Early Hollywood and the European Creative Migration in the 1920s
How Hungarians and other Eastern Europeans transformed Hollywood.
I'd like to start this post on a personal note - not that I shy away from sharing my opinion in most respects.
I was raised in Los Angeles. That implies a lot of things, but one thing it instilled in me is a love of the movies. I have lived within a few miles of movie studios for the first 50 years of my life1.
One of the first symbiotic relationships between geography and economics I ever explored was the creation of Hollywood. The legal obstacles posed by Edison’s film monopolies necessitated a move away from New York by rivals. Geographically, Hollywood beckoned due to its favorable weather and diverse landscapes. Economically, it benefits from the economies of scale that naturally built up local resources in the analog days.
But it wasn’t predestined that Hollywood would become the unrivaled hub of movie (and later, TV) production for decades2. In the early days of silent movies, international film centers flourished in both Europe and the United States.
This post focuses on the early 20th Century, when silent movies and early talkies brought talent from Europe due to war or the threat of war. In particular, it will examine Budapest and the Hungarian talent, which had grown into an internationally recognized center of film by the 1910s. However, the Hungarian industry was decimated after World War I.
I confess to having started down this particular path by my admiration for the films of Michael Curtiz (born Mihály Kertész). I admire almost everything Director Curtiz has done.
Growth of Hollywood
Note: I will not delve into the legal reasons that led Hollywood to become the center of filmmaking; that story can be found in many other places. Instead, I will focus on Hollywood as the hub of film production from the 1920s onward.
Jewish Immigrants played a major part in establishing Hollywood.
Even before World War I, European Jewish refugees had begun to move to Hollywood to work in the movie industry. Many of the Jews had been born in the areas that traded hands between Austria/Hungary, Poland, and Russia; the last two nations, in particular, persecuted the Jewish population. Many Jewish families fled the area to the United States before World War I. (This was discussed in the post Galicia - European Melting Pot.)
In Hollywood, these immigrants found a culture more accepting of Jewish entrepreneurs. In Los Angeles, outside of a few enclaves, money and power were more important than religion.
Immigrants, particularly Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, founded many of the Hollywood institutions. Jewish management styles and creative talent from Eastern Europe established many of the notable Hollywood Studios. Carl Laemmle was a Jew born in Germany before immigrating and founding Universal Pictures. Louis B. Mayer and Samuel Goldwyn were both Jews born in Poland before immigrating and starting MGM Studios. William Fox of Fox Studios was a Jew born in Hungary. Adolf Zukor was a Hungarian Jew who left for California and started Paramount Studios. This environment made the studios much more willing to work with recent immigrants as well as homegrown talent.
The immigration that started after World War I found Hollywood a safe place to settle down.
European Cinema before World War I
Cinema was a wild new art form before World War I. The new medium was frequently explored and produced, with various schools of production emerging in both Europe and the United States. Even today, we talk of the French avant-garde style, the Swedish Bergman style of symbolism and madness, the Berlin expressionist style. Before the start of World War I, a wide variety of voices were heard, often unique to the population’s sensibilities.
European Cinema After WWI: A Shifting Landscape of Talent and Industry
World War I changed Europe in countless ways, including its film industry. The war devastated economies, redrew borders, and disrupted cultural production. But it also catalyzed new movements and migrations, especially in cinema. Here's what happened to some of the major European movie hubs after 1918.
🇭🇺 Hungary / Budapest: A Cradle of Talent in Turmoil
Before World War I, Hungary had a vibrant and promising film scene centered in Budapest. Budapest produced silent films that showcased a blend of artistry and technical skill. The Austro-Hungarian Empire supported a growing film infrastructure, and Hungarian filmmakers like Michael Curtiz (né Mihály Kertész) and Alexander Korda (né Sándor László Kellner) were already experimenting with style and narrative before the war began in 1914.
However, after the war, Hungary underwent profound political and social upheaval, marked by the fall of the empire, the establishment of the 1919 Hungarian Soviet Republic, and its violent suppression. Censorship, nationalization, and instability led many artists to flee. This exodus included future Hollywood legends such as Curtiz, Alexander Korda, Zoltan Korda, and Billy Wilder.
Hungary lost its position as a production hub, but it became an immense supply of talent that would enrich other industries, especially in Berlin and later Hollywood.
It was not only behind-the-scenes talent. Actors like Peter Lorre, Bella Lugosi, Paul Lukas, Vilma Bánky, and others were Hungarian players who left the oppression of Budapest.
Billy Wilder was a Jewish writer from Vienna (part of Austria / Hungary when he was born) who moved to Germany, then fled to the United States as Hitler came to power in 1933.
🇩🇪 Berlin: Rise of the Weimar Film Machine
In the immediate postwar years, Germany’s isolation (due to a ban on foreign films until 1921) led to a boom in domestic film production. Berlin became one of the most important global centers for cinema, giving rise to the legendary Weimar cinema.
Studios like UFA (Universum Film AG) emerged, producing films that were technically advanced, visually daring, and politically potent. Movements such as German Expressionism (e.g. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, Metropolis) set new global standards.
For many Hungarian immigrants heading to Hollywood, Berlin was their first stop. Berline still had a vibrant cinema scene and an industry that was busy and profitable.
Berlin attracted émigré filmmakers from Hungary, Austria, and Russia, briefly becoming the creative capital of European cinema—until the rise of Nazism in the 1930s triggered another wave of migration—this time most of it to Hollywood.
🇫🇷 Paris: A Resilient Avant-Garde
France had one of the world’s earliest and strongest film industries, but WWI halted much of its production. After the war, French cinema had to rebuild in the shadow of increasing American imports.
Nonetheless, Paris fostered a bold avant-garde. Directors like Abel Gance (Napoléon), Louis Delluc, and Germaine Dulac pushed boundaries in narrative form and visual experimentation. The 1920s in France became known for Impressionist Cinema and Surrealist Film, rooted in the broader cultural ferment of postwar Paris.
Although France never fully regained its prewar dominance, it remained an essential center for innovation and intellectual cinema.
🇬🇧 Great Britain: Playing Catch-Up
British cinema was relatively weak compared to its continental peers before the war, and WWI worsened that imbalance. The war disrupted production, and afterward, British screens were quickly flooded with American films, which were cheaper and more technically polished.
Efforts were made to rebuild studios like Gainsborough and British International Pictures began investing in domestic production. Yet throughout the 1920s, British film struggled to find a distinctive voice or compete with the star power and spectacle of Hollywood. One of the figures who heralded a renaissance in British filmmaking was Alexander Korda, originally from Hungary. He remained in England with his own studio through the 1950s, though he temporarily relocated to Hollywood during the height of World War II.
Still, the seeds were planted for a later renaissance in the 1930s, especially with the rise of directors like Alfred Hitchcock. However, like Hitchcock, much of Britain’s movie talent was lured to Hollywood with money and perks.
My Aunt lived just over the fence from the MGM backlot, and next door to one of the MGM owners' mothers. The fence was not a major obstacle for a young boy. Actors were not unusual to run into for me. I went to elementary school with Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster). I competed in the state speech finals against Jody Whitaker (Jody Davis of Family Affair). Being around actors was not abnormal for me.
.Movie and content production hubs have ballooned since the 1980s. We now have major development hubs in Africa (Nollywood), India (Bollywood), Vancouver (Hollywood North), and China. Most large countries have local production facilities for both internal and exported content.