz directed some retakes, and added some scenes | |
| 1939 | Dodge City | Yes | | With Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Ann Sheridan; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1939 | Sons of Liberty | Yes | | Short film; with Claude Rains, Gale Sondergaard; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1939 | Daughters Courageous | Yes | | With John Garfield, Claude Rains, Jeffrey Lynn | |
| 1939 | The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex | Yes | | With Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Crisp, Alan Hale, Vincent Price; based on the play Elizabeth the Queen by Maxwell Anderson; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1939 | Four Wives | Yes | | With Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane, Claude Rains; a sequel to Four Daughters | |
| 1940 | Virginia City | Yes | | With Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, Randolph Scott, Humphrey Bogart, Alan Hale, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams; released in sepia | |
| 1940 | The Sea Hawk | Yes | | With Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Henry Daniell, Alan Hale, Flora Robson; released with a sepia sequence | |
| 1940 | Santa Fe Trail | Yes | | With Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Raymond Massey, Ronald Reagan, Alan Hale, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams; released in sepia | |
| 1941 | The Sea Wolf | Yes | | With Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino, John Garfield, Alexander Knox, Barry Fitzgerald; based on the novel by Jack London | |
| 1941 | Dive Bomber | Yes | | With Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, Ralph Bellamy, Alexis Smith; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1942 | Captains of the Clouds | Yes | | With James Cagney, Dennis Morgan, Brenda Marshall, Alan Hale; filmed in Technicolor on location in Canada | |
| 1942 | Yankee Doodle Dandy | Yes | | With James Cagney (as George M. Cohan), Joan Leslie, Walter Huston | |
| 1942 | Casablanca | Yes | | With Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, S. Z. Sakall, Dooley Wilson; based on the unproduced play Everybody Comes to Rick's by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison | |
| 1943 | Mission to Moscow | Yes | | With Walter Huston, Ann Harding, Oscar Homolka; based on the book by Joseph E. Davies | |
| 1943 | This Is the Army | Yes | | With George Murphy, Joan Leslie, Ronald Reagan; songs by Irving Berlin; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1944 | Passage to Marseille | Yes | | With Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Michèle Morgan, Philip Dorn, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre; based on the novel Men Without Country by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall | |
| 1944 | Janie | Yes | | With Robert Hutton, Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Joyce Reynolds; based on the play by Josephine Bentham and Herschel V. Williams Jr. | |
| 1945 | Roughly Speaking | Yes | Yes | With Rosalind Russell, Jack Carson, Robert Hutton, Alan Hale; Curtiz has a one-line bit part in the film | |
| 1945 | Mildred Pierce | Yes | | With Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Ann Blyth, Eve Arden; based on the novel by James M. Cain | |
| 1946 | Night and Day | Yes | | With Cary Grant (as Cole Porter), Alexis Smith, Monty Woolley; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1947 | Life with Father | Yes | | With William Powell, Irene Dunne, Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund Gwenn, Jimmy Lydon, ZaSu Pitts; based on the play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1947 | The Unsuspected | Yes | Yes | A Michael Curtiz Production; with Joan Caulfield, Claude Rains, Audrey Totter, Constance Bennett, Hurd Hatfield; based on a story by Charlotte Armstrong | |
| 1948 | Romance on the High Seas | Yes | Yes | A Michael Curtiz Production; with Jack Carson, Janis Paige, Don DeFore, Doris Day, Oscar Levant, S. Z. Sakall; filmed in Technicolor; Doris Day's film debut | |
| 1949 | My Dream Is Yours | Yes | Yes | A Michael Curtiz Production; with Jack Carson, Doris Day, Lee Bowman; features a cartoon sequence with Bugs Bunny and Tweety; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1949 | Flamingo Road | Yes | Yes | A Michael Curtiz Production; with Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott, Sydney Greenstreet; based on the play by Sally and Robert Wilder | |
| 1949 | The Lady Takes a Sailor | Yes | | With Jane Wyman, Dennis Morgan, Eve Arden | |
| 1949 | It's a Great Feeling | | Yes | Directed by David Butler; with Dennis Morgan, Doris Day, Jack Carson; Curtiz makes a cameo appearance as himself; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1950 | Young Man with a Horn | Yes | | With Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, Doris Day, Hoagy Carmichael, Juano Hernandez; loosely based on the life of Bix Beiderbecke | |
| 1950 | Bright Leaf | Yes | | With Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall, Patricia Neal; based on a novel by Foster Fitzsimmons | |
| 1950 | The Breaking Point | Yes | | With John Garfield, Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter, Juano Hernandez; based on the novel To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway | |
| 1951 | Force of Arms | Yes | | With William Holden, Nancy Olson, Frank Lovejoy | |
| 1951 | Jim Thorpe – All-American | Yes | | With Burt Lancaster (as Jim Thorpe), Charles Bickford, Steve Cochran, Phyllis Thaxter | |
| 1951 | I'll See You in My Dreams | Yes | | With Doris Day, Danny Thomas (as Gus Kahn), Frank Lovejoy, Patrice Wymore | |
| 1952 | She's Working Her Way Through College | | Yes | Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone; with Virginia Mayo, Ronald Reagan, Gene Nelson; Curtiz took over direction, while Humberstone recovered from the flu; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1952 | The Story of Will Rogers | Yes | | With Will Rogers Jr. (as his father), Jane Wyman, Carl Benton Reid; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1952 | The Jazz Singer | Yes | | With Danny Thomas, Peggy Lee, Mildred Dunnock; based on the play by Samson Raphaelson; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1953 | Trouble Along the Way | Yes | | With John Wayne, Donna Reed, Charles Coburn | |
| 1954 | The Boy from Oklahoma | Yes | | With Will Rogers Jr., Nancy Olson, Lon Chaney Jr.; filmed in WarnerColor | |

### American films – the final years: 1954–1961

In 1954, Curtiz left Warner Bros., and spend the remaining years of his career working for various studios, notably Paramount and 20th Century-Fox. In 1961, during production of his final film, The Comancheros, Curtiz learned that he was suffering from incurable cancer. He died the following year.
American films – the final years: 1954–1961 :
| Year | Title | Function | Function | Notes | Ref. |
| Year | Title | Director | Other | Notes | Ref. |
| 1954 | White Christmas | Yes | | Paramount Pictures; with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger; the most financially successful film of Curtiz's career; filmed in VistaVision (the first film to use this process) and Technicolor | |
| 1954 | The Egyptian | Yes | | 20th Century-Fox; with Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Peter Ustinov, Edmund Purdom; based on the novel by Mika Waltari; filmed in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color | |
| 1955 | We're No Angels | Yes | | Paramount Pictures; with Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, Peter Ustinov, Joan Bennett, Basil Rathbone; based on a play by Albert Husson; filmed in VistaVision and Technicolor | |
| 1956 | The Scarlet Hour | Yes | | Paramount Pictures; with Carol Ohmart, Tom Tryon, Jody Lawrance; filmed in VistaVision | |
| 1956 | The Vagabond King | Yes | | Paramount Pictures; with Kathryn Grayson, Oreste, Rita Moreno; filmed in VistaVision and Technicolor | |
| 1956 | The Best Things in Life Are Free | Yes | | 20th Century-Fox; with Gordon MacRae (as Buddy DeSylva), Dan Dailey (as Ray Henderson), Ernest Borgnine (as Lew Brown); filmed in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color | |
| 1957 | The Helen Morgan Story | Yes | | Warner Bros.; with Ann Blyth, Paul Newman, Richard Carlson; filmed in CinemaScope | |
| 1958 | The Proud Rebel | Yes | | Formosa Productions; distributed by Buena Vista; with Alan Ladd, Olivia de Havilland, Dean Jagger, David Ladd; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1958 | King Creole | Yes | | Paramount Pictures; with Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau, Dean Jagger, Dolores Hart, Vic Morrow; based on the novel A Stone for Danny Fisher by Harold Robbins | |
| 1959 | The Man in the Net | Yes | | The Mirisch Company; released by United Artists; with Alan Ladd, Carolyn Jones, Diane Brewster; based on the novel by Patrick Quentin | |
| 1959 | The Hangman | Yes | | Paramount Pictures; with Robert Taylor, Tina Louise, Fess Parker; based on the short story "Pull Your Freight" by Luke Short | |
| 1960 | A Breath of Scandal | Yes | | Paramount Pictures; with Sophia Loren, Maurice Chevalier, John Gavin, Angela Lansbury; based on the play Olympia by Ferenc Molnár; filmed in Technicolor | |
| 1960 | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Yes | | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; with Tony Randall, Patty McCormack, Neville Brand, Andy Devine, Buster Keaton, Eddie Hodges (as Huckleberry Finn); based on the novel by Mark Twain; filmed in CinemaScope and Metrocolor | |
| 1961 | Francis of Assisi | Yes | | 20th Century-Fox; with Bradford Dillman (as Francis of Assisi), Dolores Hart, Stuart Whitman; based on the book The Joyful Beggar by Louis de Wohl; filmed in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color | |
| 1961 | The Comancheros | Yes | | 20th Century-Fox; with John Wayne, Stuart Whitman, Ina Balin, Lee Marvin; based on a novel by Paul Wellman; John Wayne took over direction for a while when Curtiz was ill; filmed in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color | |

## Awards and honors
### Academy Awards

Listed below are all the films directed by Michael Curtiz that received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, or Best Supporting Actress.
Academy Awards :
| Year | Category | Nominee | Film | Result | Notes |
| 1935 (8th) | Best Picture | Hal B. Wallis, Harry Joe Brown, and Gordon Hollingshead for Warner Bros. and Cosmopolitan | Captain Blood | Nominated | Mutiny on the Bounty won |
| 1935 (8th) | Best Director | Michael Curtiz | Captain Blood | Nominated | John Ford won for The Informer |
| 1938 (11th) | Best Picture | Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke for Warner Bros. | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Nominated | You Can't Take It with You won |
| 1938 (11th) | Best Director | Michael Curtiz | Angels with Dirty Faces | Nominated | Frank Capra won for You Can't Take It with You |
| 1938 (11th) | Best Director | Michael Curtiz | Four Daughters | Nominated | Frank Capra won for You Can't Take It with You |
| 1938 (11th) | Best Actor | James Cagney (as Rocky Sullivan) | Angels with Dirty Faces | Nominated | Spencer Tracy won for Boys Town |
| 1938 (11th) | Best Supporting Actor | John Garfield (as Mickey Borden) | Four Daughters | Nominated | Walter Brennan won for Kentucky |
| 1939 (12th) | Best Short Film (two reels) | Warner Bros. | Sons of Liberty | Won | |
| 1942 (15th) | Best Picture | Jack L. Warner, Hal B. Wallis, and William Cagney for Warner Bros. | Yankee Doodle Dandy | Nominated | Mrs. Miniver won |
| 1942 (15th) | Best Director | Michael Curtiz | Yankee Doodle Dandy | Nominated | William Wyler won for Mrs. Miniver |
| 1942 (15th) | Best Actor | James Cagney (as George M. Cohan) | Yankee Doodle Dandy | Won | |
| 1943 (16th) | Best Picture | Hal B. Wallis for Warner Bros. | Casablanca | Won | |
| 1943 (16th) | Best Director | Michael Curtiz | Casablanca | Won | |
| 1943 (16th) | Best Actor | Humphrey Bogart (as Rick Blane) | Casablanca | Nominated | Paul Lukas won for Watch on the Rhine |
| 1945 (18th) | Best Picture | Jerry Wald for Warner Bros. | Mildred Pierce | Nominated | The Lost Weekend won |
| 1945 (18th) | Best Actress | Joan Crawford (as Mildred Pierce) | Mildred Pierce | Won | |
| 1945 (18th) | Best Supporting Actress | Eve Arden | Mildred Pierce | Nominated | Anne Revere won for National Velvet |
| 1945 (18th) | Best Supporting Actress | Ann Blyth | Mildred Pierce | Nominated | Anne Revere won for National Velvet |
| 1947 (20th) | Best Actor | William Powell (as Clarence Day) | Life with Father | Nominated | Ronald Colman won for A Double Life |

### National Film Registry

As of 2020, four films directed by Michael Curtiz have been added to the National Film Registry.
National Film Registry :
| Title | Year | Year | Ref. |
| Title | Released | Inducted | Ref. |
| The Adventures of Robin Hood | 1938 | 1995 | |
| Yankee Doodle Dandy | 1942 | 1993 | |
| Casablanca | 1942 | 1989 | |
| Mildred Pierce | 1945 | 1996 | |

### AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies

In 1998, the American Film Institute presented their list of the 100 Greatest American films. They revised the list in 2007. Two films directed by Michael Curtiz were included on the list both times.
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies :
| Year | Rank | Film |
| 1998 | 2 | Casablanca (1942) |
| 1998 | 100 | Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) |
| 2007 | 3 | Casablanca (1942) |
| 2007 | 98 | Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) |