Biography

One of a large group of Hungarian refugees who found refuge in England in the 1930s, Sir Alexander Korda was the first British film producer to receive a knighthood. He was a major, if controversial, figure and acted as a guiding force behind the British film industry of the 1930s and continued to influence British films until his death in 1956. He learned his trade by working in studios in Austria, Germany and America and was a crafty and flamboyant businessman. He started his production company, London Films, in 1933 and one of its first films The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), received an Oscar nomination as best picture and won the Best Actor Oscar for its star, Charles Laughton. Helped by his brothers Zoltan Korda (director) and Leila Rubin (art director) and other expatriate Hungarians, London Films produced some of Britain's finest films (even if they weren't all commercial successes). Korda's willingness to experiment and be daring allowed the flowering of such talents as Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and gave early breaks to people such as Laurence Olivier, David Lean and Carol Reed. Korda sold his library to television in the 1950s, thus allowing London Films' famous logo of Big Ben to become familiar to a new generation of film enthusiasts.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Crook <steve@brainstorm.co.uk>

Born near Turkeve in Hungary, Alexander was then eldest of three brothers who were to make their names independently in film. Zoltan as a director, Vincent as an Art Director who would work with Alex, and Alexander as a director, Much of their success was due to the contributions of others ,but It was Alex's domination of the British film industry that was responsible for some of the most famous films in cinematic history and the talents of many young actors and actresses who went on to be top stars in their own right, His readiness to pay top salaries ensured that top names were always available for him, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh ,Merle Oberon, Lesliue Howerd, and Ralph Richardson are just a few who he helped on their way to fame, He also helped some of the top directors such as David Lean, Carol Reed, Michael Powell and Launder and Gilliat, His talent for obtaining financial backing was second to none making other producers envious particularly when he obtained sufficient finance to enable the building of Denham Film Studios, He was for 25 years the most imaginative and courageous man to work in the British film industry and for that reason alone his name and his films deserve to be remembered in the history of British cinema.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tonyman 5