Korda, Alexander (1893-1956)

Hungarian-born British film producer and director. He was a dominant figure in the British film industry during the 1930s and 1940s. His films as director include Marius (1931), in France, and The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), in England. He was the producer of The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), The Thief of Bagdad (1940), The Third Man (1949), and Richard III (1955), among many others.

Korda formed London Film Productions in 1932 and during the next eight years did much to make British films the equal of the Hollywood product. After working in Hollywood from 1940 to 1943 he returned to London where he linked his company with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to form MGM-British Productions. He resigned in 1945 and concerned himself solely with the work of London Film Productions.