Cornel Wilde

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Cornelius Louis Wilde (born October 13, 1915 in Priwitz , formerly Hungary , now Slovakia , † October 16, 1989 in Los Angeles ) was an American actor and film director of Hungarian origin.

Life

Cornel Wilde's maiden name was Kornel Weisz , his parents were Hungarian Jews . The father, a traveling salesman, took his son with him on trips all over Europe promoting Wilde's talent for languages. He spoke Hungarian, French, German, English, Italian and Russian. In 1920 the family emigrated to the United States. The highly intelligent Cornel finished high school at the age of 14. He started medical school and got undergraduate a year earlier than usual, but decided to take up acting. Wilde was also an excellent fencer and already had a place on the American fencing team for the 1936 Olympics , but he canceled because of a theater role. In 1940 Wilde was hired as a fencing coach for Laurence Olivier , who appeared on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet . Olivier gave his trainer the role of Tybalt, which made Hollywood aware of Wilde.

Wilde had minor roles until he played Frédéric Chopin in Polonaise in 1945 . This film, for which he received an Oscar nomination, was his breakthrough. He mostly played in adventure films (with fencing scenes of course), but also in dramas such as the classic film Mortal Sin . In 1955 Wilde founded his own film company, Theodora Productions, and produced film noirs . He took over the production, direction and leading role in the films Sturm-Angst and Der Todesmutige . The latter adventure film, in which Wilde plays a safari participant who is hunted by an African tribe, was nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay.

From 1937 to 1951 Cornel Wilde was married to the actress Patricia Knight, in 1951 he married Jean Wallace . Both marriages produced a child. The marriage to Wallace, who starred in numerous of his Theodora films, divorced in 1981.

Wilde was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .

Filmography (selection)

actor

Director

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Wilde, Cornel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wilde, Cornelius Louis (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American actor and film director
DATE OF BIRTH October 13, 1915
PLACE OF BIRTH Priwitz , formerly Hungary , now Slovakia
DATE OF DEATH October 16, 1989
Place of death Los Angeles , California , United States