Julie and Director, Michael Curtiz
The actor and director are pictured above on the set for THE BREAKING POINT.
Fans of Old Hollywood movies are sure to have a Michael Curtiz directed film on their lists of favorites. After all, he is impressively credited with something like 170 movies. That collection includes jewels spanning different genres such as CASABLANCA, WHITE CHRISTMAS, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES and MILDRED PIERCE.
From Robert Nott’s definitive biography, HE RAN ALL THE WAY-THE LIFE OF JOHN GARFIELD: “Despite some differences director and actor got along well. ‘You know, I'm not the kind of actor that becomes a star in Hollywood," Julie told Archer Winston. "I would normally have been a character actor, but Mike Curtiz made me a star in FOUR DAUGHTERS, my first picture. He gave me that screen personality that carried me to stardom. I've always been grateful for that.’
After Curtiz directed Julie’s breakthrough role in his first film, FOUR DAUGHTERS, they would collaborate on five other movies. Curtiz was also hired to add footage (uncredited) to Julie’s second release, BLACKWELL’S ISLAND.
The principal cast for FOUR DAUGHTERS was reunited to play different characters in Curtiz’s DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS. That was Julie’s fifth film role.
Michael Curtiz is wearing the hat in these photos showing him directing the cast. Cinematographer, James Wong Howe can also be spotted in the large group next to the camera.
Michael Curtiz directed the sequel to FOUR DAUGHTERS which Julie appeared in flashback sequences. That movie was FOUR WIVES.
Curtiz and Julie next worked together on one of their greatest collaborations, THE SEA WOLF.
Filmed shortly after THE SEA WOLF, Curtiz is shown above directing Bogie and Bergman in the classic CASABLANCA.
The last film Garfield and Curtiz made together was another of Julie’s greatest films, THE BREAKING POINT. The photo above shows some of the action behind the scenes.
Below is also from Robert Nott’s, HE RAN ALL THE WAY-THE LIFE OF JOHN GARFIELD:
(Making THE BREAKING POINT) “Ten years after they last worked together on THE SEA WOLF, it was obvious that Curtiz and Garfield still had a special professional bond. One element of Julie's acting style from the days of FOUR DAUGHTERS made a welcome return—subtlety. Curtiz had always been able to get Julie to downplay a scene.”
Read more about this prolific movie maker: “Michael Curtiz: A Life in Films,” a biography by Alan K. Rode was published 2017 in and “The Many Cinemas of Michael Curtiz” by R. Barton Palmer was published in 2018.
