Pál Jávor
Encyclopedia
Pál Jávor was one of the most known Hungarian
actors, and the country's first male movie star.
, he ran away to serve on the front as a courier. He was caught and transported back months later by military police. In 1918, after working as a junior reporter to the Aradi Hírlap, he set out to live in Denmark
, to act in Danish movies he idolized. As the state offered free train tickets to anyone who wished to leave the country, he willingly banished himself out of Romania
, but his ticket was revoked in Budapest.
. Living in great poverty, and expelled from the Academy for unknown reasons, he earns his degree in the Actor's Guild school, in 1922. Jávor acts in various theatres in Budapest, Székesfehérvár
and several other small towns, but his dissipated lifestyle makes him hard to work with. After being banned from the Guild in 1926, he acts in small roles around the country, and later in Budapest, helped by mentors from the theatrical world, and slowly waking interest of the critics. He is a member of the Vígszínház between 1930–35, and the National Theatre between 1935-1944.
slowly became the part of life for Hungarian citizens and the theatre world alike, working conditions became increasingly harsher, which Jávor could hardly bear. Being anxious about the regulations of the theatre, the defaming of fellow actors, he often clashes with superiors. Charged with making unlawful political comments, he becomes the target of the Gestapo. After hiding in Balatonfüred
and Agárd
, they return to Budapest, thinking that the danger of arrest is over. After another quarrel with the Actor's Guild's manager, the Guild suspends him from practicing the profession, also banning his movies. After the German invasion of Hungary, he was arrested by Arrow party
members. Jávor is first held in the prison of Sopronkőhida
under dire conditions, then transported to Germany
. After being liberated by Allied forces, he waits for the end of the war in the Austria
n Tann and Pfarrkirchen
. His confinement lasted over 9 months, about which he wrote a the recollection published in 1946.
After the war he finds that the theatre world largely rejects him, offering only a few roles. The intellectual and cultural cleansing of the new Communist government leaves him virtually no possibilities. Between July and August, 1946, Jávor makes a successful tour in Romania, then on 15 October, answering several calls, travels to the US.
.
with an occasional group, he learns that he can finally go home - which he does in 1957, awaited by friends, and jobs in the Jókai and Petőfi theatres. However, the years of hardships laid still fresh on Jávor, and several critics found his acting lacking. But his still living legend carried him on, making several successful appearances, and a movie deal. But his health could not tolerate the intensifying life, and after a seizure in 1959, he was transported to a hospital he never left again. While spending over one year in bed, the National Theatre re-hired him, and was often visited by old friends, also resolving some grudges of the past. But his state worsened, and Pál Jávor died on the 14 August 1959.
The burial is held in theatrical ceremony, his coffin followed by tens of thousands of fans to the Farkasréti Cemetery
.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
actors, and the country's first male movie star.
Early years
Pál Jávor (born Pál Jermann) was born 21 January 1902 in Arad, as a lovechild of Pál Jermann, a 53 year old cashier and Katalin Spannenberg, a 17 year old servant-maiden. His parents, only married after his birth, had now with 3 children to care for. This made life hard for the family, who moved often. His mother later opened up a grocery store in Arad's Kossuth street. Jávor was studying in a state operated gymnasium, but was often missing to see movies in the two theatres of the town. From very early on, he wanted to break away from his homeland, and from the simple life his mother wished for him. During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he ran away to serve on the front as a courier. He was caught and transported back months later by military police. In 1918, after working as a junior reporter to the Aradi Hírlap, he set out to live in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, to act in Danish movies he idolized. As the state offered free train tickets to anyone who wished to leave the country, he willingly banished himself out of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, but his ticket was revoked in Budapest.
Theatre life
Jávor, now seeking to gain fame in the Hungarian capital, went to study in the Academy of DramaAcademy of Drama and Film in Budapest
The Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest is a university founded in 1865 in Budapest, Hungary.-Notable alumni:*László Kovács *Vilmos Zsigmond*József Mikó*István Szabó*Miklós Jancsó*Lajos Koltai*Gábor Bódy*Dezső Magyar*Béla Tarr...
. Living in great poverty, and expelled from the Academy for unknown reasons, he earns his degree in the Actor's Guild school, in 1922. Jávor acts in various theatres in Budapest, Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
and several other small towns, but his dissipated lifestyle makes him hard to work with. After being banned from the Guild in 1926, he acts in small roles around the country, and later in Budapest, helped by mentors from the theatrical world, and slowly waking interest of the critics. He is a member of the Vígszínház between 1930–35, and the National Theatre between 1935-1944.
Becoming a movie star
The opportunity to appear in movies first came in 1929, when he starred in Csak egy kislány van a világon, the last Hungarian silent film. Ironically, this was also the first one to feature voice, as technicians got hold of the technology by the last days of shooting. This allowed Jávor to sing a song in one of the scenes, which, combined with the charm and temperament that became his later trademark, secures him a firm employment in the country's waking film industry. He gets the lead role of the first Hungarian movie with sound, Kék Bálvány, and a smaller one in the second, Hyppolit, a lakáj, which becomes the first real hit among the public. Jávor quickly became an idol of the 30s, appearing in numerous movies, but also remains popular on stage. The sudden fame weighted heavy on the young actor, making him to return to alcohol, often clashing with the then-powerful newspaper owners, and co-workers, resulting in numerous scandals. His life was eased when he met, and in 1934, married Olga Landesmann, a widow with two children, who provided him with a welcoming home and family.During the war
After 1940, World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
slowly became the part of life for Hungarian citizens and the theatre world alike, working conditions became increasingly harsher, which Jávor could hardly bear. Being anxious about the regulations of the theatre, the defaming of fellow actors, he often clashes with superiors. Charged with making unlawful political comments, he becomes the target of the Gestapo. After hiding in Balatonfüred
Balatonfüred
Balatonfüred is a popular resort town in Veszprém county, in Hungary, with a population of thirteen thousand, situated on the north shore of the Lake Balaton. It is considered to be the capital of the Northern lake shore and has significant yachting life. It is also a favorite location for coarse...
and Agárd
Agárd
Agárd is a small village on the shores of Lake Velence in Hungary. It is a popular tourist destination amongst Hungarians....
, they return to Budapest, thinking that the danger of arrest is over. After another quarrel with the Actor's Guild's manager, the Guild suspends him from practicing the profession, also banning his movies. After the German invasion of Hungary, he was arrested by Arrow party
Arrow Cross Party
The Arrow Cross Party was a national socialist party led by Ferenc Szálasi, which led in Hungary a government known as the Government of National Unity from October 15, 1944 to 28 March 1945...
members. Jávor is first held in the prison of Sopronkőhida
Sopronkőhida
Sopronkőhida is a village in North Western Hungary, 4 km north of the city Sopron and 5 km south of the border with Austria.-Significance:...
under dire conditions, then transported to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After being liberated by Allied forces, he waits for the end of the war in the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Tann and Pfarrkirchen
Pfarrkirchen
Pfarrkirchen is a municipality in southern Lower Bavaria Germany, the capital of the district Rottal-Inn. It has about 12,500 inhabitants and is an important school centre with about 10,000 pupils from all over Lower Bavaria. The town spreads over an area of about 52 square kilometers and lies...
. His confinement lasted over 9 months, about which he wrote a the recollection published in 1946.
After the war he finds that the theatre world largely rejects him, offering only a few roles. The intellectual and cultural cleansing of the new Communist government leaves him virtually no possibilities. Between July and August, 1946, Jávor makes a successful tour in Romania, then on 15 October, answering several calls, travels to the US.
Living in the United States
After arriving, he was met with great acclaim by the emigrant community, but despite this, he could only arrange small comedic and musical shows, which he found humiliating. Slowly sinking into depression and reaching for alcohol, the quality of his shows also sank, emptying audience seats. While he thinks about returning home, he receives no encouraging news from Hungary, and the tensing political situation also forces him to remain in the States. He travels to Hollywood to seek film roles, but his lacking English knowledge left him few possibilities. With humiliating castings and low ranking roles he found degrading, Jávor joined a touring group, performing Hungarian hit songs and old tunes. Later he also works part-time as a gatekeeper, and computer operator. During his 11 years in the US, Jávor met numerous difficulties, but also remembered joyful moments: he wrote numerous articles in American-Hungarian papers, and with his journalist ID he could visit movie theatres for free. Through a voluntary detoxication cure, he gave up alcohol-addiction, and befriended several emigrant artists living in America, including Sándor MáraiSándor Márai
Sándor Márai was a Hungarian writer and journalist.-Biography:...
.
Final years
In 1956, touring IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
with an occasional group, he learns that he can finally go home - which he does in 1957, awaited by friends, and jobs in the Jókai and Petőfi theatres. However, the years of hardships laid still fresh on Jávor, and several critics found his acting lacking. But his still living legend carried him on, making several successful appearances, and a movie deal. But his health could not tolerate the intensifying life, and after a seizure in 1959, he was transported to a hospital he never left again. While spending over one year in bed, the National Theatre re-hired him, and was often visited by old friends, also resolving some grudges of the past. But his state worsened, and Pál Jávor died on the 14 August 1959.
The burial is held in theatrical ceremony, his coffin followed by tens of thousands of fans to the Farkasréti Cemetery
Farkasréti Cemetery
Farkasréti Cemetery or Farkasrét Cemetery is one of the most famous cemeteries in Budapest. It was opened in 1894 and is noted for its spectacular sight towards the city ....
.
Legacy
Pál Jávor is regarded as one of the most influential actor of the Hungarian film, a widely recognized character of his era. With his movies still surfacing, Jávor is still among the most known names in the country.Filmography
- Csak egy kislány van a világon (1929)
- A kék bálvány (1931)
- Hyppolit, a lakáj (1931)
- Iza néni (1933)
- A bor (1933)
- Rákóczi induló(1933)
- Ida regénye (1934)
- Emmy (1934)
- Az iglói diákok (1934)
- Köszönöm, hogy elgázolt (1935)
- Csúnya lány (1935)
- Elnökkisasszony (1935)
- Nem élhetek muzsikaszó nélkül (1935)
- Az új földesúr (1935)
- Havi 200 fix (1936)
- Nászút féláron (1936)
- Mária nővér (1936)
- Fizessen, nagysád! (1937)
- A torockói menyasszony (1937)
- A férfi mind őrült (1937)
- Viki (1937)
- Pusztai szél (1937)
- A 111-es (1937)
- Két fogoly (1937)
- A Noszty-fiú estete Tóth Marival (1937)
- Maga lesz a férjem (1937)
- Marika (1937)
- Fekete gyémántok (1938)
- Uz Bence (1938)
- A varieté csillagai (1938)
- Toprini nász (1939)
- A tökéletes férfi (1939)
- Halálos tavasz (1939)
- Fűszer és csemege (1939)
- Jöjjön elsején! (1940)
- Gül Baba (1940)
- Erzsébet királyné (1940)
- Dankó Pista (1940)
- Igen vagy nem? (1940)
- Sok hűhó Emmiért (1940)
- Egy csók és más semmi (1940)
- Tóparti látomás (1940)
- A szerelem nem szégyen (1940)
- Lángok (1940)
- Balkezes angyal (1941)
- Ma, tegnap, holnap (1941)
- Néma kolostor (1941)
- Egy tál lencse (1941)
- A beszélő köntös (1941)
- Három csengő (1941)
- Lelki klinika (1941)
- Életre ítéltek! (1941)
- Az utolsó dal (1941)
- Egy asszony visszanéz (1941)
- Az 5-ös számú őrház (1942)
- Estélyi ruha kötelező (1942)
- Pista tekintetes úr (1942)
- A láp virága (1942)
- Ópiumkeringő (1942)
- Késő… (1943)
- Makrancos hölgy (1943)
- Kerek Ferkó (1943)
- Valamit visz a víz (1943)
- Szováthy Éva (1943)
- Fehér vonat (1943)
- Egy gép nem tért vissza (1944)
- Madách (1944)
- A tanítónő (1945)
Sources
- Tibor, Bános. Jávor Pál. Budapest: Athaneum 2000 Kiadó, 2001. ISBN 9639261769.
- http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02139/html/sz12/73.html – Pál Jávor in the Hungarian Theatrical Lexicon (György, Székely. Magyar Színházművészeti Lexikon. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1994. ISBN 9789630566353), freely available on mek.oszk.hu